New PCA Class - Spec 997 (997.2 C2/C2S, MT&PDK)
03-19-2018, 05:50 PM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
New PCA Class - Spec 997 (997.2 C2/C2S, MT&PDK)
I was checking for the updated rule book and saw the new Spec 997 class. I thought it deserved a thread. Anyone on here building or running one?
PCA Rules (Complete, PDF): http://turbo.pcaclubracing.org/wp-co...cing-Rules.pdf
Rules Update: http://pcaclubracing.org/rules/sp997-update/
SP997 Rules and SP997 Eligible Models
This class is open to all 997.2 C2 S Coupes (3.8 liters) and C2 Coupes (3.6 liters) from model years 2009-2012 with PDK or six speed manual transmissions.
1. Engine
A. General. All engines, their mechanical and electrical components must remain stock. Engine and transmission must remain in their stock locations. Swapping of engines between models (3.6l & 3.8l) is not permitted. Semi-solid engine and transmission mounts are allowed.
B. Cooling System. With the exception of the addition of a third radiator, cooling system is to remain stock. Radiator fans may be direct wired with a switch. Center Radiator may be added.
C. Oil Cooling. The factory oil cooling system must remain stock, except for the following allowed modifications: An external oil cooler is allowed.
D. Air Filter and Intake. No modifications to the factory engine air inlet or intake system. Drop in factory size/style replacement air filters only. Non-stock cold air intake enhancements are not allowed.
E. Power Steering Cooling. Power steering fluid cooling is free, and a larger cooler is highly recommended.
F. Pulley/Belt System. An under drive crank pulley is allowed, with a minimum 4" diameter. No modification is allowed to: water pump, power steering pump alternator, etc. The air conditioning pump may be disabled or removed and replaced with an idler pulley. All must be operable and belt driven, but belt length is free.
G. Computer Engine Management System. The ECU and the flash of the computer engine management system must remain stock, with two exceptions: It may be dealer re-flashed and the appropriate switch and factory Sport Plus software program may be installed to include sport plus mode in cars without the Sport Chrono (sport plus) option (software must be 2009-2012 997.2 factory settings). And the Topp Racing SP997 ECU Flash v1.0 is allowed. No aftermarket chips are allowed.
H. Exhaust System. Exhausts manifolds may be OEM or commercially available aftermarket exhaust headers. All other components are free. Catalytic converters may be removed. Modifications can be made to exhaust sensors to prevent a check engine light from coming on as a result of exhaust changes. Muffled exhaust is recommended.
I. The battery must be in the stock location and weigh a minimum of 10lbs.
2. Suspension.
A. All suspension components not otherwise listed must be stock factory parts. All suspension components must be mounted in the unmodified factory original mounting locations. Except where specifically noted, no solid bushings are allowed.
B. Shock Tower Braces. The welded-in cage may be connected to the top of the rear shock tower. However no other modification of any shock tower is allowed, nor are strut braces permitted. The cage may be mounted to the front firewall, but cannot extend through the front fire wall.
C. Mounts. Tarett Engineering front and rear monoball camber plates are allowed: Front - part # 996FSMT, Rear - part #996RSMT.
D. Front Control Arms. Stock or Porsche Factory adjustable front control arms for the GT3 “Street “model or the Tarett kit #LCA997FL is allowed.
E. Springs and Shocks. The Motion Control 2WNR (2-way non remote) with 2.25” ID spring hardware, and with SP997 valve revision. Front spring 500-600, rear spring 600-700. All spring and shock systems must mount in the factory original locations. Stock shock and spring is allowed
F. Sway Bars and drop links.
1) Front: Porsche 997 GT3 part or Tarett Engineering 997FSBK-GTS-28.6 sway bar, drop links are free.
2) Rear: 997 GT3 part or Tarett Engineering 997.2 RSBK‐OEM bar. No modification is allowed to the mounting points other than Tarett spacers RSBAADP997.2 if needed. Drop links are free.
G. Front and rear tie rods are free, with bump steer correction on the outboard side. Aftermarket locking plates may be used.
H. Any ride height is allowed, as long as no metal part of the vehicle touches the ground.
I. The stability management system may be disabled.
3. Tires and Wheels
A. R7 Hoosier Racing Tire Sports Car DOT Radial is the primary spec tire. The required sizes are front: 255x35/18 and rear: 315x30/18. Hoosier Sports Car D.O.T. Radial Wet (H2O) 245x35/18 front, 305x30/18 rears are allowed as rain tires.
B. 18” rims are required (8-9” front, 10-12” rear) but may be any commercially available aluminum rim. Spacers are allowed so long as the top of the tire does not stick out beyond the wheel well fender.
C. Wheel /tire combined weight must be equal to or greater than 40 lbs. for fronts, and 46 lbs. for rears.
D. Steel bolts or lug nuts are required. Hubs may be converted to studs in place of wheel bolts.
4. Brakes
A. Brake pads are unrestricted.
B. B. Steel braided brake lines are allowed.
C. C. Brake dust guards may be removed.
D. The emergency brake, lever, cables, and all associated parts may be removed.
E. Brake dust guards may be removed. Ducts, scoops, deflectors, vanes, block-off plates, and other systems within the bodywork to direct cooling air to the brake rotors are allowed.
F. Brake cooling systems are allowed provided they use only air. The front turn lights may be removed and the openings used for brake cooling, or the molded openings in the approved aftermarket front air dam may be used but additional exterior bodywork openings are not allowed. Modifications to existing air channels inside the bodywork to duct air for brake cooling are allowed.
G. One-piece or two-piece steel rotors may be used if dimensionally the same as stock. Drilled, and slotted rotors are allowed
H. Brake calipers must remain completely stock and mount in the factory location.
5. Transmission
A. Transmission must be stock with no modifications. PDK software must remain at factory OEM settings. All gear ratios must remain stock. Ring and pinion ratio must remain stock.
B. A separate pump, cooler, and fittings for transmission gear oil cooling is allowed. The PDK clutch hydraulic fluid circuit must remain stock.
C. The manual clutch assembly and fly wheel may be stock, or be replaced with the Factory replacement or Sachs clutch kits and Aasco lightened flywheel.
D. A limited slip differential is allowed.
E. Short shift kits are allowed but not recommended. Shifter cables are free as long as they are of stock length. If the bushings are worn out in the shifter console, bushings of any material may be fabricated to replace the original bushings, or the Function First Shift Right 996 retrofit kit may be installed.
6. Body/Chassis/Interior
A. Body
1) Air dams and bumpers covers must be either stock or model year appropriate OEM like replica units. No carbon fiber is allowed. FVD front air dam part# 505 997 004 may be added. The bottom surface of the bumper cover may be cut to allow radiator airflow to escape from center radiator duct. The front bumper may be top vented ala GT3 Cup to allow for additional or rerouted heat venting of the radiator.
2) Front hood must remain stock.
3) Splitters panels may be added but not extend forward of the front bumper or air dam further than 3”, nor lower than 3” from the bottom of the front bumper. Splitter panels may not extend rearward beyond the bottom corner of the front bumper cover.
4) The front bumper must be located in the factory position and cannot be moved in any way.
5) Grills to prevent entry of debris are allowed over all exterior openings.
6) A sunroof delete panel or steel “non sunroof” skin may be used.
7) The windshield may be replaced with polycarbonate (Lexan) of suitable thickness. The door windows may be removed. Quarter windows may be replaced and vented to direct air in or out of the cockpit but not into the engine compartment. Front and rear windshields may be secured with clips and straps.
8) License plates, license plate frames, license plate lights, and insignias and emblems may be removed.
9) Hood pins are recommended. Stock hood latches may be disabled or removed.
10) All headlights and taillights must remain stock. Headlights may be covered.
11) Rear wings may be stock, year appropriate factory aero wing, or Getty Design 997 58” Wing. Getty Design rear deck lid is optional. Wing may not be positioned rearward of the center of the rear bumper cover, nor higher than 23” from top surface of rear bumper cover where it meets the deck lid (excluding Gurney flap). No carbon fiber is allowed. A Gurney flap on the wing with a height not to exceed 1" is allowed.
12) The rear bumper license plate area may be cut out to 27" wide by 7" tall maximum. There may be a tow hook hole of a max size of 6" x 3". No other modifications are permitted.
13) No exterior modification of the body is allowed other than venting of the bumper cover.
14) There must be a stock exterior mirror on each side.
A. Chassis
1) Seam welding of the chassis is not allowed.
2) Air jacks are allowed.
B. Interior.
1) A passenger seat is allowed but not required.
2) The factory dashboard instrument pod must remain intact. Additional gauges may be added. Factory navigation systems, and airbags may be removed. The lower portion of the dashboard may be removed.
3) Steering wheels are free. Quick release steering hubs are allowed.
3) The steering wheel lock must be disabled or removed.
4) The air conditioning/heating system may be removed. Retaining all or part of the AC/Heating system for defrosting is recommended.
5) All interior items may be removed except where otherwise noted. Both doors may be “gutted,” but must retain perimeter frame, hinges, and door latch mechanism. The interior latch may be modified but must work. Factory door beams must remain intact or NASCAR style side intrusion door bars must be added. The door perimeter frame may be modified, but only as much as is needed to fit the NASCAR style door bars.
6) All insulating material may be removed from the interior.
7) There must be an interior mirror. The interior mirror is free.
8) Data Acquisition and in‐car timing equipment is allowed.
9) Ballast: Ballast to meet minimum weight must not exceed 100lbs. All ballast must be bolted to the floor of the front passenger foot-well.
CLASS WEIGHT TABLES
All Weights Include Driver and Driver’s Gear
SPEC CLASSES
Class Year Model Weight
SP997 09-13 3.6 liter 2800
SP997 09-13 3.6 w/PDK 2900
SP997 09-13 S3.8 liter 3100
SP997 09-13 S3.8 w/PDK 3200
PCA Rules (Complete, PDF): http://turbo.pcaclubracing.org/wp-co...cing-Rules.pdf
Rules Update: http://pcaclubracing.org/rules/sp997-update/
Originally Posted by PCA SP997 Rules (Incorporating 1/27/18 Update)
SP997 Rules and SP997 Eligible Models
This class is open to all 997.2 C2 S Coupes (3.8 liters) and C2 Coupes (3.6 liters) from model years 2009-2012 with PDK or six speed manual transmissions.
1. Engine
A. General. All engines, their mechanical and electrical components must remain stock. Engine and transmission must remain in their stock locations. Swapping of engines between models (3.6l & 3.8l) is not permitted. Semi-solid engine and transmission mounts are allowed.
B. Cooling System. With the exception of the addition of a third radiator, cooling system is to remain stock. Radiator fans may be direct wired with a switch. Center Radiator may be added.
C. Oil Cooling. The factory oil cooling system must remain stock, except for the following allowed modifications: An external oil cooler is allowed.
D. Air Filter and Intake. No modifications to the factory engine air inlet or intake system. Drop in factory size/style replacement air filters only. Non-stock cold air intake enhancements are not allowed.
E. Power Steering Cooling. Power steering fluid cooling is free, and a larger cooler is highly recommended.
F. Pulley/Belt System. An under drive crank pulley is allowed, with a minimum 4" diameter. No modification is allowed to: water pump, power steering pump alternator, etc. The air conditioning pump may be disabled or removed and replaced with an idler pulley. All must be operable and belt driven, but belt length is free.
G. Computer Engine Management System. The ECU and the flash of the computer engine management system must remain stock, with two exceptions: It may be dealer re-flashed and the appropriate switch and factory Sport Plus software program may be installed to include sport plus mode in cars without the Sport Chrono (sport plus) option (software must be 2009-2012 997.2 factory settings). And the Topp Racing SP997 ECU Flash v1.0 is allowed. No aftermarket chips are allowed.
H. Exhaust System. Exhausts manifolds may be OEM or commercially available aftermarket exhaust headers. All other components are free. Catalytic converters may be removed. Modifications can be made to exhaust sensors to prevent a check engine light from coming on as a result of exhaust changes. Muffled exhaust is recommended.
I. The battery must be in the stock location and weigh a minimum of 10lbs.
2. Suspension.
A. All suspension components not otherwise listed must be stock factory parts. All suspension components must be mounted in the unmodified factory original mounting locations. Except where specifically noted, no solid bushings are allowed.
B. Shock Tower Braces. The welded-in cage may be connected to the top of the rear shock tower. However no other modification of any shock tower is allowed, nor are strut braces permitted. The cage may be mounted to the front firewall, but cannot extend through the front fire wall.
C. Mounts. Tarett Engineering front and rear monoball camber plates are allowed: Front - part # 996FSMT, Rear - part #996RSMT.
D. Front Control Arms. Stock or Porsche Factory adjustable front control arms for the GT3 “Street “model or the Tarett kit #LCA997FL is allowed.
E. Springs and Shocks. The Motion Control 2WNR (2-way non remote) with 2.25” ID spring hardware, and with SP997 valve revision. Front spring 500-600, rear spring 600-700. All spring and shock systems must mount in the factory original locations. Stock shock and spring is allowed
F. Sway Bars and drop links.
1) Front: Porsche 997 GT3 part or Tarett Engineering 997FSBK-GTS-28.6 sway bar, drop links are free.
2) Rear: 997 GT3 part or Tarett Engineering 997.2 RSBK‐OEM bar. No modification is allowed to the mounting points other than Tarett spacers RSBAADP997.2 if needed. Drop links are free.
G. Front and rear tie rods are free, with bump steer correction on the outboard side. Aftermarket locking plates may be used.
H. Any ride height is allowed, as long as no metal part of the vehicle touches the ground.
I. The stability management system may be disabled.
3. Tires and Wheels
A. R7 Hoosier Racing Tire Sports Car DOT Radial is the primary spec tire. The required sizes are front: 255x35/18 and rear: 315x30/18. Hoosier Sports Car D.O.T. Radial Wet (H2O) 245x35/18 front, 305x30/18 rears are allowed as rain tires.
B. 18” rims are required (8-9” front, 10-12” rear) but may be any commercially available aluminum rim. Spacers are allowed so long as the top of the tire does not stick out beyond the wheel well fender.
C. Wheel /tire combined weight must be equal to or greater than 40 lbs. for fronts, and 46 lbs. for rears.
D. Steel bolts or lug nuts are required. Hubs may be converted to studs in place of wheel bolts.
4. Brakes
A. Brake pads are unrestricted.
B. B. Steel braided brake lines are allowed.
C. C. Brake dust guards may be removed.
D. The emergency brake, lever, cables, and all associated parts may be removed.
E. Brake dust guards may be removed. Ducts, scoops, deflectors, vanes, block-off plates, and other systems within the bodywork to direct cooling air to the brake rotors are allowed.
F. Brake cooling systems are allowed provided they use only air. The front turn lights may be removed and the openings used for brake cooling, or the molded openings in the approved aftermarket front air dam may be used but additional exterior bodywork openings are not allowed. Modifications to existing air channels inside the bodywork to duct air for brake cooling are allowed.
G. One-piece or two-piece steel rotors may be used if dimensionally the same as stock. Drilled, and slotted rotors are allowed
H. Brake calipers must remain completely stock and mount in the factory location.
5. Transmission
A. Transmission must be stock with no modifications. PDK software must remain at factory OEM settings. All gear ratios must remain stock. Ring and pinion ratio must remain stock.
B. A separate pump, cooler, and fittings for transmission gear oil cooling is allowed. The PDK clutch hydraulic fluid circuit must remain stock.
C. The manual clutch assembly and fly wheel may be stock, or be replaced with the Factory replacement or Sachs clutch kits and Aasco lightened flywheel.
D. A limited slip differential is allowed.
E. Short shift kits are allowed but not recommended. Shifter cables are free as long as they are of stock length. If the bushings are worn out in the shifter console, bushings of any material may be fabricated to replace the original bushings, or the Function First Shift Right 996 retrofit kit may be installed.
6. Body/Chassis/Interior
A. Body
1) Air dams and bumpers covers must be either stock or model year appropriate OEM like replica units. No carbon fiber is allowed. FVD front air dam part# 505 997 004 may be added. The bottom surface of the bumper cover may be cut to allow radiator airflow to escape from center radiator duct. The front bumper may be top vented ala GT3 Cup to allow for additional or rerouted heat venting of the radiator.
2) Front hood must remain stock.
3) Splitters panels may be added but not extend forward of the front bumper or air dam further than 3”, nor lower than 3” from the bottom of the front bumper. Splitter panels may not extend rearward beyond the bottom corner of the front bumper cover.
4) The front bumper must be located in the factory position and cannot be moved in any way.
5) Grills to prevent entry of debris are allowed over all exterior openings.
6) A sunroof delete panel or steel “non sunroof” skin may be used.
7) The windshield may be replaced with polycarbonate (Lexan) of suitable thickness. The door windows may be removed. Quarter windows may be replaced and vented to direct air in or out of the cockpit but not into the engine compartment. Front and rear windshields may be secured with clips and straps.
8) License plates, license plate frames, license plate lights, and insignias and emblems may be removed.
9) Hood pins are recommended. Stock hood latches may be disabled or removed.
10) All headlights and taillights must remain stock. Headlights may be covered.
11) Rear wings may be stock, year appropriate factory aero wing, or Getty Design 997 58” Wing. Getty Design rear deck lid is optional. Wing may not be positioned rearward of the center of the rear bumper cover, nor higher than 23” from top surface of rear bumper cover where it meets the deck lid (excluding Gurney flap). No carbon fiber is allowed. A Gurney flap on the wing with a height not to exceed 1" is allowed.
12) The rear bumper license plate area may be cut out to 27" wide by 7" tall maximum. There may be a tow hook hole of a max size of 6" x 3". No other modifications are permitted.
13) No exterior modification of the body is allowed other than venting of the bumper cover.
14) There must be a stock exterior mirror on each side.
A. Chassis
1) Seam welding of the chassis is not allowed.
2) Air jacks are allowed.
B. Interior.
1) A passenger seat is allowed but not required.
2) The factory dashboard instrument pod must remain intact. Additional gauges may be added. Factory navigation systems, and airbags may be removed. The lower portion of the dashboard may be removed.
3) Steering wheels are free. Quick release steering hubs are allowed.
3) The steering wheel lock must be disabled or removed.
4) The air conditioning/heating system may be removed. Retaining all or part of the AC/Heating system for defrosting is recommended.
5) All interior items may be removed except where otherwise noted. Both doors may be “gutted,” but must retain perimeter frame, hinges, and door latch mechanism. The interior latch may be modified but must work. Factory door beams must remain intact or NASCAR style side intrusion door bars must be added. The door perimeter frame may be modified, but only as much as is needed to fit the NASCAR style door bars.
6) All insulating material may be removed from the interior.
7) There must be an interior mirror. The interior mirror is free.
8) Data Acquisition and in‐car timing equipment is allowed.
9) Ballast: Ballast to meet minimum weight must not exceed 100lbs. All ballast must be bolted to the floor of the front passenger foot-well.
CLASS WEIGHT TABLES
All Weights Include Driver and Driver’s Gear
SPEC CLASSES
Class Year Model Weight
SP997 09-13 3.6 liter 2800
SP997 09-13 3.6 w/PDK 2900
SP997 09-13 S3.8 liter 3100
SP997 09-13 S3.8 w/PDK 3200
03-19-2018, 06:50 PM
#2
Race Car
Im not really in favor for another class.
Look at the current run numbers.
The big classes are E, spb, sp3 and gtb1
The other classes barely makes 5-6 cars per race. Thats nothing. With the variety of skills in PCA, you have better chance running againts a lower or higher class driver.
Also stripping a 997.2 car that worth 55-60k ?
Get a cheaper car and run in a big class!
Look at the current run numbers.
The big classes are E, spb, sp3 and gtb1
The other classes barely makes 5-6 cars per race. Thats nothing. With the variety of skills in PCA, you have better chance running againts a lower or higher class driver.
Also stripping a 997.2 car that worth 55-60k ?
Get a cheaper car and run in a big class!
03-19-2018, 07:22 PM
#3
Rennlist Member
I can’t speak for its condition, but there’s a GTC4 car in the classifieds for under $60k. Buy that and run a factory-built racecar, rather than dropping $100k+ for a SP997. Yeah, Cups aren’t cheap to run, but I can’t imagine a SP997 is either. Just the $0.02 of a guy who drives a Boxster
03-19-2018, 08:32 PM
#4
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
I saw a couple of these at the PCA COTA Club Race. They were very nicely built cars and probably a great solution for somebody not interested in running a Boxster or Cayman or incurring the costs and complexities of running a 996/997 Cup as 997 prices are now coming down.
03-19-2018, 10:47 PM
#5
Rennlist Member
I can’t speak for its condition, but there’s a GTC4 car in the classifieds for under $60k. Buy that and run a factory-built racecar, rather than dropping $100k+ for a SP997. Yeah, Cups aren’t cheap to run, but I can’t imagine a SP997 is either. Just the $0.02 of a guy who drives a Boxster
Cost to run a spec 997 prob way cheaper, like spc or spb.
E class just got cheaper with the intro of the hoosier street TD
03-19-2018, 11:26 PM
#6
Rennlist Member
I saw a couple of these at the PCA COTA Club Race. They were very nicely built cars and probably a great solution for somebody not interested in running a Boxster or Cayman or incurring the costs and complexities of running a 996/997 Cup as 997 prices are now coming down.
03-20-2018, 02:20 AM
#7
Rennlist Member
There were a handful in the field at COTA and after running with them, I asked John about doing a build. Between this and the Spec Cayman ( I wish there was a 987.2 class) I think this is a more "manageable" entry for those not looking to spend the cup/gtb1/clubsport running costs. I have several other friends, that when they describe financially what they want to commit, this car, and spec cayman is a perfect fit. Plus you could do a pdk car.
Although, unless you already have a car, its cheaper to just buy a 996/7 cup than build as we all know.
Although, unless you already have a car, its cheaper to just buy a 996/7 cup than build as we all know.
Trending Topics
03-20-2018, 09:04 AM
#8
Rennlist Member
In my opinion PCA already has too many classes. Adding another using cars that already fit well into previously established classes didn't seem like a great idea. What is the difference between these spec 997's and a stock/prepared letter class car? Maybe minimum weight but it seems like all the allowed changes are allowed in the stock/prepared classes already.
The 997.2 base model makes a fantastic "I" class car and would fit nicely in GTB1.
The 997.2 S would be great in "J or K" class.
The idea of a "cheap" spec class like spec boxster made a lot of sense. Limited modification and relatively low cost with a car that wasn't really competitive in established classes. (Unfortunately SPB IMO is getting a little out of hand with build cost but that's anther topic)
Similar to Spec997, I think spec cayman was a mistake using the 987.1 S model. That is another car that could fit well in both "H" and GTB1. I thought the 2.9l base model 987.2 would have been a good choice for SPC. Fairly cheap to buy, reliable 9A1 based engine and isn't a common choice for other established classes.
I hope this class is successful but personally would rather see fewer classes with higher car counts.
The 997.2 base model makes a fantastic "I" class car and would fit nicely in GTB1.
The 997.2 S would be great in "J or K" class.
The idea of a "cheap" spec class like spec boxster made a lot of sense. Limited modification and relatively low cost with a car that wasn't really competitive in established classes. (Unfortunately SPB IMO is getting a little out of hand with build cost but that's anther topic)
Similar to Spec997, I think spec cayman was a mistake using the 987.1 S model. That is another car that could fit well in both "H" and GTB1. I thought the 2.9l base model 987.2 would have been a good choice for SPC. Fairly cheap to buy, reliable 9A1 based engine and isn't a common choice for other established classes.
I hope this class is successful but personally would rather see fewer classes with higher car counts.
03-20-2018, 09:27 AM
#9
Originally Posted by coryf
In my opinion PCA already has too many classes. Adding another using cars that already fit well into previously established classes didn't seem like a great idea. What is the difference between these spec 997's and a stock/prepared letter class car? Maybe minimum weight but it seems like all the allowed changes are allowed in the stock/prepared classes already.
The 997.2 base model makes a fantastic "I" class car and would fit nicely in GTB1.
The 997.2 S would be great in "J or K" class.
The idea of a "cheap" spec class like spec boxster made a lot of sense. Limited modification and relatively low cost with a car that wasn't really competitive in established classes. (Unfortunately SPB IMO is getting a little out of hand with build cost but that's anther topic)
Similar to Spec997, I think spec cayman was a mistake using the 987.1 S model. That is another car that could fit well in both "H" and GTB1. I thought the 2.9l base model 987.2 would have been a good choice for SPC. Fairly cheap to buy, reliable 9A1 based engine and isn't a common choice for other established classes.
I hope this class is successful but personally would rather see fewer classes with higher car counts.
The 997.2 base model makes a fantastic "I" class car and would fit nicely in GTB1.
The 997.2 S would be great in "J or K" class.
The idea of a "cheap" spec class like spec boxster made a lot of sense. Limited modification and relatively low cost with a car that wasn't really competitive in established classes. (Unfortunately SPB IMO is getting a little out of hand with build cost but that's anther topic)
Similar to Spec997, I think spec cayman was a mistake using the 987.1 S model. That is another car that could fit well in both "H" and GTB1. I thought the 2.9l base model 987.2 would have been a good choice for SPC. Fairly cheap to buy, reliable 9A1 based engine and isn't a common choice for other established classes.
I hope this class is successful but personally would rather see fewer classes with higher car counts.
03-20-2018, 10:40 AM
#10
Rennlist Member
Compared to SPC.. Essentially same mods but starting with a better car, and sensible aero... So for 10k more could have a much better car, with the same running costs. My only concern would be weights, they seem a little high.
I wish I would have known about this 6 months ago.... This will kill SPC and unfortunately I am just wrapping up my SPC build.... Damn it....
I wish I would have known about this 6 months ago.... This will kill SPC and unfortunately I am just wrapping up my SPC build.... Damn it....
03-20-2018, 11:34 AM
#11
Rennlist Member
My take on why a new 'spec' class has appeared is that PCA is attempting to reduce the size of letter classes (at least as it relates to newer cars) through the Spec class's. I have to believe spec class's are easier to scrutineer and administer because there is a lot less variation between the car's so PCA is doing this to reduce their cost and complexity.
03-20-2018, 11:52 AM
#12
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Although it’s not stated, I would assume Carrera S cars with the factory powerkit would become illegal or weight penalized in a future amendment to this rule set. They would have a clear advantage at CS weight levels.
03-20-2018, 02:26 PM
#13
I saw a couple of these at the PCA COTA Club Race. They were very nicely built cars and probably a great solution for somebody not interested in running a Boxster or Cayman or incurring the costs and complexities of running a 996/997 Cup as 997 prices are now coming down.
I know the stated maintenance intervals of a Cup are much more frequent than a "street" car, but wouldn't a street car used in the same manner be expected to have a similar maintenance schedule?
I'm not looking for exact figures, but how would the operating costs compare in these two scenarios?
1) A "street" 997 built out to be a race car and driven hard in a wheel to wheel racing class.
2) A GT3 cup driven sensibly for open track days.
I would assume that too, based on the relative rarity of non-GTS powerkit cars it'll likely be a non-issue. And retrofitting it would be "non-stock" I assume.
03-20-2018, 05:22 PM
#14
Rennlist Member
I know of 5 SP996 guys that have built SP997s. It’s basically just taking an SP996 and upgrading the motor and allowing a PDK. You end up at builds costs closer to 7Cups but the running costs shouldn’t be near as high in theory.
03-20-2018, 06:25 PM
#15
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
In my opinion PCA already has too many classes. Adding another using cars that already fit well into previously established classes didn't seem like a great idea. What is the difference between these spec 997's and a stock/prepared letter class car? Maybe minimum weight but it seems like all the allowed changes are allowed in the stock/prepared classes already.
The idea of a "cheap" spec class like spec boxster made a lot of sense. Limited modification and relatively low cost with a car that wasn't really competitive in established classes. (Unfortunately SPB IMO is getting a little out of hand with build cost but that's anther topic)
Similar to Spec997, I think spec cayman was a mistake using the 987.1 S model. That is another car that could fit well in both "H" and GTB1. I thought the 2.9l base model 987.2 would have been a good choice for SPC. Fairly cheap to buy, reliable 9A1 based engine and isn't a common choice for other established classes.
The idea of a "cheap" spec class like spec boxster made a lot of sense. Limited modification and relatively low cost with a car that wasn't really competitive in established classes. (Unfortunately SPB IMO is getting a little out of hand with build cost but that's anther topic)
Similar to Spec997, I think spec cayman was a mistake using the 987.1 S model. That is another car that could fit well in both "H" and GTB1. I thought the 2.9l base model 987.2 would have been a good choice for SPC. Fairly cheap to buy, reliable 9A1 based engine and isn't a common choice for other established classes.
These are very good points. Keep in mind that all these new spec series are proposed by racers that are looking for a low cost spec series where compliance checking is easier, AND because they and a couple of buddies already own the car. As we have seen in SPB and SPC, that usually doesn’t end up that way. SPC has now ended up as a neutered H class car with virtually the same build and running costs. I agree that that the 2.9l base model with its more reliable engine could have been a better choice but that’s not what racers that developed SPC had sitting in their garages.
