Monthly Archives: September 2016

Porsche 991 Turbo S – 6 Month Review

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I’ve had the 911 for about six months now so I thought I’d do a quick ownership thus-far review. Right off the bat I can say that I’ve driven this car nearly 5000 miles those six months. Maybe that’s not a lot for some people but consider this: I drove my C7 Corvette about 2200 miles in the year I owned it.  Driving the 911 is a pleasure. I go out of my way to drive this car and look forward to it every time- not something I take for granted.

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Reliability:

As I mentioned I’ve been nearly 5000 miles and never had any driveability issues. The car handles like exactly like it’s supposed to- perhaps better. I’ve got zero bad things to say about the engine, drivetrain, brakes and various suspension & stabilization-related equipment.

Unrelated to divability there are a few things small issues that have popped up. For example, I had to have the washer pump reservoir replaced (it was leaking- taken care of under warranty). I’ve got some rattles here and there that I have to periodically troubleshoot (i.e. the sunroof). Additionally I’ve had my door panels off a few times hunting down speaker buzz. There is also periodic mooing sound coming from somewhere behind the dash (maybe a failing pump- but it hasn’t failed yet). Given the mods I’ve done to the car I’m pretty impressed that I haven’t had anything remotely close to a “problem.”

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Features:

Having six months of the Burmester under my belt has left me extremely satisfied with the stereo. It never quite makes you tingle (an attribute of higher end systems) but it’s extremely clear, the mids are rich and full and the bass does it’s job. All in all this is my favorite factory upgrade. My biggest stereo gripe (minus the door buzz) is strictly related to the interface: No volume indicator. I guess they just figure you can hear how loud it is… unless you can’t (like if there’s something wrong with your source). I’ve been burned by this little omission more times than I care to admit.

I still love the sunroof. It’s easily my second favorite factory option. I love being able to have additional cabin light, I relish the breeze / wind that comes in and I think the exterior is well served by the black contrast. Every time I get in I appreciate how much headroom there is despite the sunroof’s presence.

There are many other features that I continually enjoy too- the lightning design package (that ambient light is sweet), the entry and drive system, ventilated seats and the LCD screen in the gauge cluster. Admittedly many of the car’s features I don’t really use such as the back up camera, PDCC, navigation, the auto start/stop function and things like that. I don’t really miss the HUD from the Corvette either.

Comfort:

The 991 really is a comprehensive synthesis of “sport” and “luxury”. The 18 way adjustable seats have accommodated me perfectly on all 5000 miles. And another mention here of how spacious the interior of the vehicle is- I have never felt cramped inside the 991. Getting in and out can sometimes be a bit of a challenge for friends though (okay, and me too). The back seats aren’t comfy, but it’s a huge plus that they are present at all.

The suspension on this car can be a little jarring which I continue to notice from time to time. I do have the option to lower the tire pressure a bit for a more comfortable ride, but I can’t bring myself to do it. The interior noise (compounded by my aftermarket exhaust) is still an issue when I have guests, but when I’m driving alone I never give it a second thought.

I’m not sure where I put this so I’ll stick it here: Visibility in this car is top notch. I really feel like Porsche nailed that. No claustrophobia, but I also don’t feel like I’m in a fishbowl. On the freeway I rarely feel like I might hit the driver next to me while changing lanes (candidly the lane change assist option now on the 17’s would be cool).

Driving & Handling:

So good. So amazing. The car does whatever you ask and most of the time it seems just as excited as you are. It hugs the road with ferocity. It takes the sharpest turns without excuses. It’s fast and then it goes faster. As soon as you’re ready to brake you realize you’re already stopped. This car is just pure bliss to drive. The only thing that’s changes over six months is that I’ve gotten a bit better at driving it- but that only makes me realize how much untapped potential the car has left (I’m not a great drive, by the way).

The PDK transmission deserves it’s many accolades- it has you covered in every situation and it’s smoothness is unrivaled. I don’t think there’s a better transmission out there. I still haven’t given the “missing” manual gearbox a second thought.

The all wheel drive system in the 911 enhances every aspect of driving. For example, the launch control is out of this world. The steering, the grip and they way the car transfers torque / power where it’s needed is exceptional. I finally had a chance to make a run through the Alpine Loop. I couldn’t even make the tires chirp- unreal.

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Styling:

I still love the car’s looks. After six months I can state with absolute certainty that this car rarely garners much attention (which is just fine with me). It’s not as visceral as some cars, but it’s still refined. I still love the color- metallic white was the right call, especially with the added carbon fiber accents. Interior color has been great. I’ve never gotten in the car and thought “This is boring” or “I’m sick of this color.” I really wish there was somewhere to put my phone- that’s annoying.

Mods:

I second guess a lot of things and the mods I have are no different. I’ve been happy with everything but I always wonder if I’ve made the best choices. I guess that’s something I might not ever know. Given that my day at the track gave me a 10.8 @ 132 mph I definitely feel like the modifications work and the car is running very well. Most of the mods you don’t hear or see if they are doing their job well. The exhaust is probably the exception to this. I’m really happy with how the the Fabspeed looks- it’s worlds better than the stock offering. I like the sound quite a bit but it definitely has some droning / resonance at certain speeds. I’m not 100% sure if I’d do the Fabspeed exhaust again.

Conclusion:

Having owned this car over six months all I can say it’s still blowing my expectations out of the water. It is refined, powerful and a true diver’s car in every sense. Hands down this is the best car I’ve ever owned.

 

White Turbo Upgrade?

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I have been thinking about a change. I feel like if I went this direction a lot of people wouldn’t even notice I had a new car (it would still be a “white turbo”). Pros: None. Cons: All. But it’s fun to dream. white-turbo-s-mods

Rocky Mountain Raceway: The Revenge

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The mods were installed, the race tune was dialed in and I had plenty of practice runs under my belt. It was time to go back to the Rocky Mountain Raceway for a “real” quarter mile run. It was time for revenge.

Anyone who knows my history can attest that my quarter mile goal has been to run in the 11’s since I saw the Fast and Furious (judge me if you must). I’ve had numerous cars theoretically capable of running in the 11’s but somehow things never panned out. My fastest official time was a 12.1 @ 131mph run. I was sure this time would be different…

I bought some Sunoco 260 GT Unleaded 104 octane racing gas (I picked this up from Keller Strauss in SLC). I knew I’d also need a helmet and I found this Snell 2005 compliant beauty for $30 on KSL. Go Speed Racer!

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My Vbox said I was a shoo-in for a 10-something quarter mile but no one believed me (I bet a friend a steak dinner I could do 10.9 or less). I actually called Rocky Mountain before I went up to make sure there wasn’t going to be an issue if I ran in the 10’s. The track manager said he thought that would be unlikely but told me to “bring your car up and go for it.” Admittedly I started to have some doubts. My priority going in became to test the Vbox results against the actual track time.

Jim and I got to RMR around four in the afternoon and were some of the very first cars in line. That meant that we would run as soon as the races officially started- around six. My family was on their way up but wasn’t going to be there in time for my first run. Since it was warm out and the DA was around 6100 I figured it would be my slowest quarter of the day so it wouldn’t be a big deal. No tricks on my first run- street tires, same tire pressure I came up with, no ice on the intercoolers. I was focused on testing out my Vbox. My turn came up and I was off:

Below is my time slip (a close up and then the full slip). I ran the Vbox concurrently during my quarter mile run and the results were shockingly similar. More than a few people became Vbox believers that day. I was pretty happy I’d hit a sub eleven given the time of day, my mediocre 60′ time and the altitude handicap I was facing. It was a solid first run… sadly it was also my last quarter mile run of the night.

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If you finished the video above then you heard the track staff telling me I’d be limited to 1/8 mile runs. That was very frustrating. RMR’s posted rules for midnight drags only state that the car has to be under 135 mph. As I mentioned I had called the track manager to make sure there were no surprises. He said “if” I ran a ten something under 135 mph they’d work with me. I was assured they wanted everyone to have funand show the audience a good time.

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Apparently an elapsed time (ET) under 11 seconds requires additional safety measures (which another track employee said he wouldn’t ever do to a car like mine). I found the situation extra frustrating because the guy telling me I was too fast was the same guy I’d talked to when I called the track (I cut the video short because it turned into a bit of an argument). I could have easily dialed my car back and saved a faster run for later. That would have given my family a chance to see me race a quarter mile. But there was zero recourse- it was 1/8 mile or nothing. He wouldn’t even let me slow the car down and said if I did the quarter again I’d be banned. Ah well. I had my Vbox so I wasn’t too bummed.

Later I decided to run in the 1/8th so my family could see me drive something:

Taking my foot off the accelerator after and eighth mile felt like castration (okay, I don’t really know- but it felt bad). On the upside the track had become very slick- I’ll explain why that’s a plus in a sec. Let’s get the facts out there: On the street my 60′ time is consistently around 1.6 seconds. Even though I was one of the first guys on the track at RMR my 60′ time was nearly 1.8. Track prep at RMR doesn’t seem to be much of a priority. By the time I ran my 1/8 mile (maybe an hour later) my 60′ dropped to over 1.9 seconds. Had waited to go “all out” until later in the night my time may have been worse than 10.84 due to the track degradation.
All things considered I had a lot fun. I got to hang out with Jim, meet some new (and very interesting) people and see a lot of sweet cars. I ran a quarter in the tens, made an awesome video and confirmed Vbox accuracy. My family got to watch me do an 1/8 mile run and I got to spend time with them and many other friends while we watched the drag race. Overall a great night.
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I’m at a little bit of a loss now… Without access to the track I’m not sure how much faster I’ll make my Turbo S (side note: how the hell are these forum guys running 10’s and 9’s on their local tracks with no safety equipment – no NHRA certification or something?). I don’t see a point in making my car too much faster for the streets. Maybe it’s time to build a “real” racecar. Whoa- almost forgot. I tried that already. Hopefully I’ll think of something.

Octane Insights

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I felt like one of the major obstacles on my quest for speed would be the low quality gas here in Utah. After substantial testing I can definitively say that it makes a huge (negative) difference. For the uninitiated here is a great article about octane: How Stuff Works.

While I’m pretty happy with my 91 octane tune I’ve been experimenting with some OTC octane boosters. You have to be careful with these products as the listed benefits are often misleading. Take for example this bottle from Lucas. It has a label that warns you not to be fooled by “misleading advertising”. However, the bottle itself claims “3X the Boost” but provides zero information about potential octane level increases one could expect.

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That being said, the Lucas bottle does provide this useful tidbit: “It takes 10 octane points to equal 1 octane number.” Some boosters will boast that they raise your octane level by 7 octane points (or something like that). If you used 91 octane gas and put in that booster you would have 91.7 octane. Hardly an improvement. Buyer beware.

Personally I like the two octane boosters below. They both clearly explain how much your actual octane level will go up. The NOS booster claims up to 6 octane numbers while the Royal Purple provides a boost of 3 octane numbers. Actual octane increases would be difficult to pinpoint but I have used the NOS and Royal purple octane boosters, logged my car’s data and they both seem to provide a definite benefit. Looking at engine data there is virtually no knock when these products are used in conjunction with my 91 octane tune. In contrast, without the boosters small amounts of ignition timing retard are common. So, I’m a believer!

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Note: If you log your car’s data and see any ignition timing being pulled it’s very possible an octane booster could help your car run more smoothly. However, without aftermarket tuning it’s unlikely the car will be any faster. To illustrate this point: While my car has certainly benefited from these products I haven’t necessarily really seen any speed gains. I would have to create a 94-ish octane tune to take advantage of the modified fuel.

After playing around with octane boosters it was time for the big leagues. It took awhile but I found a location in Provo (Christensen Oil) that sells 100 octane unleaded at the pump. It’s not cheap but I decided science demanded that I try it. I filled up my nearly empty car with the 100…

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…and after putting on a new 100 octane tune I could tell right away there was some magic happening. The top end power really filled in and came alive. I was so excited that I decided to drive out to my private racetrack that night and do a couple of runs. I did some 3rd gear pulls for data analysis. They looked good so I decided to go for the whole quarter mile.

The launch was perfect- the wheels just hooked up and then the car exploded forward. The acceleration was finally intoxicating and the car just keep pulling.  I could tell I got to 130 pretty quickly and the results were as good as I could have hoped for:

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That’s a huge amount of time shaved off with the race gas and tune. No tricks, no gimmicks, no games (i.e ice on the intercoolers, driving down a huge hill, etc). This run comes right on the heels of several 3rd gear pulls to 100 mph. I’ve even got catalytic converters on my car which makes the number even more impressive (I think I could shave off another 2/10ths with them off- more on that later). With this set up I feel like I’ve got a good shot at running my first “official” 10 second quarter when I hit RMR on the 9th. We’ll see.

So, in conclusion- octane boosters can be beneficial. Although to achieve next level performance it’s necessary to run much higher octane fuel and have a tune that can take advantage of it.