Carbon Airbox - 997.2 turbo

[pdj81]

Hi All,

Its quite popular in the US to swap the existing plastic airbox for a carbonfibre one (porsche call it an air cleaner) which sits in front of the filter. I know the mod can be done on the 997.1 as well as there are several ones on the market.

The 997.2 Turbo S has such a box as standard and according to some accounts this contributes to better sound / resonance than the stock turbo.

Would therefore fitting one to a 977.2 turbo yield some extra noise / acoustics ? Im only going on reading few press articles but the same was often said of the E46 M3 CSL which had a CF box.

thanks in advance

[hondansx]

Hopefully i'm relatively well qualified here as i've had a CSL, and we have a Turbo S in the garage currently!

Sorry to disappoint you, but the airbox will not turn your Turbo into a CSL! The BMW was the best sounding car i've had or experienced, whereas the Turbo S sounds a bit better than a normal Turbo. Whilst there is a little more roar, when you think a standard Turbo makes one of the most unexciting noises going, then i wouldn't want you to get too excited! At least, you can certainly tell it's a flat six.

Having driven a GT2, it was much more characterful, with the turbo whooshes, wastegate chatter etc; very entertaining and i loved it (i'd also just driven a GT3 RS too, so it had stiff competition)! So essentially, i'm recommending you find out whatever they did to the GT2 over the Turbo, and get those bits instead!

I'd be right in line behind you if you found out...

[pdj81]

Thanks Honda, appreciate the input especially as you have just got a TS. Sorry wasnt even for a moment suggesting that this mod could replicate an M3 CSL intake noise - been in one, pure heaven for a petrol head. I know that the turbos sound quite dull and can live with that as the upside is performance etc just curious to see if swapping the airbox over will improve sound on the 997.2 T.

[hondansx]

Ultimately turbos have their up and downsides; you get all that torque but the sacrifice is the lack of noise!

I'd be happy to take you out in it if you're in the London area; i imagine the airbox is hardly the cheapest thing to buy aftermarket, so not a decision to make lightly.

[pdj81]

Much appreciated, your right the cost is eye watering if i want the OE porsche item but at least i know it will bolt straight on.

I am tempted to go for the S over the standard and be done with it but just got niggling feeling the base model is all il ever need. iv driven a few 996 and 997.1 turbos - in your opinion Honda just how much of a step up is the Gen 2 car ? much quicker, better ride etc.

I do live just north of london but get the feeling if i go in one then there will be no deliberating!

[hondansx]

If you take a look i've actually started a topic of conversation about it, but my first impressions (after a week or so) is that the Gen 2 Turbo feels a lot sportier and is closer to the GT2/3 in feel than the Carrera models. I wouldn't say the ride is worse, but you feel the tug of cambers in the road more and it just feels more 'alive' and - well - naughtier.

For me it is noticeably quicker too, but that would be as much down to the Tiptronic to PDF change as much as it is the extra power. A few months back i test drove a Turbo S vs a new 991 Carrera S as they were up at the same price; the 911 felt so limp wristed in comparison sothe decision became quite easy.