MrBonus

Have you driven one and noticed a deficiency of traction to the rear tires?

I'm sure if you're lapping for maximum lap times, the LSD would provide a minor improvement but how many of the car's owners are really wringing the last ounces of performance out of the car on a road course?

Moderato

I will have to admit my own ignorance here.......no I haven't driven one yet. However I feel I have good reason to feel the way I do. I currently drive an 06 STI with an amzing AWD system and LSD's front rear and center. Prior to that I've also owned an 04 STI with a similar but inferior AWD system to the 06 that was noticeably not as good as the 06's. I also owned an 04 BMW 330i that had RWD and an open rear diff with ABD and I couldn't stand that system at all. I also leased an 05 M3 that had a real rear LSD and I thought that was night and day better then 330's system. So based on my experience with all these cars I've realized that AWD in a sports car can either be really great, or really horrible depending on how it's implemented. I've also realized that RWD with an open diff and ABD completely sucks compared to RWD with an LSD. I transfered the lease on my 05 M3 in order to buy the next gen M3 or a Carrera. Don't ask me how all of this swaping in and out of cars happend or why, it's a long story.

mooty

LSD isn 't BETTER than open diff. just different. for example in a big radius turn, you most likely will not feel any difference b/n open diff or LSD. in a very tight turn you would like to have LSD b/c you can get power down quicker and drift the rear end a tad to turn the car.

LSD on GT3 is actually annoying in a tight more than 90 deg turn. the car will understeer. sure i can drive it faster, play with throttle to make it turn but that's way too dangerous on street, jsut in case i lose it. there's a tight right turn on my way home. any car with decent LSD understeer like pig there.

so, just my opinion that it's nice to have the option of choosing what you want, especially if you track alot, but unfortunately in USA we dont have the choice. but that doesn't undermine 997's performance much, if at all.

mooty

i dont think what you describing b/n 330i and m3 is caused by LSD, though you didn't explain what you actually felt. i have driven M3 of every year from 88 e30m3 to 06e46m3 including zcp pkg. NO street BMW awailable in USA has what you describe as a good LSD. they are virtually useless coming out of corners. asked frayed, all the fast bmw's on track has aftermarket or speically tuned LSD (i am not taking about race cars, just cars that are driven often on track). and once you put those on, the car will understeer on street espeically in the wet.

MrBonus

You also have to remember that the Carrera has the majority of its weight sitting over the drive wheels so it will behave completely differently than a 3-series, especially in relation to the available traction when on the throttle at almost any speed.

Go drive one.

frayed

mooty has it right.

Also, analogies to STi's or M3s are only of very limited consequence in the world of these new 997's. I'm dead serious.

Go drive a 997, including an S back to back with a C4S. After that, report back. I'll bet money that you don't come back complaining about inside wheel spin and/or ABD overzealousness.

Moderato

Good advice and points, I will keep it in mind.

Ed Newman

No sunroof delete in the GT3
No single mass flywheel in the GT3RS
No LSD in the 997's

Whats next... a front wheel drive Porsche?

I wish someone at PCNA read these boards or even better was actually a Porsche enthusiast