996 turbo sound...

[steve singh]

Would the poor exhaust noise put you off buying one?

Thinking of getting one next year - bored of my current 996 and love my m3...thinking why i love the m3 so much it seems to comes from the silly pushed into the seat feeling at 4k+ revs plus AND the awesome rasp noise.

The turbo looks like stunning value and plan was to purchase and get onto the brilliant hartech scheme - however got a horrible feeling the exhaust note will just reduce the fun factor ?

I'm not that impressed with my standard 996 noise - is the turbo exhaust noise similar?

Will try and test drive one in spring; just interested in views.

TIA

[Zyp]

It's disappointing, yes.

I always thought mine sounded a bit

[anonymous-user]

Turbo exhaust sounds like a massive Dyson vacuum cleaner on steroids. Not a noise to set your heart racing.

Turbo's exhaust note doesn't put me off though. The grunt sets your heart racing.

[erics]

Plenty of ways to get sound. Sports cats, milteks, europipe, etc etc etc.

[metsta]

nice and quite just the way i like it, a bit boring yes, i just paid Jaz to remove a hideous fabspeed system, its in their workshop if you want to buy it i will give you the guys number. (part of the deal was that i took the exhaust off so he could sell it on) sounds epic just not for me.

[Porkupine]

I've had all 3- m3 996 non pse and turbo. Isn't much in it sound wise between the 996s. Although na car a little better. M3 blows them both away. IMO th e46 sound is just the best from any car. Just perfect. But believe me. When you drive the turbo you wil want it. Epic epic car. And lack of noise doesn't matter. It isn't silent. And you can hear the actual engine!

[georgeo]

metsta said:

nice and quite just the way i like it, a bit boring yes, i just paid Jaz to remove a hideous fabspeed system, its in their workshop if you want to buy it i will give you the guys number. (part of the deal was that i took the exhaust off so he could sell it on) sounds epic just not for me.

Yeah, I could be interested depending on cost please / contact info?

[Acf69]

Mine has a switchable 9FF exhaust, there is no way anyone would describe even the tick over as boring

[steve singh]

Thanks all - disappointing to read my fears may not be unfounded

Re exhaust for sale - i'm not in the market for a car until spring/summer 2013 unfortunately.

1) Another question - i've driven a 996 gt3 from around 0 to 70mph in a straight line - beautiful car but i still preferred the m3 shove in the back beyond 4k revs...does the 996 turbo give more noticeable shove in the back than the 996 gt3 (assume both standard)?

2) Related question, does the 996 turbo (again standard) give more of a shove in the back than the e46 m3 between 0-70 mph?

3) is the 996 turbo a noticeably smaller car (width) than the 996 gt2? I sat in a gt2 at pct and the back end felt huge!

Thanks.

[anonymous-user]

1) Dunno

2) Not sure if serious etc

3) same body on GT2 and turbo.

[steve singh]

Greg66 said:

1) Dunno

2) Not sure if serious etc

3) same body on GT2 and turbo.

Thanks - re #2 it is a serious question.

The way the m3 delivers it power does increase the shove in the back feeling as it all happens between 4-8k revs - Porsches tend to deliver their power in a more linear way across the rev range - so i've historically found the shove in the back feeling is less extreme?

Hence my question

[Acf69]

I had a E46 M3 for six years up until the summer when I bought my 996 TT. Re exhaust note when I first bought my M3 there was a lot of talk on the boards re the exhaust note not doing it for people and again a lot of upgrades were discussed, just like here. What I found was the engine was what did it for me, the engine just sings as you accelerate.

Re the shove now my car is a X50 and a bit tickled however the shove you get is noticeably greater than the M3. I remember the first time I drove the M3 and my face lit up when I put my foot down. I have driven a lot of nice cars and the 996TT is the first I've driven that noticably surpassed the M3. A few years back I drove a 3.6 and a 3.8 997 and couldn't see that much performance difference to the M3 and in my head couldn't justify the upgrade cost. That wasn't the case when I test drove the 996TT.

Buy one, you'll enjoy every moment of ownership

[willmac]

Needs a better exhaust. Standard system is very muted.

[erics]

Get a 996 turbo, remap it, get an exhaust and you'll forget all the other cars, gt3, e46 inc..

[stubbsy996]

steve singh said:

Thanks - re #2 it is a serious question.

The way the m3 delivers it power does increase the shove in the back feeling as it all happens between 4-8k revs - Porsches tend to deliver their power in a more linear way across the rev range - so i've historically found the shove in the back feeling is less extreme?

Hence my question

Not the turbo! If it's the shove in the back factor your after the turbo will certainly give you that!
Think you need to drive one

[anonymous-user]

steve singh said:

Greg66 said:

1) Dunno

2) Not sure if serious etc

3) same body on GT2 and turbo.

Thanks - re #2 it is a serious question.

The way the m3 delivers it power does increase the shove in the back feeling as it all happens between 4-8k revs - Porsches tend to deliver their power in a more linear way across the rev range - so i've historically found the shove in the back feeling is less extreme?

Hence my question

Sorry - that probably sounded arsey, which it wasn't meant to be. I was on an iPhone and about to go to bed, so fewer words the better.

Many years ago, when I was a lot younger, I had a Mk 2 16v Golf. Not near M3 levels of shove, I know, but at 4500 rpm it would change character and give a very noticeable shove up to 7000. So I suspect I know what you mean when you refer to the M3’s shove.

The car I had before my 996T was a B6 S4. Straight line speed was comparable to an E46 M3. I had a Miltek on it, which I ended up hating, but that's a different story.

First time I booted the turbo, I had one of those moments when I wasn't really sure whether my senses and reactions would be up to keeping it. It is fecking fast. I've rarely been so glad to have been in a tip, because my eyes were clamped so hard on the world that was being fired at me at high warp there was no way I had time to keep an eye on the rev counter as well.

It was a big step up from anything I'd driven previously - a big step. It is properly "ohmyGodthisisquick" fast. Of course, like any addictive drug, you get used to it after time, and then you start hankering for something a bit faster ...

Back to the question: does it have a step change in grunt? Well, despite it being a turbo, where you might expect there to be a clear point at which you can feel the turbos kick in, I would say not. If you boot it, it simply fires you forward as if you have been shot from a cannon. It's not so much a shove in the back, it's more like two invisible hands pinning you back into the seat.

And the best thing is that the turbo is very easily tuneable. You want 500bhp? No problem. 600? Step this way. And so on.

Try one. I think you'll like it. The noise is really secondary or lower for me, but I realise others have different priorities. I suspect though that once you've driven one you'll not think the noise is a dealbreaker.

ETA: what you might find, coming from an M3, is that the turbo isn't sufficiently involving. The are a few threads here which divide turbo owners into two camps. One, which loves it because it is unbelievably quick and competent in all conditions, and the other, which doesn't like it for precisely the same reason. The latter generally (as I see it) prefer their cars to be a bit edgier than the turbo, liable to step out of line a bit more willingly and so on. You can provoke that behaviour in a turbo, but you have to be shifting fairly quickly and really trying to provoke it at the same time - ie possibly not the most sensible thing to do.

Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 15th December 09:53

[Dynamo69]

Thanks for all your views on the 996 turbo.

I have had my X50 manual from new and covered a mere 18,000 miles. I've been thinking of selling it because I do so few miles, and I am tempted by the new V8 RS6 announced by Audi.

The 'shove in the back' acceleration of the 996 is amazing & the standard exhaust is fine for me. I am grateful for the praises you all have given of this epic car because now I am having second thoughts about selling.

[steve singh]

Greg66 said:

steve singh said:

Greg66 said:

1) Dunno

2) Not sure if serious etc

3) same body on GT2 and turbo.

Thanks - re #2 it is a serious question.

The way the m3 delivers it power does increase the shove in the back feeling as it all happens between 4-8k revs - Porsches tend to deliver their power in a more linear way across the rev range - so i've historically found the shove in the back feeling is less extreme?

Hence my question

Sorry - that probably sounded arsey, which it wasn't meant to be. I was on an iPhone and about to go to bed, so fewer words the better.

Many years ago, when I was a lot younger, I had a Mk 2 16v Golf. Not near M3 levels of shove, I know, but at 4500 rpm it would change character and give a very noticeable shove up to 7000. So I suspect I know what you mean when you refer to the M3’s shove.

The car I had before my 996T was a B6 S4. Straight line speed was comparable to an E46 M3. I had a Miltek on it, which I ended up hating, but that's a different story.

First time I booted the turbo, I had one of those moments when I wasn't really sure whether my senses and reactions would be up to keeping it. It is fecking fast. I've rarely been so glad to have been in a tip, because my eyes were clamped so hard on the world that was being fired at me at high warp there was no way I had time to keep an eye on the rev counter as well.

It was a big step up from anything I'd driven previously - a big step. It is properly "ohmyGodthisisquick" fast. Of course, like any addictive drug, you get used to it after time, and then you start hankering for something a bit faster ...

Back to the question: does it have a step change in grunt? Well, despite it being a turbo, where you might expect there to be a clear point at which you can feel the turbos kick in, I would say not. If you boot it, it simply fires you forward as if you have been shot from a cannon. It's not so much a shove in the back, it's more like two invisible hands pinning you back into the seat.

And the best thing is that the turbo is very easily tuneable. You want 500bhp? No problem. 600? Step this way. And so on.

Try one. I think you'll like it. The noise is really secondary or lower for me, but I realise others have different priorities. I suspect though that once you've driven one you'll not think the noise is a dealbreaker.

ETA: what you might find, coming from an M3, is that the turbo isn't sufficiently involving. The are a few threads here which divide turbo owners into two camps. One, which loves it because it is unbelievably quick and competent in all conditions, and the other, which doesn't like it for precisely the same reason. The latter generally (as I see it) prefer their cars to be a bit edgier than the turbo, liable to step out of line a bit more willingly and so on. You can provoke that behaviour in a turbo, but you have to be shifting fairly quickly and really trying to provoke it at the same time - ie possibly not the most sensible thing to do.

Edited by Greg66 on Saturday 15th December 09:53

Thanks Greg - no need to apologise - your post gives me absolutely what i need, appreciate you sharing your thoughts.

I'm going to see if i can hire one for the weekend before i make the leap (as i'm guessing opc's will only have 997s) - i didn't buy the e9x m3 as it felt too refined, so went for the e46 as it just felt more raw/special - need to assess if the 996 turbo gives the same feel of rawness as the e46 at least.

[anonymous-user]

steve singh said:

rawness.

I think perhaps you should add a 996 GT2 to your shortlist.

[steve singh]

Greg66 said:

steve singh said:

rawness.

I think perhaps you should add a 996 GT2 to your shortlist.

I did consider it, but it's a car that i think is beyond my driving skills for me!