My husband changed the battery in his air-cooled Porsche 911 (964) to a lithium-ion battery, and he wrote me his impressions, including the differences from before. Please take a look if you like.

A friend of mine replaced a battery in a Porsche.

First, let me say that this article is not a lantern article. In no way was it commissioned by the manufacturer or any interested party.This is a statement of an individual's impressions of the product when purchased and used at his or her own expenseIt should be noted that.

Some time ago I met a guy in Ashiari who was driving a 991.1 GT3. At that time, the owner of the car wasThe battery was replaced with a lithium-ion battery.He said that after the replacement, the driving feeling had changed dramatically.

When we asked him for more details, he said...From stock lead-acid batteriesmega-life batteryI changed to a lithium-ion battery calledand that the company will be able to Thereby, theBattery weight reduced by nearly 1/3 from approx. 21 kg to approx. 7 kgAs soon as they left the store after the replacement, the steering wheel became lighter and the movement was completely different.

In recent Porsches, the battery is located near the front of the windshield, close to the center of the car body, but relatively high for a sports car.

Therefore, theA battery weighing nearly 20 kg is thought to have a considerable effect on the car's center of gravity.In the 997 and 987 generations, there was even an optional and very expensive genuine lithium-ion battery.

Certainly, it is easy to imagine that a battery in this position weighing about 1/3 of the weight would have a positive effect on handling.

Besides, this battery isIn the event of a dead battery, the engine can be started by pressing the emergency start button, which is powered by the spare battery built in a separate circuit.It also has a function.

And it also allows up to 10 times faster charging/discharging speeds andUp to 1/3 the weight and 5-10 year battery life of conventional lead-acid batteriesThey have a

I actually got to drive this GT3 that day, and sure enough!Front entry is very good, overall very agile and comfortable to ride.However, since the suspension and wheels had also been replaced, only the owner could tell the difference in terms of the effect and efficacy of the battery alone, and I was a little disappointed that I could not make a judgment without knowing what the battery was before it was replaced.

Nevertheless, this is a very attractive battery, so I decided to order it and install it in my Porsche 911 (air-cooled 964 model).

Replacing the battery in a Porsche 911 with a lithium-ion battery

The manufacturer's compatibility chart lists a 964 model Porsche 911.The part number MV-072 fits.It seems. It weighs only 7.6 kg, which is less than half the weight of a regular 964, since a battery that fits a regular 964 weighs about 18-20 kg.

I checked the stores in my neighborhood that carry MegaLife batteries and found that Super Autobacs in Sunshine Wharf Kobe was carrying them. We immediately went to the store and placed an order.The price was 106,920 yen plus 2,200 yen for installation labor.3-4 days later I got a call that it was in stock, so I went to install it.

The replacement was completed in about 30 minutes. I immediately tested it on my usual road and would like to review it.

Engine starts dramatically faster.

After the replacement, the engine started very quickly.This is already a dramatic difference. The sound and the power of the cell's rotation are completely different. It is as if the engine starts in an instant. The battery that was originally installed in the car was not a worn out battery, but it started up much quicker.

Also.Idling fluctuations have almost disappeared.I was also surprised. Lithium-ion batteries maintain low resistance and high output, and can release electricity very stably regardless of the battery level.

We are taking video of this so 964 owners can compare it to their own cars.

Engine start after conversion to lithium-ion battery.
The way the cell turns and the time it takes to start up are totally different. 964 drivers will be able to tell the difference.# MegaLife battery #MEGALiFeBattery# air-cooled Porsche# Porsche 964 pic.twitter.com/sVAcuXRrMR

- Hiro@Porsche came to my house (@boxster_gts) April 20, 2021

Improved ride and handling.

This is another improvement at a level that is immediately obvious.The 964's battery is mounted well before the front axle. Specifically, it is mounted diagonally below the left side headlight, just behind the bumper. It is quite low, but it is located at the tip of the front of the car, and is also on the left side of the car.

The store owner said, "I think you can easily see the effect," because the weight of objects in this position becomes much lighter, and the level was evident as soon as we left the store.

First of all, the handle is light, no, smooth.Porsche's option for "Power Steering PlusThe vibration from the front steering wheel has been reduced considerably. What was also surprising was that the vibration transmitted from the front to the steering wheel was considerably reduced.

The pitching up and down is much more controlled, and theMinimal front up and down microvibration.Since the weight in front of the front axle and at the very front end of the body has been lightened, the load on the front suspension has been reduced. The front suspension feels as if it can easily handle uneven surfaces, and stability and comfort at high speeds have also been improved.

And then there is the handling. It feels very nice and the front end is very straightforward. And when I switched to the lithium-ion battery, I realized something that I had never noticed before. It was that until now, steering to the left was different from steering to the right.In fact, they noticed a difference in the movement of the car body.

I think it used to be slightly more sluggish when steering to the right. Switching to a lithium ion battery would haveThere is no difference at all in the difference between cutting to the right and to the left.They behave the same way. This difference between left and right was only discovered after replacing the battery.

Thanks to this, winding roads are very easy to drive. The front end of the car smoothly and smoothly enters the corner, allowing the driver to drive through S-curves in a flowing manner.

Am I the only one who thinks so? I thought so, and just to be sure, he was present during this test.TAKUROMr. (he has driven this 964 before) also gave it a test drive, and he, too, had a great time.It's totally different from anything I've ever seen!" It's like a modern Porsche. No heaviness at all."He was very excited to be driving.

He says.This 964 is the real 'touring package'!He said. They say it is that comfortable and pleasant to drive that it makes them want to drive long distances for touring.

Incidentally, I wondered if the reduced front weight would diminish the sense of front installation, resulting in an under-trend. I fear that this might be the case, and I tested various ways to find out, but I must add that I did not feel any difference and could not find any negatives on my unit.

Engine is more powerful and smoother.

This is where the effect of the lithium-ion battery with its high discharge characteristics is best seen. In the same way that the rotation of the cell at startup is dramatically more vigorous, the power to the spark plug is probably stronger as well.Torque thickness increased and rotation became smoother.

In particular, the smoothness and power when starting off, and the extension when cruising on the highway in 4th gear and accelerating out into the overtaking lane are clearly improved. The difference is noticeable at a level that anyone can understand.

If you are a 964 owner, when you are driving with the air conditioner turned off, the engine feels smoother and more powerful than when it is on, which is a very similar feeling.

Tiptronic response is smooth

This was not expected at all, but after the replacement, it is clearly different.Shifting is fast and with little shock.It feels as if the ATF has been replaced.

No more carrying around a mobile battery (jump starter)

As mentioned above, this battery has a function that allows the engine to be started by pressing the emergency start button in the event of a dead battery, with power supplied from a spare battery that is built in a separate circuit.

First.I was attracted to this feature so much that I decided to include it in the 964, although the weight savings were also attractiveThe battery is now working fine. Fortunately, I haven't had any battery problems yet, but I feel much safer and I don't have to frequently turn off the kill switch on the battery. Thanks to thisThe clock in the car doesn't go crazy and the audio time remains accurate.It is.

This makes me feel so much better because I don't have to take a jump starter with me every time I go touring.

Lithium-ion batteries, general comments

These are my impressions and benefits of replacing the car battery with a lithium-ion battery. Frankly speaking, I am surprised because I did not expect such a great effect in so many respects.

If it is this good, I would like to replace the battery in my 981 Boxster GTS, but since I just got a new battery during a recent inspection, I am having a hard time doing so.