Hi guys. I am a relatively new poster and have a bone stock 05 Carrera S with 6 spd and sport chrono. Original even to the back tires which I haven't had to replace for 14.1 K miles. I know. Sorry. I'm not driving it hard enough. Was in to my local auth. dlr. asking about options eg ordering a new 997.2 with X51 (he said to my surprise not worth the $ for what you get, and I appreciated his honesty) or ordering a new tt-S. He said mine could be easily modified for not too much money to give amazing performance. He would not get more specific other than mentioning Dinan and Gemballa as tuners. Can anyone be more specific on the best ways to increase performance while maintaining reliability and easy driving that I am used to. Thanks in advance!
Jim

 

One thing you are going to learn fast with this car...NO such thing "cheap horsepower"...not unless spending $10.000 is cheap to you!
Exhaust is going to set you back close to $5,000 and get you maybe 25 HP......ECU flashes to go with that another $750-1,000 which equates to $120-150/RWHP!

There are many ways to increase HP and you will get many opinions on this and that.........
I chose Forced Induction.
I have tried and modified the VF supercharger and NOW waiting for my TPC racing turbo kit and IMO...these are the best bang for the buck!
$10,000-12,000 gets you and extra 140 RWHP....which equates to 100/RWHP....


Stacy

 

Q: are you close to exceeding the performance characteristics of your car? If the answer is negative, go to PSDS to improve yourself first.

 

Maybe the dude just wants more power.

 

Hi Stacy. Thanks for the reply. Actually 10K is not that unreasonable compared with the price of a new (er) car especially in Calif where taxes and fees are so high. I have to get my post numbers up to get the link of you and your wife installing that turbo! As an answer to the other replies, I think that is a good suggestion to attend the P 'school'. I just like the thought of a bit more grunt when I put my foot down, but the car is pretty phenomenal as it stands.
Jim

 

Then you are like me.....Forced induction fits your needs!
I have no desire to track or see what my car do in the corners and I have no desire to own a Big block Chevelle for power...so FI worked great for me and is unbelievable power from a well engineered German car!
BEST of ALL worlds.....
Contact Casey at TPC racing............


Stacy

 

If you're looking for a VERY big increase in HP from these engines, F.I. is definitely the only way to go. The downsides are that it's a big departure from stock and not so easily reversible. There's also the possibility of increased reliability problems as the internal loading on the engine is much greater, as it is on the clutch, transmission etc.

Whilst not adding huge HP, the character of these cars can be changed significantly with more traditional mods. A full AWE exhaust, for example, will give you a good 25BHP (and maybe more) and sounds, well.... Awesome! It gives the car a more muscular mid-range and also lets it rev more freely as it attacks the red line. Adding a BMC-F1 panel filter allows the intake side to breathe more freely and compliments the AWE system perfectly. Although I never tried it on my 997S.1, anecdotal evidence suggests that the Softronic ECU mod works very well with the AWE/BMC and can add another 10-12 BHP.

The car with these (very easily reversible) mods is a fantastic drive - howling through the rpm band, really crisp throttle response and very noticeably quicker than stock. It will make you grin every time you drive it!

So don't discount the traditional 'bolt-on' mods available for your car. No they won't be anything like an F.I. car, but they do give the car the character and power and grin-factor that Porsche **should** have given it direct from the factory.

 

i had evo intake, headers, giac flash and pse..i did before and after dyno on my 2005 997 S - gained ZERO HP and Tq
Save your money or get the turbo kit!

 

Softronics, BMC Filter, X-51 Headers, AWE CATS = $4,500 w/ Installation
Net Hp Gain = 28
Cost/Hp ratio for this route = 160

Also take into consideration these were some of the "easy" / relatively inexpensive Mods: Intake, Exhaust, ECU Tune... Going beyond those to get more Hp without forced induction can be MUCH more costly.

I personally decided to go the TPCRacing Turbo Route. I expect a net Hp gain of around 130-140 from stock.

The Cost/Hp ratio for this route is 92 to 100 when you consider installation costs.

The only thing that had me hesitating was the sunk cost I had in the current MODS which are all obsolete with this new package. I'll recoup some of it reselling the CATS and headers, but not much.

So I guess my suggestion is if you want in the neigborhood of 30-50Hp gain, and will be happy with that, expect to shell out at least $4k-5k. If you want to go beyond that, a Turbo or Supercharger really is the most economical route from an up-front cost perspective. I also believe in Ian's advice that you must also consider the potential of longevity and wear/tear issues down the road: i.e. account for the higher maintenance costs. That should factor in your decision particularly if the car is still under warranty.

 

Forced Induction is the only way that you are going to get big power, I have a bunch of bolt ons and although I find the power smoother, the gains aren't huge (if any at all), infact if anyone asks, I say I have 355HP at the crank.

Stacy is the resident expert on FI DIY, he is a good place to start for your trip down this slippery slope.

 

Hi Stacy. I looked at the website. Just as you say $10K for what looks to be a well thought out system. I have good local P mechanic, so I guess I would have the kit shipped to them, than how much should I expect to pay for the install? The new headers exhaust tips look like they are part of the kit?? I love the thought of it not really affecting any of the other systems! Thanks again.
Jim

 

Hi. ..."trip down this slippery slope" sounds pretty scary to me! The web site and you tube videos for the TPC CT520 look pretty staightforward. What do you think is the downside? It sounds like the deal of the century to me, after contemplating spending $181K after taxes and fees to order a new tt-S
Jim

 

Thanks for the recognition Ed......

The FULL exhaust IS part of their kit......and everything else stays the same.
Install time will vary....I would think $2-3,000..... and the TPC turbo looks to be an easier install than the VF supercharger.
I have to say though....that VF charger,when you open the deck lid...STOPPED people DEAD in their tracks but IMO the TPC turbo will be the quicker set-up!


People use that term "Slippery slope" is used because nobody really has alot of knowledge about how many miles your motor may or may not last due to forced induction(FI) !
I personally know of a few cars with over 70,000 miles with FI and NO problems.......even one fellow who ran his supercharger at 9 PSI for extended period of time and he IS one of the guys that had over 70,000 miles on his car!
One thing you need to remember....every mod,AND I mean EVERY mod(ECU flash headers,cats...ETC),comes with some sort of possible compromise.

Only things that may considered a "downside" with the TPC turbo kit is one hole that you need to make to get the air intake feed into the car,and that is NO big deal and the bumper bracket that needs to be cut!
The bumper bracket (not a huge dollar part) will be a simple part to order from Porsche if you want to return the car back to 100 % stock.The hole....well,it is in the engine bay and with a bit of searching I am sure that one could source a rubber grommet of some sort to put in.

The good thing is that the FI kits available to us do NOT run much boost(4.5-6PSI).. so with that in mind I would NOT expect that you are putting that much more "wear and tear" on your motor BUT again nobody knows!
Also with the TPC turbo and building full boost so early on,somewhere around the 3800 RPM......you will NOT need to spin your motor to the higher RPM's to make the same power of any other FI kit or stock motor out there.
Think about it.....stock motor makes 295 RWHP around 6700 RPM....TPC turbo makes that same power by 4700 RPM...2,000 RPM less than stock!
Then IF you are courageous enough to stay in the throttle to the end you will see around 440 RWHP.....and the torque.......LOOKS like it is awesome,with over 300 ft/lbs from 4000 rpm......

I am looking forward to getting the kit into the car and comparing the two systems......
Here is a thread that Carole and I have started!

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...fe-can-do.html


Enjoy,

Stacy

 

Hi Stacy. Why if I might ask are you switching from the supercharged to the turbo set-up?
Jim

 

As a related question for those much more mechanically inclined than I, how does the stock engine mgt software respond to having more air crammed into each cylinder? What I am trying to avoid is stalling, poor starting , overheating or lights inexplicably illuminating on the dash.
Jim