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Ok all this back and forth with tidbits has got me all confused, and I was working for Porsche Dealerships not long after all this....
So someone who actually knows all the timeline please clarify the following...
1 How many production lines were there for 996 and where were they
2 what months did they assemble cars
3 how may production lines for 986 and where were they
4 what months did they assemble cars
5 exactly what month did the engine plant fire for m96 happen that cause all the engine machining equipment to be moved and production to get behnid that resulted in the "sleeving" of the factory engines that caused early problems.. ( that have by now all been corrected, unless you have a "time capsule car" )
Last edited by Porschetech3; 08-19-2023 at 09:10 PM.
The notion of a "clean" cutover is absolute rubbish. There's documented history on numerous Porsche models that mix "early" and "late" parts as the production line transitions over. The 996 isn't any different and anyone who tries to state otherwise without verifiable proof is simply....ahem.....wrong. My proof is my 9/98 XAA car: it has lots of early features (granite interior coating, vinyl roof, no "Made in France" wing embossment, etc.) and some late features (clear headlights and taillights).
As the very first post in this thread suggests, there are a number of variables that are used to differentiate "early" 996.1s from the rest of 996.1 production. You say that "the notion of a clean cutover is rubbish," but I think that language does a disservice to the significance of 8/98 to the 996.1 production run. If "the notion of a clean cutover" means that every single variable discussed in this thread switched from its "early" type to its "non-early" type on the same exact date, then yeah -- agreed, there may not have been a clean cutover.
But as I understand things, the significance of 8/98 is basically three-fold:
Every car built in/before some date in 8/98 hasall of "the early stuff."
"The early stuff," while it may not have all been uniformly discontinued in exactly 8/98, vanishes very quickly in cars produced after 8/98.
Relatedly, cars built in or after 9/98 will possibly have some of, but will not have all of, "the early stuff."
In other words, relative to the idea of "early production," it looks to me like there are three categories:
Early -- Built in or before 8/98, and has all of "the early stuff."
Mixed -- Built shortly after 8/98, and may have some of "the early stuff," probably as remaining "early" parts were used up during the transition. Your car seems to be in this category.
The Rest of '99 -- Built "late enough" in '98 or '99 that none of "the early stuff" is present any longer. I would roughly guess that 10/98 is "late enough." Did any 11/98 builds have ambers from the factory, or a vinyl headliner, or the color-through granite, or any other typically early features? I've seen no evidence for this.
Curious to hear your thoughts!
There have been numerous myths perpetuated over the years regarding the so called "early builds". In reality, like all auto manufacturers, Porsche continually tweaked production of the 996 to address quality issues and find savings. Adrian Streather penned the book 996: The Essential Companion which addresses many of these myths. Porsche did not close any production lines in 1999, they merely halted production in the late summer as they did every year and still do to this date. Most of Europe shuts down factory production for several weeks each summer to accommodate employee holidays. Regarding the quality of materials, there were some decisions made to enhance the interior of the 996 but these materials used turned out to be less durable over the long term. Many believe these were cost cutting measures but at the time there was no intention to use cheaper materials, only to begin differentiating the 996 from the 986 due to buyer feedback. Adrian's book is an excellent read and highly recommended for those who want to have an indepth understanding of the 996 and its old stuffevolution.
Good stuff. I'd just point out that, if Porsche had planned to begin phasing out "the early stuff," it would make sense to allow the traditional August holiday to serve as the boundary line -- especially since some of "the early stuff" does indeed appear to have experienced a "clean cutover" between 8/98 and 9/98. This is admittedly a little speculative, but aligning the transition with a nice, long break would allow Porsche and its suppliers extra time to make sure any "must-have non-early items" were available in sufficient supply for the 9/98 changeover. An example that comes to mine is radios -- The 993-era C(D)R-210s end abruptly in 8/98, and the C(D)R-220s start abruptly (with different option codes) in 9/98.
If "the notion of a clean cutover" means that every single variable discussed in this thread switched from its "early" type to its "non-early" type on the same exact date, then yeah -- agreed, there may not have been a clean cutover.
This is exactly what it means and what I stated.
Originally Posted by 509.996.1
Good stuff. I'd just point out that, if Porsche had planned to begin phasing out "the early stuff," it would make sense to allow the traditional August holiday to serve as the boundary line -- especially since some of "the early stuff" does indeed appear to have experienced a "clean cutover" between 8/98 and 9/98. This is admittedly a little speculative, but aligning the transition with a nice, long break would allow Porsche and its suppliers extra time to make sure any "must-have non-early items" were available in sufficient supply for the 9/98 changeover. An example that comes to mine is radios -- The 993-era C(D)R-210s end abruptly in 8/98, and the C(D)R-220s start abruptly (with different option codes) in 9/98.
Ok all this back and forth with tidbits has got me all confused, and I was working for Porsche Dealerships not long after all this....
So someone who actually knows all the timeline please clarify the following...
1 How many production lines were there for 996 and where were they
2 what months did they assemble cars
3 how may production lines for 986 and where were they
4 what months did they assemble cars
5 exactly what month did the engine plant fire for m96 happen that cause all the engine machining equipment to be moved and production to get behnid that resulted in the "sleeving" of the factory engines that caused early problems.. ( that have by now all been corrected, unless you have a "time capsule car" )
I am by no means an expert in Porsche history or facts, but here is my take on your questions based on research over the years:
1. All production 911's regardless of variant were/are assembled on the line at Zuffenhausen. I am not aware of another production line for 911's. I have seen pictures of 993's & 986's, & 996's coming down the production line at the same time in '97.
2. Assembly months are typically Sept - July each year. August may have some limited production before flipping over to the new MY. September each year is normally when the following MY cars begin production. I say normally, but this was not the case with 996 models designated for NA, they began production in January of '98 and were marketed/sold as '99 MY cars.
3. 986 production began at Zuffenhausen and was subsequently contracted out to Finland (Valmet) to keep up with demand. In 2012 Porsche moved production for Boxsters/Caymans from Finland to Osnabrück under contract with Magna Styer. Today, the 718 is assembled in Zuffenhausen.
4. I can't say for sure regarding 986 production in Finland, but expect similar timetables as per question #2 based on MY.
5. I don't know enough about the fire to comment, but I have read some of your previous posts regarding this issue.
Also, the comments/speculation about "early build" models on this forum focuses on the NA market cars. Porsche manufactured approximately 2000 ROW 996's before they even began production of the NA models. Clear headlights were circulating on ROW cars in early '98, so trying to pin-point cut off dates between early & late is mostly a futile effort.
Feel feel free to add to, correct, or dispel any of this information.
Good post, gbarron.
With regards to it being a NA market thing I agree and want to add that MY98 existed for RoW and was designated as such in the VIN by the letter W.
In my view those 'early MY99' US models follow the same build spec (available interior and exterior colours and such) as 996 MY98 RoW.
Adrian Streather writes something along the lines of "early 996 were hand-built alongside the 993' etc and makes it sound as if that in itself is very special and differentiates those early 996 coupes from ones built at a later date while indeed it is to be expected since final assembly is still to this day a part of car production that is done by human hand.
Last edited by hardtailer; 08-22-2023 at 08:25 AM.
There's documented history on numerous Porsche models that mix "early" and "late" parts as the production line transitions over.
My point was related to this idea -- and I don't think I'm disagreeing with you, just trying to add some detail. Based on all the examples and counterexamples I've come across, the following seems to be true -- that there appear to be three distinct phases of US-market 996.1 production as far as this "early" idea is concerned:
Early -- US-market cars built in or before 8/98 left the factory with all of "the early stuff."
Mixed -- US-market cars built shortly after 8/98 may have left the factory with some of "the early stuff," but not all of it.
The Rest of '99 -- US-market cars built "late enough" in '98 or '99 left the factory with none of "the early stuff." I would roughly guess that 10/98 is "late enough."
In other words, yes -- agreed that the 996, like many other Porsche models, mixes "early" and "late" parts. From what I can see, the mixing phase seems to have occurred somewhere in the neighborhood of 8/98 and ~10/98 as far as the 996.1 is concerned. The point of making this distinction is to counter the feeling that 996.1 production was just one big gradient, with different mixes of parts being used in cars throughout the production run, and no real discernible pattern at any point in time. From where I sit, it looks like there were three well-defined patterns, as expressed by the bullet points above.
I would be delighted to hear about US-market counterexamples to those three bullet points. I arrived at those bullet points by looking at a great many individual cars, but I'm always open to revising a theory in the face of new evidence. (For full disclosure, I should say that I'm generally skeptical of the claim that a pre-8/98 US-market car without ambers proves something. Swapping ambers for clears is easy and was all the rage for many years.)
And to gbarron's and hardtailer's points, RoW 996.1s are a bit of a mystery to me and may not follow the patterns I'm describing. Affirmative that RoW cars seem to have had clear lenses prior to US-market cars -- I've seen that too. I don't have much experience with RoW cars, and what I have written is meant to be about US-market models only.
Correct Information regarding Traction Control/ LSD and 100% Annalog
1999 Carrera only regarding option 220/Traction Control /lsd option code/ traction control consists of two separate items, Active Brake Differential (ABD) and Anti Slip Regulation (ASR). When one of the rear wheels begins to lose traction, the ABD applies the brake to that wheel. If both wheels lose traction, the ASR reduces engine power until traction is regained. The Traction Control switch on the dash turns off the ASR, but not the ABD. The ABD is always in effect until you reach 65 mph, at which time it automatically deactivates. Because the ABD is always in effect and is applying braking not under your control.MY99 From the tech manual
The LSD on a MY99 is only 40%.To get the engine’s power safely to the road in a standing start, slip is limited to 40 percent. Once under power, the slip factor changes to 60 percent because the engine no longer is operating at its maximum torque and also because this configuration helps minimize oversteer under load changes through a turn. TC was only around for the C2 in MY99. Traction Control (TC) is a combination of anti-slip control (ASR) and Automatic Brake Differential (ABD). TC prevents spinning of the drive wheels when moving off and accelerating. It does this through a series of sensors (also used by the ABS system) and controlling individual wheel braking. By doing so driving stability and traction are improved over the entire speed range. PSM includes the functions: ABS, Traction Control (TC), ABD, MSR (engine drag torque control). ABD is part of TC and was not sold separately - together they formed the early version of PSM. The official name (in the Porsche parts list) for option 224 is "Automatic Limited Slip Differential". There are no parts in the parts list that identify with a M 224 label - so what is it? ABD. Technically the option 220 "Locking Differential 40%" is also "automatic" since the multiple-disc limited-slip differential causes locking when one wheel begins to slip. This is the mechanical LSD you all know. Its not like a possi traction rear end, it works off of computer parameters that involve braking or power reduction all of which is out of the drivers control. The one to have is the MY99 without TC option , no TC button, no power reduction no computer braking. Your foot and your foot only controls the power to the wheels no matter if its spinning 1 or 2 tires at any speed you're in control of the power.
99.9% of the " Porsche enthusiasts" have it wrong the one you want is that one if you're an Annalog guy, track car guy.That does not have have a traction control button on the dash because it does not have traction control, there is no computer system or limiter reducing power to the wheels or braking, spinning or not. Cars equipped with TC hence the TC on off button will reduce power to the wheels on or off during certain conditions listed above. The throttle cable cars with no TC button , spin the tires until you let off the pedal. There is no driver aids and This was the only year it was possible to have a truly Annalog optioned watercooled 911. The lsd option that was paired with the TC button is another form of power reduction/limited-slip that works on a 60/40 power split explained above . The no tc, no tc dash button 6 speed manual cars could have came with the getrag G96 with mechanical limited-slip rear differential that works like a possi traction rear end, if you know how a limited-slip rear differential works you can easily know if your car has it or not with your rear tires off the ground and trying to spin them in opposite directions. Theres no option code associated with that transmission/ diff combination but if the car was ordered this way it could be on the window sticker mentioned with LSA / rear suspension. This was the only 100% Annalog Watercooled 911 option combination produced, and also the lightest Factory street legal Watercooled 911s ever produced. Lighter than the 996 GT3, which is also egas, computer/ power out put controlled. The first 3649 were hand assembled. I have a no tc, no obc, no egas, no psm, throttle cable m30 suspension , option 408 wheels , getrag 6 speed with mechanical limited-slip rear differential ordered and built late 97 stamped Jan 98 With all of the paper work from order to present day. They're very rare, very different raw driver type cars truly a unique feeling from any other 996.
Originally Posted by bdronsick
There is no other single 911 model year that is so unique within its own generation, as MY1999.
And then, even within MY1999, there is the "early-build" '99 variant in amber lenses, that is even less numerous (only 3,649 known examples worldwide), and even more unique!
Here is the unified list of what we've gathered on these beauties over the past 24 years;
I. General MY1999 Uniquenesses overall:
1. Dual-row original IMSB, that is eminently more durable than the later single-row design introduced mid-2000 production. First half of MY2K production cars use the 1999 dual-row as well. Anecdotal evidence suggests less than 1% failure rate for these original 1999 dual-row IMSB units. I personally drove a former MY1999 to 160K miles with original IMSB without issue (sold the car AFAIK still going strong)
2. Legacy 911 cable throttle (C2 only, not C4). Like all previous 911's before 996, you decide how much gas the motor gets with your right foot. With later >MY2K "eGas" the ECU decides this for you.
3. Manual actuation front and rear trunk latches. If the battery dies it can be instantly accessed for charging by simple lever pull. MK2K shares this feature, but with later >MY2001 cars the trunk's operation is electrified through the ECU, making dead battery access astronomically difficult (if not virtually impossible) through a latched trunk.
4. No "nannies" (TC/PSM/PASM etc...). TC (Traction Control), which was a sort of prehistoric precursor to PSM (Porsche Stability Management), was actually only optional in MY1999. So I personally sought out only 1999's without TC; this isn't possible on the >MK2K and later PSM cars. And of course it's all become a downhill slide into auto-driving electronica from there 997> (PASM, etc...). Thus a true "no nanny" 1999 996 (TC delete) is not only an astronomically rare find, it is the only actual 100% "analog" driving water-cooled 911 in existence, except for full blown GT and racing variants that weren't sold in the U.S. until MKII 2002>.
NOTE: A few owners on Rennlist over the years have claimed their MKII C2 as being optioned with no-PSM, however all MY2000 and later 911's had the eGas computer controlled throttle body; as do all the GT's.
Therefore the Traction-Control-Delete MY1999 is the only 100% "analog" water-cooled 911 ever made! (IE cable throttle + hydraulic steering + NO driver's assistance technology)
5. "Buffalo Hyde" dash and "Granite" interior materials. Some consider these unique, if not quirky, 1999 interior materials superior in look, feel, and durability to the later "Pleather" & "soft touch" rubberized surfaces fitted MY2K> and later. Indeed complaints about 996 "plastic-y" interior materials regard the later MY2K> versions; which is quite ironic as the M2K> standard "Pleather" dash material is apparently identical to the previous 964/993. See "early 1999" list below for additional <09/98 clarification.
6. Optional LSD (limited slip differential). This optional feature available only MY1999 can be important to drivers who track their cars. Unfortunately LSD was always paired with TC, so the "holy grail" of LSD and no-TC is only possible on the 1999 GT3 that was never delivered to North America. A "no nanny" 1999 (see #4 above) is the closest one can get to this "grail" 996 in the United States.
7. Legacy 993 headliner material; uses original 911 lightweight vinyl instead of the much thicker and heavier Alcantara MY2K> & later, that required more finicky and noisome metal supports. Lends another “solid” vintage touch to the MY1999 interior that 911 purists love.
8. No OBC (on board computer) as standard. For the "purist" sect the early 1999's that did not choose the OBC option (#659) came both without the computer display in the dash, and missing the fourth steering control stalk for OBC operation. Some enjoy the increased left leg room. OBC functions are nonetheless present in all 996 ECU, and can be enabled on the early 1999 by fitting a functioning switch into a dash or console button blank slot for this purpose. Regardless the lack of OBC control stalk and simpler gauges readout lends yet another "vintage" aura to the early 1999 interior for purists.
***FYI, pair an OBC-Delete with TC-Delete (see #4 above) and you have the "holy grail" of zero-nannies, analog modern 911's in the United States. Find one with #408 "Technology" wheels fitted (see #4 second list just below) and you're likely looking at an ultra-lightweight: "one-of-one"
II. Specific Early-Build '99 (Ambers) Uniquenesses: Subset of MY1999 with build date stickers from 11/97 - 08/98
NOTE: MY1999 was in production from end of 1997 well into 1999; almost three years and 30K total units produced across all versions (cabs, tips, C4, GT3, etc.). However "early build" '99 C2 units were only hand-built for nine months of alternating production on a single assembly line, and this was in sequence with outgoing 1998 993 cars; rendering only a fractional early-build '99 production total compared with MY1999 overall.
By VIN's this limited "early build" '99 C2 production has been determined to be 3,649 units total. Most early-build 996 pre-production was dedicated to the MY1998 ROW launch, and PCNA only imported a fraction of these early-builds as MY1999 to the U.S.
1. "Hand assembled" in sequence with the outgoing 993 production cars on their assembly line. Classic 911 engineering guru Jake Raby, and many others, have noted a tangibly increased "build quality" with these "early build" '99 cars. I personally find no quality deficiency in any 996 of any year, however I can attest the "early build" 99's do "feel" indestructible somehow, in a kind of ineffable way. The squeaks, creaks & rattles seemingly ubiquitous on classic 911's, and the subsequent water-cooled generations that followed, are strangely absent on these early-build '99 "tanks".
2. Amber-lenses head and tail lights. Affectionately known for their "fried eggs" moniker, these singularly unique (see note below) lighting units were fitted exclusively on the limited, "early build" '99 production run on the 993 assembly line. Anecdotally its believed Porsche fitted the special amber lighting to "commemorate" the brief, early-production run, as this "changing of the guard" was celebrated internally by Porsche far more than Marketing allowed the factory to share publicly. For example a much higher than usual percentage of these "early build" '99 cars were internal Porsche "Executive" orders (included under "Sonderwunsch", or "Special Wishes" option code #09991), and most of these likely remain "in the family" to this day. Even The Porsche Museum utilizes a disproportionately high number of "early-build" '99 amber lenses examples in both live installations on site, and all its social media/advertising involving the now "Porsche Classic" Type 996. IE, Americans may not be hoarding early-build 996's yet, but Porsche employees & insiders have been curating them for decades.
NOTE: It is a misbelief that the MKI 996 and Boxster share headlights; not true at all. Factory part numbers differ between the two Porsche models, and the 911 unit is twice the replacement cost of the Boxster's. The internal frame and wiring harness connector are similar enough, however, to allow Boxster headlights to be used as replacements in 996's (to save $$$); although both should be replaced together due to the stark aesthetic differences between the 996 & Boxster headlights when actually observed together.
Additionally because several have asked, it should be noted the unique 996 headlights used on the MKI Carrera, are identical to those fitted on the 996 GT1 Strassenversion, and MKI 996 GT3 models as well.
3. Color-thru "Granite" interior materials (nicknamed "Sparkle"). This original early 1999 "Granite" material was manufactured by the same company, and used in Rolls Royce's of the same generation. It's very distinctive, and unique. And very nearly indestructible. Later 1999 (>09/98) cars switched to a color-applied granite-like material which is somewhat less durable than the earlier color-thru material; but remains vastly more durable than the rubberized stuff that was used MY2000 and later.
4. Ultra Lightweight #408 BBS "Technology" wheels: An extremely light 993 narrow fitment Turbo wheel option #408 was commissioned by Porsche from BBS, and also made available to "early-build" MY1999. To date these #408's are the lightest 18" wheels ever offered by Porsche (YES, lighter by almost two pounds than the fabled MY02 "Carerra II Lightweights"), and the early-build 1999's lucky enough to have been so equipped actually weigh less than 2,900 lbs total; rendering these scant few MY1999 examples the lightest road-legal 911's ever built with 300HP+. And given the option was only available briefly during early-build MY1999 production, there were few enough configured this way for these variants to now be considered extremely rare; which is exceptional for any "modern" Porsche.
The one to have is the MY99 without TC option , no TC button, no power reduction no computer braking. Your foot and your foot only controls the power to the wheels no matter if its spinning 1 or 2 tires at any speed you're in control of the power.
99.9% of the " Porsche enthusiasts" have it wrong the one you want is that one if you're an Analog guy, track car guy.That does not have have a traction control button on the dash because it does not have traction control, there is no computer system or limiter reducing power to the wheels or braking, spinning or not.
I used to want the 99 with the 220 option until I learned what else the 220 option added. That’s why I love mine. Main option is 408, not much else. Feels light on its feet and my goal is to shed weight where I can without gutting the car
1999 Carrera only regarding option 220/Traction Control /lsd option code/ traction control consists of two separate items, Active Brake Differential (ABD) and Anti Slip Regulation (ASR). When one of the rear wheels begins to lose traction, the ABD applies the brake to that wheel. If both wheels lose traction, the ASR reduces engine power until traction is regained. The Traction Control switch on the dash turns off the ASR, but not the ABD. The ABD is always in effect until you reach 65 mph, at which time it automatically deactivates. Because the ABD is always in effect and is applying braking not under your control.MY99 From the tech manual
The LSD on a MY99 is only 40%.To get the engine’s power safely to the road in a standing start, slip is limited to 40 percent. Once under power, the slip factor changes to 60 percent because the engine no longer is operating at its maximum torque and also because this configuration helps minimize oversteer under load changes through a turn. TC was only around for the C2 in MY99. Traction Control (TC) is a combination of anti-slip control (ASR) and Automatic Brake Differential (ABD). TC prevents spinning of the drive wheels when moving off and accelerating. It does this through a series of sensors (also used by the ABS system) and controlling individual wheel braking. By doing so driving stability and traction are improved over the entire speed range. PSM includes the functions: ABS, Traction Control (TC), ABD, MSR (engine drag torque control). ABD is part of TC and was not sold separately - together they formed the early version of PSM. The official name (in the Porsche parts list) for option 224 is "Automatic Limited Slip Differential". There are no parts in the parts list that identify with a M 224 label - so what is it? ABD. Technically the option 220 "Locking Differential 40%" is also "automatic" since the multiple-disc limited-slip differential causes locking when one wheel begins to slip. This is the mechanical LSD you all know. Its not like a possi traction rear end, it works off of computer parameters that involve braking or power reduction all of which is out of the drivers control. The one to have is the MY99 without TC option , no TC button, no power reduction no computer braking. Your foot and your foot only controls the power to the wheels no matter if its spinning 1 or 2 tires at any speed you're in control of the power.
99.9% of the " Porsche enthusiasts" have it wrong the one you want is that one if you're an Annalog guy, track car guy.That does not have have a traction control button on the dash because it does not have traction control, there is no computer system or limiter reducing power to the wheels or braking, spinning or not. Cars equipped with TC hence the TC on off button will reduce power to the wheels on or off during certain conditions listed above. The throttle cable cars with no TC button , spin the tires until you let off the pedal. There is no driver aids and This was the only year it was possible to have a truly Annalog optioned watercooled 911. The lsd option that was paired with the TC button is another form of power reduction/limited-slip that works on a 60/40 power split explained above . The no tc, no tc dash button 6 speed manual cars could have came with the getrag G96 with mechanical limited-slip rear differential that works like a possi traction rear end, if you know how a limited-slip rear differential works you can easily know if your car has it or not with your rear tires off the ground and trying to spin them in opposite directions. Theres no option code associated with that transmission/ diff combination but if the car was ordered this way it could be on the window sticker mentioned with LSA / rear suspension. This was the only 100% Annalog Watercooled 911 option combination produced, and also the lightest Factory street legal Watercooled 911s ever produced. Lighter than the 996 GT3, which is also egas, computer/ power out put controlled. The first 3649 were hand assembled. I have a no tc, no obc, no egas, no psm, throttle cable m30 suspension , option 408 wheels , getrag 6 speed with mechanical limited-slip rear differential ordered and built late 97 stamped Jan 98 With all of the paper work from order to present day. They're very rare, very different raw driver type cars truly a unique feeling from any other 996.
That is some great information thank you for taking the time to post all of that
Rich
1999 Carrera only regarding option 220/Traction Control /lsd option code/ traction control consists of two separate items, Active Brake Differential (ABD) and Anti Slip Regulation (ASR). When one of the rear wheels begins to lose traction, the ABD applies the brake to that wheel. If both wheels lose traction, the ASR reduces engine power until traction is regained. The Traction Control switch on the dash turns off the ASR, but not the ABD. The ABD is always in effect until you reach 65 mph, at which time it automatically deactivates. Because the ABD is always in effect and is applying braking not under your control.MY99 From the tech manual
The LSD on a MY99 is only 40%.To get the engine’s power safely to the road in a standing start, slip is limited to 40 percent. Once under power, the slip factor changes to 60 percent because the engine no longer is operating at its maximum torque and also because this configuration helps minimize oversteer under load changes through a turn. TC was only around for the C2 in MY99. Traction Control (TC) is a combination of anti-slip control (ASR) and Automatic Brake Differential (ABD). TC prevents spinning of the drive wheels when moving off and accelerating. It does this through a series of sensors (also used by the ABS system) and controlling individual wheel braking. By doing so driving stability and traction are improved over the entire speed range. PSM includes the functions: ABS, Traction Control (TC), ABD, MSR (engine drag torque control). ABD is part of TC and was not sold separately - together they formed the early version of PSM. The official name (in the Porsche parts list) for option 224 is "Automatic Limited Slip Differential". There are no parts in the parts list that identify with a M 224 label - so what is it? ABD. Technically the option 220 "Locking Differential 40%" is also "automatic" since the multiple-disc limited-slip differential causes locking when one wheel begins to slip. This is the mechanical LSD you all know. Its not like a possi traction rear end, it works off of computer parameters that involve braking or power reduction all of which is out of the drivers control. The one to have is the MY99 without TC option , no TC button, no power reduction no computer braking. Your foot and your foot only controls the power to the wheels no matter if its spinning 1 or 2 tires at any speed you're in control of the power.
99.9% of the " Porsche enthusiasts" have it wrong the one you want is that one if you're an Annalog guy, track car guy.That does not have have a traction control button on the dash because it does not have traction control, there is no computer system or limiter reducing power to the wheels or braking, spinning or not. Cars equipped with TC hence the TC on off button will reduce power to the wheels on or off during certain conditions listed above. The throttle cable cars with no TC button , spin the tires until you let off the pedal. There is no driver aids and This was the only year it was possible to have a truly Annalog optioned watercooled 911. The lsd option that was paired with the TC button is another form of power reduction/limited-slip that works on a 60/40 power split explained above . The no tc, no tc dash button 6 speed manual cars could have came with the getrag G96 with mechanical limited-slip rear differential that works like a possi traction rear end, if you know how a limited-slip rear differential works you can easily know if your car has it or not with your rear tires off the ground and trying to spin them in opposite directions. Theres no option code associated with that transmission/ diff combination but if the car was ordered this way it could be on the window sticker mentioned with LSA / rear suspension. This was the only 100% Annalog Watercooled 911 option combination produced, and also the lightest Factory street legal Watercooled 911s ever produced. Lighter than the 996 GT3, which is also egas, computer/ power out put controlled. The first 3649 were hand assembled. I have a no tc, no obc, no egas, no psm, throttle cable m30 suspension , option 408 wheels , getrag 6 speed with mechanical limited-slip rear differential ordered and built late 97 stamped Jan 98 With all of the paper work from order to present day. They're very rare, very different raw driver type cars truly a unique feeling from any other 996.
I wonder why when I press to disable TC on my 99, the rear tires will just spin and spin if I let it? I’ve tested this on slippery conditions (snow/ice) and also on the track. My car has ABD (224), ASR (222), LSD (220) option codes.
Last edited by Mike Murphy; 09-23-2023 at 05:45 PM.
I’ve been trying to raise awareness for years how singularly unique the early 996 actually was. Glad to see some of this information is finally taking hold in the community at large
First drive early 2K, I knew there had never been any Porsche quite like this one. And there hasn’t been anything else quite like it since
I’ve been trying to raise awareness for years how singularly unique the early 996 actually was. Glad to see some of this information is finally taking hold in the community at large
First drive early 2K, I knew there had never been any Porsche quite like this one. And there hasn’t been anything else quite like it since
Information such as found in this thread was a strong influence when I was hunting for my own 996.
08-19-2023 | 08:55 PM
