Driving Impressions: New 911 S vs. Z

edub370

don't be so cocky. if its a cayman S he's pushin 300bhp

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Cmike2780

Interesting comparison between the new Boxster S and the 2012 911. It shows just how good the Boxster has gotten. The Cayman S will no doubt be even closer.

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[09][MB][6-Spd MT][Touring][Stillen Gen III][K&N][Borla CBE][Evo-R]

bigdog1250

FYI, the new Boxter S run a 4.4 0-60... See above

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obito

Have you ever test drive a Lotus exige ? I have never try it out yet, but I heard that it's a best handling car. My first sport car was Rx-8, and i'm not a fast driver, so I usually fall in love with good handling vehicles. Is Porsche deliver better handling than a Lotus ?

PM yea Lotus interior is suck as hell

cossie1600

I drove a Lotus Exige at the track. It's a great handling car, but the 911 can still do donuts around you as the Lotus just doesn't have the horsepower. The novelty of great handling wears off pretty quick when you have to climb in and out of the car, also you know how annoying it is to not have a rear view mirror?

There is a reason why many Lotus owners don't keep their cars!

LakeShow

120k for a Carrera S. Damn, that's literally creeping into 911 Turbo territory.

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axmea?

Thanks for your review. Aren't there enough mods to close the gap on the handling department? I'm thinking suspension, tires, breaks, and sway bar. Even without electronic steering, there is a way to take the handling of the Z somewhere in Porsche territory.

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bigsix

Sounds like a humbling experience. I think we can appreciate the car we drive, no matter the level of experience. There is something so incredible about a Porsche 911.

DLSTR

Really nice review! I drive the new 911's yearly over here. Easily rented at Avis in Stuttgart or any other major city.
With the 911 you get what you pay for. No question. Thanks for posting this up.
That being said the Z offers a fantastic, dynamic driving experience as well. Being able to actually and legally use the power here is key. Its called the Japanese 911 here in Germany.

Well done on the drive and I hope you do obtain your Porsche. Worth every cent! Also get over here and tour the 911 factory!! Its a great experience and then rent a 911 and drive it the way it was meant to be driven on the Autobahn!

cossie1600

You could, but the experience is still not the same. Also you are not driving a Porsche 911....

I spent some time comparing my car to my friend's GT3. At the end of the day, I just have to accept his car is way faster and way better. Still I sometimes wonder if it is worth 4x the money as it is not 4x faster.

2011 Nismo#91

Someone should compare a Mercedes G class to the Z next time.

Porsche's are great cars I just hate the massive list of options. The 911S is 90K base but there are about 60k in options available. Same goes for the more expensive models you'd be hard pressed to find one with little to no options.

cossie1600

That's pretty much how it works in the "luxury" brand. I recently bought a Lexus and the MSRP was $9K over the base price due to all the options

Compdoc777

If I am going to drop 100k it's going to be on the GTR.

I smoked a 911 Carrara 4s.

If you want to compare a Z to the 911 then compare the Nismo which has performance in mind and not the base or sport.

Of course the price difference even in the Cayman you can have upgrades that will not only put the Z on the same performance level, but surpass it.

To me if I am going to spent a ton on performance ill just get the best they have and go with the GTR and call it a day.

Tazicon

If you own a Z you understand that you don't always buy a car to be the fastest on the road. GTRs are fast cars but they are not a Porsche.

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bvl

From a numbers perspective sure however some of the replies (mine included) are of the ilk that its not all about the numbers. There are other things in play, such as basic physics (which I don't know how I can be 'wrong' about...hehe), and the subjective feel of the machine. The GT-R pulls insane numbers for its size, an engineering marvel. It will never feel light or tossible on a back country road going 30-50 mph.

Some cars have a feel that is verym very hard to match. BMW has it with the 3 series. Lotus and Mazda have small roadsters. Porsche has their thing too.

Having spent significant time in a 987 Cayman, being down 1l and 70 HP or so to the Z it still has a much different feel in both basic handling and power delivery. I'm hardly a brand snob (strait, miata fan here. yes they exist), but the experience of the Cayman is far better then the Z. 2X the price better?

To me, no way.

But if they are close.....well, its trade offs at that point. Picked up our 07 Cayman (my wife's DD) for < 40K with warranty and 14K on the ticker.

Now you are talking about a 5-7K premium. Is it worth it?

To me, hells yeah.

The 911 is a different category IMHO. Its larger, cost far more, is a 2+2, and is the epitome of engineering for the brand. It teeters the edge of sports car and ultimate GT depending on packaging.

- b