Driving Impressions: New 911 S vs. Z

EndyKwon

A few questions!

1. When you say that the power delivery is smoother, do you mean its like a "rising surge" of power? I've always noticed that the Z in certain gears are more of a sudden burst (2nd gear 7AT) where power is mostly delivered in the middle of the gears (in my experience).
2. I expected my Z to have a better feel of the road when taking turns. I've always noticed that the steering a little "numb" when I'm taking corners at a relatively high speed. Would you say that the Porsche doesn't have that "numb" feeling?
3. How close, in your opinion, could I make my Z to a 997 with aftermarket parts? (Suspension, bolt-ons, tires, etc.)

bigdog1250

1) Smoother probably wasn't the best adjective, but I'll explain what I meant. The power is just very immediate and linear. Also, the motor is buttery smooth, and that feeling just adds to the whole feel of the car. The throttle is also very precise and quick, so you can very easily moderate how much power you want and it happens instantly. All the pieces work so well together that it just makes for a "smooth" interaction.
2) Yes, I agree with you. Even after I installed Swift springs which definitely helped the car feel more aggressive and planted, high speed corners in our car can feel slightly uneasy especially if there is a bump. I know coil-overs and sway bars would help even more but it will never give as much feedback as the Porsche will. This car is the epitome of road feel. I've yet to drive a Ferrari or other exotic, but it's been argued throughout the industry that Porsche delivers the best connection between driver and road.
3) FYI the new Porsche is a 991 (997 is the previous body style that was just retired). I can't say for sure as I haven't ridden in an extremely modded Z but it would take a lot and even if you did everything you'll never get the perfect harmony that Porsche achieves. Everything just works so well together. It's truly art work! Go drive one and you'll see what I'm talking about.

*P.S. the other amazing factor about this car is that the hood drops off so suddenly that your vision is amazing. Unlike the long hood of the Z which feel's very muscle car like, the 911 drops low so you can see very close in front of the car and the fenders bulge at the side of the car so you know exactly where the wheels are. Plus the A-pillar is very thin so forward vision is further enhanced.

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350z / 40th 370z / C6 Z06 / BMW M4 / V10 R8 / C7 Grand Spot / 997.1 GT3 / S2K / Camaro ZL1 / 718 GTS / 991.2 GT3