997 Turbo - Rennteam Review
Please forgive me that this review isn't quite "polished" but I'm still very busy right now and didn't find the time to check it for spelling, etc. My apologies for my English and the missing pictures but I promise to make up for it as soon as possible.
HERE IS THE REVIEW, enjoy:
INTRODUCTION
The new 997 Turbo is here and very similar to the time when the 996 Turbo, its predecessor, showed up, emotions seem to go up rocket high.
The press is full of 997 Turbo articles, reviews, test drives and comparisons. However only a few cars really made it to customers at this time, most available cars are in the hands of dealerships, collectors and of course Porsche employees.
So since there aren't many cars actually driving around on public streets, everybody is asking: how good or how bad is the 997 Turbo? And people are also asking: is the 997 Turbo worth the money or are cheaper sports cars like the Corvette Z06 for example, a better deal? Those who can afford a 997 Turbo also ask themselves if one of the main 997 Turbo competitors, the Ferrari F430, is the better choice for maximum performance and driving enjoyment.
The answer to those questions isn't easy, believe me. Why? Well, you'll understand after you read this review.
LOOKS
When I picked up my basalt metallic black 997 Turbo at the dealership, the first thing which came to my mind was: this car is really looking aggressive. The second thing which came to my mind after I walked around the car a little bit was: there is something wrong. Looking at the 997 Turbo exterior, the car re-assembles in a certain way Porsche's 911 Turbo past and especially the amazing 993 Turbo which is still one of the most impressive sports cars on this planet, despite its age.
The new roundly shaped 997 headlights are a treat, even if some people seem to miss the "sunny-side-up egg" 996 design. The taillights are the same used on the regular 997 Carrera models, no more special design treatment for the Turbo model like it was the case with the 996 Turbo. So far, so good. Looking again at the front of the 997 Turbo, the new LED operated turn signals caught my attention. They are very nice looking and they also seem to provide a very bright turning signal which can't be wrong at all. Walking back to the rear of the car, there is suddenly something missing. Where are the LED taillights? Why did the 997 Turbo designers go for LED turning lights but apparently decided against LED taillights? Maybe Porsche wasn't convinced with the quality of LED taillights, I said to myself. Wait, didn't Porsche use LED taillights on the Carrera GT? My theory was obsolete before I even had the chance to develop it further. Cost reasons? On such an expensive car? I just took it for granted and went on admiring the 997 Turbo exterior.
Shortly after my taillight disappointment, I actually got the biggest design disappointment of all and this is something I will never ever forgive the 997 Turbo design team. The exhaust tail pipes: I was wondering if maybe there is a cat or a dog inside the design department at Weissach and maybe this animal accidentally played with the CAD system when the employees were out for lunch. Because no human could ever do such a bad tail pipes design, never. So the question is who is responsible for the crappy tail pipe design? "Maybe the car key designer" came to my mind since my car always magically opens and closes when I have my car key sitting in one of the front pockets of any tight jeans. A car key design flaw well known among Porsche owners and something Porsche apparently wasn't able to fix since the introduction of the 997 back in summer 2004.
Otherwise, the 997 Turbo exterior is really nice looking, especially the new and somehow controversial wheel design is an eye catcher. Add the PCCB brake with yellow callipers to the 997 Turbo and the car is looking just perfect since the rims are not silver but slightly grey and intensify the look of the yellow callipers and the larger brake discs of the PCCB brakes.
There seem however to be people, who aren't happy with the current 911 design, maybe the same people who wished for a more classic 911 design when the 996 was around but never expected that the timeless 997 design will actually not be what they wanted. So expect a more stylish design in a year or two when the 997 facelift shows up. Personally, I think that the first 997 generation will be the last classic 911 design generation and I'm not sure I like this idea. Porsche apparently wants to please all potential customers but in the end they might end up with "just another" sports car and it would be a pity. The 911 has been around in its classic shape for a while and if Porsche really wants to make us customers happy, they better make the 997 more competitive from a performance kind of view. As you will read in my review, the 997 Turbo isn't really much better than the competition anymore, like it was the case in the past with the 996 Turbo and especially the icon 993 Turbo.
ENGINE
Turning on the engine for the first time was quite a thrill but a couple of second later, a huge disappointment replaced the initial feeling of excitement. Where the heck is the engine sound I asked myself? Is the engine actually running or not? I looked at the instrument dial and yes, the engine was running. I played a little bit with the throttle, not much but the engine sound didn't improve too much. In a desperate search for some sexy 911 sound, I opened the window and hoped for a better exhaust sound. Nothing there, my 997 Turbo sounds like a Toyota V6 or even worse, almost like my wife's new vacuum cleaner. Immediately the ugly exhaust tail pipes came into my mind, leading me to the conspiracy theory that Porsche has planned this all along to sell a nice sounding sport exhaust with nice tail pipes as a retrofit option later on. Usually, I don't believe in conspiracy theories but this time, I hope it is true. Because the exhaust/engine sound is one of the major flaws of the 997 Turbo, together with the mentioned tail pipes and that stupid car key design.
Some people say the 997 Turbo lacks to provoke emotions in the driver; I say the only thing it really lacks is a proper engine/exhaust sound for a super sports car.
The first couple of days, I tried to keep the engine below 4000 rpm to run it in properly. It wasn't easy since the throttle response, once the car is moving and especially with Sport Chrono turned on, is very good and I had to retain myself from passing the self applied limit of 4000 rpm. During these days, my fuel consumption was sensationally low, usually in the 12 litres / 100 km range, pretty impressive for a 480 hp car. The oil consumption wasn't measurable after 1000 km.
Two days before a super sports car meeting with some other owners, I had a little misfortune. While driving through a construction site on the Autobahn, my car bottomed out, resulting in a broken turbo charger oil pan. I was driving at around 20 kph and still...boom. The front lip of the front spoiler had no mark but apparently due to the heavy rear, the engine touched the ground, leaving a scrape mark where the crankcase is put together and...the mentioned oil pan. I was lucky there wasn't more damage, so my advice for all you guys is: DO NOT lower your Turbo, unless you intend to use it on the track only. It is already low enough for most streets out there.
When I fully pressed down the throttle for the first time, it was like unleashing the dragon, a very impressive experience. I owned a 996 Turbo, even tuned by RS-Tuning for more than 543 horses and the 997 Turbo remembered me again of the fun I had with my former beast. The boost pressure on my 997 Turbo went up to 1.1 bar from time to time, confirming the functionality of the overboost. From standstill, I even see 1.2 bar from time to time in the first gear and at around 20-40 kph. At 300 kph, the boost pressure is still 1.0 bar, impressive again. Usually, people will see 0.8 to 0.9 bar with Sport Chrono turned on and it is a weird thing or just a software bug, that the overboost indicator never seems to go off when the throttle is fully pressed.
According to Porsche, the overboost works exactly 10 seconds and not one second more. Judging by the overboost indicator icon in the display, it seems to be on all the time as long as the throttle is kept fully pressed.
The engine itself seems to be a treat, the new VTG technology works very well but unfortunately there is still a turbo lag in the lower rev range and this turbo lag is still annoying, even if it isn't that noticeable like it was in the 996 Turbo.
The turbo lag feels even worse with Tiptronic since the automatic transmission also causes a tiny lag in throttle response but this lag can be overcome by pre-emptive throttling, something Tiptronic drivers have to learn if they want to be very fast in the 997 Turbo.
With Sport Chrono turned off, the turbo lag seems to be worse since the throttle response is slightly reduced. However it is probably the most responsive turbo engine on this planet, the VTG technology really seems to be justified.
The engine revs pretty fast up to the rev limiter and there is no gap in shifts or any other gap in turbo boost or throttle response.
There isn't actually anything bad to say about this engine, it does its job very good and I can understand why Porsche kept this "old" engine design alive, it seems to be a very good engine, even in conjunction with the new VTG chargers.
CHASSIS/SUSPENSION
Like I mentioned before, the 997 Turbo seems to be already pretty low, especially for public streets. Lowering the chassis further could create some serious problems if you're living in an area with bad streets, potholes or just lots of street construction sites. Lowering the 997 Turbo? Definitely not a good idea, unless you are 100% sure that you'll always drive it on perfect streets.
When Porsche introduced the new PASM suspension, I was pretty sceptical about it. I never had too much confidence in electronic suspension systems and although I can see the benefit of such a system in a car like the Cayenne, especially with height adjusting capabilities, I never understood why Porsche decided to introduce PASM on a sports car. My doubts were confirmed by a Sport Auto review of a 997 Carrera S on the track, PASM didn't perform very well and performed even better with the sport setting turned off.
So how does PASM perform in the 997 Turbo? Well, not bad but I still have mixed feelings about it. Turning the sport setting on is most of the time a bad idea. The ride becomes very stiff and uncomfortable and although I love a sporty and firm suspension feel, this isn't really what I would want all the time.
Especially during high speed Autobahn driving, the sport setting should stay turned off. The chassis gets very shaky, resulting in a nervous steering behaviour too.
At 300 kph, this isn't something you really want to experience.
Which brings me to the steering setup: I'm not sure I like it too much. Of course it is sporty, direct and very precise, almost razor sharp precise. However this is exactly where I see a little problem since a lot of drivers may be just not up to it.
What is of a great value on the track can be very tricky and even dangerous on public streets. The steering of the 997 Turbo works very well but in my opinion, it is too light when driving straight. Why is that a problem? Inexperienced drivers could easily work too much on the steering when driving fast; the possible fatal results of too much steering work are pretty evident. The 997 Turbo steering needs calm hands and an experienced driver when driving fast, especially through twists and turns with long straights too. Race car drivers know this kind of "nervous" and razor sharp steering pretty well, inexperienced drivers might get in serious trouble if they don't get used to it. Especially at higher speeds, the steering feel gets pretty nervous on the straight line, simply because the steering feels light. Since it works still pretty direct, turning the steering only a few mm to one side or another could cause more steering reaction than actually desired. Although I see the benefits of such a steering setup, I'm not sure I really like it, especially at speeds over 240 kph. Add a bumpy street and you really have to be careful with the steering.
The 997 Turbo shows strong oversteer when driven hard, especially with Sport Chrono turned on. Some drivers may encounter understeer at some point but only if they take away the foot from the throttle pedal. The oversteer can be pretty heavy, especially when Sport Chrono is turned on and PSM (Porsche's ESP) turned off.
Even with PSM kept working, the oversteer can be pretty heavy but PSM works fine and "catches" the car before it is really getting dangerous. Unfortunately the lack of early understeer and the strong oversteer may be a little too much for unexperienced drivers. The "old" 996 Turbo was slightly easier to drive at the limit, the new 997 Turbo PSM setup allows a certain amount of drifting, even if it isn't by much. Some drivers may not expect that much oversteer.
On the other hand, experienced drivers may not be happy with this setup. The fun starts with the oversteer and it is soon over when the PSM brutally kicks in when the tail is already half its way to the outer side. Experienced drivers can avoid this reaction by driving a clean driving line. Turning PSM off offers the experienced driver a variety of new possibilities but since the AWD of the 997 Turbo doesn't seem to work as well as expected initially by the specs, it can lead to dangerous situations.
Personally, I like it a lot to drive with PSM turned off and Sport Chrono turned on. I would lie however if I would say that this is 100% safe, there is always the possibility of a driver error, so this isn't really recommended on public streets since the very high torque and the sometimes weird operating AWD setup sometimes make it difficult for the driver to keep the car on a clean line on the street.
Speaking of the new electronically controlled AWD system: I can't say I'm impressed.
My "old" 996 Turbo had over 543 HP and never had traction problems. I know that with the new VTG technology, more torque is more quickly available at much lower rev figures. The 997 Turbo traction however is a little bit of a disappointment. The PSM jumps in pretty quick in twists and turns and even on the straight line, the PSM jumps in much faster than on my tuned 996 Turbo. Sport Chrono was turned on all the time during this experience, so this doesn't seem to be related to a too restrictive PSM setup. Porsche should definitely look into it and improve the PSM/AWD setup. Right now, it can be pretty frustrating under certain driving conditions.
The high torque figure at very low rev numbers certainly has something to do with this but it still isn't a satisfactory setup for dynamic drivers.
I can't hide the feeling that Porsche wanted to create a typical 911-RWD drive feel for the 997 Turbo, maybe to satisfy those who made complaints that the AWD in the 996 Turbo is too intruding and taking away the fun of a rear engine car. Although I can understand this a little bit, I can't see how the current AWD setup of the 997 Turbo could really please anybody, unless they want just to show off in drifting events because turn off the PSM and turn on Sport Chrono and you get a pretty decent drifting experience in the 997 Turbo. Yes, this AWD setup may be more fun but in my opinion, it also makes the advantages of such a fully electronically controlled system practically obsolete since the true advantages of such a system, superior traction and
stability under certain driving situations, are actually not present.
The AWD seems to react slightly different at higher speeds, so this is good news. At lower speeds it is definitely not doing it's job like I expected it to do.
Fun is great but if fun means heavy oversteer and the PSM kicking in too easily, this isn't my kind of fun, sorry. A more neutral setup may have taken away the "fun" but it may also improved traction and stability, resulting in much better times on the track.
Bottom line is: I just can't figure out why Porsche "programmed" a "classic" 911 rear wheel drive setup into the 997 Turbo and I just hope that this setup will not interfere with the 997 Turbo's winter driving capabilities.
BRAKE SYSTEM (PCCB)
I can't say much about the standard 997 Turbo brake system, just that in several reviews it performed very well. My car is equipped with the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB), so can only review this system at this time.
The PCCB costs a lot of money, money which could be used for adding some other nice things like leather or carbon options, maybe some nice aftermarket wheels.
Don't make the mistake to order the 997 Turbo without PCCB because it is worth every single cent. The PCCB brake is part of the overall performance system like the engine, the AWD or the drive train and gearbox. I know that many people still don't give much importance to the brake system, they play around with different pads, different brake lines and even different brake discs, completely forgetting that Porsche is a master regarding brake system setups. They may not have been lucky all the time in the past, the brake system of the first 996 series wasn't quite up to Porsche specs but right now, Porsche seems to add the best brake systems in the world to their cars and this doesn't include the 997 Turbo only.
The PCCB for the 997 Turbo has 380 mm discs in the front and 350 mm discs in the past, it is a brake system which has been taken over from the fabulous Carrera GT and has been adapted to the 997 Turbo. Braking power is unbelievable, there is no fading whatsoever, no matter from what speed you're braking and how strong you're braking; the brake is always fully available without the slightest feel of softness.
The PCCB also offers the driver a very precise feel for the right braking force, allowing the driver to brake very late without compromising braking performance or distance. In my opinion, the current 997 Turbo PCCB brake is the best brake Porsche has ever used in a street production car, even compared to the Carrera GT.
Only flaw so far seems to be the fact that the brake still starts squeaking very loud at certain temperatures, especially when the brake isn't fully applied, for example when closing it towards a stop light.
TIPTRONIC S
The 997 Turbo is my first Porsche sports car equipped with an automatic transmission.
I never imagined owning a sports car with an automatic transmission and after driving my wife's Boxster S with Tiptronic almost every day, I was even more convinced that an automatic tranny isn't really something for me.
During 997 Turbo prototype testing, I heard a lot of rumours about a new sequential shifting system which was supposed to be introduced in the 997 Turbo for the first time. I was really looking forward to it and the specs and performance figures were promising. After a while, apparently some problems occurred during development and the rumours about the sequential shifting system were dying more and more and when I needed to order my 997 Turbo and spec the car, the unofficial word was: no sequential shifting for the 997 Turbo at this time, go for Tiptronic. "Tiptronic?" I asked, why the heck would I order an automatic transmission on a sports car and the reply was quick and short: "Because this is the closest thing you get to a sequential shifting system right now, not to mention the better performance compared to manual."
Better performance than manual? I couldn't believe it and since I was very sceptical about this claim, I tried to gather more information, especially since I didn't get a precise definition for the claim "better performance". The only thing I was able to find out was that the straight line performance of the Tiptronic model would be slightly better compared to manual. This claim already was sensational in my opinion but it wasn't enough to convince me. After a short while, I was able to attend a certain event where a Tiptronic equipped 997 Turbo was starting off from standstill and it did it like a rocket. Unbelievable, the car just jumped forward from standstill and was at 100 kph just in below 3.7 seconds. So everybody I asked and who was somehow involved with the 997 Turbo by that time, recommended to go for Tiptronic because other features would be different too compared to an ordinary automatic transmission, due to the so called "networked" design of the AWD, the PSM, the PASM and of course the engine and Tiptronic. This sounded very promising and I ordered Tiptronic, even if my dealer was apparently shocked about my decision.
Not to speak about the fact, that I luckily got a special treatment from Porsche to get a Tiptronic S equipped launch car since all launch cars in Germany apparently were manual operated Turbos. Why? Well, those who recommended to me to go for Tiptronic, went for Tiptronic themselves. What a surprise.
So is the Tiptronic as good as expected? Yes and no. A huge disappointment awaited me after I ran in the engine and accelerated from standstill for the first time with full throttle. No more rocket-like start-off from standstill, there was definitely a little throttle lag, making it impossible to achieve a 3.7 seconds acceleration time from 0-100 kph. It got better when I avoided kickdown but still, the spontaneous throttle and starting-off reaction from standstill was gone, apparently Porsche had made the decision to take off a little bit of that spontaneous reaction, only god knows why they did that. In my opinion, this was a huge mistake. It is possible to overcome this "lag" by letting the car roll a little bit and not applying full throttle with kickdown when starting off from (almost) standstill. There is also the brake/throttle method but I can't recommend it since it may have a serious impact on the hardware involved.
Another disappointment is the typical automatic transmission behaviour, meaning that you need to keep the engine at a higher rev figure all the time to achieve a very sporty throttle and shifting response. That's it, not more to complaint about.
As soon as the Tiptronic enters some sort of "sport mode", the Tiptronic is very satisfying and delivering the performance I expected or actually hoped for.
It shifts fast, the fastback shifting function works like a charm, resulting always in the right gear before a curve, throttle response is great too and the only thing which could take away a little bit from the fun is actually the PSM system, which sometimes kicks in too early, especially without Sport Chrono turned on. Even with Sport Chrono turned on, the PSM kicks in much more often than I would have hoped for and it may have to do with the fact that you always apply a tiny bit more throttle with the Tiptronic since you can't play around with the gears as easily as in a manual equipped car.
What does this mean? Well, simple: the Tiptronic works great in the 997 Turbo but it definitely can't replace a sequential shifting system. Porsche did a great job of squeezing out the most of the "old" Tiptronic with 5 gears but I'd say that further improvements are impossible. Is it better than manual? In a few ways, yes. The major advantage of the Tiptronic is that you can always keep both hands on the steering wheel, a major advantage for somebody who profits from it.
Of course a professional driver will always benefit from a manual transmission since it allows a "fine tuning" of shifting in conjunction with applied throttle and steering, not to speak about the various advantages for a pro driver of using a clutch.
However, I would lie if I wouldn't admit that I'm impressed with the Tiptronic setup in the 997 Turbo. It may not be very popular among sports car drivers to drive an automatic transmission but I can assure you that the Tiptronic in the 997 Turbo can be satisfying, especially when it enters "sport mode" and allows a pretty dynamic driving behaviour which impresses me each and every day more and more.
If somebody thinks that Porsche used the "old" 5-speed Tiptronic for the 997 Turbo because Mercedes had no newer development for them and Porsche was stuck in sequential shifting system development, think again: Mercedes is using a similar 5-speed automatic transmission in their new bi-turbo charged version of the new CL-class, so the message is clear: no need for more gears on a torque monster.
PERFORMANCE
There isn't much to say about 997 Turbo performance.
This car is very fast and I mean VERY fast.
Most reviews tested the 997 Turbo with manual at around 12.1 to 12.6 seconds from 0 to 200 kph (125 mph), more than 2 seconds faster than the predecessor, the 996 Turbo. With Tiptronic S, the 997 Turbo should hit 0 to 200 kph in around 11.7 seconds, which would put it at par with the 996 GT2 MkII which has practically the same power on paper but weights around 150 kg less. Very impressive.
From our real life testing I can assure you, that this claim is correct. Of course some people seem to have expected a much better performance, maybe a performance close to Carrera GT territory. I can understand this very well, I'm somehow disappointed too that Porsche wasn't willing to provide more power and a better performance for the 997 Turbo. On the other hand, if I try to view this from Porsche's point of view, I can understand them too. Why should Porsche offer everything in one simple package if they could sell the same in many different packages like a powerkit or the upcoming 997 GT2? Yes, everything is about money but I doubt that this is something new to most of us. Porsche builds cars for a living, not to please us but of course it would have been a very nice "gesture" towards their loyal customers to offer a 997 Turbo which at least is somehow "better" and faster than the competition.
Unfortunately, the difference between the 997 Turbo and the competition is marginal.
The Ferrari F430 is a fine sports car too and real life performance is at par with the 997 Turbo with some minor disadvantages maybe. The Ferrari is more expensive than the Turbo, very likely less reliable and also not as good as a daily driver, especially under bad weather conditions. On the other hand, the Ferrari creates more emotions in the driver, especially due to it's almost "perverse" exhaust sound which really makes it a head-turner.
The Lamborghini Gallardo is at par with 997 Turbo performance too but it isn't a very good daily driver, despite the AWD and the very refined overall setup of the chassis.
Visibility to the outside is compromised and the price tag isn't very pleasing either but again, like the Ferrari F430, the Gallardo creates emotions in its driver and this should be enough to make the owner forget about the little flaws.
Another competitor of the 997 Turbo would be the new Corvette Z06, a surprising car for a surprising amount of money. No matter how good or bad the overall quality of this car may be, you can't get better performance for your money. The Z06 isn't only a bargain but also a very good performer and as much as I hate to admit it, it is performance-wise at par with the 997 Turbo. Of course the Z06 may not be the perfect daily driver and it lacks like the other competitors the back seats which to some family fathers are very important for an obvious reason, not to speak about the fact that the room in the rear could be used for additional luggage or even a spare wheel or two. However, the Z06 is fast, it is a very nice performer on the track too and the engine is a treat, not to speak about the very nice exhaust sound.
The Z06 actually puts the other three sports car manufacturers Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche to shame because it is very difficult to understand, even considering that GM sells the Z06 without profit, how there could be such a difference regarding the price tag between all four cars.
FINAL VERDICT
The 997 Turbo is a great sports car and definitely one of the most impressive 911 Turbo models Porsche has ever put on the market. Unfortunately Porsche apparently didn't want to repeat 993 Turbo history by offering a product from the start which puts all the competition to shame regarding performance.
Don't get me wrong, the 997 Turbo is a fabulous performer and it may be even slightly better in certain domains than the competition, especially since in most reviews the Ferrari F430 and Lamborghini Gallardo were equipped with semi-slicks and the 997 Turbo just with standard street tires. Still, the difference in real life performance between the mentioned sports cars is almost non-existent and it may be important for gossip talk at the pub and at Rennteam.com but otherwise, all four mentioned cars are very close to each other in performance.
Why did I choose the 997 Turbo for myself? From all the four mentioned sports cars, the 997 Turbo is the best compromise for my needs. It may not be as cheap as a Corvette Z06, it may not be as stylish and nice sounding like a F430 or Gallardo but it definitely combines the best sports car attributes in my opinion.
PROS and CONS
PROS
- very nice performer, there aren't many cars out there at the same performance level
- fun to drive, especially due to the oversteer setup
- incredible brake performance with PCCB
- very good chassis setup without PASM sport setting, sport setting only recommended on streets with lots of twists and turns at lower speeds
- very precise (razor sharp) steering
- engine is a treat, the new VTG chargers deliver lots of torque and an almost lag-free performance, especially at rev figures over 3000 rpm
- it is easy to be very fast in the 997 Turbo
- PSM with Sport Chrono turned on allows a certain amount of drifting until it kicks in
- very good overall quality feel of the car, car feels rock-solid
- very good wet pavement performance with Sport Chrono turned off
- no understeer at all, very neutral with Sport Chrono turned off
- engine sounds very nice at rev figures over 5000 rpm, jet-like "whoosh" sound
- oil consumption surprisingly low
- acceptable fuel consumption for such a powerful car
- very good sport seats optional, highly recommendable
- BOSE sound system sounds pretty well, MP3/WMA capability a nice addition
- aggressive look which seems to be a perfect continuation of the classic 911 Turbo design, even if some people may find the look too "classic"
- surprisingly well performing improved Tiptronic S, even in curves and at higher speeds
- very nice looking OEM wheels, especially with PCCB (larger brake discs)
- very large rear compartment with two rear seats for kids (can be used for two larger Samsonite luggage pieces or one or two spare wheels too)
-
CONS
- car key design sucks if you're wearing tight jeans (doors, etc. open up by themselves, actually because the button of the key is activated due to it's design flaw)
- very boring and non-sports car like exhaust sound, especially at lower rev figures below 5000 rpm
- slight acceleration lag from standstill with Tiptronic S
- exhaust tail pipe design looks cheap and unworthy for such an expensive car, a real design flaw
- no LED tail lights
- nervous steering at higher speeds and especially on bumpy roads
- PASM not 100% satisfying yet, needs some fine-tuning, especially the sport setting can be very challenging at very high speeds in high speed curves
- weird AWD setup (traction problems, heavy oversteer, etc.) with Sport Chrono turned on
- PSM kicking in too harsh with Sport Chrono turned on, especially when heavy oversteer occurs
- too much "silver" colour used in the interior design and especially on the steering wheel
- PCM Sound Autopilot doesn't work well at higher speeds, the sound gets too loud, requiring driver intervention (not a safe thing to do at 300 kph)
- PCCB brake is still squeaking very loud during braking from time to time but it happens very seldom
A final owner's comment for Porsche and the people who developed the 997 Turbo: congratulations, you guys put another masterpiece on the street.
Unfortunately this masterpiece is just a masterpiece compared to the old 996 Turbo, compared to the current competition like the F430, the Gallardo and even the Corvette Z06, the new 997 Turbo seems to be "just another" high performance super sports car. As a long time Porsche customer and addict, I expected more from Porsche, a LOT more. This doesn't mean I don't like my 997 Turbo, on the contrary, it is an impressive piece of technology and I enjoy driving it whenever I have the time to do that. However, the current 997 Turbo isn't exactly what I expected from THE sports car manufacturer Porsche. I expected something similar to the 993 Turbo more than ten years ago, when the 911 Turbo shocked the competition.
520 hp, 1450 kg weight, 0-200 kph performance at 11 seconds, this is what I expected from the new Turbo.
Porsche is no welfare organization, I'm aware of that but I can't hide the feeling that a lot of model decisions have been based on marketing considerations only lately.
You did something horrible, Porsche, you gave people a choice. Right, a CHOICE.
10 years ago, when the 993 Turbo was introduced, people knew that THIS is the car if they want maximum possible performance for somehow little money.
Nowadays, we customers have choices and you just added another possibility of choice instead of deleting all other possible choices by putting an impressive 911 Turbo on the market.
Giving people choices is the right thing to do but not for a car company I'm afraid.
The success of the Corvette Z06, the F430 and the improved Gallardo say it all.
Porsche, GM, Ferrari and Lamborghini should send you "Thank you" letters for making life easier for them. Honestly.
HERE IS THE REVIEW, enjoy:
INTRODUCTION
The new 997 Turbo is here and very similar to the time when the 996 Turbo, its predecessor, showed up, emotions seem to go up rocket high.
The press is full of 997 Turbo articles, reviews, test drives and comparisons. However only a few cars really made it to customers at this time, most available cars are in the hands of dealerships, collectors and of course Porsche employees.
So since there aren't many cars actually driving around on public streets, everybody is asking: how good or how bad is the 997 Turbo? And people are also asking: is the 997 Turbo worth the money or are cheaper sports cars like the Corvette Z06 for example, a better deal? Those who can afford a 997 Turbo also ask themselves if one of the main 997 Turbo competitors, the Ferrari F430, is the better choice for maximum performance and driving enjoyment.
The answer to those questions isn't easy, believe me. Why? Well, you'll understand after you read this review.
LOOKS
When I picked up my basalt metallic black 997 Turbo at the dealership, the first thing which came to my mind was: this car is really looking aggressive. The second thing which came to my mind after I walked around the car a little bit was: there is something wrong. Looking at the 997 Turbo exterior, the car re-assembles in a certain way Porsche's 911 Turbo past and especially the amazing 993 Turbo which is still one of the most impressive sports cars on this planet, despite its age.
The new roundly shaped 997 headlights are a treat, even if some people seem to miss the "sunny-side-up egg" 996 design. The taillights are the same used on the regular 997 Carrera models, no more special design treatment for the Turbo model like it was the case with the 996 Turbo. So far, so good. Looking again at the front of the 997 Turbo, the new LED operated turn signals caught my attention. They are very nice looking and they also seem to provide a very bright turning signal which can't be wrong at all. Walking back to the rear of the car, there is suddenly something missing. Where are the LED taillights? Why did the 997 Turbo designers go for LED turning lights but apparently decided against LED taillights? Maybe Porsche wasn't convinced with the quality of LED taillights, I said to myself. Wait, didn't Porsche use LED taillights on the Carrera GT? My theory was obsolete before I even had the chance to develop it further. Cost reasons? On such an expensive car? I just took it for granted and went on admiring the 997 Turbo exterior.
Shortly after my taillight disappointment, I actually got the biggest design disappointment of all and this is something I will never ever forgive the 997 Turbo design team. The exhaust tail pipes: I was wondering if maybe there is a cat or a dog inside the design department at Weissach and maybe this animal accidentally played with the CAD system when the employees were out for lunch. Because no human could ever do such a bad tail pipes design, never. So the question is who is responsible for the crappy tail pipe design? "Maybe the car key designer" came to my mind since my car always magically opens and closes when I have my car key sitting in one of the front pockets of any tight jeans. A car key design flaw well known among Porsche owners and something Porsche apparently wasn't able to fix since the introduction of the 997 back in summer 2004.
Otherwise, the 997 Turbo exterior is really nice looking, especially the new and somehow controversial wheel design is an eye catcher. Add the PCCB brake with yellow callipers to the 997 Turbo and the car is looking just perfect since the rims are not silver but slightly grey and intensify the look of the yellow callipers and the larger brake discs of the PCCB brakes.
There seem however to be people, who aren't happy with the current 911 design, maybe the same people who wished for a more classic 911 design when the 996 was around but never expected that the timeless 997 design will actually not be what they wanted. So expect a more stylish design in a year or two when the 997 facelift shows up. Personally, I think that the first 997 generation will be the last classic 911 design generation and I'm not sure I like this idea. Porsche apparently wants to please all potential customers but in the end they might end up with "just another" sports car and it would be a pity. The 911 has been around in its classic shape for a while and if Porsche really wants to make us customers happy, they better make the 997 more competitive from a performance kind of view. As you will read in my review, the 997 Turbo isn't really much better than the competition anymore, like it was the case in the past with the 996 Turbo and especially the icon 993 Turbo.
ENGINE
Turning on the engine for the first time was quite a thrill but a couple of second later, a huge disappointment replaced the initial feeling of excitement. Where the heck is the engine sound I asked myself? Is the engine actually running or not? I looked at the instrument dial and yes, the engine was running. I played a little bit with the throttle, not much but the engine sound didn't improve too much. In a desperate search for some sexy 911 sound, I opened the window and hoped for a better exhaust sound. Nothing there, my 997 Turbo sounds like a Toyota V6 or even worse, almost like my wife's new vacuum cleaner. Immediately the ugly exhaust tail pipes came into my mind, leading me to the conspiracy theory that Porsche has planned this all along to sell a nice sounding sport exhaust with nice tail pipes as a retrofit option later on. Usually, I don't believe in conspiracy theories but this time, I hope it is true. Because the exhaust/engine sound is one of the major flaws of the 997 Turbo, together with the mentioned tail pipes and that stupid car key design.
Some people say the 997 Turbo lacks to provoke emotions in the driver; I say the only thing it really lacks is a proper engine/exhaust sound for a super sports car.
The first couple of days, I tried to keep the engine below 4000 rpm to run it in properly. It wasn't easy since the throttle response, once the car is moving and especially with Sport Chrono turned on, is very good and I had to retain myself from passing the self applied limit of 4000 rpm. During these days, my fuel consumption was sensationally low, usually in the 12 litres / 100 km range, pretty impressive for a 480 hp car. The oil consumption wasn't measurable after 1000 km.
Two days before a super sports car meeting with some other owners, I had a little misfortune. While driving through a construction site on the Autobahn, my car bottomed out, resulting in a broken turbo charger oil pan. I was driving at around 20 kph and still...boom. The front lip of the front spoiler had no mark but apparently due to the heavy rear, the engine touched the ground, leaving a scrape mark where the crankcase is put together and...the mentioned oil pan. I was lucky there wasn't more damage, so my advice for all you guys is: DO NOT lower your Turbo, unless you intend to use it on the track only. It is already low enough for most streets out there.
When I fully pressed down the throttle for the first time, it was like unleashing the dragon, a very impressive experience. I owned a 996 Turbo, even tuned by RS-Tuning for more than 543 horses and the 997 Turbo remembered me again of the fun I had with my former beast. The boost pressure on my 997 Turbo went up to 1.1 bar from time to time, confirming the functionality of the overboost. From standstill, I even see 1.2 bar from time to time in the first gear and at around 20-40 kph. At 300 kph, the boost pressure is still 1.0 bar, impressive again. Usually, people will see 0.8 to 0.9 bar with Sport Chrono turned on and it is a weird thing or just a software bug, that the overboost indicator never seems to go off when the throttle is fully pressed.
According to Porsche, the overboost works exactly 10 seconds and not one second more. Judging by the overboost indicator icon in the display, it seems to be on all the time as long as the throttle is kept fully pressed.
The engine itself seems to be a treat, the new VTG technology works very well but unfortunately there is still a turbo lag in the lower rev range and this turbo lag is still annoying, even if it isn't that noticeable like it was in the 996 Turbo.
The turbo lag feels even worse with Tiptronic since the automatic transmission also causes a tiny lag in throttle response but this lag can be overcome by pre-emptive throttling, something Tiptronic drivers have to learn if they want to be very fast in the 997 Turbo.
With Sport Chrono turned off, the turbo lag seems to be worse since the throttle response is slightly reduced. However it is probably the most responsive turbo engine on this planet, the VTG technology really seems to be justified.
The engine revs pretty fast up to the rev limiter and there is no gap in shifts or any other gap in turbo boost or throttle response.
There isn't actually anything bad to say about this engine, it does its job very good and I can understand why Porsche kept this "old" engine design alive, it seems to be a very good engine, even in conjunction with the new VTG chargers.
CHASSIS/SUSPENSION
Like I mentioned before, the 997 Turbo seems to be already pretty low, especially for public streets. Lowering the chassis further could create some serious problems if you're living in an area with bad streets, potholes or just lots of street construction sites. Lowering the 997 Turbo? Definitely not a good idea, unless you are 100% sure that you'll always drive it on perfect streets.
When Porsche introduced the new PASM suspension, I was pretty sceptical about it. I never had too much confidence in electronic suspension systems and although I can see the benefit of such a system in a car like the Cayenne, especially with height adjusting capabilities, I never understood why Porsche decided to introduce PASM on a sports car. My doubts were confirmed by a Sport Auto review of a 997 Carrera S on the track, PASM didn't perform very well and performed even better with the sport setting turned off.
So how does PASM perform in the 997 Turbo? Well, not bad but I still have mixed feelings about it. Turning the sport setting on is most of the time a bad idea. The ride becomes very stiff and uncomfortable and although I love a sporty and firm suspension feel, this isn't really what I would want all the time.
Especially during high speed Autobahn driving, the sport setting should stay turned off. The chassis gets very shaky, resulting in a nervous steering behaviour too.
At 300 kph, this isn't something you really want to experience.
Which brings me to the steering setup: I'm not sure I like it too much. Of course it is sporty, direct and very precise, almost razor sharp precise. However this is exactly where I see a little problem since a lot of drivers may be just not up to it.
What is of a great value on the track can be very tricky and even dangerous on public streets. The steering of the 997 Turbo works very well but in my opinion, it is too light when driving straight. Why is that a problem? Inexperienced drivers could easily work too much on the steering when driving fast; the possible fatal results of too much steering work are pretty evident. The 997 Turbo steering needs calm hands and an experienced driver when driving fast, especially through twists and turns with long straights too. Race car drivers know this kind of "nervous" and razor sharp steering pretty well, inexperienced drivers might get in serious trouble if they don't get used to it. Especially at higher speeds, the steering feel gets pretty nervous on the straight line, simply because the steering feels light. Since it works still pretty direct, turning the steering only a few mm to one side or another could cause more steering reaction than actually desired. Although I see the benefits of such a steering setup, I'm not sure I really like it, especially at speeds over 240 kph. Add a bumpy street and you really have to be careful with the steering.
The 997 Turbo shows strong oversteer when driven hard, especially with Sport Chrono turned on. Some drivers may encounter understeer at some point but only if they take away the foot from the throttle pedal. The oversteer can be pretty heavy, especially when Sport Chrono is turned on and PSM (Porsche's ESP) turned off.
Even with PSM kept working, the oversteer can be pretty heavy but PSM works fine and "catches" the car before it is really getting dangerous. Unfortunately the lack of early understeer and the strong oversteer may be a little too much for unexperienced drivers. The "old" 996 Turbo was slightly easier to drive at the limit, the new 997 Turbo PSM setup allows a certain amount of drifting, even if it isn't by much. Some drivers may not expect that much oversteer.
On the other hand, experienced drivers may not be happy with this setup. The fun starts with the oversteer and it is soon over when the PSM brutally kicks in when the tail is already half its way to the outer side. Experienced drivers can avoid this reaction by driving a clean driving line. Turning PSM off offers the experienced driver a variety of new possibilities but since the AWD of the 997 Turbo doesn't seem to work as well as expected initially by the specs, it can lead to dangerous situations.
Personally, I like it a lot to drive with PSM turned off and Sport Chrono turned on. I would lie however if I would say that this is 100% safe, there is always the possibility of a driver error, so this isn't really recommended on public streets since the very high torque and the sometimes weird operating AWD setup sometimes make it difficult for the driver to keep the car on a clean line on the street.
Speaking of the new electronically controlled AWD system: I can't say I'm impressed.
My "old" 996 Turbo had over 543 HP and never had traction problems. I know that with the new VTG technology, more torque is more quickly available at much lower rev figures. The 997 Turbo traction however is a little bit of a disappointment. The PSM jumps in pretty quick in twists and turns and even on the straight line, the PSM jumps in much faster than on my tuned 996 Turbo. Sport Chrono was turned on all the time during this experience, so this doesn't seem to be related to a too restrictive PSM setup. Porsche should definitely look into it and improve the PSM/AWD setup. Right now, it can be pretty frustrating under certain driving conditions.
The high torque figure at very low rev numbers certainly has something to do with this but it still isn't a satisfactory setup for dynamic drivers.
I can't hide the feeling that Porsche wanted to create a typical 911-RWD drive feel for the 997 Turbo, maybe to satisfy those who made complaints that the AWD in the 996 Turbo is too intruding and taking away the fun of a rear engine car. Although I can understand this a little bit, I can't see how the current AWD setup of the 997 Turbo could really please anybody, unless they want just to show off in drifting events because turn off the PSM and turn on Sport Chrono and you get a pretty decent drifting experience in the 997 Turbo. Yes, this AWD setup may be more fun but in my opinion, it also makes the advantages of such a fully electronically controlled system practically obsolete since the true advantages of such a system, superior traction and
stability under certain driving situations, are actually not present.
The AWD seems to react slightly different at higher speeds, so this is good news. At lower speeds it is definitely not doing it's job like I expected it to do.
Fun is great but if fun means heavy oversteer and the PSM kicking in too easily, this isn't my kind of fun, sorry. A more neutral setup may have taken away the "fun" but it may also improved traction and stability, resulting in much better times on the track.
Bottom line is: I just can't figure out why Porsche "programmed" a "classic" 911 rear wheel drive setup into the 997 Turbo and I just hope that this setup will not interfere with the 997 Turbo's winter driving capabilities.
BRAKE SYSTEM (PCCB)
I can't say much about the standard 997 Turbo brake system, just that in several reviews it performed very well. My car is equipped with the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB), so can only review this system at this time.
The PCCB costs a lot of money, money which could be used for adding some other nice things like leather or carbon options, maybe some nice aftermarket wheels.
Don't make the mistake to order the 997 Turbo without PCCB because it is worth every single cent. The PCCB brake is part of the overall performance system like the engine, the AWD or the drive train and gearbox. I know that many people still don't give much importance to the brake system, they play around with different pads, different brake lines and even different brake discs, completely forgetting that Porsche is a master regarding brake system setups. They may not have been lucky all the time in the past, the brake system of the first 996 series wasn't quite up to Porsche specs but right now, Porsche seems to add the best brake systems in the world to their cars and this doesn't include the 997 Turbo only.
The PCCB for the 997 Turbo has 380 mm discs in the front and 350 mm discs in the past, it is a brake system which has been taken over from the fabulous Carrera GT and has been adapted to the 997 Turbo. Braking power is unbelievable, there is no fading whatsoever, no matter from what speed you're braking and how strong you're braking; the brake is always fully available without the slightest feel of softness.
The PCCB also offers the driver a very precise feel for the right braking force, allowing the driver to brake very late without compromising braking performance or distance. In my opinion, the current 997 Turbo PCCB brake is the best brake Porsche has ever used in a street production car, even compared to the Carrera GT.
Only flaw so far seems to be the fact that the brake still starts squeaking very loud at certain temperatures, especially when the brake isn't fully applied, for example when closing it towards a stop light.
TIPTRONIC S
The 997 Turbo is my first Porsche sports car equipped with an automatic transmission.
I never imagined owning a sports car with an automatic transmission and after driving my wife's Boxster S with Tiptronic almost every day, I was even more convinced that an automatic tranny isn't really something for me.
During 997 Turbo prototype testing, I heard a lot of rumours about a new sequential shifting system which was supposed to be introduced in the 997 Turbo for the first time. I was really looking forward to it and the specs and performance figures were promising. After a while, apparently some problems occurred during development and the rumours about the sequential shifting system were dying more and more and when I needed to order my 997 Turbo and spec the car, the unofficial word was: no sequential shifting for the 997 Turbo at this time, go for Tiptronic. "Tiptronic?" I asked, why the heck would I order an automatic transmission on a sports car and the reply was quick and short: "Because this is the closest thing you get to a sequential shifting system right now, not to mention the better performance compared to manual."
Better performance than manual? I couldn't believe it and since I was very sceptical about this claim, I tried to gather more information, especially since I didn't get a precise definition for the claim "better performance". The only thing I was able to find out was that the straight line performance of the Tiptronic model would be slightly better compared to manual. This claim already was sensational in my opinion but it wasn't enough to convince me. After a short while, I was able to attend a certain event where a Tiptronic equipped 997 Turbo was starting off from standstill and it did it like a rocket. Unbelievable, the car just jumped forward from standstill and was at 100 kph just in below 3.7 seconds. So everybody I asked and who was somehow involved with the 997 Turbo by that time, recommended to go for Tiptronic because other features would be different too compared to an ordinary automatic transmission, due to the so called "networked" design of the AWD, the PSM, the PASM and of course the engine and Tiptronic. This sounded very promising and I ordered Tiptronic, even if my dealer was apparently shocked about my decision.
Not to speak about the fact, that I luckily got a special treatment from Porsche to get a Tiptronic S equipped launch car since all launch cars in Germany apparently were manual operated Turbos. Why? Well, those who recommended to me to go for Tiptronic, went for Tiptronic themselves. What a surprise.
So is the Tiptronic as good as expected? Yes and no. A huge disappointment awaited me after I ran in the engine and accelerated from standstill for the first time with full throttle. No more rocket-like start-off from standstill, there was definitely a little throttle lag, making it impossible to achieve a 3.7 seconds acceleration time from 0-100 kph. It got better when I avoided kickdown but still, the spontaneous throttle and starting-off reaction from standstill was gone, apparently Porsche had made the decision to take off a little bit of that spontaneous reaction, only god knows why they did that. In my opinion, this was a huge mistake. It is possible to overcome this "lag" by letting the car roll a little bit and not applying full throttle with kickdown when starting off from (almost) standstill. There is also the brake/throttle method but I can't recommend it since it may have a serious impact on the hardware involved.
Another disappointment is the typical automatic transmission behaviour, meaning that you need to keep the engine at a higher rev figure all the time to achieve a very sporty throttle and shifting response. That's it, not more to complaint about.
As soon as the Tiptronic enters some sort of "sport mode", the Tiptronic is very satisfying and delivering the performance I expected or actually hoped for.
It shifts fast, the fastback shifting function works like a charm, resulting always in the right gear before a curve, throttle response is great too and the only thing which could take away a little bit from the fun is actually the PSM system, which sometimes kicks in too early, especially without Sport Chrono turned on. Even with Sport Chrono turned on, the PSM kicks in much more often than I would have hoped for and it may have to do with the fact that you always apply a tiny bit more throttle with the Tiptronic since you can't play around with the gears as easily as in a manual equipped car.
What does this mean? Well, simple: the Tiptronic works great in the 997 Turbo but it definitely can't replace a sequential shifting system. Porsche did a great job of squeezing out the most of the "old" Tiptronic with 5 gears but I'd say that further improvements are impossible. Is it better than manual? In a few ways, yes. The major advantage of the Tiptronic is that you can always keep both hands on the steering wheel, a major advantage for somebody who profits from it.
Of course a professional driver will always benefit from a manual transmission since it allows a "fine tuning" of shifting in conjunction with applied throttle and steering, not to speak about the various advantages for a pro driver of using a clutch.
However, I would lie if I wouldn't admit that I'm impressed with the Tiptronic setup in the 997 Turbo. It may not be very popular among sports car drivers to drive an automatic transmission but I can assure you that the Tiptronic in the 997 Turbo can be satisfying, especially when it enters "sport mode" and allows a pretty dynamic driving behaviour which impresses me each and every day more and more.
If somebody thinks that Porsche used the "old" 5-speed Tiptronic for the 997 Turbo because Mercedes had no newer development for them and Porsche was stuck in sequential shifting system development, think again: Mercedes is using a similar 5-speed automatic transmission in their new bi-turbo charged version of the new CL-class, so the message is clear: no need for more gears on a torque monster.
PERFORMANCE
There isn't much to say about 997 Turbo performance.
This car is very fast and I mean VERY fast.
Most reviews tested the 997 Turbo with manual at around 12.1 to 12.6 seconds from 0 to 200 kph (125 mph), more than 2 seconds faster than the predecessor, the 996 Turbo. With Tiptronic S, the 997 Turbo should hit 0 to 200 kph in around 11.7 seconds, which would put it at par with the 996 GT2 MkII which has practically the same power on paper but weights around 150 kg less. Very impressive.
From our real life testing I can assure you, that this claim is correct. Of course some people seem to have expected a much better performance, maybe a performance close to Carrera GT territory. I can understand this very well, I'm somehow disappointed too that Porsche wasn't willing to provide more power and a better performance for the 997 Turbo. On the other hand, if I try to view this from Porsche's point of view, I can understand them too. Why should Porsche offer everything in one simple package if they could sell the same in many different packages like a powerkit or the upcoming 997 GT2? Yes, everything is about money but I doubt that this is something new to most of us. Porsche builds cars for a living, not to please us but of course it would have been a very nice "gesture" towards their loyal customers to offer a 997 Turbo which at least is somehow "better" and faster than the competition.
Unfortunately, the difference between the 997 Turbo and the competition is marginal.
The Ferrari F430 is a fine sports car too and real life performance is at par with the 997 Turbo with some minor disadvantages maybe. The Ferrari is more expensive than the Turbo, very likely less reliable and also not as good as a daily driver, especially under bad weather conditions. On the other hand, the Ferrari creates more emotions in the driver, especially due to it's almost "perverse" exhaust sound which really makes it a head-turner.
The Lamborghini Gallardo is at par with 997 Turbo performance too but it isn't a very good daily driver, despite the AWD and the very refined overall setup of the chassis.
Visibility to the outside is compromised and the price tag isn't very pleasing either but again, like the Ferrari F430, the Gallardo creates emotions in its driver and this should be enough to make the owner forget about the little flaws.
Another competitor of the 997 Turbo would be the new Corvette Z06, a surprising car for a surprising amount of money. No matter how good or bad the overall quality of this car may be, you can't get better performance for your money. The Z06 isn't only a bargain but also a very good performer and as much as I hate to admit it, it is performance-wise at par with the 997 Turbo. Of course the Z06 may not be the perfect daily driver and it lacks like the other competitors the back seats which to some family fathers are very important for an obvious reason, not to speak about the fact that the room in the rear could be used for additional luggage or even a spare wheel or two. However, the Z06 is fast, it is a very nice performer on the track too and the engine is a treat, not to speak about the very nice exhaust sound.
The Z06 actually puts the other three sports car manufacturers Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche to shame because it is very difficult to understand, even considering that GM sells the Z06 without profit, how there could be such a difference regarding the price tag between all four cars.
FINAL VERDICT
The 997 Turbo is a great sports car and definitely one of the most impressive 911 Turbo models Porsche has ever put on the market. Unfortunately Porsche apparently didn't want to repeat 993 Turbo history by offering a product from the start which puts all the competition to shame regarding performance.
Don't get me wrong, the 997 Turbo is a fabulous performer and it may be even slightly better in certain domains than the competition, especially since in most reviews the Ferrari F430 and Lamborghini Gallardo were equipped with semi-slicks and the 997 Turbo just with standard street tires. Still, the difference in real life performance between the mentioned sports cars is almost non-existent and it may be important for gossip talk at the pub and at Rennteam.com but otherwise, all four mentioned cars are very close to each other in performance.
Why did I choose the 997 Turbo for myself? From all the four mentioned sports cars, the 997 Turbo is the best compromise for my needs. It may not be as cheap as a Corvette Z06, it may not be as stylish and nice sounding like a F430 or Gallardo but it definitely combines the best sports car attributes in my opinion.
PROS and CONS
PROS
- very nice performer, there aren't many cars out there at the same performance level
- fun to drive, especially due to the oversteer setup
- incredible brake performance with PCCB
- very good chassis setup without PASM sport setting, sport setting only recommended on streets with lots of twists and turns at lower speeds
- very precise (razor sharp) steering
- engine is a treat, the new VTG chargers deliver lots of torque and an almost lag-free performance, especially at rev figures over 3000 rpm
- it is easy to be very fast in the 997 Turbo
- PSM with Sport Chrono turned on allows a certain amount of drifting until it kicks in
- very good overall quality feel of the car, car feels rock-solid
- very good wet pavement performance with Sport Chrono turned off
- no understeer at all, very neutral with Sport Chrono turned off
- engine sounds very nice at rev figures over 5000 rpm, jet-like "whoosh" sound
- oil consumption surprisingly low
- acceptable fuel consumption for such a powerful car
- very good sport seats optional, highly recommendable
- BOSE sound system sounds pretty well, MP3/WMA capability a nice addition
- aggressive look which seems to be a perfect continuation of the classic 911 Turbo design, even if some people may find the look too "classic"
- surprisingly well performing improved Tiptronic S, even in curves and at higher speeds
- very nice looking OEM wheels, especially with PCCB (larger brake discs)
- very large rear compartment with two rear seats for kids (can be used for two larger Samsonite luggage pieces or one or two spare wheels too)
-
CONS
- car key design sucks if you're wearing tight jeans (doors, etc. open up by themselves, actually because the button of the key is activated due to it's design flaw)
- very boring and non-sports car like exhaust sound, especially at lower rev figures below 5000 rpm
- slight acceleration lag from standstill with Tiptronic S
- exhaust tail pipe design looks cheap and unworthy for such an expensive car, a real design flaw
- no LED tail lights
- nervous steering at higher speeds and especially on bumpy roads
- PASM not 100% satisfying yet, needs some fine-tuning, especially the sport setting can be very challenging at very high speeds in high speed curves
- weird AWD setup (traction problems, heavy oversteer, etc.) with Sport Chrono turned on
- PSM kicking in too harsh with Sport Chrono turned on, especially when heavy oversteer occurs
- too much "silver" colour used in the interior design and especially on the steering wheel
- PCM Sound Autopilot doesn't work well at higher speeds, the sound gets too loud, requiring driver intervention (not a safe thing to do at 300 kph)
- PCCB brake is still squeaking very loud during braking from time to time but it happens very seldom
A final owner's comment for Porsche and the people who developed the 997 Turbo: congratulations, you guys put another masterpiece on the street.
Unfortunately this masterpiece is just a masterpiece compared to the old 996 Turbo, compared to the current competition like the F430, the Gallardo and even the Corvette Z06, the new 997 Turbo seems to be "just another" high performance super sports car. As a long time Porsche customer and addict, I expected more from Porsche, a LOT more. This doesn't mean I don't like my 997 Turbo, on the contrary, it is an impressive piece of technology and I enjoy driving it whenever I have the time to do that. However, the current 997 Turbo isn't exactly what I expected from THE sports car manufacturer Porsche. I expected something similar to the 993 Turbo more than ten years ago, when the 911 Turbo shocked the competition.
520 hp, 1450 kg weight, 0-200 kph performance at 11 seconds, this is what I expected from the new Turbo.
Porsche is no welfare organization, I'm aware of that but I can't hide the feeling that a lot of model decisions have been based on marketing considerations only lately.
You did something horrible, Porsche, you gave people a choice. Right, a CHOICE.
10 years ago, when the 993 Turbo was introduced, people knew that THIS is the car if they want maximum possible performance for somehow little money.
Nowadays, we customers have choices and you just added another possibility of choice instead of deleting all other possible choices by putting an impressive 911 Turbo on the market.
Giving people choices is the right thing to do but not for a car company I'm afraid.
The success of the Corvette Z06, the F430 and the improved Gallardo say it all.
Porsche, GM, Ferrari and Lamborghini should send you "Thank you" letters for making life easier for them. Honestly.
). Time will tell... 
