TRANSMISSION, BRAKES AND SUSPENSION

Tiptronic S may have kick-started the mass movement from Porsches with manual transmission to those with semi-automatic gearboxes, but PDK (introduced to the 997 Gen II and becoming an instant hit) has well and truly taken over. Nevertheless, the 991 brought us a seven-speed manual stick shift, even though the 991 GT3 — the model you'd think most buyers would expect to carry a manual cog swapper — was launched as Pdk-only. For almost every other 991, save for the aforementioned GT3 and the Turbo S, a choice of manual or PDK was made available. Things changed for the facelift 991, when the GT3 was finally given what purists had been crying out for: a six-speed manual, but Turbo-badged 991s were now PDK only. This is a key consideration for those of you looking for top specification with manual transmission — you may find earlier cars are better at satisfying your requirements.

One of the biggest changes to overall 911 specification came with the introduction of electrically assisted power steering. We cover this (and other 991 technologies) on page 96, so won't wax lyrical about it here, suffice to say this was the single biggest feature 911 enthusiasts criticised, some saying it diluted the driving experience. What few complained about was the introduction of rear axle steering, debuting on the GT3. Car speed determines whether the rear wheels steer in the same or opposite direction as the fronts, the latter proving useful for parking manoeuvres. The system was a £1,592 cost option on applicable models, including the sporty 991 Carrera T. Rear axle steering was standard equipment on the GT3, GT3 RS, Turbo and Turbo S, and makes a big difference to the feel of the host 911 in all cornering conditions.

Other desirable extras include Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB, £6,018 when new, a must-have on super-high-output 911s and cars driven hard or regularly thrown into bends), dropped suspension (£558), sports exhaust (£1,773) and cruise control (£228), as well as the previously mentioned Sport Chrono Plus package for either PDK or manual, the latter benefiting from selectable automatic throttle blip (the former enjoying this and rapid-fire gear changes) among many other plus points. We sense a tech feature coming on...