4.8s for 997 S version vs. 4.6s for 355. Having owned a 355 and driven a 997 Carrera S, I would say that the 355 is a little quicker when you get going but about the same below 100 mph. Btw, if you drive a Carrera S, always leave the sport button on. It's total let down otherwise.
who cares if its faster? your talking about 10 years of difference if the porsche wasent faster i would want to slap them in the face
My experience is that I have beaten every non turbo porsche I have raced in my 355 and my M3. I have not raced a GT3 though, but I have raced s versions of the 996.
That'd be 0-62 mph in 4.6 seconds for 997S. As per this: http://content2.us.porsche.com/prod/911/carreras.nsf/usaenglish/technical_specifications
The 997s may be faster but I can tell you from personal experience that the 355 is a lot more fun to drive. The 997s is too refined IMHO. Don't get me wrong...the 997s handles / drives very well but I didn't feel connected to the car when I drove it. Just my 2 cents. Regards, Chris
997 imho is an alternative to a BMW 6 series. A fast execu-car with lots of toys. The GT3 is an interesting car and its a pity that the GT3-RS doesn't make it to the US. An E55 is probably "faster" than a 355, but frankly who cares?
the 996 was faster than the f355. Me and my buddy would race of the line and from 80 on I would always pull away.
just wanted to chime in on this as a 996TT owner. I usually am on 6speedonline.com (same name). The topic is probably not relevent as people clearly own F-cars for reasons other than 0-60 speeds, 1/4 mile etc...The 997s has a 3.8 l flat 6 and the regular 997 has a 3.6L, hp approx 355 and 325 respectively. If I had a choice between the 997s and the 355 I'd probably go with the 355. The gt3 is similar in performance to the 360. A gt3rs would be comparable to the cs; in performance. the sports mode button is a misnomer. Its called PSM -- porsche stability management. The Porsche Turbo comes with traction control, the gt2, gt3 and maybe cgt do not. This can be turned off but I haven't seen a reason to do so. Many porsche owners find little excitement over the 997 and I personally find it difficult to see much of a difference with casual observation. I think the experience of ownership is why people love ferrari or porsche or fill in the blank. I love my porsche because it has been superfast and really fun to drive. I am researching the 550 at present and have got through the current version of data -- Doody, Mr Tax (dale), and the other 550 guys have left a great deal of info on the cars. I'll probably start with the newbie questions once I'm done with the archives (no small project). hope this adds clarity.
Gabf1, Very nice post - and welcome to the site. It is nice to see a new guy on his very first post - post very good information, insight and unbiased opinion of the topic. It has been awhile to see this type of good stuff. Please stay with us and continue to contribute - a lot of Pcar talk on here - and I as many love and own(ed) both types. Also - feel free to ask the questions as you do your research on your F-car hunt - which is the best part of the quest! Rich
GABF1, I upgraded from 25 years of Porsche ownership into my first Ferrari, a 2000, 550 about a year ago. Still have a 996 C4 but I must say the difference between these cars is dramatic .... my 550 is night and day without question more fun to own, drive, even look at. My 996 is a great car but feels like a toyota to me after driving the 550 and rarely is taken out of the garage anymore. Highly recommend making to move up to a 550, or 575.
With a good driver in the 997 and a good driver in the 355 would there track times be close to each other or would the 997 win by a good margin. ?
richard, thanks for your encouraging words. they are much appreciated and as the time gets closer I will definitely be posting more often. cheers
NO WORRIES. I have now read as many as 4 different test drives of the new 997, and I can say it doesn't worry F355 and F360 owners as well as Maserati Coupe drivers. First of all I must say that 0-60 times mean nothing, as too many factors influence them - first of all tarmac and tires - and let's face it - how often do you smoke your clutch & tires to get that elusive 4.6s time??? I've never done it - I prefer a rolling start and then floor the throttle: why fry a clutch to achieve a silly 0-60 time? I think in-gear acceleration and 0-100 mph are much more interesting times to compare. About Porsche: so far I haven't read ANY 997 test drive achieving 0-100 mph in less than 11.0s. That's a good 0.5 seconds worse than the average F355 Berlinetta test drive (I've got about 8 documented F355 test drives). F355 Spiders were always slower (heavy cars) but are still competitive against a new 997, with 0-100 times in the low 11s. Mid-range acceleration with the F355 is excellent in 5th gear (ask the dude that tried to keep up with me with his BMW M5...) and good in 6th gear; on a par with the 997. The F360 is just way beyond the 997, and the Maserati Coupe is simply stellar - its 50-100 mph time in 6th is comparable to a Gallardo's! The 997 simply disappears in the rear mirrors of a Maser. Bottom line: F-cars (and M-cars) still rule. P-cars are nothing without turbos .
The 997 has achieved a lap time at Hockenheim of 1'15''6, which is good. The 996 managed between 1'16''5 and 1'17''2 depending on tires and configuration (coupe/cabrio/345HP/320HP...). a Maserati Coupe does it between 1'17''5 and 1'16''5 depending on tires (Michelin or Bridgestone). The F355 managed about 1'16'' on the same track, which would no doubt be improved if the car were tested with the new Bridgestone RE050 tires, only available for the F355 since 2004. The F360 achieved 1'15''500 in the hands of someone who really has a feeling for the car, but also 1'17''500 in the hands of another good driver but less "in tune" with the 360. The 575 Maranello does it in 1'14''600, same time as the 996 Turbo. The new 500-HP Viper does it in 1'15''600. The Murcielago does it in 1'12''000, the Gallardo in 1'11''800, the Porsche GT3 in 1'13'200, the Modena CS in 1'13''000. An Tech-Art 785HP Porsche Turbo will do it in about 1'05'', while the best is still an old heavily tuned Michelotto lightweight Ferrari F40 with 720HP which did Hockenheim in 1'03'' a few years back. Enough data?