Hello all!

I'm new to this forum - love what I see so far! Glad to find a solid community of Porsche lovers online.

I just traded in my 08 C2S MT for an 09 C2 PDK. It was a CPO & picked it up last Saturday - loving it so far! The generation 2 997 is definitely more luxurious than the first generation (mostly because of the PCM 3.0), in particular when you've got the PDK option.

One thing I have to admit though, is that I miss the grunt and torque that my C2S had. While the C2 feels a bit faster (probably because I'm not shifting), it definitely feels less "torquey" and certainly doesn't have the engine note the S had.

So, that said ... I'm considering a few upgrades and wanted to see if you guys think they're worth the money, etc. Here's the list:

PDK Paddle Steering Wheel
Carrera Sport Exhaust
Sport Mode Software upgrade

Did I miss anything you guys think is important?

Any feedback is much appreciated - thanks all!

 

Run, don't walk, to your nearest dealer and get the sport mode software upgrade. It will transform the car. I added it to my '09 PDK, and the difference is black and white.

 

Ha, nice! Ok, check mark besides that one. Any thoughts on the other two options? Do you have the standard exhaust and steering wheel?

 

I have a '09 launch C2 that I bought a couple of months ago. The only things added to the car were the Bluetooth software for the phone at the time of purchase and the sport mode software about two weeks later. I have the stock exhaust and wheel, and they are fine for me now. I've toyed with putting 19" wheels on it, but have no immediate plans. The sport mode makes the car so much more responsive and fun to drive. It returns a lot of bang for the buck, in my mind.

 

I think you're 100% right. I had sport mode on my 08 C2S and on my Boxster ... both made a huge difference (even with a MT).

I just really like the look and feel of the paddles over the buttons (hate the buttons!). And I think a bit of a better sound couldn't hurt (other than my pocket book).

I have the 19" Classic wheels - great look and super easy to clean since you can get your hand in there easily to scoop out all the brake dust.

Anyone else have experience with the Sport Exhaust and whether or not it's worth the expense?

 

It makes a lot more of a difference with PDK than it does with MT. It also gives you launch control.

I can't argue with you on the wheel and exhaust. I just don't want to spend money on those things at the moment.

 

The first thing I did was replace the goofy PDK button wheel with a proper paddle shift wheel. Huge improvement for me.

I have sport chrono, so that's covered. And a necessity with PDK IMHO.

I'd pass on the exhaust. I'm too old to care what it sounds like - I'd rather drive the thing.

 

Agreed, Dr. Bill! I'm thinking the Exhaust is a bit too over priced especially since all you're getting is sound and no performance gains. Still though, I have to admit I enjoy the sound but not enough to put down about $3200 between parts and labor. At the least the steering wheel and software and fairly quick fixes.

 

Sport mode upgrade SW would be my first thing on the list. You will get a different car back. A friend of mine just did it and now he has a perma-grin.

For the exhaust, instead of going for the expensive to buy and install PSE option, maybe you can try a SharkWerks primary bypass first? It will not make the car that much louder but it will certainly sound better. You will also loose weightt and gain a little HP in the process.

Priced the way it is, it really isn't a big risk since you can easily resell it on this board for a couple of hundreds less than what you pay and, if you still decide to go PSE, it works well with that too.

Note that you can DIY if you are moderately handy of have friends so it is not a big mod to get out of either - it's fully reversible without a big shop bill.

I just love mine, one of the best mods for the $ IMHO.

T.

 

Will it change the shift points in "normal" mode ?

 

Yes. In Sport it holds the gear longer and isn't so eager to get into 7th. It also downshifts very nicely through the corners and when slowing down. Provides a different response to throttle input. Sport Plus holds the gears even longer, but is perhaps too aggressive for regular street driving.

It's the same as the SC option, but no wart.

 

Thanks for the tips @tcouture, I hadn't even considered the SharkWerks option. I'll def look into it.

So I've decided to def do the software upgrade and paddle steering wheel. Also, probably going to get a clear bra put on, since it's a black car ... shows everything!

I'm going to hold off on the sports exhaust for now and will consider the SharkWerks option.

Thanks all!