Well, of course I meant the title to read “R231 SL vs Porsche 991.2,” but I messed up. Sorry.

My wife is always in “shoe crisis,” or “dress crisis,” etc. Well, I’m in “convertible crisis,” ever since I sent my 2013 SL550 down the road. Even though I currently have no garage in which to put one, I find myself just chomping at the bit to get a new open car.

Two days ago, I drove a new 718 Boxster with a manual trans. Nice car, but not for me. I then drove a PDK equipped Carerra S Cabriolet, which was a much better fit. The 991.2 is a very refined sports car. Very comfortable and very fast.

Yesterday, I drove a new Carerra GTS Targa. Having owned several 1970’s model Targas years ago, I had been lusting after a new one since it came out a few years ago, but I found what was a fatal flaw, at least to me: with the top down and the windows lowered, at moderate speeds, there is a RUSH of wind that enters the cabin, right into my neck. Windows up, no problem, but with windows down, WAY more turbulence than in a Cabriolet, and a completely different feel compared to 911 Targas of yore. Crazy! Anyway, no new Targa for me.

After my Targa ride, I asked to drive ANY 911 with PCCB or “Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes,” as I have never experienced them. The salesman said I could drive the GM’s Turbo S Cabriolet. I tried to stifle the grin and casually said “oh, OK.” The salesman drove the car off the lot and then floored it. I thought my eyeballs were going to exit through my ear drums! With a zero to 60 time in the 2.6 second area, it is, without a doubt, the quickest car I have ever been in. A few, very excited expletives came out of my mouth, as I held on for dear life. Truly amazing! Anyway, as I got to drive the car, I found that the yellow calipered brakes worked great. The fact that they generate virtually no brake dust and they look so great, makes the $8K option price not seem so bad. If I get a new 911, it will have PCCB.

Back in my S560–which seemed WAY more silent and comfortable after my 911 rides, I headed to the MB dealer to once again drive an SL450. A year or two ago I had driven one and pronounced it as my choice over a 550, but I wanted to see if I still felt the same. I’m happy to report that I feel that the SL450 is a superior car to the 550, unless one really is a torque junky. The 450 feels so much lighter on its feet, so much more balanced, refined and, for lack of a better term, so much “sportier” compared to the 550. I do believe that if I get a new R231, it will be an SL450.

Anyway, here’s a photo of my eyeball crushing ride. Still thinking about what to do, while perusing all of the late model used and CPO SL & 911 Cabriolet listings. Such fun!

The only issue I have with my 17 SL450 is that I have always been a V8 guy and although the performance is acceptable, I prefer the sound of 8 cylinders to 6. I am in the habit of using the engine compression and paddle shifters to slow down which is very hard to do with the V6 compared to my other rides. I'm guessing the compression ratio is inherently low but being shy two cylinders has to be a factor as well.

Other than that it's a great grand touring automobile and suits me more than the GTS I had before.

We’ve exchanged posts on this subject before, and we seem to have the same views of these cars. I have driven an SL for the last 13 years. It has been a great car - responsive with lots of poise on a winding road (the ABC, as you know, really does work a treat), and maintenance costs have been quite low. The new one has all the electronic goodies, which I do value. However, it also feels significantly bigger to me. The new 991.2 is very tempting, because it is nifty on any road - agile, immediate, rewarding to drive fast or slow or any way between, and comfortable. Also, I think the lines of the SL seem a bit compromised by the several updates since 2003, whereas the 991.2 is a very convincing tribute to the idea of enlightened evolution in design. Of course, they both cost too much, until, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, you look at every other choice. Resale on the Porsche is better. The 2017 991.2 is almost identical to the 2019. And as the 2020 will be different, the price of a 2017 may soften next year. If that doesn’t happen, I may buy a new one. But if a great deal appears down the street on an SL, I would be tempted. Patience is rewarded.

Yeah, the time to buy a 991.2 is not now, but a few months from now, when the 992 comes out. There are SO many rich guys out there who MUST have the latest and greatest toy. The market for near new 991.2 cars will be packed with pristine examples and the prices will fall.

The same may not hold true for the R231 SL’s. IF the new SL has a cloth top, there will be some increased demand for the late model R231’s from those who feel it is their last chance to get a retractable hard top model, which MAY describe yours truly as well. Decisions, decisions.

Yessir! You and I are on the same page!

Well, as far as sheer comfort goes, I’d take the SL, especially if it were equipped with ABC. For me though, an SL or a 911 would be a car used only for brief drives. I would probably never drive it with the top up and probably never more than maybe 40 or 50 miles in a day, so either would be fine. In my younger days, I would drive an SL from L.A. to Napa, but these days, that type of drive is only done in my S560.

I've driven Corvettes most of my adult life and I'm finding that, some time in the last couple of decades, I've grown tired of the "NASCAR" sound track. Both the 911 and the 450 sound far more refined to me now. Obviously, YMMV.