480bhp Carrera T
- Thread starter Simon991
- Start date
Went to see Litchfield last week…
Took Iain's Carrera T out, with him, for a quick spin down the road. Only drove it for a handful of minutes, but could tell the mods definitely sharpened up the steering feel. I love the feel of my stock Carrera S, but when I got back in it the difference, to me, was like cars with and without rear-steer. It's like a knife with a dulled blade.
I don't think I drove it anywhere enough to detect the power increase - although it's only 60hp above my S anyway. So initially I can see me getting the suspension mod done for sure, and possibly some engine tweaks when my warranty ends next summer.
Conversation with Iain was really interesting! Did you chat with him about the GT3 Touring they ran in parallel whilst developing the T mods Simon?
Took Iain's Carrera T out, with him, for a quick spin down the road. Only drove it for a handful of minutes, but could tell the mods definitely sharpened up the steering feel. I love the feel of my stock Carrera S, but when I got back in it the difference, to me, was like cars with and without rear-steer. It's like a knife with a dulled blade.
I don't think I drove it anywhere enough to detect the power increase - although it's only 60hp above my S anyway. So initially I can see me getting the suspension mod done for sure, and possibly some engine tweaks when my warranty ends next summer.
Conversation with Iain was really interesting! Did you chat with him about the GT3 Touring they ran in parallel whilst developing the T mods Simon?
Simon991
New member
mphillips said:
Hi Mark,
Glad that you enjoyed the visit to Litchfield Motors. Did Simon and his Racing Yellow Carrera T crop up in the conversation at all...? ;-)
Yes, Iain is a lovely chap & very down to earth. I knew that they’d used a 991.2 GT3 with Touring Pack for comparison. Iain loved the fact that one reviewer referred to his upgraded T as a ‘gentleman’s GT3’.
Starting off with the suspension/handling work sounds like a good idea, and is what I did!
Am looking forward to returning to Litchfield later this year for another dyno run when the weather is cooler.
Cheers,
Simon
Simon991
New member
I wrote this review of my upgraded Carrera T for a UK forum today and thought I’d share here for anyone who may be interested:
"The work was carried out by Litchfield Motors who are based near Tewkesbury. I have no affiliation with Iain or his company. I came across them after reading reviews in the motoring press of Iain’s own Carrera T, which he bought himself for his 40th birthday after failing to get a GT3 allocation.
Iain’s favourite review of his car by a motoring journalist is one that refers to it as a ‘gentleman’s GT3’.
I initially decided to get the suspension and handling package. This consists of shorter, stiffer KW springs, new bushes and 7mm spacers all around. When I took my car to Litchfield for this work, I took Iain’s Carrera T for a spin and was then sold on getting the other upgrades done too!
If you Google ‘Litchfield Carrera T’ you’ll find professional reviews of Iain’s car from Autocar, Car, Top Gear and others.
The handling pack lowers the car by 10mm at the rear and 20mm at the front. The T already comes as standard with the lower Sport PASM suspension, so this new lower ride height is about the same as a GT3 I think. I was toying with the idea of having the car lowered by a further 5-7mm all round, but am going to hold fire on that. As it is, I have to be cautious with speed bumps etc. I was visiting a country house the other day with my daughters and the car grounded on a hidden speed bump, which had no markings and was on a freshly gravelled private road, and the underside of the car grounded on the bump. Ouch!
I like the feel of the car with the handling/suspension pack. You feel more ‘in touch’ with the road surface and the car has a sportier feel, especially with the chassis in Sport mode. And fortunately the ride does not feel unduly harsh. My passengers have not made any comments about any hardness in the ride comfort either. I suspect that I will appreciate these enhancements even more when I get ‘braver’ in the use of the car’s power, especially on twisty country roads.
On my second visit to Litchfield, the car went in for the rest of the upgrades. These consist of an ECU remap, new manifolds, new sports CATs and a Remus silencer. The only difference with Iain’s car is that his has an Akrapovic silencer, rather than the Remus one. (They said the Remus one is louder.)
Firstly, the sound. Love it. Definitely noisier, but not obnoxiously so, in my view. Sounds meatier, with more character. Still has the great burbles on over-run in Sport mode. Am loving the sportier, more raw soundtrack of my car now. When it’s just me in the car, I have it in Sport mode nearly all the time, often with the chassis in Sport mode too. It is louder in the cabin and can be a bit boomy. For this reason, I usually turn off the PSE mode when having a conversation with my passenger or when on a motorway cruise. I didn’t do this before the exhaust upgrade, but can now identify with Col and others who have said that they find the PSE tiresome or a drone when cruising.
The performance. Wow! To be honest, I have only really scratched the surface, but suffice to say that in the right circumstances, this car is ludicrously fast! As with all Porsches, only a racing driver will truly extract all the performance available, and then only on a track. However, in my early days with my newly upgraded T, I have definitely noticed the extra power and torque. Even on the first drive home from Litchfield Motors, it was clear that depressing the throttle pedal had more effect! One has to be alert to the surroundings, as it’s just so easy to propel the car to warp speed in no time.
My natural instinct is to be (overly?) protective of the car/engine, so I’ve always had the tendency to ‘change up early’ without exploring the higher reaches of a car’s rev range. I do feel now, however, that to benefit from these upgrades, I do need to be ‘braver’ in pushing that needle nearer to the red section of the rev counter to take advantage of what the car can now do. On a few occasions, where circumstances permit, I have taken the car up close to the red line before changing up and I just feel like laughing, such is the ridiculous performance available on tap now from my T.
Over the coming months, I will continue to get to know my car better and to explore/relish its abilities. I shall keep you posted...
Before you ask, yes, I know these enhancements will potentially affect a warranty claim. I have gone into this with my eyes open. I could have waited until the end of the three year warranty, but what the heck, we only live once right!? And as my Dad died at the age that I am now, I am painfully aware of our own mortality, so Carpe Diem!
Insurance: I have kept my insurer (Manning UK) informed all along. The suspension & handling work caused no increase in premium, but I let them know what was done and when. The remap & exhaust upgrade triggered a 15% increase in premium, which I didn’t think was too bad in exchange for a power increase of at least 31%.
Any questions, just ask.
Cheers,
Simon
"The work was carried out by Litchfield Motors who are based near Tewkesbury. I have no affiliation with Iain or his company. I came across them after reading reviews in the motoring press of Iain’s own Carrera T, which he bought himself for his 40th birthday after failing to get a GT3 allocation.
Iain’s favourite review of his car by a motoring journalist is one that refers to it as a ‘gentleman’s GT3’.
I initially decided to get the suspension and handling package. This consists of shorter, stiffer KW springs, new bushes and 7mm spacers all around. When I took my car to Litchfield for this work, I took Iain’s Carrera T for a spin and was then sold on getting the other upgrades done too!
If you Google ‘Litchfield Carrera T’ you’ll find professional reviews of Iain’s car from Autocar, Car, Top Gear and others.
The handling pack lowers the car by 10mm at the rear and 20mm at the front. The T already comes as standard with the lower Sport PASM suspension, so this new lower ride height is about the same as a GT3 I think. I was toying with the idea of having the car lowered by a further 5-7mm all round, but am going to hold fire on that. As it is, I have to be cautious with speed bumps etc. I was visiting a country house the other day with my daughters and the car grounded on a hidden speed bump, which had no markings and was on a freshly gravelled private road, and the underside of the car grounded on the bump. Ouch!
I like the feel of the car with the handling/suspension pack. You feel more ‘in touch’ with the road surface and the car has a sportier feel, especially with the chassis in Sport mode. And fortunately the ride does not feel unduly harsh. My passengers have not made any comments about any hardness in the ride comfort either. I suspect that I will appreciate these enhancements even more when I get ‘braver’ in the use of the car’s power, especially on twisty country roads.
On my second visit to Litchfield, the car went in for the rest of the upgrades. These consist of an ECU remap, new manifolds, new sports CATs and a Remus silencer. The only difference with Iain’s car is that his has an Akrapovic silencer, rather than the Remus one. (They said the Remus one is louder.)
Firstly, the sound. Love it. Definitely noisier, but not obnoxiously so, in my view. Sounds meatier, with more character. Still has the great burbles on over-run in Sport mode. Am loving the sportier, more raw soundtrack of my car now. When it’s just me in the car, I have it in Sport mode nearly all the time, often with the chassis in Sport mode too. It is louder in the cabin and can be a bit boomy. For this reason, I usually turn off the PSE mode when having a conversation with my passenger or when on a motorway cruise. I didn’t do this before the exhaust upgrade, but can now identify with Col and others who have said that they find the PSE tiresome or a drone when cruising.
The performance. Wow! To be honest, I have only really scratched the surface, but suffice to say that in the right circumstances, this car is ludicrously fast! As with all Porsches, only a racing driver will truly extract all the performance available, and then only on a track. However, in my early days with my newly upgraded T, I have definitely noticed the extra power and torque. Even on the first drive home from Litchfield Motors, it was clear that depressing the throttle pedal had more effect! One has to be alert to the surroundings, as it’s just so easy to propel the car to warp speed in no time.
My natural instinct is to be (overly?) protective of the car/engine, so I’ve always had the tendency to ‘change up early’ without exploring the higher reaches of a car’s rev range. I do feel now, however, that to benefit from these upgrades, I do need to be ‘braver’ in pushing that needle nearer to the red section of the rev counter to take advantage of what the car can now do. On a few occasions, where circumstances permit, I have taken the car up close to the red line before changing up and I just feel like laughing, such is the ridiculous performance available on tap now from my T.
Over the coming months, I will continue to get to know my car better and to explore/relish its abilities. I shall keep you posted...
Before you ask, yes, I know these enhancements will potentially affect a warranty claim. I have gone into this with my eyes open. I could have waited until the end of the three year warranty, but what the heck, we only live once right!? And as my Dad died at the age that I am now, I am painfully aware of our own mortality, so Carpe Diem!
Insurance: I have kept my insurer (Manning UK) informed all along. The suspension & handling work caused no increase in premium, but I let them know what was done and when. The remap & exhaust upgrade triggered a 15% increase in premium, which I didn’t think was too bad in exchange for a power increase of at least 31%.
Any questions, just ask.
Cheers,
Simon
That's a great summary Simon, thank you for taking the time to write it up.
And yes, when I visited I did mention to Iain I'd been following the path of 'Simon with the yellow T on the PCGB forum'
I'm just on a ferry home after a few days driving in the Swiss and Italian Alps. It's been rather a lot of fun!
And yes, when I visited I did mention to Iain I'd been following the path of 'Simon with the yellow T on the PCGB forum'
I'm just on a ferry home after a few days driving in the Swiss and Italian Alps. It's been rather a lot of fun!
rgbower
New member
sounds sooo awesome! Very tempting, but I think I'll wait and see how the modified cars fair the over the next a couple of years. I wonder if its possible to then extend the warranty with a third party?
Are you still running the stock carrera brakes? With 480 hp will this become the limitation do you think?
thanks for the great post... Richard
Are you still running the stock carrera brakes? With 480 hp will this become the limitation do you think?
thanks for the great post... Richard
Simon991
New member
Hi Richard,
Thanks! Am sure that there are many third party companies out there that would happily provide an extended warranty for a professionally modified Porsche.
Yep, I still have the stock Carrera brakes on board. I think they’re still fine for road use here in the UK.
If I was looking to track the car, I may consider upgrading the brakes. If money were no object, I’d look at upgrading to PCCBs, but back in the real world, the cost of such an upgrade would be prohibitive.
I see that you had the good taste to buy a Racing Yellow Carrera T too! []
Cheers,
Simon
Thanks! Am sure that there are many third party companies out there that would happily provide an extended warranty for a professionally modified Porsche.
Yep, I still have the stock Carrera brakes on board. I think they’re still fine for road use here in the UK.
If I was looking to track the car, I may consider upgrading the brakes. If money were no object, I’d look at upgrading to PCCBs, but back in the real world, the cost of such an upgrade would be prohibitive.
I see that you had the good taste to buy a Racing Yellow Carrera T too! [
]Cheers,
Simon
I've found standard Carrera S brakes (which are what the T has too, right?) to mostly be fine. The original discs and pads used to last me 25 minutes on track, which frankly was enough for me anyway. But since having a new set fitted a couple of months back they're only lasting around 20 minutes, max. No idea why – I'm sure the OPC used original equipment.
At the weekend I was travelling back from a few days in the Swiss Alps – along autobahns – and had a few 'spirited' stretches. Braking hard from 280kph stresses those brakes really quickly!
I started a thread on the forum about brakes, and somebody suggested swapping to Pagid pads. As part of the suspension quote from Litchfield I've had Pagid pads + braided hoses quoted for too. It'll be interesting to see how much they help. After that I'll be looking at after-market brakes I think (Iain did say that's his next thing to look at, although he's got PCCB so performance is not an issue. Frequent use on track of PCCBs is an issue unless one is very, very wealthy)
At the weekend I was travelling back from a few days in the Swiss Alps – along autobahns – and had a few 'spirited' stretches. Braking hard from 280kph stresses those brakes really quickly!
I started a thread on the forum about brakes, and somebody suggested swapping to Pagid pads. As part of the suspension quote from Litchfield I've had Pagid pads + braided hoses quoted for too. It'll be interesting to see how much they help. After that I'll be looking at after-market brakes I think (Iain did say that's his next thing to look at, although he's got PCCB so performance is not an issue. Frequent use on track of PCCBs is an issue unless one is very, very wealthy
)
Simon991
New member
mphillips said:Ah, right. I knew it was the Carrera engine, but thought it had the better brakes. I expect you're going to want to upgrade them with 480hp on tap then
That might be the next thing on my shopping list...!
P.S. Many felt that adding the Carrera S brakes to the T would have been a nice addition.
Iain had some disc ideas when I chatted to him
I drove a mate's M3 on a track day recently. E46, old skool. It has some aftermarket brakes that make even mine feel lame. They were utterly amazing on track – could leave braking even later than with my 911. I'd like something like that
I drove a mate's M3 on a track day recently. E46, old skool. It has some aftermarket brakes that make even mine feel lame. They were utterly amazing on track – could leave braking even later than with my 911. I'd like something like that
Posts made and opinions expressed are those of the individual forum members
Use of the Forum is subject to the Terms and Conditions
