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4 minute(s) of a 612 minute read
8-7-2011
NB: Added more info on Pilot Super Sport in post above.
Hi Larry, long time no see! You are absolutely correct, three things about R compound tires:
1. Noise. Particularly as the tire is towards end of its life. Road noise - a kind of nasty sounding white noise - is very obvious with my Pirelli Corsa. These tires don't age well.
2. Ride. Very stiff, and again, particularly worse as the tire grows old. Road imperfection takes on a sickening crack, as opposed to a thud.
3. Rain. No, no, no; dangerous in the wet. For where you are, this is a strict summer tire only.
That said, IMHO, if, and only if, anyone would like to explore the absolute limit of the turbo in the dry, R compound tire is a *requirement*. You have not lived until you do R compound. 
Kidding aside, I agree it's not for everyone. It is the great equalizer if you are ever to race a GT3 or GT2 though.
Much has been said about the sticky rubber, but IMHO not enough has been mentioned about the stiff sidewall of R compound tires (partly explains the lower pressure requirement: r compound tire has soft compound, stiff sidewall, therefore low pressure is ok), and how it affects handling. The stiff sidewall imparts a sense of vertical stability in the Turbo. The stock tires could have a rubbery bouncy feel; this instability is much less with the Pirelli Corsa that I have on. BTW, I am going to try Michelin Pilot Super Sport too, alternating in with R compound for summer; I can't resist the hypes from Michelin!
8-8-2011
Hi, yes it would be Bilstein B16 Damptronic, without hesitation, on 3 conditions (based on past experience of friends/other owners):
1. Buy a brand new unit. Under no circumstance would I recommend buying a used coilover - it's not worth it. Used coilover could cause a load of hassle and $$ if something goes wrong. There is also the safety issue.
2. Only a professional AND experienced installer be allowed to touch your Porsche's suspension system. No rookie, period. Post on this forum and ask for recommendation. You are closed to EVOMS, no? www.evoms.com
3. Buy from authorized dealer. A good source is a forum sponsor: AWE Tuning http://www.awe-tuning.com/products/p...e-pss10-1.html
Besides the 1. B16 Damptronic, there are 3 other systems that I would consider to be very good as well:
2. Bilstein B16 PSS10: Same as Damptronic but no PASM. Bump and rebound dampening adjusted by **** on the coilover.
3. KW Variant 3: Excellent but I have no direct experience. Independent bump and rebound. No PASM.
4. TPC modified B16 Damptronic: http://www.amsperformance.com/cart/t...coilovers.html . Expensive and likely stiffer than the basic Bilstein unit. Front spring is changed to a higher spring rate, what rate I don't know and TPC ain't telling. 
But as you might already know, the majority of people here have B16 Damptronic, and that's what I would recommend. Designed and made by the same company that makes the OEM suspension, using Porsche's chief test drive as consultant (Walter Rorhl), this is about as no brainer a mod as there is.
If you agree with my assessment on the first page of this thread, then Bilstein should be the first and most important mod to 997.1 Turbo, before exhaust and ECU mods. It transforms the car and makes it a wonderful pleasure to drive the twisties.