Options to think about when upgrading to a 981?

[Nobbie]

I think I’m going to be upgrading to a 981 from my current 2.5 tip 986 which has been a great car, but is getting a bit rusty. I’m interested in people’s opinions on which 981 options are worth looking out for and any common issues to check for.

I did find a similar thread, but that seemed to get derailed into a fight about tyres.

I’ll probably keep the car a long time, so resale isn’t an issue. Hence I’ll probably go for a high miles, more recent car such as a 2015 with 100k rather than a 2012 with 60k. It’s mostly a weekend car so the aim is driving involvement. I like the tip on the 986, but feel I need to go manual on the 981 just to keep a similar level of involvement, although given the preponderance of PDK I won’t rule one out, interested to hear views on the manual gearbox. 

PSE is a must or I’d have to add myself or similar. I enjoy having to wring the neck of the 2.5, so I think I might regret upgrading to a 3.4, although I suspect most 3.4 are better specced, so won’t rule it out and am open to opinions. I love the look of the GTS, but not paying an extra £15k, so may just upgrade the front bumper as per @daz05

Are the standard seats ok? I have the sports seats in the 986 which work well.

I’m aware of the heater fan issue and the unreliable engine mounts, any other things that might be suspect on a higher miles car?

Interested to hear your views.

[Carmand]

Well worth checking the condition/ operation of the PSE actuators.  Mines manual by default and it’s a great gearbox IMO - ratios a bit long but no cost effective solution to that.  I’ve not seen many common 981 issues other than the ones mentioned - obviously on a higher mileage car things will be starting to wear out by now.

I think coming from a 2.5 986 (my first new Porsche in 1998!) you might be right to get a smaller engined car to replicate your current experience, but no doubt you’ll be test driving anyway.

[Menoporsche]

IIRC PSE retrofit on the 987.2 was the most expensive of any we’d seen, and PSEs are on back order for months now, so consider Spyder for switchable or Carnewal if you don’t need switching. 
 

Those engine mounts are now sounding more hassle than they are worth.  

[daz05]

I would push you towards an S if you have the budget- no downside, xenon's as standard, typically better specified and  you still need to rev it out. It will keep you satisfied for longer.

Pdk or manual is up to you, no bad choice but pdk has shorter gearing than the manual which kind of defeats the purpose (especially on the 2.7). Manual arguably safer for long term reliability but failure on either is not a common issue. Plenty of spare pdk boxes these days if the worst happens.

I don't see the logic in 2012 Vs 2015 with high mileage.  There is nothing wrong with a well maintained early car that hasn't seen much salt on the road. They all.take the miles well regardless.

I agree with you on the GTS but if you are happy to go for a higher mileage car I would suggest the best bang for buck might be on miley GTS if you can find one. The market doesn't like them and perhaps a bargain to be had.

Spec is up to you but what I like most in mine is the PSE, heated seats, extended leather, pasm / x73, 20" wheels and sports seat plus. Don't worry too much about the pcm as now we can upgrade them anyway but if you are not that way inclined avoid the CDR units. Check it has Bluetooth and usb port also.

Sport Chrono is a bit unnecessary imho, I never use it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[daz05]

3 minutes ago, Menoporsche said:

IIRC PSE retrofit on the 987.2 was the most expensive of any we’d seen, and PSEs are on back order for months now, so consider Spyder for switchable or Carnewal if you don’t need switching. 
 

Those engine mounts are now sounding more hassle than they are worth.  

Transmission mounts, and note a very high proportion of owners will still have their original mounts. I think the older ones are 💪🏼.

[Menoporsche]

Thanks for correction  

[cozzykim]

Mine had to have sports wheel with paddles for PDK, DAB, PSE, PASM, Carrera Classics.

I didn't want Sports Chrono, because of the PADM issues, but also because I'm not interested in launch control.

The car I got also has extended leather, sports seats, folding mirrors...

The only things I'd have liked would have been PDLS and electric seats.

My car suffered from leaking coolant caps, which could have been a disaster in the making, and the drains were almost completely blocked.

I also had colour preferences, didn't want red, white, black, yellow etc.

I got Sapphire Blue. 👍

[benjohnstone]

5 hours ago, Nobbie said:

I think I’m going to be upgrading to a 981 from my current 2.5 tip 986 which has been a great car, but is getting a bit rusty. I’m interested in people’s opinions on which 981 options are worth looking out for and any common issues to check for.

I did find a similar thread, but that seemed to get derailed into a fight about tyres.

I’ll probably keep the car a long time, so resale isn’t an issue. Hence I’ll probably go for a high miles, more recent car such as a 2015 with 100k rather than a 2012 with 60k. It’s mostly a weekend car so the aim is driving involvement. I like the tip on the 986, but feel I need to go manual on the 981 just to keep a similar level of involvement, although given the preponderance of PDK I won’t rule one out, interested to hear views on the manual gearbox. 

PSE is a must or I’d have to add myself or similar. I enjoy having to wring the neck of the 2.5, so I think I might regret upgrading to a 3.4, although I suspect most 3.4 are better specced, so won’t rule it out and am open to opinions. I love the look of the GTS, but not paying an extra £15k, so may just upgrade the front bumper as per @daz05

Are the standard seats ok? I have the sports seats in the 986 which work well.

I’m aware of the heater fan issue and the unreliable engine mounts, any other things that might be suspect on a higher miles car?

Interested to hear your views.

I think you need to stick to non S with the way you make pace at the moment I don't think we'd keep up 😆

[CMA]

17 hours ago, Nobbie said:

I think I’m going to be upgrading to a 981 from my current 2.5 tip 986 which has been a great car, but is getting a bit rusty. I’m interested in people’s opinions on which 981 options are worth looking out for and any common issues to check for.

I did find a similar thread, but that seemed to get derailed into a fight about tyres.

I’ll probably keep the car a long time, so resale isn’t an issue. Hence I’ll probably go for a high miles, more recent car such as a 2015 with 100k rather than a 2012 with 60k. It’s mostly a weekend car so the aim is driving involvement. I like the tip on the 986, but feel I need to go manual on the 981 just to keep a similar level of involvement, although given the preponderance of PDK I won’t rule one out, interested to hear views on the manual gearbox. 

PSE is a must or I’d have to add myself or similar. I enjoy having to wring the neck of the 2.5, so I think I might regret upgrading to a 3.4, although I suspect most 3.4 are better specced, so won’t rule it out and am open to opinions. I love the look of the GTS, but not paying an extra £15k, so may just upgrade the front bumper as per @daz05

Are the standard seats ok? I have the sports seats in the 986 which work well.

I’m aware of the heater fan issue and the unreliable engine mounts, any other things that might be suspect on a higher miles car?

Interested to hear your views.

Rear brake pipes corroding is something to look out for. Also strip the sides unblock and remove the fabric/plastic covers from the drains as soon as possible.

Pull out both seatbelts to the max and check for dampness when viewing, also feel the floor behind each seat to check for any water ingress

I had the 2.7 Manual and now the 3.4 PDK. The manual is the slickest box I've ever used, beautiful change. the PDK though is very impressive and gives plenty of involvement in manual mode, for which the sports design wheel with paddles is a must for me. PDK has 7 gears so has shorter ratios which for me make it a better drive. Do I miss the manual? No. Also Manuals are more rare to find.

The 2.7 is much easier to drive on the red line without being at warp speeds, it has less torque but driving to the redline is great for the aural pleasure. I don't find I do as much in the 3.4, it has the extra torque. Very different but similar engines to drive, I'd recommend trying both.

Both mine have the basic seats, the 2.7 basic isn't leather but a vinyl replica I believe

Sports Chrono is nice for the clock, but the PADM is one of those things, easy to change yourself just expensive to buy. The gear changes in Sports+ + manual mode are impressive. Would I have it again, maybe not but wouldn't put me off either way.

Get something like an iCarsoft POR V2 to scan any prospective cars for errors. More detailed than basic ODB readers.

Manuals you'll need to check for over revs, PDKs cant be over revved.

I'd have liked the heated wheel, especially having one in the Macan now, would be great on frosty morning roof down drives.

Check Air Con works, condensers can get full of cr*p and rot, prob something to do when you do the drains, remove the bumper and have a clearout.

PASM or not. Both mine haven't had PASM so I can't comment on a comparison but the nonPASM works fine for me.

Welcome to have a drive of mine and see for yourself if I end up on a run anytime soon

 

[Topbox]

Having gone thru 986, 987.2 both manual and now a 981S PDK I think @CMA has given a really good appraisal of the salient points. Ordinary seats in a 981 are fine for my lanky old bones too . Good luck with the buy @Nobbie

[Nobbie]

2 hours ago, CMA said:

Welcome to have a drive of mine and see for yourself

I’ll be there in 30 mins, make sure the tank is full😀

Thanks Rob, lots of useful tips there. I’m in no rush to change unless mine explodes, so would be great to get an idea of how a well sorted one handles. £20k cash waiting #OldOutYerAnd🤞

[cozzykim]

12 minutes ago, Nobbie said:

I’ll be there in 30 mins, make sure the tank is full😀

Thanks Rob, lots of useful tips there. I’m in no rush to change unless mine explodes, so would be great to get an idea of how a well sorted one handles. £20k cash waiting #OldOutYerAnd🤞

I feel  that all the 981s are well sorted, compared with even their brilliant 986/987 predecessors. The chassis is better, stiffer, more planted. The suspension is unbelievably compliant while also being stiffer and much quieter. There are no creaks/thumps/bangs/rattles from mine, even over those horrendous square traffic calming bumps.

The cabin is bigger and better built, the hood doesn't need any manual input, the controls are better integrated. The frunk and boot controls are better (no delay)

You already know the one alleged downside, the EPAS, but that's a minor niggle compared to how much better dynamically the 981 is than my old 2.9 987.2, and that's saying something.

[ATM]

Welcome to drive mine

 

PDK

sport seats

Standard passive dampers 

PSE

 

For roof down motoring I'd recommend heated seats and heated steering wheel, that's it

[mr.tourette23]

PSE, not a base stereo and heated seats were my only real requirements when looking and I got all of them. I also got a leather interior that I hadn't particularly planned on but I think its definitely something that would make it onto the must have next time, only other thing is the paddle steering wheel I feel perhaps should have been on my list, the buttons are ok but dont really enhance the pdk experience so Id probably have that on my must haves next time around 

[Patt]

Gearbox made no difference to my decision.  With time I have found I would now prefer PDK over a manual, although I daily mine.

If found the standard stereo too poor to live with and the base seats were not supportive at all.

Heated seats are a must unless you have buckets.

I find the auto dim mirrors a must to reduce the glare of all the soft-roader headlights.

The PDSL lights are a significant improvement, and would also be my must have list, with the PDSL+ as a nice to have.

Cruise is good for those stupidly long motorway 50 limits, but not used as much as I thought.

The 2.7 has a noticeable drop in torque but not enough to put you off, and even on track I didn't notice the smaller brakes.

PSE is AWESOME, but will fail eventually. So either buy with  or budget to fit a switchable aftermarket.

Sports Chrono is a complete waste and the hands are very prone to melting off anyhow.

Paddles on the wheel are more a must for me with the PDK.

19's or 20's run just as well for wheel options.

It's such an improvement on power and economy after a 986

[mneil]

You've followed me in my 981s on some of the bridgnorth runsa few years back most notable was when Mick had to head home when his car ejected it's water.

The X73 package on mine was a great improvement on nice smooth surfaces but could get a bit fidgety when pushing on over bumpy B roads. Decent headers with sports cats and a good remap make a huge difference to low down torque and has been mentioned, heated seats on early morning runs is a must! I changed to a 718 steering wheel and the short GT4 gear shifter but that's personal and easy.

Upgrade the lights.

Mine was a manual but the ratios are way tooooo long for our little roads, of course you could factor in the RPMtechnique diff and fit it yourself, if I bought another i would go that way but I'm way too over the moon with my Alpine.

Good luck.

Edited December 20, 2023 by mneil
predictable not!

[Nobbie]

 

3 hours ago, Patt said:

Gearbox made no difference to my decision.  With time I have found I would now prefer PDK over a manual, although I daily mine.

If found the standard stereo too poor to live with and the base seats were not supportive at all.

Heated seats are a must unless you have buckets.

I find the auto dim mirrors a must to reduce the glare of all the soft-roader headlights.

The PDSL lights are a significant improvement, and would also be my must have list, with the PDSL+ as a nice to have.

Cruise is good for those stupidly long motorway 50 limits, but not used as much as I thought.

The 2.7 has a noticeable drop in torque but not enough to put you off, and even on track I didn't notice the smaller brakes.

PSE is AWESOME, but will fail eventually. So either buy with  or budget to fit a switchable aftermarket.

Sports Chrono is a complete waste and the hands are very prone to melting off anyhow.

Paddles on the wheel are more a must for me with the PDK.

19's or 20's run just as well for wheel options.

It's such an improvement on power and economy after a 986

This is all great stuff, looks like PDK should be fine with the sport design steering wheel, the standard one looks a bit like my old tip one which I had to add paddles too. Interesting re the PSE eventually failing and replacing with aftermarket. If bought without, how easy is it to integrate with the remap for pops and bangs. Do you need the OE PSE switch?

4 minutes ago, mneil said:

You've followed me in my 981s on some of the bridgnorth runsa few years back most notable was when Mick had to head home when his car ejected it's water.

The X73 package on mine was a great improvement on nice smooth surfaces but could get a bit fidgety when pushing on over bumpy B roads. Decent headers with sports cats and a good remap make a huge difference to low down torque and has been mentioned, heated seats on early morning runs is a must! I changed to a 718 steering wheel and the short GT4 gear shifter but that's personal and easy.

Upgrade the lights.

Mine was a manual but the ratios are way tooooo long for our little roads, of course you could factor in the RPMtechnique diff and fit it yourself, if I bought another i would go that way but I'm way too over the moon with my Alpine.

Good luck.

I should have bought your car when you got rid of it, interesting re the X73 on B roads as I had considered this option.

Last run I went on with @bally4563 he was ejecting more than water🤣

Hope to see you on a future run.

[Patt]

Ninemeister would be a more local option for the LSD diff, and even a tune.

The X73 is a rare option, but a cheap upgrade.

[Patt]

You can retro fit the switch and the ECU map with the computer. IIRC the switch pack is about £200

I know Revolution have the capability as I've been there when a customer was collection his after the install.  I'm sure other good Indi's will be able to also, but worth asking as not all may be willing.  eg Ninemeister were not willing to do the s/w upgrade on my PDK.

The noise is very much part of flat 6 ownership IMHO. 

[Jonners]

Just my two penn'orth, PSE is a must. Don't worry about the valves failing, which they all do at some point. My are permanently fixed open with some shaft collars on the actuators. 

Drone is not a problem at all, especially for a weekend toy. Even when driving 1600 miles across Europe it wasn't a problem! 

[Menoporsche]

If always open I’d go for Carnewal. 

[ATM]

18 hours ago, Nobbie said:

This is all great stuff, looks like PDK should be fine with the sport design steering wheel, the standard one looks a bit like my old tip one which I had to add paddles too. 

 

I have the standard wheel and I don't use the paddles much. I wont say I never use them because i have occasionally but there just isnt any need to. I think the PDK is that good that if you just leave it alone you will be in the right gear almost all the time. PDK is really good if you wanted an automated gearbox. Obviously on boring drives you have it in Normal mode which is like an eco mode and then if you suddenly decide you want to do an overtake or something which requires a change of gear - and you have a couple of seconds to think - you can just select sport mode and then again don't need to use the paddles. If I'm having a blast in the hills with you lot I leave it in Sport on the fast sections and then switch to Normal going through villages. Once you learn how to treat the pedal to activate kick down the paddles are just not needed. You can just forget about gears and focus on everything else. Sure if you want to feel like you're in control of the gears then you can override but I don't see the need. I just let it do its thing. As mentioned I think heated steering wheel is nice on cold days with the roof down especially if you don't want to wear gloves. If you do wear gloves the sport paddles will make more sense - like on track with your fire proof gloves and helmet but that's just not relevant for me as its a road car. Heated steering wheel is the one option mine has which I really like but wasn't even on my radar when I bought the car. If the sport wheel isn't heated then I would choose the standard wheel with heating every time.

[Bike Loon]

Don't know if its the same as my 987.2 but on the odd occasion I want to control the gear changes I knock the shifter to the left and use it up and down like a sequential gearbox.. much more fun

[moospeed]

I had much the same decision process as many above when I replaced my 981 with a 981 S.

Whilst both were/are well specced cars (leather dash was a must, and that tends to lead to other ticked boxes) the new one doesn't have heated seats whereas the old one did.  I thought maybe I would miss those but as it happens I haven't as yet and there have been some particularly cold outings...  I think you soon get used to what you don't have, I'm glad I didn't miss out the car because of a nice-to-have rather than a must-have.  It's easy to over do the must-have list.

One thing I didn't actively search for was a car without Sports Chrono but I was happy enough that the new one hasn't got it, less to go wrong which matters if you're out of warranty.  As with most people I tried launch control once.  That was despite the Porsche dealer saying "they wouldn't have built it in if it wasn't to be used".

 

[Cocky]

I am really excited to see what you get Rob. 

 

I can't help from not owning one but I can say that PDK is amazing and such a step up from your Tip I would opt for a car with the right spec rather than gearbox if you find you're not fussed either way. 

I also would point out as somebody that drives in similar manner to you that I likely would drop into a 2.7 if I upgraded to a 981. Just because my driving style is high revs rather than using the mid range torque so I think you're making the best decision. 

For me the seats in a 981 are far superior than a 986 even standard and they will hold you so much better than the 986 even without the wings. I would point out that @CMA turned up to a run in Ripon once (SCITP) and his seats weren't leather and to touch felt a bit poor so leather seats Rob. 

Personally I'd avoid PASM & PADM (Chrono, you still get sport mode as standard and can have Chrono without the PADM installed if you wanted for track). 

20" wheels look the best and fill the arches nicely. 

 

Looks at the market you're not far off the right budget for a nice car but I'm thinking you're going to have to stretch some more. 

 

 

Edited December 21, 2023 by Cocky