So after about a few hundred miles and a few pulls with the PBox I feel I have enough miles in the seat to provide some feedback regarding the APR tune for 997.1 Turbo.

Just a little quick background info on my car. It's a '08 6spd, I already had the Fabspeed exhaust with 200 cell cats on the car. I did the Sachs 2.5 clutch kit and denso plugs before I got the APR tune. I did a lot of research on the different tunes that were available out there. What I liked about the APR tune was that it offered 93 and 100 octane maps and it's ability to switch maps on the fly without using a laptop, also it seems to have the highest torque numbers which makes it fun on the street.

Getting the APR tune on the car couldn't be easier, I got the laptop in the mail and loaded the tune in less than 30 minutes. The car drives identical to stock when you're cruising with the boost coming on earlier, and boost goes up to an indicated 15psi quickly when you open the throttle. Sport mode is retained, but it doesn't really overboost since the boost is always high. Throttle is more responsive in sport mode just like before the flash. I know there has been a lot questions on how much boost the APR tune makes, I was told by APR 1.4 bar. I also ran about 10 gallons of 100 octane and the car is noticeably quicker, unfortunately I didn't get any Pbox numbers but will do so the next time I get some 100 oct. The only thing I'd change is the power delivery, the way the boost hits it's almost too "on and off".

I was able to do some runs with the Pbox on 93 octane,
60-130mph, 7.9 1 shift
100-200kmh, 6.3 0 shift. 6.6 1 shift

Think my slow shifting is killing my 60-130

 

Where on LI are you located? Feel free to stop by the shop anytime!

 

Thanks for the review nevert00fast... good to have this kind of feedback for those of us still running stock!

drvik

 

Vic once you put a tune in you'll be kicking yourself you didn't do it sooner. I'm aware APR had a special on recently where they were offering the tune for 3200 over here. Still up there i know, but way better than the 4k they were asking. Don't think it's ever worth 4K when you look at alternatives, but at 3200 it's certainly getting closer to where it needs to be.

Hey nevert00fast when you say it's a bit too on and off with the boost are you in sport mode when that happens? or normal mode? Was it on the 100 fuel or the 93?

 

Woodbury. Thanks!

 

How do you find the Protomotive?? Thats a tune based on data logging, rather than off the shelf right?? Shame about the crappy fuel in Australia... I was planning to work with Kevin@UltimateMotorWerks on a tune... I think it's around $1700US for a tune (not including the $400 I paid for the cable & software)....

 

I agree, I'd never pay anywhere near 4k for a tune.

It's pretty much in any mode, normal or sports, 93 and 100. It could just be the way the boost hits or the high torque. Don't get me wrong, it's fun as hell when you're going straight. I can break the rear loose doing a 2nd gear roll on now, something I wasn't able to do before the tune.

 

Pretty good actually. I find once you've got the tune in you won't have any inclination to flash it back to stock file unless you need to go back for specific warranty related issues but the truth be known Porsche doesn't really look at the ecu to the degree they need to to know it is flashed anyway....or so I've found so far, even when they have had the piwis on to check for fault codes and so on. I guess they need to be specifically looking for the tune to find it. Fuel consumption isn't any heavier either surprisingly...if anything a little better. I also flash it stock file if ever doing any DE's as the car is plenty powerful enough for track. But the main reason for that is precautionary...so you don't have any heat soak issues from the additional boost that may not be catered for with the stock IC's under track conditions. Street use with the tune really makes the car much easier to push through gaps with effortless ease as the torque comes on much earlier and isn't as rev dependant as stock. It is crazy crazy fast.....more than you will ever need in most cases but having the sheer grunt makes the car so much better to use.
The main draw back is having the ecu register over revs that haven't really happened to the degree registered. I could still have todd change that but i don't feel the need as i try to keep it under 7k during 1st and second gear shifts anyway. But yours being a tip, the tune would be set to keep the stock rev limiter.
There is a lot to the proto. At moment Im actually running an EU3 tune todd did specially for me. It's not as powerful as the normal tune but it uses less boost. It seems not to go more than 1 bar in SC yet still hammers. Data logging and flash loading is easy once you know how and you stick to the strict regimen. I think the APR is a great tune....the switching on the fly has certain attractions but is it necessary? Probably not. If you need to know more just Pm me but if your thinking APR you won't go wrong. Todds tune is much the same money...a bit less i think from memory, and has the flexibility of custom changes to settings and so forth pkus you get the durametric software and cable. I'm happy enough with it.

 

Hmm. thats interesting. I heard the APR was very linear and smooth in delivery. Maybe check that one out with Matt Gmp. Maybe somethings not right? I know what you mean about the power though....the car wants to tear up the pavement. The wheels can break traction even during a second gear pull making for a bit of steering wheel correction to keep her heading straight....its fun alright. Its sometimes best just to feed the power on. The pull is phenomenal though. No car is any problem to eat. There also zero lag unless your in 5th at low rpm or something like that, but thats to be expected. Its basically like a powerful electric motor....push the go pedal and hold on.

 

Thanks for the info! Great review.

 

It's smooth but not really linear. Maybe it's an illusion from how hard the boost hits. Definitely no hesitation or anything like that.

I'm with you on the durametric cable, wish it came with it but I had to purchase one on own. But I guess I can always sell it after I'm done with it. But price wise, I think you'll find them pretty competitive with the rest of the tuners now. Can't wait to put some 100 oct in the car and see if I can produce some Greece numbers.

 

As said earlier it's interesting to hear you say it's not that linear. I can't recall the greek guys saying that and i've spoken to them quite a bit on the APR tune hence me thinking maybe something is not right. Linearity is something I definitely have with the Protomotive along with the factory smoothness, so maybe this is where the APR tune differs due to its higher torque achievement through the higher 1.4 boost? Dunno...skand or costas should be able to shed some light on that. They really know the tune. I've actually been tempted for some time now to give it a free trial but where the agent is isn't real handy to me....plus at the end of the day I still struggle with the thought of paying 3200 and then eating a perfectly good tune for the sake of a tiny bit extra power I may or may not really feel. It'd be nice to try it one day tho if just to see what all the fuss is about.

I also certainly agree no tune could ever be worth 4K+ but sadly in some countries (such as Aus) the agents/sub agents all take a big slice along the way hence the silly price tag which exists our way....crazy! I certainly wouldnt be queing up to part with 4K thats for sure. It's quite funny how they must think Porsche owners are stupid and don't use the internet to do their mod shopping. I honestly can't recall the last thing I bought for my car over here. I mean why would you at the stupid prices here in Aus.

Maybe drop skandalis447 or costas (madsex343) a pm and ask about that poor linearity. You never know, something may well not be right. It is nice to have a smooth linear power delivery tho. It's worth checking out .

 

I might have worded it wrong. But I guess what I'm trying to say is that the power comes on very strong and very quickly, combined with the high torque down low it kind of feels like an on and off switch. Where with the factory tune you kind of have to build the boost gradually, with the APR the boost/torque just hits so quickly. It definitely still runs smooth just like when it was stock. I might be just feeling the spike in the torque curve maybe?

Here's a video of a 60-130 pull. You can see the acceleration is very smooth. I started the run in 4th almost off throttle, notice how quickly the boost builds.

 

Looks smooth enough going by the tach...also saw the boost hit 15 when you hit it at 3K. But then again you were in Sports C i noticed so when you floored it it should turn max boost by rights. Hey I also noticed it went all the way to 7000 before upshifting. Did it do that with the stock tune file? I thought the tips had a lower rev limit than the 6800?

 

The boost hits the same way in normal mode with the tune, you can see there was no little up arrow when it overboost with with sports on. With the APR tune, the car is always in overboost mode.

I actually shifted right before 6500, but i wasn't completely off the throttle so the rpm went up a little more. My car is a 6spd, not a tip. The rev limit is the same before and after the tune.