May 14, 2012 5:08:24 PM
- Porsche-Jeck
- Rennteam Master
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- Loc: Rheinland , Germany
- Posts: 4856, Gallery
- Registered on: Jun 27, 2005
981S - driven (prolonged testdrive)
Hi guys – thought I would share some driving impressions with you after finally driving a 981S demo car last weekend. 
My reference for comparison purposes is our 987S MK1 (3.2 L / 280 hp), manual gearbox (short-shift), PASM, Sport Chrono, 19” wheels.
Demo car was equipped with PDK, PASM, 20” wheels, servo plus, standard seats, PCM, Sound Package, auto aircon. We (Mrs. and Mr. P-J) did about 150 km – nice mix of city, country roads and Autobahn.
Engine: The added hp/nm compared to our 987S is clearly noticeable of course but even more so is the difference in character of the DFI engine vs. the “old” non DFI engine: power delivery of the DFI engine is (or at least subjectively feels) more linear. Also the engine’s response - with both pushing the pedal and lifting the foot – felt more spontaneous in the old non DFI engine. The engine sound of the old non DFI is both louder and provides a broader variety of tones (from burbling to shrieking), whereas the 3.4 DFI has a more bassy bias. This is nice if you go for a long Autobahn drive with the top up (less tiring, but still with a good sporty sound), but for me not enough when driving with the top down meaning that PSE is a must have IMHO. I am happy that I ticked this box and I very much hope that the PSE delivers in the sound department. To put things into perspective it may be worth mentioning that the demo car had only close to 3,000 km on the clock whereas the odometer in our 987S shows > 100,000 km. Also I am a little bit spoiled from my 997.1 GT3 when it comes to engine and exhaust sound 
In terms of fuel consumption the PDK equipped 981S clearly had the edge over the 987S. We measured 10,5 L / 100 km in the city (3 L less than the 987 
), 11-12 L on country roads with some fun, 15-16 L on country roads and Autobahn with maximum fun.
Verdict: very efficient with effortless power delivery, but less “character” in both responsiveness and sound compared to the old non DFI engine.
Steering: My initial fears regarding the e-steering went already away after my test drive with the 991S and the test drive in the 981S confirmed the impressions. I would say that the loss in feedback is even less in the Boxster compared to the Carrera – maybe due to the difference in weight distribution….just guessing.
No doubt the old steering was more communicative – with the new steering you can’t tell anymore if your tires are rolling over a cigarette with or without filter , but it is still best in class for road driving even in spirited manner and there is no problem at all in pointing the car exactly where you want when cornering. How it feels on the track or in the wet remains to be seen.
Verdict: yes, the e-steering feels more comfy/damped compared to the old steering, but in real world road driving I am sure I’ll miss nothing. Strange enough I actually think I’ll miss the old non DFI engine more than the old steering.
Brakes: Perfect – still the good old progressive brake feeling, maybe with a little more bite towards the end of the pedal travel.
Roadholding: This is a quantum leap over the 987.1 (which was not a bad handling car after all…) – clearly the department where the Weissach boys gained the biggest advantage over the 987 (as with the 991 vs. 997). Well done Porsche. No under-steering even with spirited (road-) driving, hardly noticeable body roll and even without LSD/PTV hairpins could be taken in 911 fashion – fantastic. 
If we assume for a moment that Porsche’s claims of NoS laptimes would be correct , then the 981S PDK is a whopping 20 secs faster than the 987S MK1 manual. The added 35 hp don’t make such a big difference on the NoS for a +/- 300 hp car (maybe 5 secs or so ?), the PDK maybe another 5 secs, meaning the chassis/suspension must account for 10 secs or so – quite impressive for someone who knows how it feels trying to shave off 10 secs from a +/- 8 min lap with a car which basically still is a very similar package compared to the predecessor.
PASM: Of course the PASM plays an important role in the roadholding/driving dynamics department. Here again the newest version is no comparison with the very first version we had in our 987S.1 – a massive improvement. The latest version provides both – more precise feedback and more comfort at the same time (again similar impressions as with the 991 vs. 997).
It’s also worth mentioning that the calibration spread between Normal mode and Sport mode is much narrower now. With PASM.1 the Sport mode was usable only on the smoothest road surface – not so with the newest PASM generation which can be driven also on suboptimal roads in Sport mode without risking a loss of teeth inlays.
Verdict: chassis/suspension in the 981 takes it to a whole new level – absolutely superb
PDK: As already mentioned in my short driving report on the 991S the PDK works perfectly and allows to drive the car either in taxi mode (auto mode / city) or in spirited manner (sport/manual mode) on open roads. Astonishingly I found the auto mode even less boring compared to the 991S – maybe the shifting points are just different or it had to do with the “learning software”. But there is no doubt that you have to go Sport(+) / manual mode if you want authentic sportscar feeling. I, for one will drive the car like a manual just without the left foot/clutch action . Actually I found myself in the PDK car even more shifting gears as in the manual – just for the fun of it. Probably this will be even more so with the PSE providing these great throttle blip sounds on downshifts.
BTW be aware of scared pedestrians when you drive in Sport(+) mode in the city, when bringing the car to a full halt at a red traffic light or Zebra stripe – when the PDK shifts down from 2nd into 1st and automatically produces the throttle blip sound some pedestrians may be afraid that you are going to “attack” them…
Verdict: PDK suits the car’s character of a more versatile and “grown-up” two-seater sportscar very well. Still I would like to test a 6speed but it seems that all demo cars are equipped with the PDK.
Smaller observations: The Sound Package does “clang” less in the 981 but still is not for the audiophile. The TFT display is excellent - especially the Satnav graphic (unlike the PCM map picture on the bigger screen which I didn’t like too much), legibility of the instruments could be a bit better IMHO (maybe just a matter of familiarisation), overall ergonomics is excellent (except for the limited rear view – the mash wind deflector doesn’t really help), standard seats are better than before (though I still prefer the Sport Seats Plus at least).
Overall verdict: the Boxster has moved from a “go-kartish” Roadster to a more grown up and versatile Cab. The 987 also conveyed authentic sportscar feeling at lower speeds, which is less true for the 981 IMHO. On the other hand the 981 is a much more competent sportscar at higher speeds. This may call for trouble because if you really want to feel and enjoy the Porscheness of your new Boxster you may want (or have…) to push the throttle deeper than traffic law and the police suggests….Again IMHO a similarity between 991 and 981 (compared to 997 and 987). The latter – admittedly subjective - observation even more did confirm my opinion that – if you want a Porsche Cab and do not bother with tiny rear seats or “prestige” – go for the Boxster(S). 
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public roads: Porsche 987 S Seal/Cocoa, toll road 
: Porsche 997 GT3 Arctic/Black
I guess having had three 987's ( two Boxsters and a Cayman) it's good to try something different - and a new Boxster would have cost £10k more than the 997 did if we specced one to our preference.
