Porsche 997 Turbo w/ Bilstein PSS10, Ground Control Camber Plates, Carbotech Brakes
 

Hey everyone, just wanted to share this 2008 Porsche 997 Turbo that stopped by the shop. We added a set of Bilstein PSS10 coil-overs, Ground Control Camber Plates to help in the corners. The Bilstein B16 DampTronic kit is designed to integrate directly with the exclusive Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system. This coilover system of monotube shock absorbers has been fine-tuned to produce the finest performance possible from the car's electronically controlled suspension module. The threaded body additionally allows for adjustable lowered vehicle ride height of 30mm to 50mm. Bilstein's patented Triple-C-Technology coating ensures long-lasting resistance to corrosion. Add in the Ground Control Camber Plates to allow fast, repeatable alignment changes at the track while still retaining the ability to run the stock springs and spring perch. The great thing about them is that they are compatible with the PASM system!! Then we added a set of 1521 Carbotech Brake pads, that offer a lower level of dust and improve performance while increasing rotor life, to bring everything back to a stop when it's time to stop the fun for the day. This 997 is also equipped with 7mm spacers up front and 15mm spacers out back.

Product List:
Porsche 997 Turbo Coilover Kit Bilstein with PASM Damptronic
Ground Control Camber Plates
Carbotech 1521 Brake Pads
Alignment Service for Vehicles with Custom Camber Adjustments
Front 7mm Spacers
Rear 15mm Spacers

Front Before
http://www.gmpperformance.com/CFJFil...3615-13031.jpg

Rear Before
http://www.gmpperformance.com/CFJFil...3615-13033.jpg

Everything ready to be installed.
http://www.gmpperformance.com/CFJFil...3615-12777.jpg

Ground Control Kit ready for a torque wrench
http://www.gmpperformance.com/CFJFil...3615-13017.jpg

Front Stock vs. Bilstein
http://www.gmpperformance.com/CFJFil...3615-13006.jpg

Front Suspension ready to be placed into final position
http://www.gmpperformance.com/CFJFil...3615-13011.jpg

Rear Stock vs. Bilstein
http://www.gmpperformance.com/CFJFil...3615-13001.jpg

Rear Suspension Installed
http://www.gmpperformance.com/CFJFil...3615-13013.jpg

Front After
http://www.gmpperformance.com/CFJFil...3615-13026.jpg

Rear After
http://www.gmpperformance.com/CFJFil...3615-13028.jpg

After installing the Bilstein coil-overs our customer decided it was time to add a little more look to his Porsche. To start things out a set of ADV-1 5.01 SL wheels in Matte Black were installed, 19x8.5 in the front and 19x12 in the rear. These tires were built and machined to fit perfectly on the 997 without the need of any spacers or centering rings. After mounting stock 235/35ZR19 tires up front and the 305/30ZR19 out back the car was sat down and ride height adjusted.

http://www.gmpperformance.com/CFJFil...3615-13753.jpg

http://www.gmpperformance.com/CFJFil...3615-13755.jpg

http://www.gmpperformance.com/CFJFil...3615-13756.jpg

http://www.gmpperformance.com/CFJFil...3615-13757.jpg

We also have more things to come on this build and we will keep everyone posted as it progresses. As always if you would like to keep track of this car or any of our other builds check out the gallery at GMP Performance Build Gallerys

Beautiful gear. I'm envious (and interested)!

Thank you for the compliments. We will pass it along to the owner.

If your interested in these wheels or the suspension we installed feel free to send me an email to matt@gmpperformance.com and I will gladly work you up a price.

Matt

Looks awesome. good for you!

I would be most interested in hearing about the performance improvement of the PSS10's for PASM vs. the stock set up

Thanks for your interest Bob. I can definitely help you out with this. Like most quality coilover suspensions they improve handling by providing more support in the corners. The shock bodies and the springs are stiffer than stock of course and reduce body roll much better than the stock set up with PASM on or off. For the track day nut these are an absolute must have. If you really want to get crazy and get the max performance out of your car while still maintaining the street look and ride and see more improved cornering results on the track and street we carry a full line of products such as camber plates and adjustable control arms that will allow you to adjust camber and castor settings which if you ask anyone who has ever raced for fun or professionally will tell you that a great suspension set up combined with a bit more alignment specs will shave seconds off your lap times but what's also cool about them is that they allow you to also align the car back to stock settings to get more life out of your tires when your back on the street.

Car looks really nice.

How much stiffer will the ride be on the street with the coilovers? Roads in New England are littered with holes and frost heaves.

To be honest, driving normally its not much stiffer than stock. You really don't begin to feel the difference of the stiffness until you throw it into a corner. Steering is much more responsive when changing lanes and making turns. Another cool bit is that you can set it for stock ride height or lower it a little bit if you want. I know the terrible north east roads all to well. Originally from CT.

You can also soften the ride up a bit by adjusting tire pressures and also running softer tires.

My baby is having surgery today. Camber plates and Bilsteins as per the recommendations of these great folks. Has been a pleasure to work with GMP. Will provide impressions of the changes in driving dynamics once the car is back to me.

So...its been a few weeks. Here are my observations.

The car turns in better and rips curves much more readily. I feel more connected to the vehicle in many ways.

The ride is OK on good roads. Very rough in the city of SF where our roads suck.....almost too rough. Hearing far more body creaks on regular roads over bumps.

Jury still out.......

^ Sounds like an accurate account of how an AM Bilstein pasm coilover system rides on conventional roads. Driving your car becomes a 60/40 love hate relationship at best....more like 80 hate, 20 love. My recollection after having these in my previous 997 was this excercise is a definite "oncer" and not worth the aggro for the few times you may actually get the feeling the car is cornering better. The car in many ways feels too taught for 99% of general daily use. If you really want that tight feeling you can get that sharpness by pressing the sports pasm setting using the stock shocks.... but without having all the noise and creaks. Plus you can switch it off. There is no switching it off with this set up. The seats also become your suspension "substitute". You eventually find yourself wanting to use the car less and less and less. The Bilstein coilover suspension is definitely far more noisier and crass with the tap tap tapping of the short helper springs along with the odd steering creak surfacing here and there. Lets just say it's an acquired taste ..but not mine.

Frankly a GT3 has a far more resolved ride which shows just how much trouble Porsche went to set the suspension up properly so it's not nearly as noisy and furry as one of these set ups. It's one of those types of mods that invariably is based upon vanity and, costs you enough money to the point you know that taking them back out again, and getting them re sold, isn't going to be a cheap exercise....so you tend to leave it and try to live with it. Its a oncer that a lot of us have to get out of our systems but very few own up to the error publicly.

Anyway, good luck with that jury LewisB.....my jury was out for the entire time i had mine in....so it's someone else's turn. Even on the track i had doubts especially on areas where its not billiard table smooth. The car was often too taught and would get bounced off line....so you cant take certain corners as fast. I got to ride in a 997tt recently with lowering springs and its an infnitely better proposition than any AM Bilstein set i've ever experienced. That may be a fall back position if the jury can't make its mind lol. I'm sure there must be better coilover systems out there.....

There must be something in the water today, I'm agreeing with Paul again.
Billsteins are just as he described, I hated them, found myself not driving the car in NYC, or anywhere with a slightly rough road, screw that!.
IMO gt3 LCAs and a proper alignment with gt2 sways is the way to go. If your roads can tolerate it, then gmg springs.

If I am not mistaken LewisB didn't want to lower the car but wanted improved handling which on the track and better roads he will see but this suspension is in no way a recommended as a good city suspension. Its geared towards track day enthusiasts and spirited driving through twisty back roads.

The Bilsteins are a street coilover, a very fragile one too, there are far better choices for track coilovers. Do a quick search on problems with Bilsteins and 997tts....