For those that don't know, I have a small side business in which I rebuild older (roughly pre-1976) Porsche transmissions. So I feel somewhat qualified to comment!
http://www.blueskymotorsports.com/JamesShort wrote:
VERY VERY few Pcars ever came with LSDs historically.
I can't speak to some of the newer cars, but for the older cars you could always special order them with LSD. I think maybe somewhere in the mid 1980's and beyond that may have been less of an option? But I know early on, if you asked for it, you could get all kinds of crazy transmissions options. Special gearing, LSD, etc. And I think that is what Porsche expected you to do (special order them). But "stock", yes, few ever came that way. See comment below regarding why...
Les Davis wrote:
WHAT!??! Obviously in the case of the 911/Carrera having the engine over the back/drive tires helps with traction a lot and maybe that is why? However for the amount of money that Porsche wants for these cars new from the factory, you'd think they could afford to toss and LSD in there, an LSD doesn't really cost that much and it certainly isn't gonna hurt performance.
Short answer is that I think Porsche decides what they think is appropriate and if they meet their performance targets, they don't add extra. I think at times that bites them and at other times it serves them well.
Case in point, the stock 914 did not come with sway bars. Zip, zero, nada, none. Front or rear. It met their performance goals without any. However, you could include them as an optional item.
Chuck Branscomb wrote:
It's a poorly done one even when they do...else Guard Transmission wouldn't be doing huge business. Example here...sort of an epic thread on LSDs and modern Porsches:
http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/gt3-gt2-gt/192286-lsd-buster.htmlMatt Monson at Guard is a good guy. I trust what he has to say. But clearly he has a dog in the fight regarding the best way to setup a clutch based LSD. I need to read that entire thread (thanks!), but I have heard some of the same comments before. While Porsche has rotated through some different clutch materials and other changes in the LSD for the road vehicles, I don't think they are totally nuts with what they are trying to do. I think they tend to set them up with low pre-load and lower locking forces to achieve the dynamics their engineers want plus longer life. I think that if they set them all up like Matt suggests people would be bitching about how they wear out too fast. And lets face it, they do wear out and have to be rebuilt on a regular basis. I think for those who drive daily and don't want to spin an inside tire on occasion, etc. the factory LSD may just be fine. But if you are talking about track performance, then I would probably rather not have a factory LSD and go with something that Matt would sell. Its also not that Porsche can't make a good LSD as their motorsport LSDs are very nice.
Richard
_________________
Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.comMoney can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.
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