jonoz

hello....I am not sure how the sport chrono really works in other cars, but in the turbo, you better buy this option or do not buy this car.
I start my atlas grey beauty, let it warm up and switch on the sport button....instantly, the car's exhaust sound becomes more urgent....
upon releasing the clutch, the turbo's acceleration is so much more immediate and enjoyable.
It seems that the car's responses to most inputs is knife sharp.
This rather inexpensive optiion is probably the best one to buy for your turbo.
It seems that the market also realizes this.
Turbos without this options don't sell well, and I for one, would never buy one.
j

InTheAir

That's the kicker--how do you define "aggressive" mode. All it is doing is this--the distance the accelerator pedal has to move is shorter when Sport Chrono Sport mode is engaged. The throttle still peaks at 100% (the same as in normal mode), but it will get to 100% with less movement of your foot. Once your foot presses the pedal to 100%, the added movement of your foot is just for exercise because it isn't doing anything in the engine.

It does NOT make acceleration or deceleration (??) quicker in the normally aspirated manuals. It ONLY makes it quicker in the Tip/PDK and that only occurs because you can more easily drop the clutch, so to speak . In other words, the 'faster' time is only off the line because the automation of the automatic transmissions allows you to rev the engine beforehand.

The turbo is, in my opinion, the only car that benefits from sport chrono in a 'PERFORMANCE' sense in that is actually increases torque output. This does NOT occur in the normally aspirated cars.

Nugget

As many have stated in this thread, the sport chrono does not make acceleration or deceleration quicker. The car does not gain any torque, horsepower, or speed from the sport setting. It is exactly as quick 0-60, or 0-100 or whatever measure you choose in either mode. It doesn't corner better, go better, stop better, or handle better.

It's a little bit more complicated with a tip, PDK, or turbo car. But, as this thread asked about a manual normally-aspirated car the answer is straightforward: The sport chrono does not increase the performance of the car.

I don't know how to say it more plainly.

Le Chef

Audi's ADS is a better tool in that it enables the driver to create configurations of throttle actuation, steering sensitivity, shock settings, and stability control. BMW's iDrive also does the same thing+ changes shift speed when the car is equipped with DCT.

purrybonker

Also - on this topic of "memory settings" relating to the sports chrono option. A couple of posters on this thread have referred to the ability to memorize seating and mirror preferences with sport chrono.

Untrue, also untrue.

Memory seat/mirror positions have nothing to do with the chrono option. All the power seat options have the same memory settings (seat/mirrors) with or without chrono.

I don't know how to say this more plainly either.

So, in summary - chrono + adds launch control in PDK cars (still can't figure where anyone would EVER use that on street or track (with the possible exception of a visit to a drag strip)) and adds nothing of substance in a manual car. Anything missing here?

Matt(inMA)

define substance? I think it is an excellent option for a non-TT or PDK car... no performance gains but other nice-to-haves... including the remapping of the gas pedal, custom configurations, fun with timing my trips home from the office and saving them, a cool looking wart on the dash etc.etc.etc. It is well worth the short money...

Matt

InTheAir

PB -

I've updated my list to cite the user-configurable settings that come with SC, namely climate control settings, day time running lights, 'Welcome Home' Settings, door lock settings.*

*source 997 Mk I sales brochure

Added graph illustrating the throttle remapping in Post 10 : https://rennlist.com/forums/showpost...0&postcount=10

Nugget

Well, I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree that any of those things qualify as "substance."

On the issue of "short" money (gawd), at $960 the sport chrono option represents a 1.2% increase in price over the base MSRP of a Carrera. Heck, it costs more than adding the limited-slip differential. That's money that could certainly be better used elsewhere for the performance-minded buyer.

I sure won't be buying it again unless I go PDK for my next car.

Also, thanks InTheAir for the effort of compiling the comprehensive list of capabilities. I think that you're missing one for PDK-equipped cars. In addition to launch control, doesn't the sport chrono also adjust shifting algorithms as well? I think it adds two modes (sport and sport plus) which change the shifting points similar to the way sport chrono makes a tiptronic car shift more aggressively. Or is that just a part of pdk and not linked to the sport chrono?

InTheAir

I think you're right. However, I haven't read the new sales brochure for those details.

But, that's true in terms of the Tip. As stated in the brochure, "On vehicles with Tiptronic S, the automatic gearshifts become faster and more dynamic. Lift off the throttle – even at high revs – and the system immediately shifts down to apply engine braking."

If someone can provide the details, I'll put them in the summary above to hopefully help future purchasers.

Carrera Mike

Ok Gents not beating the dead horse, these excerps below are from the Porsche website.

Sports Chrono for Even Better Performance
The Porsche Sports Chrono Package is tailored to the driver wishing to use the potential of the 911 in every respect. Offering even more powerful engine control maps and management strategies, the Sports Chrono Package pushes the car’s extreme limits to the ut-most. The visual symbol bearing clear testimony to the Sports Chrono Package is the anaĴlogue/digital stopwatch on the instrument panel allowing an absolutely precise comparison of driving dynamics down to the last hundredth of a second.
On a race track like the Nordschleife, Northern Circuit of Nürburgring, the supreme performance ensured by the Sports Chorno Package means even quicker lap times, the 911 equipped with Sports Chrono lapping Nürburgring an impressive three seconds faster than the same car in “regular” trim.

Sport Chrono package, which gives the PDK two additional modes - Sport and Sport Plus. In Sport mode, the transmission shifts more quickly, with more positive clutch engagement. Sport Plus adds much quicker shifts at full throttle, and both modes use a more aggressive shift map in automatic mode.

Minok

No performance gains on a 997 from Sport Chrono Plus.

If engaged and options it offers are used (with PDK for example), it does allow removing the inefficient human from the operations system in many ways, which allows the car to perform closer to its ideal maximum than normally with the lowly human slowing things down. But the car itself has no gains.

purrybonker

This dead horse is kinda fun to beat.

It occurs to me the website sport chrono performance claims are perhaps a bit disingenuous, or need to be taken in context. It's not clear whether the clip is discussing a PDK car, but it would seem likely to be so. Otherwise, the pushing of "the car’s extreme limits to the ut-most." would be limited to the effect of the manipulation of PASM, which of course can be manually controlled outside of the chrono option. But then, a car in "regular trim" wouldn't necessarily have PASM equipped. Seems confusing.

What about PSM - maybe the changes to the tolerances here with chrono "engaged" are getting the better ring times in the website claim?

jonoz

on reflection....it appears that sport chrono only adds some worth with the turbo....added torque when you floor it for 10 seconds....
i think its worth the minimal price......
j

Minok

The Sport Chrono package does add many 'non-performance' gains, however, that would have value.

There is a host of configuration options that become available to the owner only if they have the SC package installed.

Additionally, there are the ways the car reacts to the driver, so depending on the settings, you may be a more effective driver, or a more comfortable driver.

Then there is the cosmetics and limited benefit of the stopwatch on the dash.

Plenty of non-performance, but driver interaction/comfort/fun options that come with the Sport Chrono.

George from MD

Thank Goodness my car doesn't have it. I can configure the seats, keys and mirrors etc. without it and I don't have that ugly wart on my dashboard. I don't recall Porsche listing any performance differences for cars with or without it. If there were a real performance gain you better believe they would.

And for that $1000 you could have the sport shifter and almost have enough left over for the Denision ipod kit, right?

IMO this is Porsche marketing at it's worst. What muh grandaddy used to call a useless gee gaw.