Quote:
stephens said:
Your analysis of performance brakes perpetuates a common misundersatnding of brake systems generally.
As long as your stock brakes are capable of locking up ie engaging the ABS, there is no reduction in stopping distance with a brake kit. The car will still reach the same amount of peak neg G's whilst braking, it will just be able to sustain them for longer. The onlyway to improve braking distances is to use stickier tyres.....
What the brake kit does, is allows the brakes to continue to function at the same level of retardation, when a stock system starts to fade.
You do not need to reprogram computer systems, because you are not changing any parameters for any of the electronic systems. There is therefore no effect on ABS/PSM or PASM. I am wondering why you thought there was.
There are many aftermarket tuners that produce suspension and engine/drivetrain componants that improve the cars. Some of these are in fact used by factory supported race teams. Porsche cars and engineers are guided by compromisel, not perfection.
Regarding aftermarket brakes: all tested systems provided LONGER brake distances. You may be right about fading but I prefer a "weaker" brake with a shorter braking distance than one which doesn't show fading but needs 10 meters more braking distance from 125 mph to 0.
Regarding the Cayenne Turbo, I have to tell you that the ABS/PSM/PASM system has a big deal to do with the brake.
Especially the new braking assistant on the Carrera4/4S.
The balance of braking power between the front and rear axle is also very important, especially on the 911.
There are so many factors involved which aftermarket products can't take care of.
And just like you said: there are aftermarket tuners who deliver certain products but these products are usually good for one purpose only or if they're bad, they actually make everything worse.
Regarding track use, things are even more complicated: the stock setup of the 911 for example is often better than a lot of aftermarket kits on most tracks. Coilover kits have the advantage over the stock setup that they can be adjusted. But be honest: how many owners usually do that? They just adjust it to the lowest acceptable setting, using the stiffest springs/setting too. I can assure you that this setup would never outrun the stock setup on most tracks. But it feels stiffer and sportier and most drivers may be able to achieve better times with this setup because they weren't capable of driving the stock setup at the limit. It is a psychological thing too, sometimes.
But anyway: a chipped S600 is nice but over here in Germany, we actually don't care too much about such cars.
A Mercedes S-class is no sportscar, no matter if it has 500 HP or 800 HP, no offense meant.
We're more into raw material which can be used for the street too. Track prepped cars are usually only good for the track if they're prepared right.
Porsche engineers are not looking for compromises, this is something non-Porschephiles still have to understand.
The best example is the Boxster S: almost no car worldwide is faster in slalom/handling tests, it even outruns the Ferrari Enzo in such tests. Most cars, including the 997, are usually 5 kph slowlier. So where is the compromise because the Boxster has a reputation as a woman's Porsche or an entry-level Porsche?
Porsche usually tries to offer comfort AND sportiness.
The only compromise they made is actually the PASM system.
Unfortunately the setup of the 911 PASM isn't perfect, the comfort setting seems to be faster on most tracks than the sport setting (although there is again that "psychological thing", most drivers claim that they do wonders with the PASM sport setting...
).
Racing teams are usually using different brake systems, brake lines, brake fluids, etc. You can't compare a setup of a race car with a street car. Or would you want to get such a weak braking performance with cold brakes that a Ford Explorer would probably come to an earlier stop from 62 mph to 0?
Let me see: a stock car like the 997 Carrera S at up to 1500 kg weight with 355 HP only does the Nordschleife in 7:59 (Walter Röhrl Porsche testdriver, not officially confirmed) and 8:05 (Horst v. Saurma, SPORT AUTO editor-in-chief, officially confirmed) on stock tires. In the wet pavement test (something specific to SPORT AUTO), the same car holds the record. On street tires!
Now compare these times with times of REAL track/racing cars on the Nordschleife and there are only a few seconds difference, considering the same power/weight ratio.
In my opinion, it is a waste of money, time and even engineering brains to modify a Porsche for track use with aftermarket parts. I'm talking about those casual track drivers, not professional racing. But to each his own I guess.
