987 to 981 - is it really an improvement....

[Windymiller]

At the risk of starting an outright argument of opinions I’m interested in the thoughts and reflections of anyone who has made the move from a 987.2 S to a 981 S (or GTS). 

 

I absolutely love my 987.2 S, it is everything I ever wanted and expected from my first Porsche ownership. 

 

But...

 

I've never owned, or driven any other Porsche (since a red letter day in 2003 and a Carrera 2S), so I don’t actually have anything to compare to. 

 

As Mrs ‘Miller’ constantly tells me, I’m always happy, but never content, and as such, after only 13 months of 987 ownership I’m increasingly looking at 981 GTS’s. 

 

Now I can’t actually afford to go out and spend £60k on a GTS, so my question is a bit academic and it’s intended more in ‘philosophical’ terms than in respect of ‘on paper’ numbers.

 

Is a 981 (and specifically a GTS) ‘better’ than a 987?

 

Is the grin factor from stringing a set of bends on your favourite road together perfectly, or spanking it around your fave track really that much bigger from a 981, than a 987?

 

Anyone whose made the move, what are your thoughts and reflections....?

 

cheers

 

Jason

Edited May 3, 2018 by Windymiller

[Beanoir™]

That’s exactly the decision I had once - drove both and bought the CR.  

 

 

[Windymiller]

7 hours ago, Beanoir said:

That’s exactly the decision I had once - drove both and bought the CR.  

 

 

Now there’s the ‘curve ball’ Nick. 

 

I love the ‘analogue’ feel of, and connection with my 987, but I think I’d like that ‘dialled up’ a bit, which must surely mean a CR would be the perfect antidote ??????

 

i passengered in a 2.7 981 PDK at Brands on Monday (after driving mine on track there), and was surprisingly impressed with the acceleration and sure-footedness around a rain-drenched track that it started me wondering whether my 987 is perhaps ‘showing her limitations of age’, and would a 981 (S/GTS) be a marked improvement (of enjoyment, rather than obvious performance)?

 

ive ‘reveiwed’ my brands Hatch experience in the track day section - actually upon reflection what I really ‘need’ is either a 12 year old Civic type R, or an AMG CLA45...... (errrr, no ??).

 

in isolation my 987S is awesome, but in a ‘within type’ comparison some thoughts of ‘infidelity’ start to creep in.... ??

[twopointnine]

When I owned a 987.2 2.9 manual I really enjoyed the car but felt I'd missed out by not buying a 987.2 S PDK. During that time I had a 'track experince' at Thruxton in a 981 2.7 PDK and was very impressed, but then I was very impressed by my passenger ride in a Skoda Octavia VRs driven by a race instructor!

 

When looking to replace my 2.9, with an S PDK, I looked at the R, 981 S, and 987.2 S, finally buying a 987.2 S PDK. I eventually discounted the R because I considered that it wasn't quite comfortable enough for leisurely driving on our pot-holed roads and that I didn't need such a performance specific car for the majority of my driving, the 981 I discounted because visually it just seemed to be trying to look more 'up market' though I loved the auto-throttle-blip gear changes, I decided that the S with PASM gave the comfort and performance I wanted along with the more basic (than 981) style interior and simpler body shape which in my opinion seemed more 'sportscar' like.

[Buggyjam]

Im in exactly the same position as the OP. Been asking the same question! I’ve been considering moving on. Been looking at GTS/981S. Theres some things holding me back. The positives and negatives 

 

1/ 981 interiors have too much chrome plating on the examples I’ve seen. Not sporty enough. 

2/ love the front end of the 981. Really nice design (dislike the 718)

3/ aggggh, the back end! I’m just struggling with it’s shape. 

4/ Lack of manual choices

5/ lack of interesting colour choices

6/ I don’t want PASM. 

 

One attraction of a 2014/15/16 981 is the ones I’ve looked at are on extended warranty or have their final year of factory warranty and low miles. So I can drive the wheels off it for the next 4 years ha. Yes the 987 is great but it’s a bit of a triggers broom to keep in shape. Bushes here, rad hoses there, exhaust clamps etc. The downside of the Porsche warranty means a charlatan like myself can’t drop the suspension. I really dislike the standard ride height on the Caymans, bar the GTS ( that could even be lower)  and GT4 (just right). (Purists cover eyes and ears)

 

I just end up going round in circles. I might book a few test drives and see. 

Edited May 3, 2018 by Buggyjam

[PMGPete]

I have had a fairly significant amount of wheel time in a 981 and I think as a car it's greatly improved over the 987 but it doesn't offer as rewarding a driving experience. 

 

The steering feel and the way it weights up in a 987 is just an utter joy. 

 

I was about to buy a GT4 and after an extended test drive I realised that oddly my 987 offered a better on road experience as I could use more of the cars capabilities all the time and subsequently all the joy with that. In the GT4 I constantly felt that I was having to hold back.   

 

 

[Mk1]

I changed from a manual (12) CR to a (63) 981 CS PDK  last year, did 8k in the CR and now at 8k in the CS. Overall ...  I have no regrets but individual model spec. can confuse comparisons.

 

i tried a (15 / 65 ?) 981 GTS PDK but considered that it was not worth the premium over the spec. of my CS.  

 

Most of my driving is two to four hour non stop runs in and around the Highlands, have also taken in eight to ten hour motorway trips when allowed ? down South. 

 

 

[DJMC]

3 hours ago, Buggyjam said:

Im in exactly the same position as the OP. Been asking the same question! I’ve been considering moving on. Been looking at GTS/981S. Theres some things holding me back. The positives and negatives 

 

1/ 981 interiors have too much chrome plating on the examples I’ve seen. Not sporty enough. 

2/ love the front end of the 981. Really nice design (dislike the 718)

3/ aggggh, the back end! I’m just struggling with it’s shape. 

4/ Lack of manual choices

5/ lack of interesting colour choices

6/ I don’t want PASM. 

 

One attraction of a 2014/15/16 981 is the ones I’ve looked at are on extended warranty or have their final year of factory warranty and low miles. So I can drive the wheels off it for the next 4 years ha. Yes the 987 is great but it’s a bit of a triggers broom to keep in shape. Bushes here, rad hoses there, exhaust clamps etc. The downside of the Porsche warranty means a charlatan like myself can’t drop the suspension. I really dislike the standard ride height on the Caymans, bar the GTS ( that could even be lower)  and GT4 (just right). (Purists cover eyes and ears)

 

I just end up going round in circles. I might book a few test drives and see. 

 

I test drove a few 2.9 987.2's in 2014 but decided the cabin was just a little too cramped and dull/dated for me to buy. Drive-wise I couldn't really call it between that and my 981 2.7.

 

The one thing with the 987 is that there's no issues with it being the "old" model, same with the 981 vs. 718, they're all classic Porsches.

 

1/ I can't think of anything that's chrome plated in my 981?

2/ Agree.

3/ Lovely back end to the 981. 987 a little odd looking?

4/ PDK in manual mode is quicker than a manual.

5/ Depends what you call interesting?

6/ PASM in either would be a definite requirement having experienced it in mine.

[Buggyjam]

12 minutes ago, DJMC said:

 

I test drove a few 2.9 987.2's in 2014 but decided the cabin was just a little too cramped and dull/dated for me to buy. Drive-wise I couldn't really call it between that and my 981 2.7.

 

The one thing with the 987 is that there's no issues with it being the "old" model, same with the 981 vs. 718, they're all classic Porsches.

 

1/ I can't think of anything that's chrome plated in my 981?

2/ Agree.

3/ Lovely back end to the 981. 987 a little odd looking?

4/ PDK in manual mode is quicker than a manual.

5/ Depends what you call interesting?

6/ PASM in either would be a definite requirement having experienced it in mine.

 

Most of this is personal choice. Ones man’s poison/elixir type stuff.

 

1/ To be fair I’ve only studied a smattering of 981s. A GTS and a couple of S. They had quite a few shiny bits. Perhaps the way they were specced. A good outlook that you can achieve non bling. Suits me!

 

3/ eye of the beholder ha! I guess someone love those new range rovers, I think they look like Spanish galleons at the back ?

 

4/ To be fair, I’ve never tried PDK. I love heel and toeing (rubbish at it, woeful) so I prefer a manual on the face of that. Open to trying it on a test drive though.

 

5/ My current one is bright yellow. Pure marmite. I love the lava orange you see on the GT3s. I see a lot more 718s with wacky colours.

 

6/ not being fussed on PASM is really down to me being a heathen and knowing I’d drop the suspension on an S. From what I can gather PASM just complicated things. I’ve heard from some the system tolerates it, others say not so much. (I know I’ll get flak for this so wearing my tin hat  )

[Buggyjam]

I think I might be able to change my indecision about the 981 rear end if I de badged the backside and chucked the badges in the bin (kidding about the bin). It looks a little fussy stock - to me that is. The 981 is a gorgeous car though.

 

I’m going to try one on a test drive when I pull my finger out.

 

[John Whalley]

Slightly biased view having happily gone from a black 3.4Gen 2 987PDK to a white 2.7 2014 981 manual.  I find the 981 much prettier, more assured in the wet, sits better; has slower acceleration, but corners faster despite less steering feel.  981 is far more economical, (always 40mpg + with my wife), but not a consideration for those  looking at a GTS or 981S.   An important point, (for me), is the extra room for my odd lean back driving style - the 987 was too cramped.   I find the 2.7 981 quite fast enough for road legal use.  I would like another 100bhp for track use, but unless a car has at least 300hp/ton it will struggle against a lighter weight well driven car, (and dubious use of rumble strips). 

[mr pg]

I wanted a manual until I drove a PDK, so recommend you try one before deciding.

Also consider PASM. The ride even on 20's is really very good, and then you can stiffen it when you want. It's also 10mm lower than a standard car, the passive sports suspension being 20mm lower. Bear in mind even my car can scrap on surprisngly small ramps with PASM.

I would guess the chrome parts you refer to are the dash, door and console inserts? You can change these, though at a large cost.

[Buggyjam]

3 hours ago, mr pg said:

I wanted a manual until I drove a PDK, so recommend you try one before deciding.

Also consider PASM. The ride even on 20's is really very good, and then you can stiffen it when you want. It's also 10mm lower than a standard car, the passive sports suspension being 20mm lower. Bear in mind even my car can scrap on surprisngly small ramps with PASM.

I would guess the chrome parts you refer to are the dash, door and console inserts? You can change these, though at a large cost.

 

Cheers PG.  Do 981S have the PDK buttons or were paddles an option? So many people say they really like the PDK I’m keeping an open mind and will try one. 

 

[DJMC]

Sport Design (bling) wheel has paddles. MFSW has push/pull buttons - hopeless!!

 

But... try manual using the gear lever over to the left. Either way you get down shift blips which are occasional fun, even in a 2.7 981.

[Windymiller]

Well, that’s a lot of stimulated opinion and mass-debating in response to my original Q... ????

 

As it is an ‘academic’ question I guess I’ll only ever know if it’s a ‘greater sense of enjoyment’, or a sense of ‘personal ‘accomplishment’’ that I’d experience by actually driving/owning a 981S/GTS ‘vs’ my ‘baby’. 

 

Perhaps I should just remind myself that I’ve lusted after a Porsche for 35 years since I was 10, and I’m incredibly fortunate enough in life to be able to own one now. What does it matter what’s its model designation is if it puts a face splitting grin on me every time I step out my front door / off the commuter train / onto a track ‘with her’.... ?????????

[Woodhouse]

I've had my 981 S PDK for a month so still getting used to it as its not a daily driver but some initial thoughts compared to our Gen 1 987 S:

 

-  Steering feel is much reduced 

-  Not sure about the exhaust pops and crackles (but the wife loves them!)

-  PASM on 20 inch wheels is in the same ballpark as the Gen 1 PASM on 18 inch wheels for compliance (a pleasant surprise as I was expecting this to be worse as the trade off for the looks of the 20s) 

-  The jury is out regarding the PDK vs manual box - standard mode shifts like my Mercedes diesel, upshifting at 1500 rpm or so when tootling along.  Sport is a bit better for delayed upshifts but brings the pops and crackles, even with PSE off.  Sport Plus is pretty mental and I can't see me using it much if at all on the road.  Manual mode is handy though.

-  My 981 has PTV and the handling is sweet but both our 987s are really sweet too with more negative camber than standard at the front so no major improvement there that I've discovered yet.

-  Performance (acceleration) is slightly improved but I suspect you wouldn't see any difference from a Gen 2 987 S.

-  Looks are completely subjective and I personally don't see the 981 as overall distinctly better than the 987.  

-  Tech is obviously much better on the 981.  The Bluetooth for phone and media capabilities including the Jukebox  are very handy.  Also the third display on the right side of the instrument binnacle is really useful with the ability to display oil pressure and temp, extra satnav display, etc.

 

But, here's the thing.  Last night, I had to make an unexpected 250 mile round trip at  very short notice, so I wasn't in the best of moods!  Mostly motorway but a bit of fast A roads too.  I took our silver 987 S which is up for sale and I hadn't driven either of the 987s since getting the 981.  I really enjoyed driving the 987 and when I got home,  I realised that the 987 has a unique appeal of its own and beats the 981 in some ways that to be honest I can't really explain.  Certainly dynamically there's little in it and for me the relative simplicity and more old school feel and driver involvement are real advantages.  

 

I think you might have guessed where I'm heading with this.  As the shiny new toy effect wears off, I'm questioning why I've spent three times the value of the 987 on the 981!

Edited May 5, 2018 by Woodhouse
Error correction

[Windymiller]

On 05/05/2018 at 08:06, Woodhouse said:

 

But, here's the thing.  Last night, I had to make an unexpected 250 mile round trip at  very short notice, so I wasn't in the best of moods!  Mostly motorway but a bit of fast A roads too.  I took our silver 987 S which is up for sale and I hadn't driven either of the 987s since getting the 981.  I really enjoyed driving the 987 and when I got home,  I realised that the 987 has a unique appeal of its own and beats the 981 in some ways that to be honest I can't really explain.  Certainly dynamically there's little in it and for me the relative simplicity and more old school feel and driver involvement are real advantages.  

 

I think you might have guessed where I'm heading with this.  As the shiny new toy effect wears off, I'm questioning why I've spent three times the value of the 987 on the 981!

 

Thanks for the perspective woodhouse, I think that was my consideration, would a 50% premium for a 981 S, or 100% premium for a 981 GTS actually result in a corresponding ‘doubling’ of (literally) joy over every time I drive mine. And I suspect not ?

 

(still want to drive a 981GTS though.... ?)