I had a 2015 CS and it was a fantastic car for spirited driving. You really need to drive one to make a decision on manual/PDK. I think the manual box in the 981 is excellent in use, however the gearing is quite long and I’m lazy so went with PDK.
Options, I feel can make or break the overall 981 experience. Basically everything was an option on the 981. Much of this will come down to personal preference, but it’s better to drive some cars and have an opinion. Retrofitting options is possible, but largely overly expensive. Best to get the right car and options from the start.
Some of the options I had:
Seats - I had the Sports seats and they were good, but would have preferred the electric multi-way Sport plus versions. You can have buckets here too, but they can be a pain if it’s your daily driver. Note - you need the optional air bag switch if you ever want to fit a child’s car seat.
Suspension - I had the passive setup which is firm but well controlled, however I would have preferred PASM for aesthetics (its 10mm lower). Sports Suspension was another option, but it’s another 10mm lower again and too firm for poor roads.
Audio - All options are rather compromised in the 981, but I thought Sound package plus was reasonable and should be the minimum choice. Bose rather spoilt the bass for me and I never experienced the Burmeister option. Mine also had Universal Audio which I think provided the usb connection for use with MP3s and memory sticks. No apple car play here!
PCM Nav - Quite dated to use but nice to have.
Wheels - I had the forged 20” Turbo alloys and they looked great. Some other designs (non forged) were more popular though.
Heated Seats - Definitely, for obv reasons.
Heated Steering wheel - I liked this, but I don’t think it was available on the Sports Design wheel which is the one you’d want.
Steering wheel - the multifunction wheel is handy (see above), but has horrible rocker buttons for changing gear.
PSE - Sounds great but many people say it drones at motorways speeds. Standard dual exhaust is still quite nice and sounds good, certainly doesn’t drone. Try before you buy. You can always fit PSE later on.
Park Assist Front and Rear - for visibility I felt this was the minimum you’d want, though the optional camera would have been a nice to have, especially if you were used to it previously.
Dimming and Folding Mirrors - nice to have.
Cruise - never used it.
Mobile Phone prep - yup, another option.
Rear wiper - divides opinion, but handy for reversing in the rain.
When I decided to change I thought of going 718 and getting my ideal spec - GTS with alcantara spec interior, with most of the options above but this time with PASM. In the end I decided it was simpler getting a car where all that stuff was just standard. Still great cars though.
