I have been thinking about selling my 2001 Porsche Turbo and buying a Model S. I love the Turbo's design and performance but I am intrigued by the incredible technology of the S. Because I have never driven an S and I don't know any local S owners (I live in the sticks of Upstate NY), I would love some honest feedback on the handling characteristics of the S from any former 911 owners. How does the S compare to your 911? I generally love smaller cars so I am wondering if the larger, more spacious S will not appeal to me? Thanks for any input you can offer. Jim
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Potential S Buyer with Newbie Question-- S vs Porsche 911
- Thread starter JimReed
- Start date
Never owned a 911, but drove one on and off for a couple years.
The 911 corners on rails of course, and accelerates very fast. I’d say the S Out accelerates the Porsche anywhere below about 60 mph. Depending on what MS you drive and what options you have on it for suspension, wheels, stagger, performance motors, etc it’s gonna feel pretty similar to a 911 in “tightness” but not quite. The CG is insanely low and balanced. But a MS just won’t truly corner like a 911.
I’ve owned multiple Corvettes over the years and the MS is bigger, and feels bigger. But my non-performance MS75D could out accelerate any of my Vettes off the line or below 60.
Lastly, the tech in a Tesla eclipses anything on the road. The fit and finish and interior won’t be quite as nice as a German car, but the tech will make any German car look like a steam powered locomotive!
Good luck!
The 911 corners on rails of course, and accelerates very fast. I’d say the S Out accelerates the Porsche anywhere below about 60 mph. Depending on what MS you drive and what options you have on it for suspension, wheels, stagger, performance motors, etc it’s gonna feel pretty similar to a 911 in “tightness” but not quite. The CG is insanely low and balanced. But a MS just won’t truly corner like a 911.
I’ve owned multiple Corvettes over the years and the MS is bigger, and feels bigger. But my non-performance MS75D could out accelerate any of my Vettes off the line or below 60.
Lastly, the tech in a Tesla eclipses anything on the road. The fit and finish and interior won’t be quite as nice as a German car, but the tech will make any German car look like a steam powered locomotive!
Good luck!
You’ll lack the drive on rails experience. Cornering just can’t be there in a large car like the Model S as compared to a 911. BUT I highly recommend you get a test drive. There are other qualities that the Model S has that the 911 lacks. Quicker and more responsive acceleration, single pedal driving, quiet power, smoother ride, and the obvious ones of a bigger car with more people and cargo capacity.
bishoppeak
Member
The 2001 Turbo 911 was incredible technology, and when the Model S was not even born yet. In 2019, the 911 has matured further and is now simply a breathtaking car, so do not go test driving it if you're thinking of a Model S. Instead, go test drive a Model S and you'll find that it too impresses, but in different ways that are all good.
I have never owned a Porsche, but caught a ride in RUF previously owned by RL. BEYOND INSANE ALL AROUND!! Best to rent a P90DL or a P100DL on TURO for a few days so that *you* can sort it out. I don’t really like big heavy cars such as our S, but as @Buster1 said, the extroadinary low C/G gives it the feel of a lighter car and is super fun to drive. My LR RWD M3 is quite nimble for a nearly two ton car. Also, with its very low C/G and centralized mass, it rotates more to my liking. I recommend you keep the Porsche and add a P100DL to the stable. 
Good luck!
btw, please keep us informed
Good luck!
btw, please keep us informed
Don't expect a Tesla to drive as well as your Porsche. Tesla's may have performance acceleration and HP, but they do not have performance suspensions to match. Nothing about the car is performance except the drivetrain. The car is huge, heavy, and feels like a boat on wheels. If you want a tight, sporty ride I would pass on the Model S and look at the Model 3 instead.
Those with Ludicrous and P100DLs and all of that, none of them have a performance suspension, shocks, or anything else that's performance about the car. All Tesla from 75D to 100DL share the same suspension, shocks, subframe, sway bars, etc. Tesla's air suspension is not a performance suspension by any stretch.
If you're in a 911, you should also consider the model 3. For 55k you can get 3.2 second 0-60 and a car that is closer to your current vehicle in size and weight. It's a foot shorter than the S, and has more headroom. It will lack things like self presenting door handles, air suspension, but those are also expensive items to repair outside of warranty.
The only way to decide is to test drive them yourself.
Well I swapped a 2002 X50 911TT for a P85D about a year ago. Nothing will match a P85D at a set of lights, in fact a 911TT does not get off the mark well at all as you know, it wants to bog down and it's hard to get it off the mark cleanly. The P85D handles superbly, with a big battery pack down low in the car it really is a great driving experience. The 911TT is not in the same class when it comes to handling, I've owned 6 911"s over the years and while each generation is an improvement you still can't get around that you a have a huge weight sitting over the rear wheels and the car wants to swap ends if you come into a corner too hot. To me the P85D just seems like it's a much newer generation of car, it's a fantastic driving experience and it looks pretty good to, one reason I would not buy a M3.
Wow - the most inaccurate crap that I've read anywhere today!
Well, isn't this odd. No one has mentioned the greatest difference: any Tesla helps leave a usable planet; every Porsche hastens our only planet's demise.
Normally these boards are frequented by educated and the well-informed; not sure what's happened here.
To help get you up to speed:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7322
Numerical models of ice sheets use a fixed shape to represent a cavity under the ice, rather than allowing the cavity to change and grow. The new discovery implies that this limitation most likely causes those models to underestimate how fast Thwaites is losing ice.
About the size of Florida, Thwaites Glacier is currently responsible for approximately 4 percent of global sea level rise. It holds enough ice to raise the world ocean a little over 2 feet (65 centimeters) and backstops neighboring glaciers that would raise sea levels an additional 8 feet (2.4 meters) if all the ice were lost.
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And:
CO2 level highest in human history - USA TODAY, 5/14/2019
Data from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii showed that carbon dioxide levels surpassed 415 parts per million Friday.
“We don’t know a planet like this,” Eric Holthaus, a meteorologist and writer at Grist, an online environmental magazine, posted on Twitter.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations have skyrocketed far higher than any levels in more than 800,000 years, according to data from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California-San Diego.
“This is the first time in human history our planet’s atmosphere has had more than 415 ppm CO2,” Holthaus tweeted. “Not just in recorded history, not just since the invention of agriculture 10,000 years ago. Since before modern humans existed millions of years ago.”
Carbon dioxide levels millions of years ago were higher than 2019 levels, but Earth’s temperatures also were far higher. In the 800,000 years before the Industrial Revolution, CO2 levels didn’t surpass 300 parts per million.
Homo sapiens didn’t emerge until about 300,000 years ago, and some of their predecessors were around about 2 million years ago.
CO2 is the greenhouse gas scientists say is most responsible for global warming. When fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas are burned to power our world, they release CO2 and other greenhouse gases such as methane. Those gases trap solar radiation in the atmosphere.
There is widespread scientific consensus that humans caused the recent warming in Earth’s atmosphere.
[truncated]
And:
A warming Arctic could cost the world trillions of dollars
SCIENTISTS HAVE LONG warned that climate change is likely to bring expensive impacts, from rising seas to stronger storms. And a new study comes with a hefty price tag.
A warming Arctic is shifting from white to dark as sea ice melts and land-covered snow retreats, and that means it can absorb even more of the sun’s heat. Plus, the Arctic’s vast permafrost area is thawing, releasing more heat-trapping carbon and methane. These climate-change-driven feedbacks in the Arctic are accelerating warming even faster and may add nearly $70 trillion to the overall costs of climate change—even if the world meets the Paris Agreement climate targets, a new study says.
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So let me summarize with a question: If the smart and educated don't ACT, just who the Hell do you think will?
The only reasonable, logical, intelligent solution here is to drop the Porsche idea ASAP and do the right thing.
Thank you.
Uncle Paul
Well-Known Member
Biggest difference is that when you tromp on the throttle, cruising down the road in a 2001 911, you get...nothing.
When you tromp on the throttle of a Tesla you get...everything.
911 Turbo is a very hard car to drive fast. You are constantly going up and down the rev ranges, switching between gas and brakes, and changing gears like mad.
In the Tesla you just press and go. The difference is pretty earth shaking.
Basic design of the 911 and Tesla are pretty similar. Rear engine, low center of gravity.
It is the electric drive that makes all the difference.
The size difference between the S and 911 is pretty significant. Gotta drive a performance Model 3 before making your decision.
When you tromp on the throttle of a Tesla you get...everything.
911 Turbo is a very hard car to drive fast. You are constantly going up and down the rev ranges, switching between gas and brakes, and changing gears like mad.
In the Tesla you just press and go. The difference is pretty earth shaking.
Basic design of the 911 and Tesla are pretty similar. Rear engine, low center of gravity.
It is the electric drive that makes all the difference.
The size difference between the S and 911 is pretty significant. Gotta drive a performance Model 3 before making your decision.
I drove a 2001 911 Carrera 4 (non-turbo) for about 14 years, until it was totaled from behind. I replaced it with a Model X, which is about equally fast and has great precise steering, but is obviously bigger and higher. I've driven a few Model S's as loaner cars. I was more willing to push them in the corners, but they are still really big. If you like cornering the Porsche I don't think the Model S will compare.
We also have a Model 3 AWD (non-Performance) on the 18" aero wheels and all-season tires. It's cornering is close enough to the Porsche and the 0-60 is a little faster than my old Carrera 4, which was only about 5.0 seconds. I can get through my test corner and accelerate a short distance to the speed limit sign and hit 42 MPH at the sign. The Porsche, with Michelin Pilot Super Sports, was consistently at 40 MPH. The 3 feels about the same through the corner, but the instant acceleration gives it an advantage over the Porsche in this case. I prefer the Model 3 AWD over the Porsche, straight up. A Model 3 Performance with PS4 tires should better the performance of the 2001 Porsche Turbo in your case. Definitely test drive a Model 3.
We also have a Model 3 AWD (non-Performance) on the 18" aero wheels and all-season tires. It's cornering is close enough to the Porsche and the 0-60 is a little faster than my old Carrera 4, which was only about 5.0 seconds. I can get through my test corner and accelerate a short distance to the speed limit sign and hit 42 MPH at the sign. The Porsche, with Michelin Pilot Super Sports, was consistently at 40 MPH. The 3 feels about the same through the corner, but the instant acceleration gives it an advantage over the Porsche in this case. I prefer the Model 3 AWD over the Porsche, straight up. A Model 3 Performance with PS4 tires should better the performance of the 2001 Porsche Turbo in your case. Definitely test drive a Model 3.
iqless
Member
Not sure if I can add anything to what's already been said, but as a guy who's driven them both, a lot, here are my two cents.
The 911 feels like an amazing toy car with its steering and handling capabilities - not as much as a Cayman maybe, but it's still like a toy car to me, in a GREAT way. You just know where to 'put' the car and it is just... there.
The Model S, especially PxxD models, are also amazing cars to drive but in a completely different way. It will not ever match the 911 on steering accuracy and the (for lack of a better term) 'placement' accuracy where you just know where the car is in space-time and can just zip it around. BUT. It is SO MUCH faster, and feels even faster than it actually is. They are fun to drive EVERYWHERE.
IMHO, 911's are very fun to drive most of the time, but the Model S is very fun to drive ALL of the time. You will love not having to use your brake. You will LOVE coming to a stoplight because you can just spring forward after. And when you're not looking for the 'fun' in driving but just trying to get to a place (like when you're on the highway), the thing will drive itself and take so much processing load from your brain. It does so many things perfectly and the rest really well.
Plus it can seat a lot of people and haul your whole mansion.
St Charles
Tesla, not TSLA!
There is nothing that beats the driving experience of a 911. That connectedness to the road, that secure planted feeling, that raw drivers experience. It is truly a race car that has been adapted to exist in the real world. Everything from the seating position, the gauge layout, the roar of the engine, and feel through the steering wheel is designed to provide sensory impact. For the type of individual that cherishes their time in a car, you simply cannot do better than the Porsche 911.
That said, for all it's greatness, the 911 can never realize it's full potential anywhere but on a track. And once you've had that track experience, it becomes painfully obvious. On normal streets and highways all that feedback serves a constant reminder of that you could be doing, but instead you are stuck in traffic going to work. Even still, some appreciate this symbiotic relationship and those individuals will not be satisfied with the Model S.
On the other hand, the Model S is very much a different world. A Tesla is for those who look up and daydream about what the future will bring with all it's wonders and marvels. The silent but brutal acceleration, the simplicity of one pedal driving, and the convenience of autopilot are a glimpse into that future. And every time you get into the Model S, you become a part of it. In my 3+ years of owning a Model S, I have never had someone sit in my car not be blown away by it. From children pulling out their smartphones to snapchat their ride with their friends to classic car aficionados who are reminded of a time when all car manufactures pushed the boundaries of what could be. Everyone has been in awe of the Model S and it's promise of what's to come.
But it isn't a perfect future. Owning a Tesla means you are a part of that relentless march into the future. Lower maintenance costs give way to more expensive repairs and longer wait times for service. Fit and finish issues are a stark reminder that this is only a 15 year old car company which places aggressive growth over consistency and polish. New software updates mean new software bugs and changes to how the car operates and drives. While some relish the thought that their car will always feel new, there are others who will miss that feeling of familiarity and become frustrated. A Tesla is not for those who see their cars as little more than method of transportation or have little appetite for updates to their laptop and smartphone.
While it may seem that these two cars couldn't be farther apart, there are some similarities. The ownership experience is both passionate and exciting. Each vehicle makes the journey more interesting than the destination. The Porsche serves as a perfect execution of generations of automotive excellence while Tesla is a promise of the future to come.
That said, for all it's greatness, the 911 can never realize it's full potential anywhere but on a track. And once you've had that track experience, it becomes painfully obvious. On normal streets and highways all that feedback serves a constant reminder of that you could be doing, but instead you are stuck in traffic going to work. Even still, some appreciate this symbiotic relationship and those individuals will not be satisfied with the Model S.
On the other hand, the Model S is very much a different world. A Tesla is for those who look up and daydream about what the future will bring with all it's wonders and marvels. The silent but brutal acceleration, the simplicity of one pedal driving, and the convenience of autopilot are a glimpse into that future. And every time you get into the Model S, you become a part of it. In my 3+ years of owning a Model S, I have never had someone sit in my car not be blown away by it. From children pulling out their smartphones to snapchat their ride with their friends to classic car aficionados who are reminded of a time when all car manufactures pushed the boundaries of what could be. Everyone has been in awe of the Model S and it's promise of what's to come.
But it isn't a perfect future. Owning a Tesla means you are a part of that relentless march into the future. Lower maintenance costs give way to more expensive repairs and longer wait times for service. Fit and finish issues are a stark reminder that this is only a 15 year old car company which places aggressive growth over consistency and polish. New software updates mean new software bugs and changes to how the car operates and drives. While some relish the thought that their car will always feel new, there are others who will miss that feeling of familiarity and become frustrated. A Tesla is not for those who see their cars as little more than method of transportation or have little appetite for updates to their laptop and smartphone.
While it may seem that these two cars couldn't be farther apart, there are some similarities. The ownership experience is both passionate and exciting. Each vehicle makes the journey more interesting than the destination. The Porsche serves as a perfect execution of generations of automotive excellence while Tesla is a promise of the future to come.
Apparently you have never driven a 911 Turbo.....while I will grant you the off-the-line acceleration of the S, anyone who has ever driven a Turbo will tell you that when you tromp on the throttle, all hell breaks loose!
Frankly, you either love it or hate it but characterizing that as "nothing" is damn funny.Absolutely loved this post and it captures perfectly my struggle about which of these two worlds I want to live in. I am now giving very serious thought of keeping the Turbo and getting an S too. My wife will kill me but oh well........
I want to thank all of those who responded to my initial post. I love the passion of the Tesla community. As to those who recommended a 3 over the S, I have to be honest that the design of the 3 just looks too pedestrian to me to stir any excitement. Love the 3's price, technology and performance but just can't get excited about it's aesthetics.
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