@Joe, to ensure you get M97 engine, just buy a car that has build date of later in 2006, or just get a 2007! :)

buy latest model year you can afford.....gernal rule of thumb

My 05 has the 9mm ims upgrade. The later builds have the 06 upgrades.

If non 911 owners would listen to some of you, nobody would every buy a 997...

It's hard to justify paying more for a 07-08 997, if its the same car as the 05-06. The DFI 09 and newer, you could make a case, but the premium for a 997.2 over a 05-06 997.1 is large, without a huge performance gain, excluding the PDK.

The 05 engine problems are very very small, and just about any make or model has something that's come up. Read the TSB's on Honda's , MB's, Toyota's ect.

If you have worries, buy a warranty.

Am I reading this incorrectly from the earlier post? I was under the impression that the 2005 M97 3.8 could accept the LN upgrade. Is that not the case?

Oh boy....another older than dirt thread revival.

I think if you start reading about the IMS or RMS issues after you just purchased your dream car you'll immediately get stomach cramps. I sure did until I realized my car was still under warranty and it was a 2008 model. Wow! I feel bad for some of these people reading these threads for the first time.

There's a "head Porsche mechanic who is flown everywhere for 997 engine rebuilds"??? First I ever heard of that. Everything I've ever read or heard says Porsche dealerships don't rebuild engines in-house after IMS failure, they just exchange them for remanufactured ones from Germany, that are installed by the dealers' own mechanics.

I don't know how many post-'06 Porsches there are in Canada, but the country has much less population density than the US, where IMS failures in '06-'08 cars are not unheard of, though definitely less than with the late-'01 to early-'05 small, single-row bearing. The final revision bearing has a similar load rating as the original '99 to early-'01 dual-row, but it achieves it through increased diameter. That means though there are more balls, they travel a greater distance in the same number of revolutions, therefore are traveling faster. In addition, any wobble due to fitment tolerances will be magnified, and moreso the higher the revs go. These are also the newest of the cars with sealed IMS bearings, and that itself can be a factor in the relative lack of failures. It may be true that these larger bearings are not failing at low mileage like the predecessors, but we don't have enough data to conclude that they will consistently last the lifetime of the engines. This isn't meant as a scare tactic, merely a reality check. This issue should be considered within the purview of engineering science and discussed dispassionately, however for the most part it ends up being argued emotionally and ignorantly.

I have an M97 engine in my '08 C2S. I do frequent oil changes every 3k miles or 4-5 months... whichever come 1st using Mobil 1 0W-40. Is this oil really not good? it's what PCNA and their dealers approve. Is there something else we should be using which will not cause any issues with our warranty and CPO?

Porsche doesn't slap that Mobil 1 Sticker on the boot lid for nothing. ;)

You're using one of the best motor oils and 0W-40 is the flavor you need. Plus, Porsche thinks 3k miles is way overkill. They would change it every 12k miles. Seems crazy to me. I do mine around 5k miles in all my cars and use Full Synthetic.

Ill take the MA101 or MA102 over the older engines any time. Alusil over Locsil and closed deck block over open deck. There is a reason Porsche is now using these blocks in the Turbo. They are just stronger engines. DFI problems have been minor and can probably be corrected with minor upgrades. Porsche blew it on the earlier engines on reliability and I bet they put a ton of development and testing in these new engines.

And never forget that 98% of your fears NEVER ocurr and the other 2% don't occur in the way you thought they would.

Let's just go and drive these cars. Giddy-up.

The local Porsche dealer here (Champion) uses 5W-40, I think it's a Pennzoil product. They (and their Champion Motorsports division) recommend it for warmer climates like ours. Given that your climate in Austin is also warm, I'd think the same applies. I don't see how an authorized Porsche dealer could promote violating Porsche's specifications, so I have to believe Porsche doesn't forbid anything but Mobil One 0-40, even if they have some contractual deal to promote it.

My indie, a race-engine-building shop, carries Mobil One, but it's also 5W-40, not 0W-40. They also carry some German oil they use for racing.

How frequently should the oil be changed and what type of oil is more suitable?

Resurecting this old thread. I am considering a 2007 911. In my discussion with the tech at the porsche dealer he states that the IMS bearing is a sealed bearing i.e. it is not lubricated from the engine oil. It is just like the axle bearings on my old ford that I had as a teenager.
So what does frequent oil changes have to do with this issue?
He also stated that he is more concerned about the crankcase ventilation in that the exhaust vapors play havoc with seals.

Everything you want to learn and better understand about the IMS issue is at that web site:

http://www.imsretrofit.com/