tkids

It is official. My '06 C4S has altitude sickness and there is no cure, is there?! The worse part is my wife's new car will kick my car's **** because and only due to my car's Altitude sickness!!

A little history and how I didn't know any better till this Holiday season road trip to the East Coast and back. The trip told me how much fun I am missing not being at sea level.

I picked up my car in Germany, where after I broke it in over 2 weeks on the back roads of Germany/Austria. With the S' great Torque I didn't even mind the break-in period. But then came time to let it loose and I did! The Autobahn romp at 171mph and a couple of trips around the Nurburgring, this car loved to be at 150mph, sounding great and performing perfectly.

Then it came back Stateside to start its life in the mountains of California at 6200ft elevation. I would take it out on the back roads for fun rides and I guess soon I forgot, the visceral growl and excellent power it had in any gear at almost anytime at lower elevations. Then, I moved to an elevation of 6700ft here in CO, where I often found myself hitting the sport button to make the car feel livelier, and also noticing that I had to really work the gears to get it going..... kind of like it was my old 944!

Well, over the holidays I loaded it up and took to the NY State and back. All I can say it is a different car at lower elevations, a much better car! The things that I miss: Better sound, better torque and the liveliness of the car in general.

I guess it all came to light with my wife's last car, a MINI Clubman. By the time I drove it back from North Carolina to Colorado the thing just puttered around up here at 6700ft. I then thought what am I losing with the Porsche!?!?

Well my wife has replaced the puttering little MINI with a Audi TTS (Turbo) and it felt quicker in every respect. So, just yesterday I did a little experiment with the wife's car. I must disclose it is not scientific in anyway.

There is a little stretch of road, let's say it is a private road with no jurisdiction of local speed limits. In the Porsche I can safely get up to about 107mph before hard braking and with the wife's car it quickly hit 115mph! I thought the TTS felt quick due to its Turbo/DSG gearbox, but it wasn't even close

I guess I will have to learn to live with my C4S' chronic altitude illness and learn from my experience with this illness, where the only cures are getting to sea-level or buying a Turbo. I hope my story of living with this illness will help other car enthusiasts, to take preventative measures.

Therefore, my recommendation to ANYONE buying a Pcar or any car at this kind of altitude is.............Buy a Turbo

russo

Definitely something to keep in mind if I ever move to a high altitude area.

Edgy01

I did enjoy my turbo over the serious Colorado passes many many years ago, but for most of my driving today (near sea level) I prefer the less complicated NA cars.

ELUSIVE

I'm not surprised by your findings. I have been saying for several years that my wife's Audi 2.0T under full throttle has almost as much pull as my 997S. I agree with edgy that I much prefer the normally aspirated cars though.

Normally aspirated cars lose 3% of their power at each 1000 feet above sea level. Forced induction cars is substantially lower.

JW911

I can recall driving my 914 across the Rockies over 20 years ago. That thing barely made it up the grade. There were some passes of 8 or 9K feet. My calculations say the flat four was making just over 70 hp at 8000 feet. Yikes!

Yes, get a Turbo. Problem solved.

tkids

I am driving my S around with about 280bhp. Ouch.

I better be careful when my wife pulls up next to me at a light. With her combo of Turbo/DSGwLaunch control, I could be in for quite the dual!

MyEmily

Time to move out of the rockies and head for the shore...

JohnnyBahamas

Welcome to my world.

I pretty much made up my mind to sell everything but the Cayenne turbo S after a turbo diesel pickup truck dominated my x51 C4S over a long mountain pass at 8000'.

Nothing dominates a Porsche turbo at altitude. Nothing.

Sweeper

Yep that is Porsche turbo territory

Macster

Something's not quite right I think.

I've not spent much time in Colorado but I've driven through Flagstaff many times and even at the pass at around 7700 feet (IIRC) none of my NA cars seemed to be down on power. My 2.7l Boxster remained quite perky for instance and my 06 GTO still a beast. And I've driven around/through Albuquerque some and its around 6000 feet high and none of my NA cars have felt down on power, though I'm sure they were a bit.

Now I do recall once in my 96 Mustang GT on I-70 at a pass being relatively lethargic but the pass was one of the high ones, 10000 feet or may be even higher. There's one that's around 11000 feet, it could have been that one.

Oh I drove a rental Caddy from Denver airport to Steamboat Springs and back and the Caddy felt pretty good. A bit down on pick up at the higher (9000+ feet) elevations but still offering acceptable performance.

I do think that 9000 feet or thereabouts the tipping point though. Above 9000 feet, say 10000 feet or even higher -- and based on the way my Mustang acted that one time -- I'd have to say that if I lived that high up or had to drive much at that elevation I'd have a turbocharged car.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Sweeper

My Diesel has over 600lbs of torque, it'll pass everything but a fuel station:-)

Fahrer

Turbochargers were originally developed for piston powered aircraft. They ARE the solution for driving above 5,000 ft.

indesj01

what does the altitude do?

Fahrer

There is less air available and since fuel is metered in a precise, proportional amount, less air = less fuel = less hp.

ELUSIVE

Engines need oxygen to combust. There is less oxygen as you go up in altitude.