A work colleague is considering a 2006 C4S with the X51 package. He asked if there were any concerns with this model year. So, while I've heard that the 997.2 is preferred by many, I don't know if the X51 package does anything to address the concerns with the early 997.1 model. This would be his first Porsche. Any advice?
Thanks in advance.

 

There's no difference in the main block compared to a 997.1 without the X51 package. Main differences lie within the head which adds power, but the engine itself can still suffer from the IMS, RMS, D-chunk and scoring issues.

That being said, it's an 06 so the IMS should already be the bigger factory upgrade. And .1 cars from late 2005 onwards have experienced less IMS failures compared to the 996 and early 2005 models.

 

The X51 airbox is also prone to catastrophic failures so it's typical to replace those with the non-X51 versions. I have a spare that I'd be willing to exchange for his X51 version as a welcome gift and for his peace of mind.

 

Thanks for the advice, and offer 😊.
I'll pass this along to my colleague and hope he pulls the trigger, as it looks like a beautiful car.
Thanks again

 

Tell him to "watch out" for

1. being late to everything because he took the long way
2. cheek pain from a perpetual smile
3. neck cramps from turning his head to look at it while walking away, and the potential for running into stuff while doing this
4. back pain from sleeping on a cold, hard garage floor
5. his wife accusing him of having a mistress
6. actually having a mistress because the car is so hot
7. ...

More seriously, he needs to have a PPI done to check for RMS leaks, the overrevs report, and if a cold climate car, the cylinders boroscoped for scoring. Less important are, coolant tank cracks, clutch wear, etc, as they're easily fixable, but these can be negotiating points.

 

Look out for someone to buy it before he does. What are the specs? Would be cool if it was my old car!

 

The feedback and list are awesome! Thanks guys!!
I learned today that it's a Cab with 16k miles in the Philadelphia area.
Thanks again for the great input and smiles.