Nobody said that. People here are paying for specific cars with specific build options and are looking for answers to questions concerning how things work.

 

WOW

Some of the posts just don’t make sense and are of no help.

I have a 2005 C2S with Sport Chrono. Without any push of the button the throttle response seems fine. It is not overly touchy but isn’t dull. The suspension is very complacent and deals with bumps quite well (for a sport car). Once you hit the button both the throttle response and the suspension is changed. I wouldn’t say either are a wild difference but it is easily noticeable by anyone and everyone. The throttle is more precise and reacts much faster to any input. It borders twitchy but hangs in there to make it a nice adjustment. The suspension gets harsh, but that is exactly what it is supposed to do. I NEVER have the suspension portion turned on unless I am on a 100% smooth road or on the highway. In these two setting the car feel more balanced. Any steering inputs are more precise and the overall feel for the road is increased.

Example: I was on the highway when I first got the car for a 5 hour trek from MA to NJ. On a part of the highway the road was smooth but it went up and down in a very shallow wave pattern diagonally across the surface. The car began to sway back and forth as I went from high point to low point and back again. Almost felt like I was on a boat so I hit the little button and voila…smooth sailing!

I cannot speak to the technical changes but do recall that it also changes when the cars electronic stability and other safety things kick in, higher with it pushed, lower without.

Is it a MUST HAVE…no. For the extra cost is it smart to get…yes. Will you use it every day…maybe the throttle but typically not the suspension. If I were to spec out a new 911 would I get it…in a heart beat.

I hope this helps clear some things up. I would be happy to expand on any of it if something is still unclear.

 

I think it is mostly BS.
PSM gets relaxed by other mandatory button - 'PSM off'.

Really, 'PSM off' plus softronic flash works fine for me. Plus some instructors told me that this 'bump' in torque sport remap does in area of 4.5K rpm is actually even quite bad for a track as you can spin if not careful, stock map does not do it. But I got used to it and do not want to change anything.

 

I had a 997.1 without sport chrono. When I started my search, I drove several with and without SC. For me personally, behind S and coupe, it was my number 1 decision criteria...would never own one without it again!

 

Regardless, it is what it is, and has some function - whether you like it or not is something else.

 

It's very simple. You choose to read the manual and believe what the manufacturer says it does (it's in black and white), or you believe it has magical powers in contradiction to the owners manual. You decide - is Porsche right, or are owners who have a vested interest in feeling like they paid for something more than an expensive stopwatch right?

That last part is tongue-in-cheek, but honestly ... if you're going to make up undocumented, unproven 'features' why not make up some good ones like better mileage, more hp, or improved sex appeal.

 

I didn't go looking for a car with Sport Chrono (mostly based on threads on this forum that suggested it was not critical for a 6MT), but ended up with it because the car with the right options (blue, C4S cab, 6MT) happened to have it. You can certainly feel the difference in the drive, but it seems purely suspension-based. I also have the PSE (didn't go looking for that either), and Sport turns it on, so between the dramatically different exhaust note and the psychological impact of actually pushing the button to change mode, it probably seems like more of a change than it is. That said, unless my kids are in the car, it is all Sport all the time for me...

Perhaps the non-believers (and believers) need a blind taste test. Have a friend set one or the other then tape over the Sport center light and the instrument cluster light. Then you do drive and see if you can tell the difference...

 

I'm not really sure how and why people can't feel the difference. Sport mode dramatically changes the throttle response in the MT cars, I've had it on 3 cars now, a 997TT (where it actually does add more power), a Cayman S and my current C2S. How on earth you can't notice the fact that full throttle comes at only a gentle press of the pedal is beyond me. It is not a "must have" option on a manual but it does most definitely make a difference to how the car drives.

Believe me, if I was given the "blind taste test" I'd know instantly and without question which one was which.

 

For some reason, this topic always reminds me of this scene from the Three Musketeers...

King Louis: Your Eminence, I have heard some troubling rumors about you.
Cardinal Richelieu: There are so many to choose from.
King Louis: Betrayal.
Cardinal Richelieu: Ah, yes. That is usually the first. Let me see if I remember it correctly. While the English attack from without, the wicked Cardinal undermines from within, forging a secret alliance with Buckingham and placing himself on the throne. But really, Your Majesty, why stop there. I have heard much more festive variations. I make oaths with pagan gods, seduce the queen in her own chamber, teach pigs to dance and horses to fly, and keep the moon carefully hidden within the folds of my robe. Have I forgotten anything?
King Louis: It does seem rather farfetched

I'm certain the good Cardinal would tell of you of all the wonderful undocumented features of Sports Chrono.

 

We all agree, and there is no dispute, and it is clearly documented, that Sport Mode remaps the e-gas to reach WOT much sooner than normal (i.e. less than full pedal travel). Sport Mode != Sport Chrono.

 

Sport mode isn't available unless you have the sports chrono, aside from the new retrofit.

You do not get the "Sport" button unless it's spec'd. Do not confuse the PASM or PSM buttons with the Sport one either.

 

EricP, let me help clear this up for you since there's some serious misinformation being flung around this thread/forum.

Up until recently (a couple of months ago) it wasn't possible to retrofit the "Sport" feature on any 911 unless you spec'd "Sports Chrono" or "Sports Chrono +". The only way to obtain the "Sport" button was with the dashboard timer or "wart".

In a *standard* 911 Carrera, without PASM (Adjustable suspension) you would only have access to the PSM button which is the Porsche Stability Management. Clicking this would turn the system on or off, that's it.

Now if you have a Carrera S or a base Carrera *with* PASM you would also have the suspension button. This allows you to select two different settings, stock and firm (sport); the latter of which on the 997.1 at least is rather harsh on anything but a billiard table style road.

Finally, *IF* you specified the Sports Chrono or Sports Chrono + options on your 911, you would have the "Sport" button too. Assuming a Carrera S or a Carrera with PASM, the depression of the "Sport" button would activate the PASM (suspension) sport mode, back off the PSM slightly and increase throttle response. You can then choose to set the suspension back to normal mode by pressing the PASM button, while still maintaining your "Sport" throttle response.

It's worth noting as well that the Sport button will also activate your PSE (Sports Exhaust) which again can be toggled back off by pressing its own button.

As I mentioned at the beginning, Porsche recently released a retrofit "Sport" button that doesn't have the dashboard chrono. This adds all the features I mentioned above. This is the *SAME* option as the Sports Chrono, minus the clock, that's it!

Finally for PDK cars, the Sport button allows a different shift map as has already been discussed here.

TLDR? The "Sport" button is only available if you specify "Sports Chrono" from the factory OR you do the retrofit from your local Porsche dealer.

 

I agree about the "Sport" button and didn't phrase my response very clearly - making Sport Mode available without the SC wart was a great decision, if a bit late to the party. Meanwhile, I primarily blame Porsche for the confusion, as the Sport Mode section of the manual refers the reader to the PASM, PSM, and PDK sections which all have vague-to-specific references to a "sport mode". For instance, the PASM adjustments (enabled via the PASM "shock" button or the SC "SPORT" button) are referred to as PASM Sport mode or just "Sport mode".

PASM makes two running-gear setups available to the driver: “Normal” and “Sport”.
The selection is made via a button on the center console.

In Normal mode the running gear is in a comfortable setup.
Sport mode offers very sporty shock absorber tuning.

The variable suspension system selects the appropriate damping level for each wheel according to the situation and driving conditions.

Example:
If the vehicle is driven in a very sporty manner in Normal mode, PASM automatically adapts the shock-absorber behavior to the driving situation accordingly.

Thank you, Porsche. Could you be more ambiguous.

 

Wow- awesome - you answered EVERY question I had - THANK YOU Dave!!!

 

I use SC only to time my commute - which rarely deviates. And I rarely use Sports mode - If I need to dump more gas into the cans, I press the pedal faster.