997 Turbo Tuned vs Stock

The new 991 Turbo boasts increased performance, but should 997T owners modify to keep up or simply enjoy the 3.6’s 480bhp?

The 997 Turbo is a phenomenal car of equal power and grace. Rightfully labeled as the perfect everyday supercar, it’s been the benchmark of four-wheel-drive forced induction at Porsche – until now. All of a sudden, the new 991 Turbo’s power hike to 520hp (and Turbo S to an astounding 560hp) has the Gen1 997 Turbo in particular against the ropes, with the 3.6-liter engine’s 480hp becoming dated overnight. But what to do? Should Gen1 owners turn to modifications for power parity with the new model, or should the 997 3.6 be appreciated as a great value used Turbo with plentiful grunt?

For many 911 drivers, the words ‘modified’, ‘tuned’ and even ‘enhanced’ shouldn’t go in the same sentence as ‘Porsche 911’. The opinion that the engineers at Weissach know exactly what they’re doing with their 911s – whether a basic C2 or a top-spec GT3 RS is one shared by many 911 owners.

Basalt black 997 Turbo

Sure, the 997 Turbo is already frighteningly fast, capable of almost 200mph and 0-60mph in around three seconds, but who’s to say its performance cannot be suitably enhanced any further?

The arguments for and against are simple: go down the tuning route and you’re creating a personalized car. It’s a bit like buying a tailor-made suit not off the peg: it’s bespoke to your own desires. But most want a standard 911, so you’re instantly alienating potential buyers who won’t touch a modified example no matter who’s done the tuning.

To investigate this further, we’ve come to JZM in Kings Langley: specialist 911 dealers with a top-end showroom. With a workshop next door offering servicing as well as tuning (JZM are UK agents for Manthey Motors), they’re well placed to articulate the pros and cons of tuning 997s.

Factory Arctic silver 997 Turbo

Their two Gen1 997 Turbos here look similar (besides the color), but possess decidedly different personalities. One is a stock 480bhp Tiptronic in Arctic silver, and the other is a modified 630bhp manual variant in Basalt black. The standard car retails at $67,350 while the tuned version is $79,350 (with 31,000 miles, one owner, a FSH and, needless to say, no manufacturer warranty).

Putting mechanics to one side, the black 997 sounds more appealing. One, it’s a manual. Two, it has more factory options, including the fade-free PCCB, a carbon fiber interior pack, Carrera white instrument pack, Sport Chrono, TPM system, PCM navigation, telephone, Mobridge iPod & Bluetooth Connectivity and off-road pack. And three, it claims to have 630bhp and 640lb ft of torque.

The massive 150bhp and 140lb ft torque hike in power is from a bolt-on tuning package – using stock engine internals and a pair of DMS hybrid turbochargers, DMS tubular manifolds, a DMS stainless steel 200-cell exhaust system and a remap of the ECU. Meanwhile, the transmission is beefed up to cope with the addition of a Sachs 890Nm Clutch and a GT2 RS Single Mass flywheel.

JZM’s technical manager Steve McHale explains why a good, reliable, modified 997T such as this may be hard to come by: “It’s difficult to get this sort of power from a 997 Turbo – mainly due to heat soak with the standard intercoolers. You may be able to generate that sort of power (with the right parts) once, but next time you put your foot down it’ll be 550bhp, then 530bhp, 510bhp and so on. The intercooler heat levels and charge air temperatures get too high, even on a very cold day.

What lies beneath: even at first glance the engine bay isn't vastly different to the factory Turbo

“What we advise to get over 600bhp is an intercooler upgrade to cope with the increased intake temperatures, a 100-200 cell exhaust to reduce back pressure, an 820Nm clutch, an inlet manifold pressure sensor upgrade and our Manthey dyno-developed ECU remap. Do it properly or it’s not worth doing – you end up chasing your tail and spending a lot for little bhp.

“The engine and transmission are bomb-proof and there’s tolerance left from the factory, so the 997 can respond to tuning. But it’s got to be right.”

The net result of a tuned 997 like this black one is impressive. The surge of torque created by the boost coming in quicker and with more pressure is immediately apparent – making the already quick 997 Turbo seem ballistic. The modified 997 Turbo feels faster but sounds no different, with no waste gate to flutter and hiss with the hiked boost levels, though the variable vane technology Borg Warner Turbo does sound a little more ‘whooshy’.

But there are immediate noticeable running differences with this tuned Turbo: the idle is a little rougher, the GT2 RS single mass flywheel is a lot noisier and the engine always wants to go, such is the tidal wave of torque on tap. It’s a lot less smooth than the silver factory 997T (especially with Tiptronic), making progress more jerky.

There’s also a practical element to consider: add another 150bhp to a 997 Turbo and where is there to go? It takes about three seconds to reach the UK’s 70mph legal limit on a motorway from a standing start, and with a 200mph V-max potential, the temptation is far too great. Take it on track then? Sure, but it’ll get very hot and not produce anything like its claimed 630bhp after the first bootful. Besides, the Turbo is no pure track car – not without a comprehensive strip out, advanced suspension setup and skilled driver, anyhow.

At face value, it's hard to tell which 997 turbo is modified

The bottom line is the factory 997 Turbo makes an awesome touring car. It’s comfortable, fast, has great equipment and is great fun cross-country.

Yes, the extra boost from a tuned example such as this Basalt black 911 may be worth having at times while the considerably speedier spool-up and extra grunt means you don’t need to drop gears to go fast. However, JZM’s Jonas Zambakides sums our investigation up rather aptly: “I can’t really see the point in having a 600bhp-plus 997 Turbo. Where the hell will you ever use that extra power? They are such quick cars as standard, and such a good all-rounder. Why change that? I personally think they’re a bit too much when tuned up like this. The factory 997 Turbo works a treat, and you’ll have a 195mph car you can use with pleasure every day.”

If you must tune the 997T, stick to a basic exhaust and ECU remap package, or just enjoy the 3.6 Gen1 for what it is: an affordable and highly desirable used GT car in its own right. The 520hp and active aerodynamics may hail an altogether new era of Turbo with the 991 variant, but the Gen1 997 Turbo is a worthy stalwart of its own time. Therefore, it shouldn’t need to keep up.