My Weekend Test Drives

So i got a couple of hours of toddler-free time this weekend so i went to Carlsen to see and test drive some new cars. I have a 2001 C4 Cab as daily driver so i really wanted to try out the new 997 C4S cabs. They are very beautiful cars, and the extra wide body is really noticeable. Inside, it feels like you are sitting lower, and are more enclosed inside somehow. The thing that hit me most was the sound to the engine... i thought THATS what i want. I took a bunch of the HW101 clover off ramps so fast that i got that light-headed feeling at the end. This was a wonderful car. I thought i was in two minds to chose between a 997S Cab and a used 996 TT Coupe, so I took out a 2002 with 18k miles. What a dissapointment! The clutch was horrible, the steering felt like it was all power assist, just very light and lifeless. And i was expecting this huge rush of torque, but it really didnt seem to happen... i was going fast very quickly, but it didnt seem like it. The 997S felt and sounded so much more sporty somehow. I really, really wanted the 996 TT to be the one for me, but the driving experience was a let down. Perhaps this was a bad one ?? I really hope so. So one day i will trade up to a 997S Cab... until then, what is the best way to get my 996 C4 sounding like the 997S ?? None of the dealer have any PSE equipped cars when ive been to visit.

PSE will cure all!!!!

I can confidently say now, if you have the means, get the Ruf. Holy krikey. I am a rev junky now.

Thanks for the replies. The 997S sounded pretty tame and quiet at idle and low revs. I really liked this. I dont want that obnoxious booming sound. At WOT or higher revs it was more a buzzing-like scream... again not the booming you hear on riced up Hondas. I dont want to **** off the neighbours, or seem like a boy-racer (38 today :-)). Is PSE, age appropriate ??? If anyone in Silicon Valley has PSE, perhaps i could check it out ?

The PSE allows the car to rumble and sound as it SHOULD. The 996 (speaking from experience) basic exhaust note is so weak and tame which is where PSE comes in to resue it and give it the sound it REALLY is. I get more compliments on the PSE that I can possibly count and that is from the enthusiast crowd. When I get next to the ricers at a light or passing them on the roads I make sure they hear the PSE and in a word the look on their face is priceless.....they have just heard what an real exhuast note SHOULD sound like. There is a HUGE difference between the ricer honda grapefruit shooters that have on their cars that allow those crappy 4-cyl engines sound like they are haulin @ss when they are barely accelerating.

Having just added PSE to my rig (yes yes - I'll post pics soon of the install) I can for sure tell you, that PSE is _the_ thing to get rid of that 996 stock sound. 90% of the time I drive the car, I now have the radio off and just have a big grin on my face. I'm 34 btw, and I for sure dont think it sounds like a honda ricer. Aggressive, but it fits the car perfectly. Today I even had a Golf GTI roll down his windows to listen to me pass him. LOL Regarding the TT experience - I'm so happy you write what you did. I had EXACTLY the same feeling trying out a 996 TT. It was just over too quick without any WOW factor. Just didnt dare to post it here. Fear of the revenge from all the TT lovers, hehe. The TT was damn fast, and I very very quickly passed 200 km/h without even noticing. But it wasnt the kick I expected. Having driven a 944 turbo I expected that same "my grin is in the backwindow once the turbo kicks in" feeling - just didnt happen. I took a C4S out for a spin right after, and it was a much more rich experience.

To be fair, I think the Turbo i tried out was a bit abused. The brakes felt way to soft. The clutch was really awful.... really really awful... like a power assisted on-off switch with no feeling The steering seemed loose, and more disconnected from the road than my C4 But i sooo much wanted this to be the one for me... it was a sad day as i always saw myself in a TT at some point. Perhaps the 997TT in a few years?

As long as you were at the dealer you should have taken a Cayman for a ride. My girlfriend ordered one so I took a few test drives with her. Now that's a sportscar.

Drive another TT. Your experience isn't typical, at least not typical to mine. One of my coworkers has an '04 TT and it is in a word awesome.

can anyone tell me the cost of a PSE please?

Stuart, it's gonna be in the $1695 range. Man of Ice, as for the TT, the reason you don't feel the whoosh is because the power comes on much more linearly than in turbos of cars past. One of the complaints in early 911 turbos is that the turbo kicked in viciously and all but through the rear wheels out around most any turn if you weren't a seasoned turbo driver. The thing to enjoy with a TT (which I would surely love but am getting such a kick out of the 996 NA that I hardly think it over and even less so at the price premium) is that it is just demon fast at speed. You are going from 60-150 mph in the blink of an eye.

Another recommendation for PSE here. I put it in last spring (try Sunset Imports for great pricing) and love it. Nice rumble at low RPMs, but really wails when you step on it. An instructor at a track event a couple of weeks ago remarked that he couldn't believe the difference between the C4S without PSE and my 2000 C4 cab with it. He said he hardly heard the C4S , whereas the wail watching me down the stretch was just awesome. I haven't heard it from outside the car, but from the inside it makes me smile every time I drive it. Hands down the best mod ever for pure enjoyment. Plus you can install the on/off switch in a few hours if you want the option to go back to stock sound (I rarely use it).

I'm pretty sure the 996TT you test drove was an abused car. Poor brakes in a Porsche?. C'mon. Having said that, between a used 996TT and a new 997C4S cab, the old adage still holds true: Get the latest model Porsche. In the meantime, get yourself the PSE. I have test driven the 997 C2S. My 2002 C4S with PSE sounds better in all throttle ranges than the 997S stock exhaust. You won't regret it.

I paid $1495 shipped about 1.5 years ago from Brandywine.