Alternative view of the new 3.4 S
I have just had the pleasure of driving the new 3.4 S for a whole day. I covered over 350 miles and drove it on some of the twistiest and most British of great roads my area had to offer. I come from a year old 987 2.7 with 19'' classics and no PASM. Both cars are manual.
My basic conclusions are as follows.
The new boot treatment is a major step forward.
The new car is quieter and less raspy than my 2.7. Both I amd my brother commented on this at the first impression. It makes less of a growl on startup and has less induction growl in the lower revs. At higher RPMs, there is more of a howl, but overall I prefered the noise my 2.7 makes. It was even more noticeable when I got back into my 987.
The 6 speed gearbox is heavenly compared to mine. The shifts are less notchy and quicker. The gearbox is smoother and therefore easier to snap through. I found myself changing just for the hell of it, not something I tend to do with my (albeit good) gearbox, but certainly a step up from the 2.7.
The car just wasn't as quick as I had hoped. Initial shove from standstill is similar, however there is a significant extra lift from 5500rpm onwards. In my opinion, there is not a significant lift over the 3.2, and certainly not the 'massive' difference over the 2.7. I was initially worried that returning to my car would result in a feeling of lacking. Not so. The 3.4S is certainly rapid, but not shockingly so and certainly not over your average B road. It does however take most things to the cleaners from 100 mph plus. But how usable is that on British roads??
The standard suspension was significantly better at soaking up the bumps. Tha demo car ran on Carerra sports with standard suspension. This is a close comparison with my cars' setup. I felt is was less twitcy over bumpy backroads and as such felt more secure and enabled quicker progress. There was also less shudder/scuttle through the body as a result of the better ride. However, my 2.7 felt sharper on turn in and in mid corner, perhaps as a result of less unsprung weight.
The S brakes have significantly better initial bite, although increased resistance to fade wasn't noticed. I can't say that over any given course the S brakes would make you quicker, I have never noticed the 2.7 brakes to be lacking, but the S setup offers more intiial bite.
The new MY07 key has dealer recall fixes already incorporated and feels more crisp and doesn't unlock in your pocket.
The rear boot shuts much more easily than mine.
Porsche Naavigation is crap compared to my TOmTom
The Carerra sports look great, but I still prefer my classics.
Overall, I felt the 3.4S was a step up, but not, in my opinion worth the extra over the 2.7. I find on any given road I didn't miss the extra shove that the S may offer and I didn't find myself missing the S after I returned to my car. Perhaps I would need to try the Cayman to really appreciate the better handling with the stiffer chassis. Other than that, it is an amazing car, but then again, so is mine.
Cheers and enjoy the photos,
JZ
My basic conclusions are as follows.
The new boot treatment is a major step forward.
The new car is quieter and less raspy than my 2.7. Both I amd my brother commented on this at the first impression. It makes less of a growl on startup and has less induction growl in the lower revs. At higher RPMs, there is more of a howl, but overall I prefered the noise my 2.7 makes. It was even more noticeable when I got back into my 987.
The 6 speed gearbox is heavenly compared to mine. The shifts are less notchy and quicker. The gearbox is smoother and therefore easier to snap through. I found myself changing just for the hell of it, not something I tend to do with my (albeit good) gearbox, but certainly a step up from the 2.7.
The car just wasn't as quick as I had hoped. Initial shove from standstill is similar, however there is a significant extra lift from 5500rpm onwards. In my opinion, there is not a significant lift over the 3.2, and certainly not the 'massive' difference over the 2.7. I was initially worried that returning to my car would result in a feeling of lacking. Not so. The 3.4S is certainly rapid, but not shockingly so and certainly not over your average B road. It does however take most things to the cleaners from 100 mph plus. But how usable is that on British roads??
The standard suspension was significantly better at soaking up the bumps. Tha demo car ran on Carerra sports with standard suspension. This is a close comparison with my cars' setup. I felt is was less twitcy over bumpy backroads and as such felt more secure and enabled quicker progress. There was also less shudder/scuttle through the body as a result of the better ride. However, my 2.7 felt sharper on turn in and in mid corner, perhaps as a result of less unsprung weight.
The S brakes have significantly better initial bite, although increased resistance to fade wasn't noticed. I can't say that over any given course the S brakes would make you quicker, I have never noticed the 2.7 brakes to be lacking, but the S setup offers more intiial bite.
The new MY07 key has dealer recall fixes already incorporated and feels more crisp and doesn't unlock in your pocket.
The rear boot shuts much more easily than mine.
Porsche Naavigation is crap compared to my TOmTom
The Carerra sports look great, but I still prefer my classics.
Overall, I felt the 3.4S was a step up, but not, in my opinion worth the extra over the 2.7. I find on any given road I didn't miss the extra shove that the S may offer and I didn't find myself missing the S after I returned to my car. Perhaps I would need to try the Cayman to really appreciate the better handling with the stiffer chassis. Other than that, it is an amazing car, but then again, so is mine.
Cheers and enjoy the photos,
JZ
