Max Newman
I’ve been lavishing care on the 991 this month in anticipation of more driving to come in 2021. When I bought the car I had vague ideas about PPF on the front end, but once we got it under the lights in the detailing bay at Lava Studios I realised it has succumbed to the same stone chips that afflict all regularly driven 911s. What I decided to do instead is order a touch-up paint kit from Chipex and ask Ryan at Lava to attend to the ones you can’t un-see!
I also ordered some Zunsport grilles to protect the AC condensers in the front. The grilles in my 997 were made in-house at Paragon and look really neat and discrete. Without the option really to visit Paragon at the moment I decided to go down the Zunsport route, despite reading that some folk have removed them because they don’t look sufficiently OEM. Ryan at Lava fitted them for me whilst he was touching up the paint and I’m really pleased with them – I think they look neat and sufficiently OEM for me. Equally importantly, they look like they’ll do the job.
After nearly six months it still feels like a privilege to have the 991 on my driveway. I like the Anthracite brown paint more and more, I love the interior, but hate how hard it is to keep clean. It’s a source of continuous anxiety for me. I did see a 991 C4S advertised recently in Anthracite brown but with a black interior and firmly believe the Pebble and Agate leather in my car looks so much better. It works with the exterior to create a spec even my friend Luke Gilbertson would be proud of. So I’m trying to be relaxed about it. Trying.
Out on the road I continue to be surprised by how fast the 991 is. It really screams at the top end in a way no other car I’ve owned has. I know speed is relative, but it’s a fast car no doubt. My enjoyment of the motor is further enhanced by the sunroof and PDK ‘box. A sunroof seems quite common on non-gt 991s, albeit something folk often say they don’t like. I know it adds weight, complication, and inevitable creaks, but the aperture is a decent size and feels quite close to your head. Light and engine sound floods in, and I really like it.
Mine is the heavily tinted glass roof, and in another example of the thought given to the specification, the rear glass is also heavily tinted privacy glass, but the side glass isn’t. It enhances the lines of the car, and avoids that stupid look when folk spec the privacy side glass in the little quarter lights – I’ll never understand that.
The PDK ‘box I’m loving too. It’s so versatile. It’s docile and refined, yet totally intoxicating and exciting when you’re in the mood. I haven’t got completely comfortable yet with the kick down function of PDK though. I know there’s a little step at the end of the throttle travel, but sometimes I want to bury my foot in the carpet and ride the torque into the upper reaches of the rev range. Sometimes it will kick down but not always. I’m not sure if this is entirely engine speed dependent, or if it’s also to do with the shift mapping based on how hard you’re driving. Perhaps someone can tell me?
The other odd thing, a throwback to the Tiptronic era, is the programming of the gear lever in the centre console. In Gen1 991s with the exception of the GT cars, you push forward to upshift and pull it towards to downshift. It’s counterintuitive and not helpful when you’re in VLN attack mode. I do have excellent, tactile, correctly orientated paddles on the Sport Design steering wheel, but I’d like to use the lever too. As it stands I only use it for a first to second short-shift in low speed manoeuvring. Can it be reprogrammed?
This isn’t meant to turn into a PDK gripe session, and if you’re a manual stalwart I’m sure you’ll rejoice in telling me I’ve bought the wrong car. But believe me I haven’t; PDK is mega, and definitely the right choice for this car.
And in other news, the 997 has just arrived home from winter storage. I’m hoping not to stall it. More 997 driving action next month.