sound comparison between the 991 and 997 Porsche GTS
My first post comparing the 991 and 997 included a small reference to the differences between how the cars sound. I’ve wanted to spend more time on this topic, and finally had the opportunity to do it.
Sound is such an important part of the experience for me. Like many enthusiasts, I rarely listen to the radio in my cars. I’d rather listen to the road noise, the intake and of course the exhaust.
For this sound comparison between the 991 and 997, we’ll focus on the sound from inside the cabin. I’ve included a few recordings below; the sound is predominately the exhaust. I may try to isolate the intake sounds by mounting a mic in the engine bay for a future post.
The set-up was simple. I used an Android App called ASR with my phone secured in a cradle mounted on the inside of the front windshield. The driver and passenger windows were open for all four recordings. The 997 has a SharkWerks cross pipe, and the 991 is a stock set-up. Both cars were in Sport Plus mode.
In the first set of recordings, I’m coming out of a roundabout into a moderate uphill climb with a slight curve. I’m on the throttle, but never to red line.
The run in the 997 starts in first, you hear a shift to second, and then a shift to third near the end of the recording.
The run in the 991 starts in first, you hear the shift to second and third, then a downshift to second. The higher RPMs after the downshift probably create a bit of an “apples to oranges” situation. The 991 reved-up in 2nd gear is putting out more sound at the end of the run than the 997 in third.
In the second set of recordings, I’m turning onto a street that is level for the length of the run. As with the first set of recordings, I’m on the throttle, but never to red line.
The run in the 997 starts in first, you hear a shift to second, and then a shift to third near the end of the recording.
The run in the 991 also starts in first, you hear a shift to second, and then a shift to third near the end of the recording.
The 997 has a higher pitched sound that starts low and continues across the rev range. I’ve described it as “angry”, and I’ve noticed that it turns more heads in a way that reminds me of that great Ferrari-Shell commercial from ~2007. I’m not claiming that the 997 sounds like an F1 car, only that it turns heads when you are on the throttle.
The 991 has a deeper sound. It’s not loud until you hit ~4000 RPMs, but then it comes on strong and sounds “deeper” than the 997. Some say it sounds more “powerful”. I like the sound, but there is something about it that seems artificial in comparison to the 997.
It’s not in the recordings above, but both cars produce the “race car” burble and crackle. I notice the burble more in the 997. Coast down hill while barely pressing the accelerator and it will burble the whole way. Thanks to ECU gamesmanship the 991 crackles more on the overrun. Go hard on the throttle, then lift for a shift and it sounds like a shotgun.