Ohlins RnT vs. Bilstein PSS10 for C2

Yes, I have done a search and read all the threads regarding this comparison. I'm looking for an opinion from someone that has ACTUALLY experienced both brands in a 996 C2 or even a 997 C2. I'm shopping between these two and with the recent price increase on the Ohlins R&Ts bringing their MAP to $4200, there is now a meaningful price differential between them and the Bilstein option. My car is a street car that frequently gets driven very hard on rural, often technical twisty roads. I live in the northeast and the roads up here can be a mess, and I do use the car more like a GT car than a race car. Retaining compliance on **** roads is more important to me than having it be as race car as possible. I'd like to lower it a good bit from the stock North America spec (IE: monster truck ride height) to a hair under a stock GT3 ride height. All of the techs at the major Porsche shops around here have essentially said I'm splitting hairs between the options and a few have nodded at the Bilsteins as the more street-focused option. I've driven a 997 GT3 that had a B16 set up and was on E88s and handled like a laser beam, and I didn't find that car crashy or unpleasant at all. The feedback I was getting from the rear wheels in that car was remarkable; it was like they plugged directly into my buttcheeks. However, the owner of that car said he would've gone with the Ohlins if they worked with the PASM system on that car. SO, any FRESH opinions from the peanut gallery. Am I going to regret not coughing up an extra $900-1000 on the RnT? Are they pliable enough on the street to use for big mileage without feeling like you need a chiropractor after?

Good deal on fressh rebuilt gt3 r&t. I really like mine for both street and track. They will bolt in with gt3 adjustable sway links. A+ seller $3k https://rennlist.com/forums/996-gt2-...-2004-gt3.html

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Thank for the tip. I think for the money I�d like factory fresh and I believe you need to do different tophats for the GT3?

I've had my Ohlins R&T on my car for 5 years now and they have held up amazingly well. My car sees all 4 seasons. They are firm but I find them comfortable and have done multiple road trips and long distance drives without any issues. They are set quite softn - something like 14 clicks down from full stiff but with firmer spring it all works well. What I prefer about Ohlins, and some other coilovers for that matter, is the ability to set ride height independently without touching spring preload. What this means is that you maintain all of the shock travel. When you adjust height by lowering the perch on which the spring sits, you're effectively reducing the amount of shock travel you have. I know the shock is designed to take it but reducing the amount of how much a shock can compress directly affects how well it will ride. Not saying that Bilsteins are bad but it wasn't what I preferred. No better way than to drive a car with a set as ride quality is subjective. It's what I did before committing.

Here's two pictures of the shocks 5 years later before they were cleaned. I cleaned them and applied a lubricating spray that also helps to displace water and they were back to looking nearly new again.

I have the RnTs on a 02 cab. I don't track. my suspension was shot and I went with ohlins because of the high speed valve....i forget what they call it. its stiff but not harsh. I keep them set on about 6 or 7 out because i dont like bouncy. some in town roads around here are very choppy and it's not too bad. IDK but I'd bet the bilsteins are harsher on higher shaft speeds

Never had the chance to drive a 996 with Ohlins. Nor have i seen a straight up comparison to the Pss10s, and i have been looking. I have had Bilstein PSS9s for 19 years, today its the PSS10 with 10 settings versus 9. Great coilovers, consistent, dependable and durable as hell, not one leak or problem with them. Great adjustability, works well on both the street and track, which is how I use mine. Looking at getting a set of PSS10s in the next year and just rebuild the PSS9s and keep them on the shelf. To me its tough to justify the price differential since the Bilsteins have been so damn consistent, dependable and durable. But until I get the chance to test them out on a 996, its tough to make a call which one is better. Maybe this year I will get a student at the track with a set. Fingers crossed.

I�ve had the Ohlins on a previous C2 and currently have PSS10 one and RoW M030 on the other. I have the PSS10 set on 9 and they are pretty firm but not terrible on bad roads. They can get some bump steer, and I should probably set them a bit softer. From my memory they are similar to the R&Ts, maybe slightly softer. The M030 feel very capable and comfortable for the street, but you can only adjust height with lowering springs.

Thanks for the thoughtful replies everyone! Exactly what I was looking for. FWIW I gave the fellas at E-Motion Engineering (now called Paradox Performance) a call bc I know they�re considered one of the best 911 suspension specialists. Despite being a KW shop, they said the PSS10s, the RnTs, and even the KW V1s are going to deliver a VERY similar performance and that they�d go with the Bilsteins for my use case.

Unfortunately I can�t speak about the PSS10�s but I installed R&T�s last spring on my �04 TT Cab. I have put about 10k miles on them and they have been fantastic. We have some terrible roads in my area. Car is stiff and agile while maintaining a confident and comfortable ride. Highly recommend spending the extra $$. There is a reason everyone compares their coilovers to Ohlins.

dougn mentioned it already: the Dual flow valve which is specific to the Ohlins R&T. https://www.ohlins.com/technology/dfv-technology That really differentiates it from the Bilstein PSS. Have only driven a 997 with Ohlins R&T but compared to my 996 with PSS10, the R&T's ability to soak up ridges, expansion joints and repair patches would steer me towards the Ohlins. Adjustment of ride height and spring preload are independent of each other on the R&T, whereas on PSS preload and ride height are not.