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    Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassis?

    To get around the -20mm chassis issue in the US, can one import a Euro 997S to the US and have it retrofitted with US DOT approved height springs? And then after it has been approved, modify the car back to -20mm? This will allow some people to have the 997S in the US without PASM (and with the -20mm). Or is there a lot more to it than this?

    Mind you, I'm asking for a "friend" . I wouldn't do this myself

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassis?

    I can assure you; that scenario is not worth the cost, or
    major aggrevation that you would go through. Just wait for
    US spec 997 GT-3. Revvv

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassis?

    By the time someone spent the $50K to certify a grey market car and have no US warranty , he'll decide it's not bling /low /stiff enough and rip it out for a Bilstein PSS9 kit anyway.

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassis?

    Revvv - any indication from PCNA as to why the 20mm/LSD option has not been brought to the US....?

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassis?

    Quote:
    MKW said:
    By the time someone spent the $50K to certify a grey market car and have no US warranty , he'll decide it's not bling /low /stiff enough and rip it out for a Bilstein PSS9 kit anyway.



    Oh boy. For $50K, I'll wait.

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassis?

    Quote:
    Revvv said:
    I can assure you; that scenario is not worth the cost, or
    major aggrevation that you would go through. Just wait for
    US spec 997 GT-3. Revvv



    I couldn't agree more.

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassis?

    Quote:
    SoCal Alan said:
    To get around the -20mm chassis issue in the US, can one import a Euro 997S to the US and have it retrofitted with US DOT approved height springs? And then after it has been approved, modify the car back to -20mm? This will allow some people to have the 997S in the US without PASM (and with the -20mm). Or is there a lot more to it than this?



    People who want to have a 997 without PASM can order a 997 Carrera (not S!) and install an aftermarket coilover kit (H&R is rumored to be offering one soon, lowering springs are already available for the 997 Carrera).
    If you're in the US, you're (still?) "stuck" with PASM which actually isn't bad at all.
    The 20 mm chassis option doesn't only have lower springs, different dampers, different swaybars, etc. but it also includes a limited slip differential. All this stuff has to be seen like a "unity", one whole package where the suspension has been adapted to the LSD and vice versa, including the chrono sport package and PSM software mapping setup.
    I highly doubt that it is recommendable (or even possible) to remove PASM from a 997 Carrera S and install an aftermarket coilover kit. Don't forget about the CAN network and the software control units which communicate one with each other. I'm pretty positive that removing PASM would surely cause some errors in the CAN system, resulting in DME error codes too and other problems. I wouldn't even be surprised if the engine warning light comes on and/or that a PSM warning message appears.

    Personally, I'm a little bit surprised to see that Porsche offers only PASM for the Carrera S (with the exception of the ROW 20 mm chassis option) and not a standard chassis option (similar to the 997 Carrera) for less money. Maybe this is Porsche's way to "penetrate" the market with PASM and raise PASM production numbers. Maybe it has to do with limited availability of the 20 mm chassis option. Or maybe it has been a decision to "protect" GT3 sales in the US later on, I don't know, honestly.
    But people who get a 997 Carrera S with PASM shouldn't have the feeling that they get the less better car. PASM is a great alternative for the 20 mm chassis option, especially if you live in areas where the streets aren't that good. With the 20 mm chassis, I always have to be careful with street bumps, etc. and although it is fun, especially the additional traction resulting from the LSD, my car would definetely NOT be the perfect daily driver.

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassis?

    RC,

    I would consider the 997S with sport suspension as a daily driver, especially if order in combination with the Adaptive seats!

    The 997 is considerably cheaper in the US so buying a Euro-spec car would cost you more AND you'd have to add all expenses to import the car to the US! There should in fact be a warranty for imported cars but the European one is only two years!

    Greetings!

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassis?

    Quote:
    Ferdie said:
    RC,

    I would consider the 997S with sport suspension as a daily driver, especially if order in combination with the Adaptive seats!



    Drive it for a while and we talk again. The 20 mm option isn't really something you want to have on a daily driver due to reduced height (parking in the city!), stiffness (bad streets), etc.
    As a fun car however, the 997 Carrer S with 20 mm chassis in unbeatable, it needs a GT3 or GT2 to have the same fun.

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassi

    Just an FYI, the Sport Suspension, when brought to the US will have the -10 PASM ride height, so daily driving shouldn't be an issue wrt ride height.

    RC, in your prior posts concerning ride quality of PASM in sport mode v. the -20, you stated that the -20 rode better. Well, I've driven PASM on poor city streets in sport mode, and I found it acceptable for daily driving. . . . so it stands to reason the Sport Suspension should also be reasonable for daily driving. Also, somewhere I had seen posted the damping curves of PASM in both modes plotted against the -20 damping. It showed PASM in sport to be more heavily damped than the -20, which is in line with your observations on ride quality. (However, to confuse the issue, I've seen marketing literature from Porsche stating the -20 to be more heavily damped)

    Of course, ride quality is wholly subjective; one person's plush, cadillac-type ride is another person's buckboard covered wagon.

    For those who plan to do weekend track events, I think the -20 is the way to go, due to the increased roll stiffness, quicker reflexes (from what RC has said in prior posts), and a proper LSD (much better than the active braking differential on my 996).
    -----------

    I wrote a letter to the CEO/President of PCNA re US availibity of the Sport Suspension. Hopefully, I hear something back within a few weeks. I'll post my findings here.

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassis?

    RC, Can you tell me who makes the lowering springs for the 997 or how I can get hold of a set.

    Thanks

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassis?

    BMCG, I can tell you that I really wish that PCNA offered
    the Sport Suspension, like RC has in Germany, but they deemed it unnecessary, so far. I have spent loads of time in US 997 S models with PASM, and I really think for most people; that suspension on Sport is probably firm enough. I just wish it had lower ride-height, to look better. The real track guys will get 997 GT-3, in the future (only RC
    probably knows when it will be here, before or after Turbo?)
    That will satisfy the enthusiast's that want the purity
    of a spring and strut based suspension, kinda like me !
    Revvv

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassis?

    Lol..and for the real track guys..who want to use the machine daily (even ferrying the youngs ones in the back seat, which excludes the GT3)...we get PASM as the default choice because of an imagination failure at PCNA????

    PCNA should recognise that their customer base is a little more diverse..

    And no, I don't consider the 996TT a more compelling trackable option...for about 3500 lbs worth of reasons

    [FWIW - the alternate of a daily driver and a GT3 gets the serious veto from the better half : "why on earth do we need 3 cars" ]

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassis?

    You need to wait for the GT-3, and put rear seats in for
    the "Kinder", if PASM is so un-attractive to you ! Revvv

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassi

    It is not easy to retrofit rear seats in the GT3. This procedure is being done locally on a 2004 GT3, and it is intense, costly, and requires custom fabrication and a whole lot of welding.

    I'd NEVER do this to a GT3.

    Anyway. . .

    Personally, I think the only reason the sport suspension is not yet available in the US, is that it needs US-specific springs and US-specific dampers to maintain the PASM -10 mm ride height. My guess is that these parts are not yet available, hence the delay in introduction.

    By all accounts, the Sport Suspension will be offered in the US. . . it's all a matter of when.

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassi

    I think your observations are correct. I am a purist; I would never really add seats to a GT-3...... Revvv

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassis?

    Quote:
    Blaster said:
    RC, Can you tell me who makes the lowering springs for the 997 or how I can get hold of a set.

    Thanks



    The lowering springs are available from H&R, the original OEM supplier for the GT3, GT2 and Carrera GT. Of course this doesn't mean that you don't get problems with your warranty but at least you can be sure that you get somehow a decent quality at Porsche level.

    Part number in the US is 29188-1 as far as I know, lowering is around 1.2 inches front and 1.2 inches rear.
    This is only for the standard suspension equipped 997 Carrera (not S or PASM).
    Website for the US: http://www.hrsprings.com/

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassi

    Quote:
    frayed said:
    It is not easy to retrofit rear seats in the GT3. This procedure is being done locally on a 2004 GT3, and it is intense, costly, and requires custom fabrication and a whole lot of welding.



    And I thought it only requires two seat cushions, two seat backs, a few parts for the seat backs and seat belts and of course the seat belts. Not to forget that due to safety reasons for the rear passengers, Porsche does not approve the usage of the GT3 race shells with rear seats.

    Re: Possible to import a Euro 997S to the US w/ -20mm chassi

    Quote:
    RC said:
    Quote:
    frayed said:
    It is not easy to retrofit rear seats in the GT3. This procedure is being done locally on a 2004 GT3, and it is intense, costly, and requires custom fabrication and a whole lot of welding.



    And I thought it only requires two seat cushions, two seat backs, a few parts for the seat backs and seat belts and of course the seat belts. Not to forget that due to safety reasons for the rear passengers, Porsche does not approve the usage of the GT3 race shells with rear seats.



    Nope. It's an exhaustive, labor intensive retrofit. A significant amount of sheet metal and reinforcement pieces were excluded from the GT3, since there was no need to place the proper, DOT/TUV approved anchor points for the setbelt mounting points.

    The dealer that agreed to retrofit rear seats had no idea it would be so difficult, and stated that they would never do it again.

     
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