Looking for less body roll, and lower ride height. I'm really stuck between the two.

X74 looks to be ~$2000 and the PSS9s ~$2300. Obviously the install for the 9's is more expensive because ride height has to be set and car will be corner balanced.

While I will be tracking and autocrossing I don't want to be tweaking the settings for each course.

I like the X74 because it is a Porsche factory part and I believe it will give me the ride height and eliminate the small amount of body roll that I have.

But for $300 more, the ability to corner balance and tweak the dampening is very appealing.

If I were to go with the PSS9s do I want the GT3 sway bars as well? To me they seem overkill for my needs, nor do I think my driving ability could make full use of them.

 

All I can say is that the nice thing about a factory part will come into play the day you go to sell the car. I think the X74's with a proper alignment to either X74 spec or GT3 spec will answer each and every need of yours.

 

Great response Adam. I didn't even think about the resale factor at this point. I guess I'd be taking the PSS9s off if I went that way, but the X74 seems like what I want anyways so....

BTW we need to meet sometime. You are so close and I see you here and on AWOT all the time. Gotta put a face to the name! Are you going to the April 4th meet?

 

I'm going to try and make it to the April 4th meet, but I'm not sure yet. I'll know sometime this week. It'd be great to meet up though since I've seen you on AW for years before coming here.

In terms of the resale question. You should also factor in the cost to remove and realign the car back to the OEM suspension. If you have the x74 I would see no reason to remove it for sale. Its designed by Porsche to their specifications. I just think its the perfect happy medium if you can live with the fact that your suspension isn't adjustable. I honestly think that for most people the limited amount of time that these cars actually see the track in relation to the amount of road use they get that an adjustable suspension is a bit overkill. My guess is that having an adjustable suspension is more an "ego" thing for a lot of people than a "necessity" thing. If you get a suspension that is setup just right from the beginning (with the added bonus that its made by the manufacturer of the car -- and most likely undergoes a large amount of testing both on the road and track) then you'll be more than happy driving around on the public streets as well as on the occassional track-day. When coupled with the fact that you need an alignment everytime you adjust the suspension I quickly realized how few times if any I'd actually adjust the suspension.

After doing the Skip Barber Racing School and listening to Pete (on AWOT) I've kinda grown to the mentality of seperation of street car and track car. I'll probably get a dedicated track car in the near future.

 

Adam great points. Thanks for your insights. I totally agree with your statements about the about of track time my car will see, the alignments and following Pete on AWOT(I do the same.)

I'll be giving Gert a call for the X74 soon.

Hope to meet you at the April 4th meet!

(I noticed you updated the sig...nice! )

 

Adam, your posts are interesting.
Don't you think the x74 is a bit overkill if you're not planning to track the car? Do you really think it's the best "street" setup?

thanks,
Scott.

 

To me the issue is whether you choose to drive your Porsche as a Porsche or a Lexus. I wish to extract every ounce of what ever is available from mine, which is pure joy. This attitude will probably include adding a super charger in the rear future. It's the same reason I had a PSE installed almost immediately after experiencing it at PDE. I love the way the car looks, I love the way it handles, I love the enjoyment it adds to my driving experience. If I can make it better, I go for it.

 

I actually was wondering if someone would mention that point about the x74 perhaps being overkill if you aren't going to "track" your car very often. Well I spend a good deal of my time driving on windy mountain roads that allow one to gain a good feel for the difference between driving a sedan and a sports car. For me this suspension truly didn't make the car much harsher, seems to be okay with rough roads (I tested this out today included railroad track crossings, rough bridges across the Delaware River (NJ -> PA), uneven roads, etc.). Secondarily, now the car basically doesn't have any body roll. It truly flattened the car out. In the past with the US M030 suspension, around corners when pushed you could feel quite some body roll. Now the car is amazingly flat, and seems to demand that you ask it to perform harder. This gives me both a more satisfying driving experience (planted the way a sports car should feel) and a safer driving experience (since I have a more accurate feel for both the limits of grip and what the car is doing). This is evidenced by the quote on renntech about the significantly improved lap times of the German test driver with the x74 over both the stock and the RoW M030. Third, the car ride height looks much better. The wheels are tucked nicely, yet I'm not sitting on the ground. Before the addition of this suspension when I approached my car from the rear 3/4 you could particularly notice the very high ride height of the US spec cars. The look just wasn't right, and often I always found myself not quite satisfied with that type of ride height. This corrected the problem quite nicely.

To quantify the changes I'd say:
80%+ less body roll
50% better road feel
10-15% harsher ride (though truly not noticable from the US M030)
100% better looking

Its amazing how much the car truly changes its look when you take off the stilts it comes from the factory with.

For me the $2500 that I spent total (including everything) was well worth it since it transformed the car from "almost there" to "there". Those who believe that the RoW M030 is what the car should come from the factory with should experience this suspension and they might sing a new tune. I almost wish I had a bit more engine to back up the handling

 

jenner -

I also have the X74 on my '03 C2. I agree with AdamB, the x74 is not overkill for the street. In fact I thoroughly enjoy the car now, it actually feels like a sports car. Minimal roll, more neutral handling, sharper steering response, and of course a low but not too low ride height. Not to be negative, but the US stock C2 suspension is, IMHO, pretty crummy. Just about any option is a step up. But I have no reservations about the X74. I don't see how you could be disappointed. Again, if you can find someone in your area with X74 who will let you test drive his car, that is the best way to choose.

 

I have the X74 installed and agree with all the positive comments noted.

I also have a fully adjustable 'Ohlins' (ride height, compression/rebound damping, preload etc etc) rear monoshock on my motorbike and sometimes it seems I am chasing my tail in setting the damn thing up.

All it takes is a couple of incorrect settings and it makes the bike a bit of a handful to ride. It took me about six months to really understand the effects of all the adjustable parameters and how they adffected the ride of my bike.

The same with car suspension...

Take for example the effect of just lowering your car by using just ride height adjustment. You will now have a mismatched shock/spring setup and unless you re-adjust compression and rebound damping (if available) the suspension will not be at an optimum setting. This takes a lot of trial and error to get it just right.

With a package like the PSS9, if you are not an expert at setting up car suspensions you can actually stuff up the handling if not careful. If you purchase something like a X74 kit then you know that it has been designed to work correctly for your car and you really cannot go wrong in setting in up.

 

Thanks all for the comments. I agree that the cars look amazing w/the x74; my key worry is that it's going to be too harsh w/the crappy roads around here. I guess the worst thing that could happen is that I'd drive it for a few months to get a feel for it, think it's too harsh, and sell it. I wouldn't be out much $$, especially if I'm doing the install myself.

Just rationalizing by myself here

 

Have not raced the X74 for it sure does feel nice. Better sway bars would be nice but the ride height is perfect.

 

I have the PSS9 on my car and my main concern was the hard ride of the X74 on the cab. If I had a coupe I dont think I would hesitate on the X74 option. That said though, the PSS9 setup is fantastic. Quite like the adjustability of the setup. Granted I cannot change the height without taking it in for an alignment but the ride factor is easily adjusted. I must admit I am amazed as to how much stiffer the car is now and how much more you feel the road. I have the car setup with 3 in the front and 4 in the rear. I will most likely change that to 4 in the front and 5 in the rear. Some of the roads I drive on are fairly harsh and the X74 would be even worse. I took a GT3 for a spin and I must admit I thought I was in pop corn machine jumping around on these roads - mind you I was tempted to buy it I have not driven a car with X74 but would imagine it is somewhere between the PSS9 and the GT3 setup (Unless the GT3 is setup with X74 - I have no idea). I think "sports" suspension is great for the track but on some Melbourne roads, the car would simply fall apart. Even the PSS9s sometimes feel fairly harsh thus the ride adjustment option. I think you are safe in either decision you make. Personally you cannot go wrong with either. But then again I am no track going enthusiast just a lover of a nice compliant ride.

 

I honestly think that most of the rumors that spread around about the X74 being harsh on rough roads are spread by people without the suspension. I think too many of these "rumors" are taken for truth.

As you'll notice, everybody who has the suspension agrees that the ride isn't much harsher than the RoW M030 setup. In fact I hardly find the ride harsher than the US M030 setup. I think the only way you'll end up claiming the suspension is harsh is if either you consistently drive your car through craters (in which case you are silly for buying a sports car -- and your wheels are going to be destroyed rather quickly) or you happen to like offroading excursions. Seriously, I wouldn't let "harshness" talk you out of this great improvement to the car. Afterall you didn't buy a luxury sedan with a "comfort-ride" suspension, you bought a high performance sports car, why not make it realize some of its potential?

 

I have the Pss9's and the gt3r sway bars on my c2 and have to say it s amazing. The ride is way better then when i just had H&R lowering springs. Mind you I have 19" wheels too. I have the shocks set at 5 front and back i think.
Todd