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elsie said:
Hi RC. I'm sure this has been covered on the forum before but could you please just explain the differences between the M96 and M97 engines? I keep on reading about them but I don't know the difference. I gather the M96 is the "iffy" engine that is RMS prone... If so, where does the M97 come from. Is that the dry sump one that powers the GT3?
Thanks for any light you can shed on this for me.
Good question.
But I'm afraid I haven't the answer you're probably looking for. I studied the official Porsche literature and there isn't much mentioned about the differences between the M96 and M97 engine generation.
From the technical drawings, pictures, both engines look almost the same.
I asked the same question a person from Porsche and he told me that the engine "design" is almost the same but that certain parts have been slightly modded/improved and re-enforced too. Also the RMS issue shouldn't really happen anymore that often compared to the old 996 engine but it can happen due to the engine design. My dealer sold lots of 997 and none had a RMS issue. On the other hand, I saw two new 996 engines lately for installing in customer cars with RMS issue at my dealer .
No, the M97 engine is not the same 964 based dry sump engine used in the 996 GT3, 996 Turbo/S or GT2. But due to the 355 HP power figure and the upcoming 381 HP powerkit, I suppose that the information I got regarding improvements/re-enforcements inside the engine seems to be true. The "old" M96 engine is good for up to reliable 350 HP but more is difficult...
But if this is some sort of consolation for you: some people try to give the impression that the M97 engine is some sort of cheap engine design and not worth the money. This isn't true. The M97 engine is a very nice piece of technology, the "old" 964 based engine is "just" more durable but also much more expensive. Not to forget about the better track capability but I doubt that any "ordinary" track driver would ever experience an oil starvation problem on street tires or with semi-slicks. For all the other racing stuff, the GT3 is the better choice.