ronmart

Thanks for all of the info. I'm not going to bother with removing them. I thought if it was as simple as removing a front license plate and putting in some plugs then I might consider it (assuming it didn't look silly like MMD suggests that it would).

gota911 - yes, this is one of those DOH moments. I honestly just never paid that close of attention to the license plate area on the car. However, I look at that picture on the left in my original post everyday (it is my wallpaper) so I just assumed this car didn't have these things. I guess that is why they kept saying "European Spec Shown" in the brochure <g>.

I also agree with Scuderia - it is probably there for a reason, so it isn't worth removing them.

I'll get used to them. I don't hate them, I just prefer that they not be there. :-)

MMD

Yeah, right, mee too. Again, if the rear bumper actually had some bumper-ness to it I'd also start thinking about their removal.

gota911

The pic below shows what is "under" the bumper cover of a 996. Sorry, but I couldn't find any pics of a 997 sans bumper cover. I "borrowed" this pic from Orient Express on the 996 site. Let me know when you are done with it so I can put it back. J/K

fuenfer

What are some of the other exterior differences between the european and us models (other than the clear sidemarkers)?

OCBen

It's widely believed that European (non-US) 997s sit lower than US bound cars, which have to conform to DOT's minimum bumper height requirement. No one has been able to confirm this apparently, but it is widely believed to be true.

ltc

There has always been a difference between US and RoW (at least in the 996 series):
X74 is for '02 through '04 C2/C4 Coupes.
X73 is for '01 through '05 Turbo and '03-'05 C4S Coupe.
Finally a complete factory suspension kit that makes a big difference in lowering the car - 30mm, (1.2") average over standard ride height.
Based on the RoW M030 suspension, the X74/X73 includes front and rear shock & spring assemblies complete for installation, this includes strut and shock mounts, bump stops and bellows.
The X74 includes front and rear sway bars, bushings and special stiffening plates for the interior of the chassis near the rear shoulder belts.
The X73 does not include sway bars but comes with special motor mounts.
The ride and handling is similar to the R0W M030 but with a bit stiffer feel; the lower center of gravity is a big improvement and the overall visual appearance of the ride height is impressive.

Flying Finn

Yeah, they suchj big time and in older cars, they're in front too...

You can have them removed though, talk to your bodyshop guy anad have them removed, makes the rear look much better.

useridchallenged

I just got my 997 rear-ended - I didn't even have the license plates yet. The bumps did their job, together with the energy absorbers behind them that were crushed. Miraculously, not a scratch on the bumper itself - only the bumps were damaged (and the energy absorbers and other bits designed to absorb the impact behind the bumper). You could barely tell I was hit - only $2k in damage for the stuff behind the bumper. I was hit by a 1991 Mercedes driven by a 16 year-old girl chatting with her 16 year-old friend... The Mercedes bumper and grill were cracked. Without the bumps, there probably would have been much more damage to the Porsche, and silver is a tough color to match.

useridchallenged

And what about MAXIMUM bumper height? I don't understand why the DOT is so obsessed with minimum bumper heights. It doesn't matter how high or low a Porsche bumper is because a Hummer or any other SUV is going to miss the bumper altogether anyway.

Coochas

It's Big Brother looking out for us making sure that we get hit in the knees and not the shins.
I find the whole bumper tumor obsession fascinating,...they don't bother me at all.

MMD

It's a joke, They RAISED the dashboards/windshields of our cars to supposedly improve pedestrian surviveability. Well look at 996 and 997 cars head on and you'll see we're less able to see out the windshields. P*sses me off because I thought only 'merican cars had stuupid dashboards up to your chin.

ronmart

Ouch, that sucks. Post some pics though to show how they did their job.

Vancouver83LTD

996's had them too
I say keep them on. It's free insurance and you'll probably hardly notice them. If you ever do crush them, you can easily get plugs - or custom plugs - or (I know this will go over HUGE with you guys) bondo and touch up paint....

Vancouver83LTD

ahh the european union loves it's standards

nick2413

Does anyone know if these can be replaced? I have some cosmetic marks on one of my tumors and it's always bothered me.