nberry:

 Iain, you're not getting off that easy. You own a 458, Cali and spent two days driving a Turbo S. How about a little comparisons? Don't be concerned about offending anyone. You have considerable credibility with forum members.

 

I'd owned a 997.1 turbo before Nick so wasn't a complete novice to the car but the .2 turbo S has even more savage acceleration and mechanical grip than you will ever really need on the open road. I found myself driving it faster than the 458 for a couple of reasons. Firstly the Porsche is a lot more subtle in traffic (the demo car was Basalt whilst my 458 is Rosso Corsa) so it is easier to make up ground without drawing attention to the fact you are doing so. People don't do silly manoeuvres around you just to see your car like they sometimes do with a Ferrari. Porsches are a common sight here so no-one, other than car enthusiasts, take much notice..... until you absolutely fly by them on an overtake that is Smiley  The second reason is that the car feels a lot smaller on the road and that inspires the confidence to clip apexes and corner faster as a result.

There is no doubt that the Porsche lacks any sort of aural drama. The S is better than the standard turbo in this respect and has a bit of a growl but compared to the 458 it's almost mute. You really do get a savage kick though when the turbo spools up and launches you down the road. Unlike the linear power of the Ferrari engine this is more akin to flicking an on/off switch so is far more noticeable.

As a devastatingly capable everday fast road car the turbo is king IMHO. It is inconspicuous enough (certainly here) to be left parked without worrying about it, has good levels of comfort (with the exception of the teeth jarring PASM sport mode - though this is better than it was on my Gen 1 turbo), is equally fast in the wet or dry and has more than enough power to dispatch traffic with absolute disdain given even a small window of overtaking opportunity.

As a weekend/funcar it just isn't special enough IMHO and that's why I sold my Gen 1 car. It comes alive at speed but once you get used to that it then becomes a superbly competent, high end example of automotive white goods by which I mean it can be relied upon to do everything you ask of it but fades into the background of your consciousness. That just doesn't happen with Ferraris. You always know you are driving something special and more bespoke in the Italian car and it gives you a more tactile and involving experience. I'm sure you can relate to that Nick. The aural drama is there in both the 458 and Cali whenever you open the exhaust valves but falls away when cruising to leave you in relative calm. The acceleration is also immense but delivered in a more linear fashion. There is an almost indescribable feeling when you drive a Ferrari that just isn't there in a Porsche for me and many others I've spoken to. In the pursuit of perfection some of the emotion is dialled out in them and replaced by Teutonic efficiency which is a very different experience for the driver. Some people prefer that in a car and I can understand why but I'll take a bit of heart and soul every time when it comes to a weekend toy Smiley

Having said all of that I'm really looking foward to the 991as a daily as I'm sure it will be a fantastic car. You never really appreciate the true qualities of a Porsche until you sell it and realise just how much you miss it IMHO. It's 4 years since I last owned a 911 and my brief stint in the turbo S rekindled that affection for the model.

Porsche should come up with a new marketing strapline - "Warning - This car is so understatedly good that you may end up mistakenly thinking all cars are made this way" Smiley