MHC2S

Gang,

I am getting ready to order my new Porsche. This will be my second Porsche after 21 years. I had a 944 way back in 1985.

For those that have the X51 Power kit. How do you like it? Is there a noticeable increase in power and if so how noticable? Sorry I need to ask this one before plunking down a larg $16,900 for this option. It ain't a cheap option

Any input would be greatly appreciated.
MHC4

LVDell

There have been some VERY detailed posts on this. Do a search and you will find what you are looking for. Good luck with your upcoming purchase

OCBen

Do a simple search and you'll get a ton of information that will prove helpful to you. If you're not familiar with the search feature, click on Search above and then go Advanced search. Enter "X51" as your key word and select Search by Titles, and then select the 997 forum and deselect the child forums and you'll get a ton of info to work with, some of it from no more than a few days ago.

Oh, and if your particular question wasn't answered there, post it in one of the most relevant threads and someone will do their best to answer for you.

MMD

Read the latest Excellence on the X51-equipped Club Car. They seem to say the X51 isn't worth it.

They also say the sport shifter isn't that great.

Holli82

It's funny how two people can read/hear something and walk away with totally different takes on the subject.....I read that same article and thought they liked the X-51 and weren't too thrilled with the sport shifter. I guess the best thing to do is read the article and decide for yourself.

MHC2S

Excellence?? Is that a PCA mag or can I get it at the news stand??

Sorry for asking gang that last time I owned a Prosche was 21 years ago.

MHC4

JohnnyBahamas

Let us know if the dealer let's you place the order for the X51 package. The last that I had heard/read, the X51 package was on "new order" hold so it would be interesting to know if it is off hold or if your dealer is just trying to get your deposit only to spring the news about the hold later on.

Ray G

I have X51 on my car, and agree with the Excellence article that it sounds much better, and has a noticably different character than the regular engine. I don't agree with the article about it seeming only slightly faster. At WOT, that is probably true, but at part-throttle around town and up hills, I definitely noticed the difference.

As to whether it is worth it - that is up to you. If you plan on keeping the car a long time, and are used to more torquey cars, then maybe it is. It is not the cheapest way to get more power, but I felt the X51 enhanced the torque across the RPM band; unlike some other bolt-ons.

Regarding the sport-shift - I have it on my car and it is great. It is not notchy. I think the car that Excellence tested must have had a bad or poorly installed shifter.

Edit: You can buy Excellence at the newstand. It's a magazine about Porsche, but not related to PCA or Porsche AG.

LVDell

http://excellence-mag.com/

MMD

Here's the major blurb on X51 from excellence:



With the fluids properly warmed and a long onramp just ahead, it’s time to put the X51 engine through its paces. In second gear and at full throttle, acceleration is strong — but then the same can be said for any Carrera S and even the 3.6-liter Carrera. The latest 3.8-liter 997s are powerful enough leave one wondering if there’s much development potential left in the normally-aspirated flat six.

X51 answers that question convincingly, with a 997 Carrera S-like powerband that’s as linear as it is strong. It offers good torque from just off idle all the way up to redline, but it can’t match the GT3’s top-end fervor. It feels slightly more “workhorse” to the high-strung GT3’s thoroughbred. But, in a 911 more likely to be used every day than most GT3s will be, that’s a good thing. The X51 3.8 offers tractable power everywhere, with plenty of good noises and enough zing to keep things interesting as it reaches for redline.

Does it feel faster than a plain Carrera S? Yes and no. No because it’s tough to feel a seven percent power increase in a car that weighs more than 3,000 pounds and claims more than 350 horsepower. But informal roll-on tests in third and fourth gears later in the day saw the Club Coupe pull away from the 2005 997S slowly, but surely. It was exactly the difference you’d expect from a 26 hp/11 lb-ft advantage. Importantly, X51 gives up nothing across its powerband to the regular 3.8. Though its peak power and torque figures come 600 and 900 rpm later, the X51’s powerband never dips below the 3.8’s. Even from 1500-2000 rpm, it has a useful, 15 lb-ft advantage.

People after the best horsepower-per-dollar equation might be happier spending their $17,000 on the aftermarket, but X51 has two edges that must be considered: (1) it maintains the factory’s full warranty and (2) there’s a sweetness to this engine that can’t be quantified. The throttle response in the X51-equipped 2006 997S was plain superior to the 2005 997S we tried. The revised motor sings through its powerband with an alacrity one wouldn’t know the standard engine is missing — unless he or she tried an X51. Gear after gear, pull after pull to its 7300-rpm redline, the X51 engine is considerably more satisfying than the normal 3.8 — which itself is no slouch.

MHC2S

I just got off the phone with my dealer. They told me the X51 Option is on Hold. They are not taking any new orders for the X51 until Porsche removes the HOLD. Who knows when that will be?

MHC4

MHC2S

Hey Dell,

Thanks for that link.

MHC4

MHC2S

Ray,

Thanks for your input. As of now the X51 Option is on a National Hold and cannot be ordered, so I guess I won't be getting it. Must be some kind of supply issue at Porsche

MHC4

AeroSmith

C2S vs. C2S-X51

MMD

Re-read the Excellence article and have been "thinking" about it all day. I think that IS an obscene amt of money for what you get. At least the us$8K PCCB can be justified by safety and convenience. But us$16K for "the feeling" of the car being faster is waaaaaaay toooooo much. I can blow the us$16k on something alot more fun!