Interior design has taken a leap, drawing from the best of the corporate portfolio, foremost the raised central console inaugurated on the Carrera GT, democratized on the Panamera and then on the new Cayenne. It is much narrower though, pushing (too far) behind the gear lever essential switches. Suspension, exhaust and powertrain management toggles should not require to take ones sight so far away from the road, further more as there’s no permanent indicator in the instrument cluster. The 7 inch tactile screen displays one of the best vehicle interfaces of contemporary automotive production, with complements coming courtesy of an auxiliary LCD lodged at the far left of the traditional pentacle. Design and material selection and finish progresses and remains, with Audi, an undisputed reference.

Beside wheelbase, another crucial chassis dimension has evolved radically: Porsche increased the front track by no less than 52mm while the rear track remains unchanged. The result is a game changer, perhaps one of the most fundamental changes in modern history of the 911. Front grip is increased dramatically and far less sensitive to weight balance and throttle position. Back to back comparison with a 997.2 Carrera S is more than a revelation, it’s a shock. On the same fast sweepers in the west Switzerland back country, part dry, part damp, the 991 inspires confidence where the 997 demands restraint. Reactions to throttle modulation are far more subtle and contained. Stark understeer when powering out from a mid corner apex is nearly a thing of the past. The front wheels carve the asphalt, faithfully hooked into imaginary tracks drawn by the driver’s eyes, this 911 does without the bizarre tricks that were necessary to tame older generations. The contrast is obvious, fundamental, the outcome exhilarating. Stepping out of the track, giving credit to Porsche’s claims that the 991 Carrera S is as fast on the Nordschleife as the outgoing 997 GT3 is not difficult. We were not able to isolate the contribution of the PDCC (Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control), fitted on our test car and whose actuators actively fight body roll.

Zuffenhausen’s acoustic engineers spared no efforts on the 991. The Carrera is fitted standard with a new system called Sound Symposer, a passive system which picks up acoustic waves from the intake port and routes them to the cabin, using the rear window shelf as a loudspeaker. The system is active in Sport and Sport Plus modes. Our test car was also equipped with the Porsche Sport Exhaust (PSE) system. Here also, it is difficult to tell the contribution of one system from the other, but the combination gave our test car a very attractive exhaust note, distinctive from prior models in being more subtle and less raspy. The ensemble plays a very pleasing partition above 2800 rpm, but less so below where harmonics seem to be drowned in viscous sludge. One more reason to keep the tacho well above 3000 rpm and enjoy the melody ! On overrun, the exhaust burbles nicely, too nicely not to be carefully engineered. More than ever, the prospective buyer will be well advised to test a PSE-equipped car before signing off the car specs.