2014 Porsche 911 Carrera Review - Is the BASE 991.1 a Disappointment?

Рет қаралды 61,895

2 жыл бұрын

There are about a million-and-one flavors of Porsche 911. GT this, RS that, Turbo S, GTS, C4S, Targa, the list goes on. Most enthusiasts don't get especially hyped for the base models. Can Wesley's "poverty spec" base Carrera 991.1 possibly be a rewarding sportscar to own and drive?
See how the 2014 911 Carrera PDK stacks up in my Zygrene Performance Index: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
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Пікірлер: 92

@verdict1163 2 жыл бұрын

Answer to the question in the title: a resounding NO. Those in the know might even tell you that the base Carrera is the one to have for fun on the street. More usable power, light, and a bit more suspension compliance than the S.

@joelrogers7413 Жыл бұрын

I own a 2013 base Carrera PDK. It has Sports Chrono and sport plus with sport seats and sports steering wheel and paddles ( no buttons ). I have owned a 1967 and 2001 911. I love the power, sound and accessories. Bigger than the others. Still easy to work on. I am older (67), but still drive it spiritedly. It is a wonderful sports car to drive and own. I had a budget and I do not feel this is a real compromise. For an affordable 911, it is a blast and very well built.

@shughes911 11 ай бұрын

Ya I am thinking of sell my 05 Carrera and getting a base 2013. Just want a more modern 911. But was wondering it was under powered based on other reviews. Glad to hear you like it..

@qikqbn77 2 жыл бұрын

The 991 handling changed a lot compared to 997. They extended the wheel base, which shortened how far the nose hangs over the front wheels and also moves the engine closer to the center of the car just a few inches. These mods gave the 991 a more mid-engine handling characteristic compared to the 997s.

@laapulsford Жыл бұрын

Having owned or driven 911SC's, 85 Carrera's, 964 Carrera, 997 Coupe and 997 GT2. When I first drove the 991, it instantly felt like a totally different car in a good way.

@thesaint8400 11 ай бұрын

Didn't they also move to electric steering with the 991?

@murraypollard 2 жыл бұрын

I have a 2016 Base Carrera, it's wonderful. I bought it as it's the last of the naturally aspirated models without the GT3 badge. Great sound, and fun to drive even on the LA streets, oh, but to get it on the canyon roads! What a delight! I'm never going to be tracking the car, it was meant for my everyday driver.

@thesaint8400 11 ай бұрын

Ah mate, jealous of you guys and your hot, winding canyons. We're stuck in cold, rainy UK

@lucienbridges1810 2 жыл бұрын

I have a base 2014 991, and would agree with your points related to acceleration and steering. Nicely done review.

@corwininadsm 2 жыл бұрын

The PDK uses steering to determine shifting, it won't upshift in the middle of a corner.

@BubuBarong 2 жыл бұрын

Longer wheelbase, wider tracks and the engine more towards the centre... All resulting in less pitch and better stability! Cheers from Italy!

@daveverderosa 2 жыл бұрын

I'm on a waitlist for a base 992, but drove a 2014 base with low miles in this exact color and loved it. I'm planning on touring the country with it over a few years and was leaning toward the newer 911 to avoid surprises, but I'm sure a properly maintained 2014 would be sporty, and comfy, enough to do the trick.

@Birmingham_racing 2 жыл бұрын

I've only driven a 997 4s it felt pretty special to me especially with the engine noise

@racsowang 2 жыл бұрын

I rode-along & drove this exact car w/ the owner on that day. This is my first and only 991.1 experience. I think this car has more character than the 991.2 base (PDK). It screams at high RPM with ample power, and is very comfortable when not pushing hard.

@shughes911 11 ай бұрын

Good to know. I am thinking of selling my 05 Carrera for this base model. I was skeptical of the 3.4 because some reviews say it’s under powered. Not that I am looking for a tone of power. You really buy a 911 for the handling. And yo be honest my 05 has plenty power for what I need it to do .

@allanlai_ 2 жыл бұрын

Porsche horsepower always feels stronger than competitors. I had a “poverty spec” 997.2 base pdk a few years back. Fantastic daily sports car. Sold it because I wanted a more focused fun car and a more focused daily.

@user-rs1fo2dd9b 2 жыл бұрын

what did you go with for the focused fun car?

@laxman90210 9 ай бұрын

“poverty spec” 😅

@wannaflyme 6 ай бұрын

I love "poverty spec" so General Public. 😂😂😂😂😂

@swpdisciple 2 жыл бұрын

I’m shopping for a 997 or something adjacent (fore or aft). This is really helpful. I almost bought a mint 996 yesterday (got outbid on Bring A Trailer…I couldn’t bring myself to go up to $40k smh).

@mohanramalingam3250 Жыл бұрын

Good review. It’s a great daily driver. Great NA engine.

@rafgomez333 2 жыл бұрын

Great car! Is that car lowered? I recall the stock height to be taller.

@thatpersiandude7386 2 жыл бұрын

Even the base 911 is very expensive in australia, For around 150k aud you can get V10 audi r8 or a brand new Camaro Zl1.

@shughes911 3 ай бұрын

Did he have the sport button or sport mode on?

@bradfordbarrettluckotheIrish 2 жыл бұрын

Thx guys, good information

@giuistefanjr72 3 күн бұрын

In this day and age where everyone wants to have a milion horsepower this car makes sense. The Porsche 911 is the pinnacle of sports cars and engineering!

@parkman8595 2 жыл бұрын

Maybe one of these days when you're down in LA you can try my 991.2 Carrera T. I think you'd like its balance as a streetcar, plus I have Cup 2s on it. 😁 I had a 981 Boxster S before which has similar steering to the 991.1 and the steering feel in the 991.2 is a lot better.

@Zygrene 2 жыл бұрын

Have always been curious about the Carrera T! Can you shoot me a quick email? zygrene@gmail.com

@parkman8595 2 жыл бұрын

@@Zygrene email sent!

@hobear637 Жыл бұрын

Was this the recently reviewed Carrera T on this channel?

@parkman8595 Жыл бұрын

@@hobear637 It was not. You can actually find my comment on the Carrera T review you're referring to, but Zygrene and I still haven't been able to connect yet, but still hoping to do it when he's in the area 👍

@philly9403 2 жыл бұрын

Did you feel the “power stumble” that they talk about on the forums? Supposedly a hesitation at low RPMs.

@memememine1 2 жыл бұрын

Hi I'm Wesley the owner. I just checked my car and I'm writing this from inside the car. This is the first Ive heard about this. Yes and atleast on my car I fixed it. I mentioned I had a 6th gen 1le, that car also had a stumble at the low rpm. So I assumed it was normal and I rarely drive at low rpm. Looking it up on Google tonight I was surprised to see so many people having the issue. My previous owner never drove the car hard. I did regular maintaince such as oil, filters and spark+coilpacks. All of which helped slightly. The fix for my car was last weekend I took it to buttonwillow for a track event totaling 2 hours of driving. The layout cw14 features 2 very long straights. I reached around 120 mph twice per lap and revved the engine to it's fuel cutoff of 7800rpm for atleast 60 minutes of driving. Afterward the engine idled smoother and pulls butter smooth from 1500rpm to 3000rpm+ the most common range for the stutter. I can post a video soon.

@philly9403 2 жыл бұрын

@@memememine1 Thanks for the info! I’ve heard the best way to deal with it is to drive it like it’s meant to be driven, glad to hear this worked for you. Enjoy in good health!

@dBsdecibels 10 ай бұрын

@@philly9403 I have a 13 C2 and mine has it a bit at around 3k RPM. My previous OG BMW M2 also had it a bit. I've chalked it up to variable valve changing over. It's not a sign of anything wrong/broken/bad with the engine, so I'm not worried about it. Just gives me more reason to use the higher RPMs anyway!

@leonwillett4645 2 жыл бұрын

Do you think one of the new mx5 cars could be subjectively more fun under the speed limit?

@Zygrene 2 жыл бұрын

I'm reviewing stock and modified ND2 very soon, stay tuned

@nujabe Жыл бұрын

So random i met Wesley the other day on the back of skyline we have the same color 991’s!

@HPMvdBerg 2 жыл бұрын

If hardware is the same, can you upgrade the steering software? To make it feel like GT3

@Zygrene 2 жыл бұрын

This is what I want to know! I imagine suspension geometry, tires, and bushings all contribute to the feel too.

@dBsdecibels 10 ай бұрын

@@Zygrene Yes you can. There is a lengthy Rennlist post talking about how to do this. You will need a PIWIS, but it's quite simple to do.

@verde629 2 жыл бұрын

How much did you pay and what is the mileage? The used market rn is horrible

@dBsdecibels 10 ай бұрын

Still is horrible! I just bought a 13 C2 (manual) decently specced. Moderately high miles at ~75k. I overpaid a bit at $60k, but it was impeccable inside and out, and had great service history. I plan to keep it forever, so a few extra bucks, with this inflation, won't mean anything in 10 years. Love it!

@johnmitchell2269 2 жыл бұрын

Of the Carrera models, I think the 997.2 Carrera S is the sweet spot. A more reliable better lasting engine than the old 3.6 ones, whilst not as big or heavy as the 991.1 versions. Also I believe the 997.2's have hydraulic steering where as the 991.1's have electronic.

@nilshordvik5006 Жыл бұрын

991.1 is lighter than 997.2…

@decoriumjohnson2085 Жыл бұрын

@@nilshordvik5006 exactly im at 3042lbs with 7speed manual

@hobear637 Жыл бұрын

You can hear the classic 991.1 rattle inside the cabin throughout this video lol

@verde629 Жыл бұрын

You should tell ur friend to get a soul performance exhaust !

@brucefromaz7708 Ай бұрын

It's not the steering rack , the GT cars have a much stiffer suspension.

@dudeisnotcoolio 2 жыл бұрын

Any update on the 997?

@Zygrene 2 жыл бұрын

Not yet. As soon as I get a clear diagnosis I'll make an update video. Fingers crossed it's nothing serious.

@rabulc 2 жыл бұрын

Base of base

@michaels.8386 2 жыл бұрын

How would you say this feels compared to a base 981?

@Zygrene 2 жыл бұрын

981 feels better balanced but the difference in handling between 911 and Cayman is smaller in the 991/981 gen than it is in the 997/987 gen.

@beauwulf 2 жыл бұрын

I have a 6th gen V6 1LE 6sp (rare, but they do exist, Randy Pobst has one) that you can test. 300lbs lighter than the SS 1LE, but only 335hp.

@Zygrene 2 жыл бұрын

Sounds fun. Where are you located?

@Stephen-re4oy 2 жыл бұрын

Randy has the 4 cylinder one

@beauwulf 2 жыл бұрын

@@Zygrene In LA, I met you with my friend Kevin (gt3 touring).

@VQSeries 2 жыл бұрын

I'd like to see this review tbh ! 👍👍👍

@VQSeries 2 жыл бұрын

@@Zygrene Please do a review on it, and of course the V8 too 😎

@roccotarli762 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome value!

@x_Heffe_X 7 ай бұрын

Every car is a disappointment when it has no 3rd pedal…

@Rockit181 2 жыл бұрын

hopefully someone figures out how to retune the 991 steering to be like the GT3

@dBsdecibels 10 ай бұрын

They can, and have! There's a lengthy Rennlist post about it. You'll need a PIWIS, but it's easy to do.

@Rockit181 10 ай бұрын

@@dBsdecibels outstanding

@Jeeper1378 2 жыл бұрын

Looking at a 14 base 911

@BPsnowdon 7 ай бұрын

Wel done. Love it.

@LordLauderdale 6 ай бұрын

It’s a great touring car but lost a lot of the raw 911 feeling as they all do even going from a .1 to a .2 in the same generation.

@CesarMartinez-gl9ko 2 жыл бұрын

I've been thinking about a 991 base but I feel like the S might be worth the extra money. Can someone shine some light on this?

@blkporscheboi9844 2 жыл бұрын

Picked me up a 991.1 S and love it. Prior to buying this I had a 968 and I loved it.. but this S is a different beast and taking it to 7800 rpm there is no better sound!!

@CesarMartinez-gl9ko 2 жыл бұрын

@@blkporscheboi9844 wow that's amazing!! Thank you for the input!

@kemcd 2 жыл бұрын

If you can go for the S DO IT - that said if there’s a great spec’d base around also do it. It’s just going to come down to what’s available for you and what speaks to you. The S is perfect. And you can find one maybe 3k more than the base . Unbeatable bargain

@HCChen86 2 жыл бұрын

My family got the 14 C2S, really worth the upgrade to S. Better brakes, 3.8 instead of 3.4, although base is still nice

@AirsoftContent 11 ай бұрын

How are they at 70k miles?

@georgetown8986 10 ай бұрын

The base Carrera and Carrera S are by the far the best for long term reliability. They have been one of the most reliable vehicles I have owned over the years.

@dBsdecibels 10 ай бұрын

Remind me in a couple years. I just bought one with about 75k miles and routine servicing records. Only had it a couple months though, so we will see! That said, this is one of the most reliable generations, so I'm not worried about it!

@tserzz 2 жыл бұрын

Some 911s are starting to look fat or pregnant maybe it is to get people use to the size, so they can fill them with batteries I hope not ?

@alexiocatan5602 Жыл бұрын

great deal!!!

@jakeringer3153 2 жыл бұрын

What suspension in this car - it looks lowered?

@Zygrene 2 жыл бұрын

Completely stock, non-PASM suspension

@winkstorm 2 жыл бұрын

Looks more like Sport PASM.

@andresmattos7541 2 жыл бұрын

Did I see a Porsche commercial?

@unclebob4964 10 ай бұрын

……….”if it still feels like a proper Porsche” ??? What the hell do mean “proper Porsche” ? About the most moronic comment I’ve heard yet……. Damn, son, get out, walk around to the back of the car AND READ WHAT IT SAYS !!!

@richpal3019 9 ай бұрын

Overly harsh. I like it. Most of these KZfaq videos are unscripted and barely edited. Go with the flow. It's inspirational and has reawakened my desire for this specific model. Presently a 996 owner.

@gigi9467 2 жыл бұрын

Sooo u got tired of a great fast car that is he 1le so u decided to get something way more Expensive and slower? Lol makes no sense, you just wanted the name my friend because if that was not the case you would of just bought a miata or something .