996TT - Burning smell!!

Have a strange burning smell coming from the back of my 996TT. It doesnt appear to be coming from the engine compartment. The car runs fine and temp gauge is normal etc. I got someone to drive it last night and I followed in there car and I could even smell it from close behind. Does it even on nornal driving. Any ideas?? Thanks.......

Ian, what sort of burning smell? Oil, Rubber, Plastic? Any assoicated smoke? Simon

Ian- I am very much a newbie to Porsche- but three weeks ago (after a week of ownership) i noticed a wierd burning rubber smell from the back of the car... it didnt go away until my rear tyre came off the rim in the fast lane of the M20. turned out there was a screw driver head through the tyre- and I can only assume that the tyre had been deflating and something rubbing as it did so which resulted in the smell. so might be worth checking you dont have a puncture of some sort... though i'm no expert!

Thanks for the two above replies. Doesnt smell rubber related. Seems to be from the drivers rear wheel area. Cant smell it from the passengers side and it doesnt seem to be coming from the engine compartment. I notice it when I get out of the car. Its not a plastic or rubber type burning smell. More hot metallic like. PAds look new and im popping it into my local garage to see if the rear brakes are binding on friday but i dont think they are!! Whats the score on heat shields?

Heat sheilds do corrode. But I don't think thay would cause a smell, unless one had actually corroded through and is now resting on something else? sounds like hot brakes to me?

My C4S seems to produce an unusual (hot) smell from the rear wheelarch area after a run. It has always done this and can only assume it is the hot mufflers as they are exposed to the elements being slung onto them from the rear wheels.

drive it hard untill you can smell the rubber. :evil: all will be well and dont worry. its part of owning the greatest ever road worthy super car.

I've had mine about a month now and too have noticed this smell!!! Are we all sure that it is nothing to worry about? Cheers, Mark.

If you can't smell it - you're not driving it as intended I'm always disappointed when I can't smell it...

Well the smell was not present for the 1st 4 months of ownership then one day I noticed it! But the last few days it has not been there. I was thinking along the lines of heat shields or cats? What are the heat shields made of and where are they situated? The smell when evident is not rubber or brake pad material related. And the rear pads have loads of meat on them.......

One thin to watch out for is that the heat sheilds come loose Mine were almost falling off I only noticed when cleaning the car I could feel something flapping when i reached under the rear quarter of the car OPC sorted this for me by putting some new bolts in to hold it in place Nevyn

During these winter times you get all the crap of the day sticking to exhausts/rads/intercoolers etc that can cause a smell to occur. Only last week huge rain drops got inside the front vent of the GT2 and probably mixed with the leaves/buds in the rad's. Smellie steam then vented out the top when stuck in traffic and I thought OMG I have a serious rad leak.....no such thing(water level constant).....just nature at work!