The biggest issue here is cost. You are going to pay loads and loads more for any mod on a 911 than you every would on a Mustang. No complete exhaust system, when purchased new, will be under $2,000. In fact I would be surprised if you can do a full system for under 4k new from the quick looking I have done. At most you would gain 30hp from it with a tune.

 

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WE HAVE A BINGO!!!!!!

 

For what it's worth, I've been thinking about a 997.1 turbo for a while know, until I actually went out and drove one last week. The way my car performs with the mods I have, is much more pleasurable to drive in a real world and technical track scenario. I realize the turbo has quite a bit more horsepower, but it doesn't come on linear like the NA Porsche cars. I actually think the 30 to 50 hp gain that can be had from the x-51 parts and full exhaust is much more enjoyable/usable than a 100 or so from a turbo system. I would consider my cars performance (power/torque) very similar to the 997.2 GTS (6-speed) or 997.1 GT3 (I have driven both).

 

Also...I am sure you have already come to the conclusion that these are not your run of the mill cars. They are not for cheap tuners or big american muscle. They are pure drivers cars and VERY few see any mods. Typically people who spend 90K on a new car are not going to go out and mod it. Sure companies exist who do that type of work but its for a very small market, hence the extreme costs. The maintenance cost alone means that even a cheap use 911 isnt going to stay cheap.

Where the community sees many a pitfall victim is from your exact position. I had a cheap car and modded the crap out of it to be crazy fast and brake well and handle like a dream. So if I can take a cheap car and do that then why cant I with a nice car. For this use the 2 out of three principle. You can have cheap and fast but it wont be good. You can have fast and good but it wont be cheap. You can have cheap and good but it wont be fast. You cannot have all three.

 

White Rock Its funny because I used your car as a model for the mods I did. I was next going to do< X-51 airbox, 84mm Plenum, GT3 Throttle Body to my car. Do you think its worth it considering the other mods I did? I mean I'm in half way might as well go the rest of the way.

 

I don't remember the 6speed members name (I don't see him post much any more, might have sold his car) but he brought every bolt on mod that you can buy for the 997. He said it sounded fast, butt dyno felt fast. He did a before and after dyno. and drum roll.............................................. ..................................










He gained a couple of hp, he had spend about as much as a turbo system with installation. IMO, if you want to keep it NA, just get an exhaust to make it sound better. Otherwise save your money for a turbo or get an aftermarket turbo. Porsche engineers did a great job in extracting every bit of hp they can.

 

+1!.....

 

This was exactly my frame of mind when I bought my first 997 about six months ago. My previous car was a 93 300zx Twin Turbo that I heavily modified to about 450hp so I figured I would bump up the power in the Porsche as well. After doing some research and learning I can only get about a 30hp gain for $5k plus installation, I can't stomach the dollar per horse power ratio.

Now that I have lived with the car for awhile, it's pretty much perfect the way it is. It's fast enough to be enjoyable, and though it may not be the fastest car on the road, it is most of the time. Besides, it's not like I'm drag racing d-bags in Z28's at stoplights anymore.

To get any real gains you need to do something wild like a supercharger kit which is around $10k before install, but in my mind that should be $10k going to the down payment on a 997 turbo.

That being said, I'll probably do a few exterior and interior enhancements. I'm thinking the first thing I'll do is upgrade the stereo to a touch screen unit with all the modern enhancements like Bluetooth streaming and satellite radio. Then maybe the LED taillights and mufflers for sound since it's a bit too quiet for my taste. But that will be when I have some extra money to pi$$ away...

 

Perhaps that's for a turbo kit. For a VF-Engineering kit, it's $10k installed.

 

It's not about the horsepower; it's about the drivability and the driver's feel and connection to the road! The Porsche 911 checks all of the above!!!

 

Which mods do you have?

 

This.
Get the exhaust you want for the sound you want. Avoid the retarded PSE, go Tubi, Borla, FVD, etc.

Get some lighter wheels.

Get a speed shifter B&M or Numeric if it's a manual.

A flash won't do much for a n/a car, just the way it is.

You are correct, it's going to be a 400h.p. car, end of story. That is not a bad thing. 400 that I can get to the ground, in a great handling car is better than 600 that won't hook up/stop/turn.

The next step is a Turbo, and it is a big, expensive step.