Porsche Forum - Porsche Enthusiast Forums

If you have the 320 HP six speed, stock, I think that is about as good as you will get: maybe a 10th better if you play with the RPM on launch. If you have an S I think you might get a bit better still, in the very high 12s.

I have a 2004 996 Carrera 2 (320 HP) with Tiptronic that I have taken to the track once. It was new (untitled, 3100 miles) when I got it a week earlier and i was not expert at driving it (but then, with a tiptronic, not much to do to change a 1/4 run, is there?). It did a best run of 13.38 at 105 on a hot night (around 92 degrees) at low altitude (about 150 ft elevation). I doubt it would do much better. I made several passes with the sport exhaust switch on and off and thatmade no difference: the car was consistent, always within a 10th second of that time -- and it never had any wheelspin at all.

Several other data points I've seen at the track: I have a '02 'vette which I take to the track frequently and I occasionally find Porsches in the other lane. These aren't races between my vette and them, its just a run-what-you-brung night where they put two cars in opposite lanes just so they can get two cars through at a time and give everyone more chances to run during the evening: I've had pickup trucks next to me (some non-stock ones that run in the 13s) as well as the odd Viper, etc. - whatever turns up. Anyway, a 2003 Carrera S six speed did a 12.95 or so at around 110: I talked to the owner afterward and it was pure stock--that is the car that set my expectations about what my new Porsche would do. A month or so ago I saw a slightly modified (aftermarket exhaust, airbox, much louder than stock) 2002 996 Carrera S do a 12.9 or so at about 109.

And I did have a 996 Turbo with some aftermarket additions (not sure what they were but the owner said he had spent about "$25K") in the other lane once, who clearly thought he could take my car: and it was good It jumped of the line like lightning (it did a 1.55 second 60-foot time, which is awesome on street tires), and finished at 11.7 in the high 120s (but I'm happy to say it didn't matter, the 'vette has a pro-built 7-liter C5R engine with an ATi supercharger running 7 lbs of boost, and does consistent 10.6s on street tires).