[Pinocchio]

My 718S, with its 350hp, is plenty fast for technical tracks like Sonoma and Laguna Seca. I pass my share of high-horsepower cars at these tracks. Thunderhill Raceway East, with its long straightaways, is a different story. I can be right on a driver's bumper coming out of certain turns there, only to watch them pull away upon entering the straights. My power-to-weight comparisons indicate that I need to increase my torque and horsepower by 10% to stay up with these cars.

Is this readily doable? I read about, but don't fully comprehend, all the maps, tweaks, and exhaust upgrades offered by the tuners. I want to speak, email, or talk here on this forum, with 718S owners who've paid to have some tuning done on their cars in California, under California regulations.

My car is my everyday driver - what can I do to find 35 horsepower and do the following?

1. Keep the exhaust note down to a dull roar. I love my fellow citizens and I want to do right by them. Besides, I love the sound of my car on track and do not count myself among the folks who think the 718S doesn't sound good. I like the way my car gurgles around town! My stock 718S is already loud enough to get black-flagged at Laguna Seca. The last black flag was for 94 decibels and that was on a clear day! (The limit is 90db). So no, I don't want to find horsepower by getting appreciably LOUDER.

2. I want to comply with California smog regulations. I want to run catalytic converters, stock or otherwise, that will meet CA pollution requirements. I want any installed tuning gadgets to be able to be bypassed or stripped out when I am not on track, unless it improves fuel economy. I don't need more horsepower around town!

3. I want to keep my Certified Porsche warranty and extended warranty intact.

I track my everyday driver about 8 days a year. It is worth it to me to spend a few thousand bucks to increase my car's performance. What is the best street legal bang for my buck, other than buying a 2020? Can anyone point me in the right direction (even suggest a 718 Forum post) to get all this done and get more speed at Thunderhill? I have a hard time getting a straight answer from the turner companies.

 

[DriveInHouston]

To make the long story short... Fuhgedabouddit!...

#3: Anything you do to get 35 more HP will certainly invalidate your warranty. And Porsche will know about it, even if you restore the ECU to the original state.

#2: This is more interesting. A 200 cell catalytic converter, together with a cat back exhaust will gain you some HP (forget about the Porsche warranty), possibly enough to meet your 35 HP requirement (I hear claims up to 450 HP with a proper tune to go with the additional hardware). The question is:

Does it pass California emissions?

The folks from SOUL and/or Fabspeed would be happy to answer, if asked.

#1: See what you've done with #2. That will tell you how quiet you want to be for the $$.

My gut feel, without any technical information is that it may be unlikely that you pass California emissions with a 200 Cell cat (maybe the other 48 who knows). The noisy exhaust... ehm... if the local constable doesn't mind, who am I....

 

[InTgr8r]

There will always be faster cars on track even with 50hp more.
JMO but fun on track is not about the straights, it's about cornering.

 

[2018c718gts]

A stock 718 S went over the sound limit of a real race track?!? How do other cars handle that? I’d have to imagine 50% or more of performance, track worthy, cars are louder than a 718.
im new to sound restrictions like this and terribly confused.

 

[jiffy]

Any chap with a heavy foot can go fast in a straight line, it's the corners where you show the size of your bollocks.

 

[alfaguy]

Sounds like a C8 would solve your problem....

 

[TK718]

I'm also a California guy, and have driven these same tracks (Sonoma and Thill especially) more times than I can remember.

Not sure what you're running for tires, suspension, and negative camber, but I'd start there before looking to add 10% more power.

As you likely know, even with a pretty large power deficit, if you can get your car positioned and settled mid-corner before others can, you'll get on that gas sooner than they will, and you'll make the pass. (You'll also have to learn to deal with a significantly faster corner entry at T1, T10, and T14!)

IME, there's also some racecraft to be worked (track day instructors often hate this...):

If you appear to be "as fast" in the corners, high-hp car drivers often ignore you in their mirrors and pull away in the straight, assuming they will distance you over the course of a lap.

...But if your closing rate in the mirrors is more dramatic, folks will often think you're "way faster" and will point you by or leave room for you on corner exit.

This is where getting on the gas earlier (and braking later, if you're VERY confident, have grip in reserve, and have great car control skill) can give you some artificial horsepower that will let you get around the bigger power cars.

Before risking CARB **** with a car or a tune or both, and especially since you d I've on low-sound Laguna days, I'd start everywhere BUT power - not the least of which would be with more seat time, more/stickier tires, then more negative camber, and then maybe suspension.

Interested to hear what you're running now of course, because maybe you've maxxed that stuff out!

 

[Fabspeed Motorsport]

My 718S, with its 350hp, is plenty fast for technical tracks like Sonoma and Laguna Seca. I pass my share of high-horsepower cars at these tracks. Thunderhill Raceway East, with its long straightaways, is a different story. I can be right on a driver's bumper coming out of certain turns there, only to watch them pull away upon entering the straights. My power-to-weight comparisons indicate that I need to increase my torque and horsepower by 10% to stay up with these cars.

Is this readily doable? I read about, but don't fully comprehend, all the maps, tweaks, and exhaust upgrades offered by the tuners. I want to speak, email, or talk here on this forum, with 718S owners who've paid to have some tuning done on their cars in California, under California regulations.

My car is my everyday driver - what can I do to find 35 horsepower and do the following?

1. Keep the exhaust note down to a dull roar. I love my fellow citizens and I want to do right by them. Besides, I love the sound of my car on track and do not count myself among the folks who think the 718S doesn't sound good. I like the way my car gurgles around town! My stock 718S is already loud enough to get black-flagged at Laguna Seca. The last black flag was for 94 decibels and that was on a clear day! (The limit is 90db). So no, I don't want to find horsepower by getting appreciably LOUDER.

2. I want to comply with California smog regulations. I want to run catalytic converters, stock or otherwise, that will meet CA pollution requirements. I want any installed tuning gadgets to be able to be bypassed or stripped out when I am not on track, unless it improves fuel economy. I don't need more horsepower around town!

3. I want to keep my Certified Porsche warranty and extended warranty intact.

I track my everyday driver about 8 days a year. It is worth it to me to spend a few thousand bucks to increase my car's performance. What is the best street legal bang for my buck, other than buying a 2020? Can anyone point me in the right direction (even suggest a 718 Forum post) to get all this done and get more speed at Thunderhill? I have a hard time getting a straight answer from the turner companies.

Hi Pinocchio,

You will indeed pass CA smog with our high flow catalytic converter and pick up a decent amount more power. As stated by someone else below...the tricky part is achieving that power level while maintaining warranty compliance. This package from us will get you there Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman Maxflo Performance Package but dealer trips could be interesting depending upon what you would be going in for. With the hand held tuner you can reflash the car back to stock pretty quickly if need be. Hope this helps some!

 

[cbarra]

IMHO, I would avoid tuning the S models. I'm already running into turbo-related heat issues without the tune.

 

[ArjandeV]

IMHO, I would avoid tuning the S models. I'm already running into turbo-related heat issues without the tune.

Care to elaborate? I have an S, no issues until now (32k km)

 

[Blk718CS]

I hear you. Was recently at watkins glen and there, got passed by Z06 after Z06. was at lime rock yesterday and was smack up this Z06's ass and he wouldn't point me by. . .like 5 laps worth and he'd hit the straight and floor it and pull a hundred feet up and i'd catch him in the first corner. so then i found him and asked him in the paddock if he wouldn't mind giving me a point by next time. he was nice about it. next session sure enough, he immediately points me by and i never saw him again. It is what it is. there will always be faster cars at faster tracks but just run your car as fast as you can. that said, when my warranty runs out, i'll probably tune mine. just be even more fun with close to 100hp more.

 

[cbarra]

Care to elaborate? I have an S, no issues until now (32k km)

Check out this thread: Advice - Turbo Overheating

 

[OneTimeAccount]

I'm also a California guy, and have driven these same tracks (Sonoma and Thill especially) more times than I can remember.

Not sure what you're running for tires, suspension, and negative camber, but I'd start there before looking to add 10% more power.

As you likely know, even with a pretty large power deficit, if you can get your car positioned and settled mid-corner before others can, you'll get on that gas sooner than they will, and you'll make the pass. (You'll also have to learn to deal with a significantly faster corner entry at T1, T10, and T14!)

IME, there's also some racecraft to be worked (track day instructors often hate this...):

If you appear to be "as fast" in the corners, high-hp car drivers often ignore you in their mirrors and pull away in the straight, assuming they will distance you over the course of a lap.

...But if your closing rate in the mirrors is more dramatic, folks will often think you're "way faster" and will point you by or leave room for you on corner exit.

This is where getting on the gas earlier (and braking later, if you're VERY confident, have grip in reserve, and have great car control skill) can give you some artificial horsepower that will let you get around the bigger power cars.

Before risking CARB **** with a car or a tune or both, and especially since you d I've on low-sound Laguna days, I'd start everywhere BUT power - not the least of which would be with more seat time, more/stickier tires, then more negative camber, and then maybe suspension.

Interested to hear what you're running now of course, because maybe you've maxxed that stuff out!

This is great info to know. Thanks for sharing!

I plan on tracking my base 718 Cayman (same setup as yours but with PDK) in a few weeks for the first time and I’ve always wondered how the car would hold up on the track compared to higher horsepower/higher speed cars. I’m a ways away from utilizing all the techniques you mentioned above since I have a lot to learn, however, but I’ll come back to these techniques once I get more experience.

Are you enjoying your base 718 on the track? I’ve always wondered if I should have gotten the S for more power but I’m not sure if it would’ve actually helped a whole lot on the smaller tracks in my state.

 

[JazzCatGab]

This is great info to know. Thanks for sharing!

I plan on tracking my base 718 Cayman (same setup as yours but with PDK) in a few weeks for the first time and I’ve always wondered how the car would hold up on the track compared to higher horsepower/higher speed cars. I’m a ways away from utilizing all the techniques you mentioned above since I have a lot to learn, however, but I’ll come back to these techniques once I get more experience.

Are you enjoying your base 718 on the track? I’ve always wondered if I should have gotten the S for more power but I’m not sure if it would’ve actually helped a whole lot on the smaller tracks in my state.

I've done a couple of HPDEs at Putnam Park in Indiana, a pretty little track with one long straight. I'll probably never do more than the two HPDE weekends per year, although timed events seem interesting to me. I have a base Cayman (see signature below) and am having a fun time learning. I've also read a bunch of books on the how-to. My nearly 40-year-old instructor each time is a fellow who owns several Porsches and has been racing since he was 19. He has, and could drive, several more powerful 911s he owns. And yet, he loves racing in his 6-cylinder 914 and mixing it up with the faster, more powerful cars on the track. He is always in the thick of the pack and if someone fails to execute in the curvy bits, he will pass them. He inspires me to race against myself and pass others if they hold me up. So I think horse power is relative to ambition and expectations.

 

[ArjandeV]

Check out this thread: Advice - Turbo Overheating

Aha, thanks! I have the sport design package, which comes with the 3rd radiator apparently. Anyway, from what I read in the suncoast topic on rennlist, that didnt really help. The document shared is a 2017 doc, mine is from 2018

 

[GTSTALKER]

Aha, thanks! I have the sport design package, which comes with the 3rd radiator apparently. Anyway, from what I read in the suncoast topic on rennlist, that didnt really help. The document shared is a 2017 doc, mine is from 2018

yes the issue with the S models is well documented on the suncoast thread on rennlist. It’s is acknowledged by Porsche and there is no fix to it currently.

 

[cbarra]

Aha, thanks! I have the sport design package, which comes with the 3rd radiator apparently. Anyway, from what I read in the suncoast topic on rennlist, that didnt really help. The document shared is a 2017 doc, mine is from 2018

I’ve also read the additional radiator did not help. My understanding is that no changes have been made turbo-wise on the 2017+ vehicles. Newer 718s could potentially have the same issue.

 

[DriveInHouston]

Perhaps that's why Porsche came up with the NA6 4.0 lt. For track use.

I doubt and have never heard of a case of turbo overheating and limp mode in canyon /mountain driving/twisties.

I always felt that when the demand is for lower RPM/lots of gear changes, the turbo shines with its low rev torque. When you need to live on the extreme upper part of the range, the NA 6 does better.