993 Info Request

Hello all,

I just recently picked up my first Porsche. It's a '97 993 Carerra S with a tiptronic transmission. I'm interested in any and all info you guys can provide me about this car. My special requests are:

Technical Stats (horsepower,0-60 Times, etc.)
Driving Tips (it's my first real "sports car")
Fun aftermarket changes that I can dream about...
Porsche Specific info - like How much oil should I be burning? Is there more than one place to put it? (I don't have an owner's manual and it's back-ordered)
Links to Porsche sites

and...

What kind of radar/laser detector should I get? I'm going to Vegas from Southern Cal soon and would like a little protection when I open her up.

Thanks for your help! Really - even the simplest advice is appreciated.

Steve - -
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Congratulations on your new, first Porsche! I have two suggestions for you. First, check out the technical articles on this web site - they contain an absolute ton of information. Granted, most are for earlier model years, they will still be informative and interesting.
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My second suggestion is to join the PCA and sign up for several Drivers Ed and Auto Cross sessions. I owned Porsches off and on for many years but only recently started going to Drivers Ed events - I regret not doing so sooner. You will learn how to truly drive your Porsche at speed, , safely. You will learn both your limits and the car's limits, safely. You will have a blast! And you will become a better overall driver on the street. You will meet others with a similar passion for Porsches. The money spent on "seat time on the track" is a better investment for making your car go faster than any other you can make at this point of your ownership.
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Have FUN!
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Chuck

Steve,

I couldn't concur more with Chuck!

Get yourself signed up for as many driver's education events as you can. The amazment that you will experience in seeing what you and your car are capable of on a track WITH proper instruction cannot be put into words. Right now, you probably have about a ten percent idea of what your car can do. A weekend on the track will absolutely blow your mind!

Also, you will begin to learn the limits of your car. This will make you a safer driver on the street as well as the track.

Your car is nearly a race car as it was delivered from the factory. The most dramatic improvement that you could make for the money would be a set of sticky track tires.

Most of all, enjoy your new car.

Jess

Congratulations Steve on owning your first Porsche! I don't know too much about the 993; I can only dream about owning one. I can tell you that I've heard Valetine One is a very good radar/laser detector. There was a post on this earlier, you might wanna search for it. I just tried and the search isn't working. Anyway, have fun with your Porsche!

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Jeff
1976 911S

1997 993 Carrera US models had 285 hp and 340 Nm of torque. 0-60 times should be in the range of 5.3, although the Tiptronic will cost you a little bit of time and top speed.

You should (as suggested above) consider joining the POC or PCA, and let the car run wild under safe, controlled conditions.

Valentine One is the only choice, in my opinion, for radar protection.

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Jack Olsen
1973 911 T sunroof coupe
http://members.rennlist.com/jackolsen/Jalopy.html

Steve:

I'm no Porsche expert (considering buying one) but I had the opportunity to drive a Tiptronic 964 about two weeks ago. I was concerned about the performance, so I took a stop watch with me and did some performance tests. Assuming the 993's Tiptronic is similar (if not nearly identical...I don't know) to the one in the 964 here is what I can tell you:

1. The Tiptronic only seems to engage the torque converter in the lower 2 gears. If you pay attention to what it does, and use it in manual mode, and ALWAYS manually downshift to 1st before starting it will lock in 2nd gear as well. By lock, I mean it isn't using the fluid hydraulics in the torque converter but rather relying on the clutch packs to link the engine's crankshaft with the input shaft of the transmission. As far as automatics go, it was the BEST I've ever used.

2. If you're interested in performance driving, use the car in manual mode. If, from a dead stop, you force it into 1st gear and then manually upshift, the car is ALMOST as good as a manual. When I did my 0-60 test, in full automatic mode it cost me almost a full second compared to a manual transmission, but in manual mode and being aware (somewhat) of the torque and HP curves of the car you can probably shave that down to 1/2 second, maybe less. I attribute this loss of performance in manual mode to the fact that the hydraulic linkage in the torque converter is wasting enery until it gets up to the stall RPM.

3. Like many contemporary automatic transmission, in full automatic mode, the car seems to be more economy, not performance oriented. This is probably to help it get by EPA requirements (that's a guess).

4. Prior to driving, I checked with several local mechanics to see how the Tiptronics held up. They said, for the most part, that they were "rock solid", but one indicated that a lot of owners fail to change the fluids sometimes, damaging the transmission.

I'm NOT a Porsche expert, so take that into account when reading the above comments. As far as Tiptronics go, it's the most impressive automatic I've ever driven (but then again, I've been driving manuals on all my cars with the exception of a '96 300ZX that I use as a commuter car...and it's automatic is a JOKE compared to the Tiptronic).

Good Luck,

Bill Wagner