Tell me about Sport plus ?

[fishy_fishy]

Hey group, I am in the process of shopping for a 997.2. At first I thought I wanted PDK but I think I would like a manual instead.

In my research I learned for PDK cars sport plus is a almost must have, but what about the manual cars? Is sport plus even a option?

[JFP in PA]

The optional Sport Chrono package changes several things like the suspension settings as well as the shift characteristics on the PDK cars. On the manual cars, where the computer has no control over the gear box, the package does not add anything to how the trans shifts, only the suspension changes. From Porsche literature:

Benefits of Sport Mode activation:
•Sporty tuning of engine Motronic software, PASM, PSM, Tiptronic Transmission (if applicable), all-wheel-drive system (if applicable).
•For vehicles with factory Sport Exhaust, the new Sport button would control exhaust settings.
•For vehicles with PCM, new personalized settings can now be controlled. Including memory for lights, wiper, climate control, & door lock settings.
•For 2009-2012 vehicles with PDK, you get a Sport Plus button with Launch Control and Race Track Shift Strategy. For base model Cayman & Boxster models, launch control is not included.
•For Turbo models, Overboost is also added for additional acceleration.


When the Sport button on the center console is selected, the engine management system enhances the engine response. A modified throttle map relates the pedal angle in the footwell to a much wider angle of opening on the throttle valve. Throttle response is significantly more immediate, and, in the higher gears, a hard rev-limiter helps protect the engine under acceleration.

Vehicles with the optional Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) also switches to Sport mode for harder damping and more direct steering, and, therefore, better road holding. For maximum dexterity, PSM can be set to standby while the car is still in Sport mode. For safety, it is set to intervene automatically only when ABS assistance is required on both the front wheels.

For Tiptronic or PDK transmissions, gearshift points are delayed until the upper rev range. The shift times are shorter, the gear changes sportier. At low rates of deceleration, even with high engine speeds, the system initiates a swifter brake-induced downshift. In manual mode, gear changes are faster and more dynamic. In Sport mode, the trigger threshold for PSM is raised for increased longitudinal and lateral dynamics. Agility is enhanced under braking for corners with PSM, enabling greater handling response under braking and exit acceleration, especially at low speeds.

[Hunt3R]

To sum that up, sport mode gives you 3 main things on a manual transmission 997:

• Hard rev limiter so you can hold the throttle at redline and bounce it off the rev limiter

• Linear throttle mapping which can help with heel-toe

• More fully disables traction control when you turn off PSM at the same time as you enable sport mode

All of these are most beneficial on a track and not so much on the street. I rarely activate sport mode for street driving.

[Cajundaddy]

Sport Chrono is a must-have for PDK cars that seem pretty sleepy otherwise. For a manual car I think the expanded PSM envelope and PASM setting is useful for track work, not so much on the street.

[fishy_fishy]

I am looking at 09-12 997.2 cars, manual.

On my short list of mods is definitely the Gundo exhaust bypass mod and possible lowering springs or coilovers at some point.

So given that info I suppose it isn't as important to look for a P car with exhaust button and sport mode?

I am kind of confused why there is a suspension, PSM, and Sport button. After reading what was posted earlier it sounds like the sport button adjusted suspension also?

[JFP in PA]

Correct.................

[Hunt3R]

Not exactly... Your pic has a button to switch PASM (suspension) between normal and sport mode... Another button to turn off/on PSM... And another button to turn sport mode on/off.

As I stated above, sport mode will affect the extent to which PSM is disabled when turning it off at the same time as sport mode is enabled. It does not affect how PASM functions, however when you enable sport mode PASM will also switch into sport mode by default and the PASM button will also light up. If you choose, you could then switch PASM back into normal mode but keep the car in sport mode. Does that clear up any confusion?

Whether sport chrono (sport mode) is important to you depends on how you intend to use the car. PSE maybe isn't as important if you're just going to gundo hack the mufflers, but it would still add a little bit more sound because it opens up a 2nd muffler outlet that is sealed in mufflers without PSE.