[ldamelio]

I've always been generally aware of the ability to reprogram software or 'chip' a car for performance gains. I never paid much attention to this as all my cars have been practical family haulers or conservative sport sedans (A6). I'm now in a glorious 718 CS and enjoying all 350 hp. I see software modules advertised that will get me into 911 CS territory (420 hp) without requiring mechanical mods. I don't 'need' this but there is a certain temptation there.

So, my question in a general sense:

How do such mods affect durability and drivability of a car in general?

If this is so easy, why doesn't Porsche do this at the factory? Squeezing 350 conservative hp out of a 2.5 liter 4 seems to already be a feat that places engine components near their stress limits.
Is it just a matter of positioning a car in the hierarchy - i.e. keeping Cayman S power under base 911? I'm seeing that he upcoming GT4 may get a detuned GT3 flat 6 - is is just a chip away from a 'budget' GT3?

Thanks in advance for feedback.

 

[GusRandall]

Yes, the reason they cap the performance of the 718 (and 781, 787 before that) is that if you can get a car as fast as the 911 and with arguably better handling based on weight distribution for tens of thousands less, it would hurt 911 sales. Others will have richer details but that's the essence of it.

I've often wondered about other things on these mods like gas mileage in "normal driving" and warranty impact. I don't know that anybody can answer the question about durability since the engine is new and there isn't a track record on it yet with or without the programming mods.

 

[Alan Tse]

Well from what i gathered, Porsche would not let a lower model beat a higher model in power hence the reason why all engines are limited in power even if they can make more.

Second possiblilty might be, if we up the power then we might get more lag.More pressure in turbo then it will take abit longer to spool=increase in delay =lag.

When i had E92 BMW , tunning box or OBD flash was great, when you have a service you remove it and use code reader to clear all codes and the dealer never knows. If you forgotten it then say good bye to warranty. Not quite sure if porsche is more advance now, if you like to add some bhp and want to keep warranty then a tuning box would be a good idea, i can’t guarantee it can’t be detected tho.

 

[charlotte]

Sounds like too much of a risk if they can check it, at least until the factory warranty expires. When the warranty expires, then it's fair game.

 

[TheWaitingGame]

Am I the only one who finds Porsche’s reasoning on “capping” the 718 models to not hurt 911 ludicrous? Let me explain. Sure, I would have not said no to more HP (although for me 300 is more than enough), but let’s say all 911 and 718 cars had the same amount of HP and I had the money to purchase any of them, I really am not sure I’d opt for a 911. A car is more than what the leaflet tells you its HP is... It’s handling and it’s looks as well... and Porsche has that down to a tee for the 718s. Now, I’ve never driving a 911 so I cannot speak for myself but reading a lot of comments on this forum: there are plenty of people out there that prefer the look and feel of the 718 and made a conscious choice not to opt for the 911 and it was not about money... And I have yet to hear anyone complain about the lack of HP. I just cannot imagine anyone saying “well... the 718 does handle better and I find it a better looking sports car than the 911s but I want more HP, so I will blow more money on a car that is not really my first choice”, perhaps leaving the GTs aside because that is a whole different ball game... If anything,Porsche should let the 718s roam free... anyway this is just my personal opinion. Some Sunday morning rambling to get the day started...

 

[Sails Call]

Am I the only one who finds Porsche’s reasoning on “capping” the 718 models to not hurt 911 ludicrous? Let me explain. Sure, I would have not said no to more HP (although for me 300 is more than enough), but let’s say all 911 and 718 cars had the same amount of HP and I had the money to purchase any of them, I really am not sure I’d opt for a 911. A car is more than what the leaflet tells you its HP is... It’s handling and it’s looks as well... and Porsche has that down to a tee for the 718s. Now, I’ve never driving a 911 so I cannot speak for myself but reading a lot of comments on this forum: there are plenty of people out there that prefer the look and feel of the 718 and made a conscious choice not to opt for the 911 and it was not about money... And I have yet to hear anyone complain about the lack of HP. I just cannot imagine anyone saying “well... the 718 does handle better and I find it a better looking sports car than the 911s but I want more HP, so I will blow more money on a car that is not really my first choice”, perhaps leaving the GTs aside because that is a whole different ball game... If anything,Porsche should let the 718s roam free... anyway this is just my personal opinion. Some Sunday morning rambling to get the day started...

Well said. The 718 and 911 have different demand characteristics. The reality is that people may buy one over the other due to a plethora of reasons; style, history, performance, nostalgia, vanity, price, braggadocio, availability, HP, etc.
@TheWaitingGame....are you sure you are a girl?

 

[ldamelio]

Yes, with the thread heading in this direction, I'll chime in. I'm in the camp that chose the 718s over the 911 regardless of price. They just seem a little bloated these days compared to past generations. Probably what the market demands - many more people want GT cars than true sports cars. The GT3, GT3RS, and GT2RS are exceptions, but I even see many of these with all types of creature comfort options that go against the nature of the beast. No disrespect to the 911 - it remains iconic and there may be a variant in my future when I need a GT and/or track car.

 

[Yipekiye]

I will add to the same tangent. I had a 2011 Cayman Base for several years, but I wanted more creature comforts, but with the same great driving experience. I came to the conclusion that I would get a 2014-2015 911 Carrera. I planned my trip to the dealer with great anticipation and was quite surprised to find that the vaunted 911 handling left me sort of disappointed.

To their great credit, the dealer allowed me to start driving other cars. I had to work my way up to a 911 4S before it started to feel like what I wanted. This was either quite a bit over my budget, or I was going to have to trade back several years in age. As a last resort, I asked to drive the new 718. I fell in love immediately, including the exhaust note. I was able to special order exactly what I wanted, with considerable options, for what I was going to pay for a 911. I have been very pleased with the result.

Back to the original thread, I would only consider a tuning upgrade after the factory warranty expires. Knowing my luck, I would somehow screw it up and get my warranty revoked.

 

[TheWaitingGame]

Back to the original thread, I would only consider a tuning upgrade after the factory warranty expires. Knowing my luck, I would somehow screw it up and get my warranty revoked.

Same here. Not that I would actually get a tuning upgrade done but I am contemplating H&R springs but same reasoning: after warranty expires... too big of a risk IMO.

 

[TheWaitingGame]

@TheWaitingGame....are you sure you are a girl? /forum/images/718forum/smilies/tango_face_grin.png

haha, yes, last time I checked...! But I have always wanted a Porsche since I was a kid (which funnily enough, was a love I inherited from my mother - I inherited my dad's love for BMWs though) and ever since my test drive with the 718, I'm obsessed !

 

[TheLip]

haha, yes, last time I checked...! But I have always wanted a Porsche since I was a kid (which funnily enough, was a love I inherited from my mother - I inherited my dad's love for BMWs though) and ever since my test drive with the 718, I'm obsessed !

I inherited my love of driving from my mom, as well. When I was growing up, my dad loved big, floaty 1970s Cadillacs, but my mom, a mother of two young boys, got rid of the station wagon to get a 1970 Camaro with a small block V8 engine.

 

[TheWaitingGame]

I inherited my love of driving from my mom, as well. When I was growing up, my dad loved big, floaty 1970s Cadillacs, but my mom, a mother of two young boys, got rid of the station wagon to get a 1970 Camaro with a small block V8 engine.

nice ! I remember as a kid boasting about my mum’s cars haha (none of them a v8 mind you!). My personal favourtie to date was a Honda crx. Bright red. Loved that car...

 

[Ian718]

My personal favourtie to date was a Honda crx. Bright red. Loved that car...

My first car was a black Del Sol Honda CRX! Lots of fun fun times were had. The Boxster was always the dream though