Thanks everyone for the great tips. Still a bit surprised that a 450hp, $140k sports car - a Porsche - needs help with mods and tuning to improve everyday driveability i.e. low-end torque and power. I guess being a tiptronic is a major reason, but then again, my Z4 and X5 are also automatic with a lot more torque/power on-tap. Anyway, I get it: until I get an ECU flash, I need to make sure I'm in the right gear and downshift when I need more juice. Next step: ECU flash (I'm considering EPL - any comments on that?).

 

That's really an inherent nature of high power turbo engines optimized for peak power. The solution is to use smaller turbos but you sacrifice high RPM power for better low end response. The BMW turbo power plant on the 335is is a good example of this.

Z4 and X5 are not really good comparison of response as they are both NA cars. If you want the response of an NA car, you should stick to big displacement NA cars because a turbo car will never have the same level of low rpm response.

I don't know enough about the specific tuning that goes into the ECU to make the car more responsive, but an easy way to improve response is to control the waste gates so that the turbos stay spooled. Tuners don't have to worry about turbo longevity or emissions, so they can tune the cars to be more responsive, while Porsche has to design tunings with both in mind, which may lead to some compromises being made on the performance end. I'm not saying that that is the definitive reason why Porsche set up the car that way--I'm merely pointing out a few possibilities.

 

I never heard of this light weight smaller dia. pully mentioned here... is that also from EVOMS?

 

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...group-buy.html

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...g-special.html

 

Basically, stop pussyfooting around with it, grab the car by the ***** and drive it like a real man. Use the gear box, that's what its for, drop a gear and make sure you are above 3k. Sounds like you need to be less lazy with you power delivery. Don't expect your car to make much power under 3k.

Basically if you want to blast past some one, kick its C*NT in and it will come back for more. That's what there built to do you just have to think about gear changes. Another thing, try using the M mode all the time and change gear when you want too with the buttons on the wheel. That way you predict the correct gear before you make your move, hence when you floor the throttle there is no tranny lag. Tips are lazy in Auto mode, and you are what you eat ....so the saying goes. If the car behaves lazy, you get lazy with it.

Please take this post in the spirit it is intended, as a help not derogatory.

 

You have to love it when the Scottish (asumming) is talking...

 

Hi,PM me

 

As Blunt like a broken "Sgian Dubh Dirk" but as friendly as as "Shrek".That's me. ( marginal resemblance too)lol
I just want the OP to love his car as much as I do.

 

Interesting way to look at it. So what you're saying is, she likes it rough

I guess you're right, a big part of it is mental attitude.

I think your advice is actually very helpful! Thanks.

 

No problems, some times its best to tell it as it is. I'm glad you took no offence.
Its actually good to be able to drive the car at low revs and have it well mannered. Unlike other super cars which feel like there on steroids all the time. Its what makes these cars such good all rounders IMO.

my cars a Tip as well, they get a lot of criticism, normally by people that have never owned one in a Turbo before. I had my TCU read out and my adaption figures showed I had never driven the car in auto since its last reset, which was in 2008. I always treat the car as near to a manual as I can, always. It is possible to scare your pants of in a Tip. That's enough for me. I am no street racer so the few 10th to 60 slower mean nothing to me. But a big power Tip car will hols its own with a big power manual. You just don't loose boost and time changing gear. I have been in Kens K24/20g car and its was a monster, I say monster but he has moved on since then and is now chasing 1000hp

My next mod for me, which is on the go atm is an MKB tip Box ( bought and awaiting to be fitted), TCU upgrade, Hybrid Turbos, soft inlet piping, 60 lb injectors, 3 1/2" IC's, 100 cell Miltek, Parr DV's, Todd K tune ( TBA), EBC and uprated Motor and Trans mounts t run on UK 99 RON.

Frank

 

...a m3 v8 under 6000rpm is responsive but without real power at this rpm level... this engine wakes up from 6000 till 8400rpm...at this time our turbos work already...what he say shift....shift ... or learn to hold your turbos alive.... ore buy a zr1....

 

I would highly recommend you look at running fender intakes with a ford maf or mafless (although proto had not perfected the mafless tiptronic tune yet for a 996). The drivetrain gets in the way of the turbo intakes...I am running custom silicone piping with custom metal pieces throughout the tight areas. It was very hard to do and took a lot of time. I highly recommend fender intakes.

 

+1 lol

Modern Beemers give you 80% of the hp in the first 30% of the foot movement, after that there's nothing left no matter how much you pedal. It's their pedal strategy and it's an utterly lame way of fooling people they have a powerful car.

It's super disappointing that after you drive a modern BMW out on the road from the parking lot, you nail the pedal down all the way and realize that the initial mousing on the pedal which gave a big reaction, actually was all the power there was. False "advertisement".

So the comparison is a little extreme - a turbo car with classic sportscar pedal map which allows driver to control the hp, vs modern commuter module which spits out all there is at almost no pedal, but then also doesn't have anything more to give but noise.

 

I have to say it takes TIME to learn how to drive the car. I don't mean hours, not even days.. but WEEKS (or maybe I'm just super slow...). I gotta downshift anytime I want a bit more of a power burst, and not be afraid of pushing the pedal quite a bit (vs. my BMW which only requires a touch). It's just different, and one needs to learn how to extract power out... i.e. be in the right gear, accelerate at the right time, push the pedal the right amount, etc. It takes a bit more work than in newer NA cars, but once mastered it's extremely rewarding... and I'm getting there

 

i sense you are simply getting used to the fact that you have a tip. x50 or not. when i drove my 335i as someone pointed out upthread, the power was always on tap, as it is in my k16/24 car now. btw.. what are those button/levers on a tip called, anyway? - or +? right! got it! ( ducking )

when in doubt.. downshift!