Picked up new 997S X51 today
- Thread starter Z80
- Start date
What is "X51" ?
Greg, your 997 looks really great.
Greg, your 997 looks really great.
YvesD
New member
You Sir have made an inspired choice.
Are you able to give us a back to back analysis with the standard C2S ?
I have test driven a turbo today and although very fast, obviouisly, I think the atmo delivery is nicer and every bit as rewarding as the big wallop from the TT.
I specced up a C2S with X51 and all the toys I would usually have and it came in at £85k. Did the same exercise with the new GT3 and that came in at £87k !
Food for thought.
Yves
Thanks,
Marke2, the X51 Powerkit is an engine conversion that can be specified on a new 997S and it's an option on existing cars from a certain build date (can't remember the date).
The Powerkit consists of a different cylinder head, aluminium intake manifold, larger exhaust manifolds with bigger bores. The engine management system is different too. As part of the kit the airbox is made from carbon fibre & the sports exhaust system is fitted.
The graph of before & after is here:-
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h95/z80_photos/x51_Graph.jpg
The gain is 26 horses from 355 bhp to 381 bhp and there's a torque increase to 415 Nm (up from what I can't remember).
The kit fitted when spec'd from new is uhm expensive, cough. When it's fitted as an after kit on an existing car it's even more. Either way, for the money, to gain an additional 26 horses and a bit more torque can never on any circumstances be justified. Never, ever.
However I just know that it had to be specified on the car.
As for comparison with a stock 997S, at this stage I can't make a worthy comparison because these cars are always splendid anyway & it's only done 100 miles. The book says for the first 1865 miles don't go mad and so the revs are kept below 4K at present. Initial impressions are it 'picks-up' very quickly early in the rev range (yes, even with the chrono button off) and sort of promises more, later up the tacho, when the engine is bedded in.
The thing just flies basically. It is really very quick. They all are though aren't they.
Thanks,
Greg.
Marke2, the X51 Powerkit is an engine conversion that can be specified on a new 997S and it's an option on existing cars from a certain build date (can't remember the date).
The Powerkit consists of a different cylinder head, aluminium intake manifold, larger exhaust manifolds with bigger bores. The engine management system is different too. As part of the kit the airbox is made from carbon fibre & the sports exhaust system is fitted.
The graph of before & after is here:-
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h95/z80_photos/x51_Graph.jpg
The gain is 26 horses from 355 bhp to 381 bhp and there's a torque increase to 415 Nm (up from what I can't remember).
The kit fitted when spec'd from new is uhm expensive, cough. When it's fitted as an after kit on an existing car it's even more. Either way, for the money, to gain an additional 26 horses and a bit more torque can never on any circumstances be justified. Never, ever.
However I just know that it had to be specified on the car.
As for comparison with a stock 997S, at this stage I can't make a worthy comparison because these cars are always splendid anyway & it's only done 100 miles. The book says for the first 1865 miles don't go mad and so the revs are kept below 4K at present. Initial impressions are it 'picks-up' very quickly early in the rev range (yes, even with the chrono button off) and sort of promises more, later up the tacho, when the engine is bedded in.
The thing just flies basically. It is really very quick. They all are though aren't they.
Thanks,
Greg.
YvesD
New member
They certianly are Greg. I launched my C2S just perfectly away from a junction on saturday ( having just stepped out of the 997 turbo ) and thought, wow, thats not lacking in any department !.
More speed does not make a vehicle more enjoyable to drive, just means you spend more time wasting more of the cars potential. I remember this from the list of crazy bikes I once owned culminating with the 200mph Suzuki Hayabusa. The faster the bikes got the less I able to exploit the performance. I know cars are much easier to pilot but the principle is the same.
All of Porsches 997 cars are fabulous machines and capable of huge thrills.
Wonder what the GT3 will be like ?
Yves
Guest
New member
Greg
Thanks for the pictures, engine compartment with X51 bits in particular.
Pls keep us posted on performance experience etc as you bed the car in. The graph you show hopefully illustrates one of the "real- life" benefits of the package, i.e. improved bottom end torque - not ignoring, of course, the improved torque and bhp nearer the top end.
Rob
Thanks for the pictures, engine compartment with X51 bits in particular.
Pls keep us posted on performance experience etc as you bed the car in. The graph you show hopefully illustrates one of the "real- life" benefits of the package, i.e. improved bottom end torque - not ignoring, of course, the improved torque and bhp nearer the top end.
Rob
sawood12
New member
I was wondering.. this X51 options seems to be coming under alot of flack from most who comment on it due to the apparent lack of bang for you're buck, however if you take the cost elemet out of it (which I realise is the big turn-off for most) I wonder if you can draw paralells with the pre and post varioram 993 models. On paper the 993 varioram models had exactly the same accelaration figures, top speed figures, power figres and even peak torque figures so on paper you would wonder why on earth you would want it. However when I was looking for a 993 about 10 months ago the overwhelming advice I got from the 993 guys was to get the varioram model if I could as it was a better drive with the engine being more flexible. Seems to me having better flowing cylinder heads will only add to the engines drivability not to mention more potential for future mods. The engine would be more revvy due to the easier breathing and generally more sporty. Possibly the differences are not noticable just by a couple of back-to-back test drives.
I would guess that a C2S with the lowered passive suspension option with LSD, X51 would be a pretty capable car on track - a very close approximation of a GT3 for those who don't want to go to those extremes.
I would guess that a C2S with the lowered passive suspension option with LSD, X51 would be a pretty capable car on track - a very close approximation of a GT3 for those who don't want to go to those extremes.
YvesD
New member
Scott, you are right that the cost is the biggest downside. I would guess its only really worth £2.5-3k in reallity, the rest is pure profit for Porsche.
What we need to know is just how 'extreme' the GT3 is on its standard suspension settings. If you believe Porsches sales hype it will be perfectly liveable with on a day to day basis although obiously more purposeful than the regular range.
My fear is that the starting point for the GT3 will be the 'sport' setting of the C2S. This would quickly get tiring as the UK roads are shamefully maintained.
That said, if they pull it off, how many customers would swap to GT3 instead ?
I like the sound of your lowered, LSD'd and X51'd C2S. The purists choice ?
Yves
What we need to know is just how 'extreme' the GT3 is on its standard suspension settings. If you believe Porsches sales hype it will be perfectly liveable with on a day to day basis although obiously more purposeful than the regular range.
My fear is that the starting point for the GT3 will be the 'sport' setting of the C2S. This would quickly get tiring as the UK roads are shamefully maintained.
That said, if they pull it off, how many customers would swap to GT3 instead ?
I like the sound of your lowered, LSD'd and X51'd C2S. The purists choice ?
Yves
I may be missing something here, with all this talk about GT3s, as it seems accademic unless you have your deposit down and are in the queue. I have been told by more than one Centre that they are either all sold or that if they are to continue in production along side the new GT2 the earliest I could take delivery of a car would be Sept 2008.
[
]
[
]
sawood12
New member
I like it too, it's my dream 997 C2S spec. And the cost of not having PASM slightly offsets the cost of the X51. Maybe in a 'few' years when i've paid off the mortgage - mind you the 998 will probably be out by then and it'll probably be a hybrid!! I fear that the GT3, as fabulous as it is, will still be a bit too extreme for the road, and the handful of trackdays I do a year just doesn't justify it. Even if they sort out the suspension I hate high RPM engines. My mates Civic Type R is a nightmare - you really have to ring the neck out of it to get it to do anything and it is next to useless below 6krpm. It's just too much like hard work for the spirited drive home from work.
Anyway I'm glad Greg is happy with his X51 option - I fully sympathise with his 'Heart ruling head' decision, after all surely the decision to buy a 997 in the first place is driven from the heart, although I still couldn't justify the cost of PCCB as much as I would like it!
Thanks Yves,
I adore the car.
More pictures here in case of interest...
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h95/z80_photos/997Sfrontoffside.jpg
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h95/z80_photos/997Srear.jpg
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h95/z80_photos/DSCN0139.jpg
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h95/z80_photos/997SX51left.jpg
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h95/z80_photos/997SX51Lefttoright.jpg
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h95/z80_photos/997SX51Righttoleft.jpg
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h95/z80_photos/997SSportsSwheel.jpg
As far as performance is concerned, all I can report is the thing is darned fast. I've done 360 miles now & have only gone as far as 4.5K revs but it's the rate at which it gathers its undergarments from low revs and shoots up the drive with such ease that's so impressive.
Need to borrow a stock 997S for a comparison. Probably not a lot of difference between the two.
Will report back when there's more miles done.
Best Regards,
Greg
YvesD
New member
Interesting, the manifolds are completely different from the standard car which confirms the aftermarket boys claims to more power from this ancilliary alone.
The twin air filter intakes are nice too, shared only with the Turbo I think.
I would be surprised if the differences between stock C2S and X51 kitted are not obviously apparent all through the rev range as having driven the 3.6 Carrera at Millbrook on friday ( 35bhp down on the S ), although fast in its own right, was nowhere near as lively as the 3.8.
The thing I am coming to appreciate with all Porches is just how usable the ( relatively modest these days ? ) power is. You reach that sweet spot in a corner when the traction of the car can just take everything you want to throw at it, fabulous. Other manufacturers seem to need a lot more power ( and crucially, weight ) to approach the same level of satisfaction.
The ideal for me would be GT3 levels of power dressed up in a C2S everyday practicality suit. Exactly what we can expect from the next generation 998 then !
Yves
The twin air filter intakes are nice too, shared only with the Turbo I think.
I would be surprised if the differences between stock C2S and X51 kitted are not obviously apparent all through the rev range as having driven the 3.6 Carrera at Millbrook on friday ( 35bhp down on the S ), although fast in its own right, was nowhere near as lively as the 3.8.
The thing I am coming to appreciate with all Porches is just how usable the ( relatively modest these days ? ) power is. You reach that sweet spot in a corner when the traction of the car can just take everything you want to throw at it, fabulous. Other manufacturers seem to need a lot more power ( and crucially, weight ) to approach the same level of satisfaction.
The ideal for me would be GT3 levels of power dressed up in a C2S everyday practicality suit. Exactly what we can expect from the next generation 998 then !
Yves
Posts made and opinions expressed are those of the individual forum members
Use of the Forum is subject to the Terms and Conditions
