Long time p-car owner, (3) 996/997, first time turbo ('12 997.2) - I'm sure it's been said repeatedly by others but it's all new to me so just adding my .02 cents.

1. Break in - just under 1k miles now. First 750 I drove in by the book granny mode, never over 4k tac. Last couple hundred miles I've gone to 5k with a couple 5.5k sprints - my spine can't wait to feel launch control. But even this mild flexing is fantastic - simply night and day vs. prior 08 C4S. I've picked the middle path for next 1k break in miles - not quite redline drive like I stole it, but as normally aggressive as I plan to for rest of car life.

2. Sports Chrono - sport mode button. Why, why, oh why - did the porsche engineers even make this thing an on/off choice with default off? I start the car, hit sport then PASM off to keep the softer ride feel unless in smooth roads with tight twisters. Seriously, who drives this car without sport mode on all the time? Another night and day - I have the PDK and in regular mode, the shift timing is maddening, just utter junk - almost lugging the engine. No kidding at all - from 1st gear going up a mild driveway out of my house to the street, it shifts to 2nd, then 3rd, and 4th. In less than 100 ft. PDK in non-sport mode is utterly useless.

In sport mode, it is fantastic - how the car should be as default. I just wish there was another switch I could click once that locks sports mode on at engine start. Then if I wish for some bizarre reason, I could switch it off, but default is always on.

3. Girlfriend in the car, coming back from weekend in Palm Springs getaway. Long incline climb that has light traffic going 60-65. No warning, just push the pedal only 3/4 and feel the turbo boost kick in one super quick push up to 120 mph while she shrieks in terror. Ahh yes....maybe someday this will get old but surprising the hell out of those who've never ridden or driven a turbo at WOT or even partial sprint is I think going to be my childish prank for awhile

4. Steering - not a complaint but I do notice the steering is odd. At higher speeds, it feels as good as or even better than my 08 C4S. but at lower speeds, especially normal in city condition driving on streets 10-45 mph, the steering feels a lot more heavy, less limber, not as nimble as my C4S. Like when I take a moderate speed corner, say turning a 45 degree corner right turn at a stoplight I see is green. slight brake tap to slow in, then turn to get a bit of sling shot out - hardly any real speed, I'm talking safe 15-25mph max - but maybe because of the variable assist steering, feels like I have to crank the wheel a lot more and definitely not as nimble as my C4S.

5. Everyone's personal tastes - but while I enjoy the stock sound, just can't get my PSE sound from 996/997 days out of my head. So I'm on the research hunt to pick out and listen live to exhausts I narrow down - right now from video plays which I know are never as good as real life, it's europipe, AWE, and 2-3 others I can't quite make my mind up on.

 

Nice write up! I'm anxiously awaiting my TTS to arrive this week. It will be my first P-car, but an exhaust, lowering springs, and sway bars will be on my short 'gotta have' list.

Congrats on your new whip, and enjoy her in good health!

 

Received my TTS last week, also had an 09 C4S with PSE and liked tyhat sound.
With in two days I put a Europipe on and the sound is fantastic. No drone and the construction is a work of art. Cost including shipping and customs was $4,690 and two weeks from order to receipt. Highly recommended. Dealer installed and took them four hours. No cels and it is a perfect fit.
You will not be disappointed. I also listened to video sound clips but they do not do it justice.
I have no affiliation with them, just one very happy customer.
I cannot provide a sound chip. My car is now put away for the long Minnesota winter.

 

I believe the reason is to meet fuel economy requirements/ get the best possible mileage. This helps get a better EPA score. If Sport was default it would get much worse mileage / perhaps even get gas guzzler tax. CAFE requirements are the culprit.

 

nice upgrade! appreciate the real world obs.

you are right. the regular carrera pse sound from the m9x enginesmay well be the best exhaust noise from any porsche at that sweet spot, regularly used 3-5k rpm range. music to our ears.

 

Thanks for that write up! Glad your making the right decision in going with an aftermarket exhaust. IMO they are just a little too quiet from the factory.

 

Been hearing great things about Europipe, but I have a buddy of mine that swears by the exhaust offered by GMG. Would be interesting to see a comparison of the two.

 

europipe, awe, then GMG is my final short list of 3 for exhausts.

I'd love to personally hear all 3 exhausts then make a choice. One bonus for GMG would be since they are fairly local to where I live, it might be the little edge to pick them vs other two since I'd imagine support logisitics would be easier.

Ive heard GMG is bit louder than other two though. I'm looking for a medium loud exhaust, not a really high end loud one.

 

I do like keeping mine off on the interstate, little smoother ride, and a bit less exhaust note.
Plus you got to break in the 7th gear.

 

My p certified tuner told me "drive her normal and then get on her from time to time". I wonder if the cars have computers in motor/tranny that kinda learn your style and adapt to it?

I followed his advice and did my one and only LC at 1800 but had gotten on the car prior to that with out LC. I am going to change out my oil early at 5k. I have 2500 miles now and loving it as a dd.

 

Awesome! Congrats on the TTS, where are you located in MN? PM me come this spring.

 

Your final three mirror my choices as well. And interestingly, I'm also local to GMG. Spoke to whom I believe was the owner, and I believe he had a car there that we could listen to. He also gave me some 'pros' to going with his exhaust, albeit a bit biased..
The GMG exhaust is reportedly louder and not strictly an OEM replacement unit- which supposedly yields certain advantages.

They are also close enough where I can install the springs and sway bars at the same time.

 

Couple more observations:

-7th gear PDK: I too thought that only in non- sport modes would PDK select 7th gear but 3-4 times on highway now, with sport mode definitely on - I've had PDK select 7th gear. Was not even 90mph - not sure but seemed to select it after I had settled in to stable and steady cruising for awhile.
Odd thing is almost all the time under similar situation it stays in 6th, but once in blue moon it dos go into 7th.

Maybe it's only in sports plus mode that 7th gear is locked out?

-997.2 suspension with PASM doesn't feel anywhere near as stiff as same mode with my prior 08 C4S. My prior observation re: less nimble turn and heavier steering feel? Some still there but a ton better when I go into PASM mode.

I was so used to clicking sport mode and turning off PASM that I really assumed same ride and didnt try PASM much yet, especially in LA city street driving. Well tried it today for couple hours between glass smooth Beverly hills streets to more bumpy Hollywood up to Burbank - totally surprised, steering feel much better, nimble, and ride nowhere near hard - I think I can pretty much stay in PASM mode all the time

Seems odd but 997.2 turbo is lot more soft in regular mode and PASM which was too much to enable on city streets with my C4S is easily livable with my turbo.

I'd assumed stock turbo suspension was harder than my 997.1 C4S, but it's not. Same for PASM. I'd suggest if like me, you try turning PASM on even in city streets - its now my default mode unless maybe it "learns" over time and becomes harsher ride

 

Hi Jacob,

1. Your 997.2 Turbo has the newer version of PASM, let's call it PASM "2"; the older C4S and 997.1 Turbo have PASM "1."
PASM 1 was a flawed design (and of course Porsche engineers only acknowledged this once 997.2 Turbo came out ) - the dampening factor goes from soft in Normal mode to way-too-hard in Sport mode, causing the car to be extremely jittery and practically unusable but for the smoothest of road surface. People/reviewers complained and therefore Porsche revised it in the newest PASM "2" in the 997.2 Turbo.
PASM 1: Normal is soft, Sport is off-the-chart rock hard.
PASM 2: Normal is soft, Sport is firmer but not has hard/jittery as PASM 1 Sport.
The difference is in how much the dampening factor of the shock absorber is increased when you go from "Normal" to "Sport."

2. Welcome to the dirty little secret of the Turbo: it's a soft car tuned for dentists (JK) and actually feels softer than its "lesser" siblings (C2S, C4S). I was surprised about this myself when I switched from my 997 C2 to my 997 Turbo. This is why a number of people have to change the suspension to Bilstein. Bilstein is near perfect in either "Normal" or "Sport" mode, the gap being much closer, not one extreme and then the other as in PASM 1.

 

+1 thanks Cannga

awesome reviews in your posts, and thanks for the confirmation. thought it was so odd, but sure enough - the butt dyno/ride meter is never wrong

butt dyno for the turbo vs lesser, totally awesome
ride feel - guess I'll have to research suspension tweaks next after i get my exhaust. I'll start with the bilsteins you suggested - I'm looking for not a whole lot more than sport mode PASM "2" which I now find pretty livable as my daily mode on city streets.

a little more nimble and quick turn in, better/firmer S-turns in canyon runs - sounds like the bilstein review you wrote is just what I'm looking for.