Best options to make a 996TT Cab lighter

I have a 2005 996 Turbo S Cabriolet. Love the power, but I wish it was a little lighter. I understand it is a grand touring car and not a GT3. However, at 3660, it's 200lbs more than a 360 Spider. Yes, it does a great job throwing it's weight around the track, but it's a fatty. I'm not looking to completely rebuild the car with lightweight body parts. Nothing that drastic. Thoughts on the best places to start then going on down the list? Lighter exhaust, GT3 seats, lightweight battery, etc. Any new ideas would be appreciated. I think shaving 200 - 300lbs would make a noticable difference. Thanks. gl p.s. I meant to post this in 996 Turbo section, but got lost along the way.

You bought a Turbo Cab and now you're disappointed with the weight? Sell the cab and buy a coupe, or, just buy a track car.

1. Go on a diet. 2. Lose the passenger. 3. Strip the passenger and rear seats out. 4. Lose the spare. 5. Strip all carpeting out. 6. Remove the cats. .... OK, some more realistic ideas: Add our BumperPlugs, 5hp gain Add our Carbon Mirrors, 5hp gain each side .... Change out the wheels to lighter weights ..... There's really not a helluva lot you can lose on this beast without destroying the appearance of the interior/exterior, other than wheels. Yeah, a few bits here and there, but you won't lose more than a few pounds on it. Drive the hell out of it, and enjoy it. hp/weight ratio is awesome on this Porsche....so go drive it!

I think you purchased the absolutely heaviest car in the ENTIRE porsche lineup (excluding the Cayenne). You are at a disadvantage b/c of two things already.....4WD Turbo and CAB. I can't possibly imagine you shaving the kind of weight you want to disappear.

The engine weighs alot. But then again, that could have some effect on performance.

...how much do you weigh? GT3 seats are way lighter (~60 lbs.) Lighter wheels

no carb diet?

Damn people hit the fat jokes early...thats my territory. Yes, some weight can be dropped.....including: Seats to GT3 Rear seats - remove Lighter wheels CF hood and engine cover Insulation and sound deadening Exhaust FWD components Lower center console You should drop almost 400 lbs this way

Good ideas on weight loss. As I get some extra $$ together, I'll try to do some of those. I'll keep the rear seats, insulation and center console as I don't want to destroy the original intent of the car, which included some luxury and comfort. I'm surprised how many times I actually use the back seat to stuff a 3rd person back there. Girls always like to run in pairs. I'll probably start with GT3 seats, then lighter wheels, then maybe CF hood and engine cover. I saw you can even get lightweight doors. At some point I'll have enough replacement parts to make a complete second car

One warning then...with the GT3 seats you basically can't use the rear seats (it's a real PIA).

Ceramic brakes. Unsprung, rotating weight has a much greater impact on performance than does simply translating weight. Lowering the car reduces the moment arm (torque) that the translating weight uses to affect cornering and braking, but then you might have a tougher driving around town (speed bumps, high driveway entrances, etc.). Over all, I agree with previous post(s) in that you're probably better off to buy a stripped out, lowered track car and enjoy the terrific boulevard cruiser you have. A brand new spec racer Miata is about $34 grand.

I'm not really sure why my question calls for so much sarcasm. If I wanted a track car, I would have bought a GT3. I realize this is the heaviest 911 made. That's why I'm looking for ways to shave weight. It's a Porsche. Why is it so silly of me to want to improve it's performance?? Along those same lines, maybe the ceramic brakes should only be available on the GT2/GT3? For those that were serious. Thanks. I'm going to start with an AWE exhaust, EVO Stage 2 Lightweight Flywheel, Lightweight Battery, Spare Tire Replacement and loose the CD changer (MP3 is enough). I'm going with Champion Monolite 19" wheels. Even at 19" they're a few pounds less per wheel. Interesting that the Turbo S Cabriolet is listed at the same weight as the Turbo (non-S) Cabriolet? The ceramic brakes should make a difference, shouldn't they? The weight difference of the lightweight body pieces aren't enough to justify the cost. I'd rather not eat for a few days. There really isn't anything else that can cut weight that wouldn't affect the primary purpose of the car. You're right, the GT3 seats won't work. I didn't consider how they won't pull forward. I might try to see if Recaro has a ligher "comprimise" sport seat. Follow up question: The carbon fiber side mirrors aren't lighter than the stock ones, are they? I thought it was just a cosmetic thing. Thanks again for the ideas.

And the PCCB is something that would justify the cost??? Also, why the LWF? Do you track this car? If not, I don't think you will enjoy it unless you drive around town always in the top of your power band.

replace all parts for CF parts: because they should be lighter...you can also replace you hood and engine lid (incl.wing) for carbon fiber...look for lighter rims...they even sell CF doors and bumpers..this must help a couple of LBS...

PCCB can be justified being standard on "S" model and also giving extra stopping power for that extra weight. I considered a carbon fiber wing, but the only ones that come in CF are the GT2 style or similar, and that won't work on a Cabriolet. If I wanted to get seriously nuts, I could track down CF body parts & do 18" LW wheels instead of 19". However, I've already come up w/ about 120lbs. Doing further drastic measures such as these will only result in maybe 20 lbs or so. Beyond that, I think I'll have to start stripping the car of seats and amenities my female companions will miss. Thanks for the ideas. 120lbs is a good start. This makes me a little lighter than a standard, off the shelf, Turbo Coupe. Makes me feel a bit better. I suppose I should simply start saving for a Carrera GT... a 3050 pound beauty.

If you aren't tracking the car, you will see very little difference from the weight reduction. You'd have to shed 300lbs or so just to shave 1 or 2 tenths off the 1/4 mile.

Have to agree as well. This weight reduction thing just isn't making any sense. You bought a TurboCAB, the heaviest car in the 911 lineup, and you complain about the weight? Still confused. Best of luck finding what it is you are looking for. Either way, it's still a beautiful car.

I wouldn't expect too much weight savings out of the PCCBs. Porsche advertises this as 50% weight savings and/or X lbs/Y kgs. Problem is this is only the rotor and only compared to equivalent 350mm all steel brakes. I did the calculations once and it was about the same as base 911/Boxster S weight brakes. The 330mm brakes are in between and all the 350mm calipers/hardware is bigger/heavier. I don't have my notes handy, but I don't think you'd save more than 5 lbs per corner, and that's a lotta coin. At least, you already have the bigger wheel carriers. Good choice on the Champions. Look for some lightweight tires to go along with them. Tires can vary 4 lbs across brands/models. I'd be hesitant with CF body parts as I'm not sure they'd pass any crash tests and might not even be legal depending on where you live. Also, IIRC, decent "2-piece" Recaros are pretty porky. The full power/heat/memory/butt warmer seats are about 60lbs each. The GT3 seats are about 30lbs each. If you can find base 911/Boxster seats, they are about 45lbs each. Lightweight battery is a good idea, too, if you don't live where it's cold and drive your car often.

Yea, I heard that Perelli's are very heavy. I'm waiting for the Michelin PS2's to come back around, but I'll probably have to settle w/ Continentals. As far as the battery, I may put the lightweight battery in during the summer, then put the stock one back in the winter. For seats, I'm starting to consider the GT3 seats again. I usually only have someone in the back seats if the top is down. If the top is down, they can just hop over the side to get in back. I get thrown around enough in the stock sport seats that I'd welcome an alternative. For the others, I'm not getting why you are confused? Should someone only want to make a light car lighter? Are you saying, since the car is heavy, I should give up on improving performance? With the efforts I've alredy made, it now weighs less than a stock 996TT Coupe. My initial post was a bit over-dramatic, I admit. It's not that big of a deal. I'm not going to take drastic measures. However, the 120-200lbs I can shave off with very little effort should be noticiable in the corners, but that's just my opinion.

The confusion is if you aren't tracking the car why do you care to shave 200lbs? You won't notice 200lbs of weight savings anywhere but on the track. My racing buddies (I'm talking pro, not autocross or weekend or what have you) tell me you are going to have to cut at least 6lbs of unsprung weight at each corner even to notice a difference on the track (unless you are counting differences in mpg).

There is a noticable cornering and breaking difference whether I have a one person or two people in the car, or if I'm just alone. Oh, also, I woudn't have to add the PCCBs because I already have them. It is a Turbo S. I always wondered how much weight savings there actually was. 5lbs, huh? Interesting. Good to know. Thanks.

Oops. My bad. Didn't notice yours is the Turbo S. So if you have 350mm PCCB, then you already saved approx 15lbs per corner in the front. I think the front steel 350mm rotors are like 30 to 32 lbs each. The cup steel rotors are like 2lbs less. The PCCB are approx half, about 16lbs. The base 996-7/986-7S rotors are about 18lbs. The base 986-7 rotors are like 14 lbs. IIRC, the 330mm 996S and base TT rotors are like 22 lbs. I remember that PCCB rotors would be lighter than base Carrera/BoxsterS/CaymanS rotors by a couple pounds but about a wash with the bigger 6-pot calipers, hardware, etc. All these #s are off the top of my head, but not too far off (I hope). While I can't make any recommendations, suspension tuning can do a world of wonder to make a car feel lighter on its feet. Tire weights are very specific to a brand/model/size. The PZero Corsas (R-compounds) are typically very light. I'm not a fan of Continentals, but some people like them. Michelins tend to be pretty light. I would hold out for PS2s over Conti anything. Remember... everything is riding on your tires... and no, I don't have Michelins or Michelin stock.

HA! You read my mind. I'm running in this year's Player's Run on June 7th. I need to do something before then. I plan on holding out till about mid-May for Michelins. At that point, I'll break down and settle w/ the Continentals. They are the only tire available in 315/25/19 right now. Yea, I'm also putting on some Bilstien PSS9s. As agreed, this isn't a track/race car, so the Motons are probably overkill. I'll eventually look into GT3 sway bars, but I still need to find out how much difference they will make. I'm assuming there are some stock sway bars on there right now. Is there? I suppose I could go look, but that would mean getting up. Thanks for the PCCB weight info. 15lbs. That's cool. Is there any weight savings in the rear PCCB rotors? I plan on putting some Michelin Pilot Sport Cups on my stock 18's wheels for future track days. I suppose I could look for some ultra-light 18" track wheels, but, again, I'm not trying to win any races w/ my cabriolet. Like you said, just trying to be lighter on my feet. I'm thinking the EVO Carbon Fiber Strut braces might be a good add on, especially w convertible body flex.

Simple, sell it an buy a Turbo coupe or GT3. Not only will you reduce weight, you will get a stiffer/better handling chassis in the process. Otherwise, since you bought it; just like with it. How many people do you think buy Mercedes SL's that weigh 2 1/4 tons and whine about the weight? Compared to those, its a featherweight.

You bought a turbo cab and want to make it light? that's like buying a hummer and trying to make it a lowrider - wrong tool for the job. You'd be much better off selling it and buying a coupe and throwing in some GT3 seats, lightweight battery, exhaust, maybe hood and doors in CF too...

I never said I was going to make it weigh 3100lbs. I said I was looking for good ideas to make it LIGHTER. Again, people. LIGHTER. 3400lb Turbo will be a bit more nimble than a 3600lb Turbo. There is nothing wrong with wanting to improve the performance of my Porsche. Why even bother recommending I buy a GT3? I didn't say I was looking to race the car, did I? This is a great performing convertible sports car. Many of us in these forums are simply looking for ways to improve on that performance, even if it's slight. I didn't mention the other ways I am going to improve it's performance because they are not the topic of this thread. Making ANY sports car lighter is a good way to improve upon handling performance. I never said I don't like my car. I never said I was disappointed with my car. In fact, I said I loved the way it handles. Why would I sell it? So, the Turbo S Cabriolet is not the right tool for the job? Are there better performing soft-top convertibles? In my opinion, if you're looking to whip through the winding mountain roads with the top down on a sunny day, this is the car to do it. Is it wrong to look for ways to improve on that experience? Again, I meant to post this in the 996 TURBO forum, but wasn't paying close enough attention. I didn't realize how big of a mistake I made. Sorry about that.

Caveat: mine is a Boxster S (which shares a lot with the 996). Torsional stiffness is a limitation. I would skip the strut braces. The flex is in the middle not the ends. I've read pretty much they're only good for their placebo effect even on coupes. Yah, some people think the Boxster is a girly car, but mine is a relative featherweight these days at 27xx lbs. I have and highly recommend the GT3 or TRG bars which make a huge difference and are adjustable. I also recommend the GT3 seats especially if you plan on running R-compounds. Mine is relatively light on its feet but also light on HP I really, really have a lot of fun with my car, and I think you can, too, with yours even though ours may not be the ultimate track toys. Good luck and enjoy the top down with the ladies when you're not on the track!

P.S. The rear 330mm brakes are similar to the front base Carrera/BoxsterS/CaymanS brakes except larger diameter (same pads, swept area, width, etc.). I would guess you're saving 4 to 6 lbs per corner in the rear. On the CGT and F360 rear, I know they have a separate caliper for the parking brake. I'm not sure if the PCCB rear hats are steel and still use non-PCCB shoes, though, but I would assume this is the case.

Yea, I really like the light, nimble idea of the boxter, but I'm addicted to power. Have you ever looked into how much additional HP/TQ you can get out of EVOMS tuning? They don't have it spelled out for the Boxter like they do for the 996TT, so I never got the exact number. Considering your weight, a few extra HP may go a long way. when you say "only good for their placebo effect" regarding the strut braces, what does that mean? Do you think the GT3 or TRG bars are better? I've never seen TRG bars for sale anywhere. Who carries those? And YES, the ladies sure do like the top down. Further, the tiny rear seats also seem to work very well as a "waist size test". hehe.

Don't take it so personally. If you want to make your car lighter, the same methods would apply to your car as any other... remove the luxury stuff, install lightweight panels, remove sound deadening, lighter battery, lighter exhaust, etc... But it's silly to take a heavy-as-hell touring car and lighten it slightly by hacking it up and removing stuff. Even if you did everything listed above, it would still be really heavy... it would just be a lot less comfortable. It's not the purpose of the car. No need to get all defensive just because we're pointing that out In my opinion, if you want more feel and nimbleness out of your Turbo S, do the following: - Get some PSS9s and thicker swaybars - More aggressive alignment/camber - R compound tires Instead of trying to make the car what it's not (lightweight), enhance the things it already has going for it (good chassis, lots of grip). Plus, much easier to return to stock. Just my $.02

Actually, getting defensive was neccessary in order to defend the topic. In this case, it wasn't a matter of insecurity or taking it personally, but more so confidence in the original question and an attempt to get the thread back on track. Some comments were very helpfull. However, when the desire to improve the performance of a convertible Porsche is compared to lowering a Hummer, I thought it was time to chime in. Porsche understood this desire when they put the PCCBs on the Turbo Cab. They didn't think it was silly or uneneccessary, or a waste of money, for that type of car. I was even being criticized for considering ceramic brakes, all the while, Porsche had already made them standard on my car. I suppose I didn't write the topic well. That WAS my mistake. If my converitble Porsche with ceramic brakes is beyond help and already way to heavy to consider making lighter, then I should have rephrased the question. I was hoping we could all brainstorm and come up with a comprehensive list of ways to chip away some weight of Porsche 911.. ANY Porsche 911. Some options are more invasive than others. Each person has to make their own decision on how far they want to take it. Here is what I've come up with so far. I tried to list them in order of extreme. Anything I missed? Ligher Exhuast GT3 (racing) seats Lightweight Battery Lighter wheels & tires Remove Spare (replace w/ sealing kit) Lightweight Clutch GT3 Center Console Remove CD Player Remove Rear Seats Carbon Fiber Rear Spoiler Assembly Lightweight Body Panels Remove Sound Deadening

The only thing Porsche understood was that they could extract an extra $15k out of their customers with yellow calipers and a fancy acronym. That's why it has PCCB's - Do you really think they designed a 3650lb boat and then worried about saving a few pounds on brakes? That was a marketing decision. I'm not trying to attack you, I'm just pointing it out. Don't forget tires, you can save some weight there too. And bumper support tubes I think can be replaced with lighter ones. I would keep the spare tire though, you don't want to be stranded without it and those sealing kits don't work half the time.

Be very wary of vendor claims. One popular exhaust manufacturer claims impossible weight savings on various parts on the order of 20+ lbs each. More like 2 to 5 lbs each is more realistic. I don't think you'll save significant weight in exhaust unless you go titanium. I know someone who replaced the front hood (986) with CF and only saved 10 lbs. Removing sound deadening would also be minimal while destroying the luxury aspect of your car for the ladies. Some of the items on your list are costing over $100 per pound saved. At some point it's not worth it. I have friends that have gone too far, and the girlfriends complain: too stiff, too loud, hurts my back, let's take my car, etc., etc. A lot of guys on this board are pretty hard-core track junkies (nothing wrong with that ) but you have to find your ultimate balance for how you plan to use the car. GT3 seats, battery, wheels/tires, spare tire, and a few trim pieces are pretty safe bets. That's what I've done, and these do not significantly adversely affect daily drivability. If I want, I can always throw the spare back in for a road trip. I have other weight savings in various mechanicals that do add up, but I wouldn't do them for the weight savings. I would do my list above and work on suspension which is where the most bang for the buck will be. Oh, ditch that CD changer, too. Does anyone still use CDs? Don't get discouraged. My (more wealthy) neighbor has an F360 Spider which is a very nice car indeed, and no one is running around calling his car a boat. LOL! Thanks, I needed that! P.P.S. I sent you a PM on some of your other questions.

Exactly what is the end point you're going after? You could take 200# out of it right now with no significant improvement in lap times with a consistant driver on a good track, and be left with a gutted cab that nobody would want to buy.. Like you said, your's is a grand touring car, just live with it, next time around get a more track oriented car if that's what you want. Don't mean to be harsh, but just step back and take a look at what you're talking about doing. Your money would be better spent with a suspension upgrade, that's something you'll really notice.

The end point was to discuss ways to discuss shedding weight on a 996... Cab, Turbo, or otherwise. arenared, Interesting comment about the real weight of aftermarket exhausts. I guess they never expect an end user to actually weigh the exhaust. I agree with the practical list you have. I was thinking the exact same on the spare. 90% of my driving very close to home. I'll put the spare in if I'll be too far away. I quickly decided against the body parts when I realized the minimal weight savings and the lost of strentgh would totally not be worth it. I wish there was a happy medium for seat options. The stock sport seats have zero support but the GT3 seats seem a little overkill for a cabriolet. Anyone out there with a cabriolet and GT3 seats? I know there's one Black Turbo Cab w/ the TechArt II AeroKit and GT3 seats. Though, now that I think about it, I think the rear seats were removed. I need to make an effort to find someone with GT3 seats that I can sit in and try out.