AeroGT3RedWing

i said the NINE-NINE-SEVEN S added little performance to the STANDARD (997, which i wrote earlier but to help you out)NINE-NINE-SEVEN. and to compare it to the GT3 is ludicrous because the GT3 is a focused car with a dry sump block that the 997 lacks.
''We'll have to wait and see about existing RMS and high-G oiling problems.''
and the PASM as well.
"i guess Walter Roehl doing 8'02" at the Ring in a PASM equipped 997S is an irrelevance then...

or dropping that figure to 7'59" with the -20mm/LSD combination when he was not even trying...."
Who on this board drives like walter roehl?
the suspension on the roel car is not available in the US. the GT3 blows the 997 out of the water in terms of performance. Now, from 997, to 997S, there is not a big enough difference in performance to warrant the extra money. and there is such a high level of complexity with the S (the PASM especially,) that for those of us who want anyhting more aggresive than stock via mods, the 997S will be much more difficult to develop than the 997S. i was in no way making any references to the 996 in this thread so i don't know where you guys got that from. 6 does not look even remotely like 7 . . .

AeroGT3RedWing

"Are you kidding? 40hp, Turbo brakes, 19" wheels with wider tires, wider track, more aerodynamic, and no weight gain"
355-320 = 35.
35HP does not equal 40HP.
no weight gain? i believe the car gained at least one hundred if not more.
check your facts.

AeroGT3RedWing

"0-62 MPH 0.2 sec. faster, 0-100 MPH 0.3 sec. faster, overall top speed 5 MPH faster, it is NOT worth the extra $10k"
that is essentially the point i am making. if you want a car that will win on the track, take the 997 standard, add suspension mods and you've made up for that 5mph difference in the corners. good luck trying to mod the S's suspension

Riz

When will the 997 S be available with the so called sport suspension - the one that will have the -20mm ride height compared to standard 997 and I believe it will have the mechanical LSD? Anyone know if this will lack the PASM - in which case the suspension should be easily modified IMO.

rss997

aerogt3redwing is right! The S is not worth the extra 10k...most drivers will never notice a difference on the street or on the track, if they ever get to the track!

Everyone buying 997 now will take a bath in depreciation.....just my opinion...Always the case...At least they are not paying crazy "over sticker" prices like some Mercedes new releases...E55...

997 Great car and better than my 996 I am sure...


Let the debates rage on!

jcnesq

997 v 997S = 325HP v 355HP, diff is 30HP

As I said I didn't drive the 997, so I have to compare 997S with 996. 997 v 996 = 5HP diff. I have to believe the power curve on the 997 is very similar to the 996. I had also test driven a 40th with X51 earlier this year.

The 997S has added HP and torque and the torque has a wider band. 996 v 40th, with a 25HP difference - not that noticeable IMHO. 997S v 996 - A very noticeable difference in power and acceleration - 997S just rocks compared to my 996. Is this worth 5K extra? - Absolutely IMHO.

Suspension: As you have probably seen from my recent posts, I was obsessed wanting to change the 996 suspension - from day one it was not what I felt it should be. Lowering the 996 was more of a performance issue for me but still improved looks were needed too. 997S with the PASM - unbelievable improvement, and with the push of a button there is an immediate and very apparent stiffening of the ride. I feel no need whatsoever to change the suspension setup - I love it just the way it is. Much more planted feeling than the 996 and, I think, more responsive too. Ride height in 997S is already very low, looks pretty good, but I am having problems already with driveways and speed bumps - haven't measured it yet but it must be quite a drop from stock 996.

I don't track my car. For those who will, there are obvious issues re possible suspension mods and perhaps the 997 without PASM is needed. I think they plan a sport suspension for the S but I can't find the information now and I may be wrong, but for my needs I am quite happy now whereas I was quite unhappy with the stock 996 suspension.

Depreciation? Good deals on most 996's at least until recently were maybe 5K off or so (at least on the more popular models such as the C4S's). Don't see how I am going to get burned any more on a new generation 997S that will be current for some years (I did get some discount off MSRP). The only thing that may hurt me is the expensive Ceramic brakes - which are awesome BTW - but may not hold their value; of course there are worries based on 996 ceramic brake problems but rumor is they fixed the problems - hope so.

All details aside, the 997S just rocks!

mooty

every porsche is a good porsche. there's no point wasting time figuring out which is BEST. but them all.

depreciation? if we worried about depreciation, we should all drive honda accords. now there's a car that holds value.

TD in DC

Jim,

Sounds to me like we think a lot alike. I would like to track my car more, and will do so at every opportunity that I get, but the unfortunate reality is that I use my cars on the road much more often than on the track. I think that the PASM might be ideal for DC, because I could get the benefits of a softer setting when I am not driving aggressively and the benefits of a stiff suspension when I am. I am trying to ignore all of your posts because I too just bought the BBS wheels and I don't want to go in and buy a 997S just yet. The only thing that makes me a little sad is that the Targa has gone away. I would never buy a 911 cab (the Boxster S, on the other hand, is outstanding), and I most likely will end up buying a coupe (in which case I will delete sunroof if I order because the sunroof on the coupes is, IMHO, worthless), but the Targa is a lot of fun. I especially appreciate it in rainy and cold weather when I get the benefit of an open top without the weather. I am sure that I will give in at some point to the siren cry of the 997S (just like I always give in to the siren cry of the Haggen Daz in the freezer, ha ha). Right now, the plan is to try to hold out until they introduce the 997 C4S.

Congrats on your car
TD in DC

sawmilldriver

Alfie will the 997S be available in the USA down the road with the non adjustable sports suspension? In the S models with PASM how does the standard setting compare to the stock suspension on a 996 C4S?

Still mulling over that 997S!

Alfie

SMD, I have seen no indication that the S will be offered with anything byt PASM. From my limited seat time in the 997s, i feel like the standard setting is a little softer than the c4s suspension, and the sport is a little firmer. It is my belief(ok, im biased), the 997S is the best car in years from Porsche.

Bill_C4S

Aero you stated "PASM alone is unmodifyable, and by itself certainly not track suitable."

...Walter Roehl's demonstration would suggest otherwise.

Cayenne Austin

They are really all great cars- well engineered, great driving vehicles. Reason Porsche has so many models is not so there is a "best" car, but a best car for the buyer. Much as I like the notion of having one, I personally would not actually go buy a GT3- not only do I never track (anymore), it is way more performance than I would ever use. For me, a 997S makes sense (OK, as much sense as these cars make).

And you really never buy a car like this for anything other than the fact it makes you smile- if it was about depreciation we would all drive used honda accords...

Steve in FL

Bill_C4S: I imagine Aero was complaining that having PASM will make it a major undertaking to change to any aftermarket suspension pieces such as lower & stiffer springs/struts and remote reservoir shocks as you'll find on many track prepped cars. PASM may be kind cool from the technology standpoint but it ain't what folks usually use for racing - the all singing, all dancing active suspension cars from over a decade ago in F1 excepted.

Alan Smithee

Go back and re-read the post you initially responded to. The guy was comparing the 996 to the 997S. He cited major improvements, and you responded by saying the major improvements didn't enhance performance. I called you on that comment.

And the 996 has 320 DIN hp, which is 315 SAE hp. The 997S has 40hp more to equal 355hp. Regarding weight, they are less than 100lbs apart; the base 996 being between 3,050-3,100, and the published 997S weight being 3130lbs. Not a significant amount, especially considering the weight of the bigger wheels/tires on the 997S alone could make up the difference.

If you don't think the 997S is worth the price difference over the 997, that's great...to each his own. As I stated previously, I'm still hoping the "M030" sport suspension will be sold here as a no-cost option as well. The way I'd option the two cars, they are only $7k apart in price...which is a bargain for 30hp, Turbo brakes, and stiffer suspension. It would cost three times that going aftermarket, and you still wouldn't get 30hp.

Alan Smithee

Not necessarily. The 997 is actually less expensive than the 996 when comparably equipped. The 996 has held its value rather well, so the new and improved 997 should be even stronger. And there are other potential factors to keep value high: If the 997 is a hit and Porsche either raises prices or takes away standard equipment on future model years, used values will be stronger. If future new prices increase because the USD continues to be weak against the Euro, values will remain high as well.

The only things that could cause current buyers to "take a bath" is a serious reliability problem and/or a significantly improved car in the next year or two. Or a major economic downturn.