The second article that's recently gone to print in a non Porsche magazine
Part 2 Power!
Just over a year into ownership and the car was booked in to visit one of the countries authorities in performance tuning – DMS Automotive. Only just completing 3,500 miles in one year of ownership and having to leave the car for long periods for work meant that each time it was taken out of hibernation there was a great rekindling of the love affair in learning to appreciate the car all over again. So there was no shortage of excitement still being had. And every time you put your foot down it's hard to imagine that anything on four wheels can move faster, so more power was not really something that really was needed. It started as a simple exhaust upgrade; the standard car is low on the audio soundtrack that usually accompanies a car of this calibre. I wanted to find something that would make it sound as exciting is its performance. I found the right exhaust, now I needed someone to fit it, but also someone with a rolling road that could take my car. And once I contacted DMS Automotive in Southampton the slippery slope started.
As is in life: anything that is worth doing is worth doing properly. Although it's possible to take a completely standard car to DMS and have it remapped and receive some great gains, to really get the full benefits, you need to change a few key items. So to allow the car to breath it would be fitted with a BMC performance air filter, it would get a new exhaust and cats, and to allow the turbos to stay cool and keep the power coming longer the intercoolers would be replaced with the same items fitted to the GT2RS. Not cheap but then if you own a 911 Turbo it's not out of your reach either and it's cheaper, or at least less expensive than you might think.
When you arrive at DMS Automotive in Southampton, you are greeted with a very modern, large building. Gone are the days of dirty, oily garages; and in is the clean, well kept, warm workshop with polished floors and an environment you are happy to be in, rather than one you can't wait to get out of. An early start saw the garage shutters opening and the sounds of exotica rumbling into life as they emptied it of cars that have stayed there overnight. A (turbo charged) Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 997 Turbo, Audi RS5, and a Lotus, just a few of the long list of cars they cater for.
First stop for hardward is Kline Innovation for an exhaust system. Kline are new kids on the block in terms of the UK at least, but their exhausts show a skill level to match or surpass any other premium manufacturer out there today. Made from Stainless steel T304 grade material used in the Aerospace industry and TUV approved, they can produce their quite stunning looking exhaust systems in Titanium if you prefer or even using Inconel – a super strong metal used to make fan blades in jet engines. If you choose the latter, so robust it is they guarantee it for 99 years! The air filter came from BMC, as not heavily oiled like some of the other filters on the market and recommended by other 997 owners on various forums. As for the intercoolers, well it was an easy choice; Porsche's own GT2RS intercoolers would be used.
BMC Air filter
As soon as the car was on the ramp Martin Price, one of the mechanics started stripping the car. Off would come the rear bumper, bumper guard, taillights, heat shield, intercoolers and old exhaust. 'Removing the old exhaust usually takes three hours on a car this age. The nuts are usually rounded off and I have to sit here with a hammer and chisel! Yours seems to be in very good condition, that's very rare. It's possible that your car has had a plug change recently, as the exhaust has to come off for that."
Stripping the car
Sport cats (200 cell) and the decat pipe
Decat pipes will add 15-20bhp on sport cats. However they wouldn't pass an mot in the UK and would fail any emissions tests. Sport cats on the other hand are legal and comply with UK regulations.
600 cell cats on original exhaust system. Sports cats have 200 cells. Referring to number of airways inside the cat. Less number of larger cells means increased performance. Standard cats cells are very small.
Once removed the new exhaust was offered to the car, it took a little longer than normal to put the new system together as it has an extra set of screws where the 200 cell catalectic converters are attached. Most aftermarket systems are made in one piece, however Kline also offers the option of Decat pipes, which are not approved for use in the UK and would not pass an MOT (also increasing your emissions). They could be used however if you were going to track the car or on a racing car.
I think they might have done this once or twice before
The Intercoolers being wider than the standard units require slight modifications to the ducting that guides the air through them at speed, cooling the oil that in turn cools the turbos. You could purchase the GT2RS ducting but as with all things Porsche it's expensive, and anyway the chaps at DMS have a workaround, involving trimming the plastic on one end, drilling holes and securing with zip ties.
Intercoolers (new on the left)
To avoid having to buy new ducting the chaps at DMS have a workaround
Once the car was reassembled it was time for the rolling road to complete the remap. Runs pre modifications showed a respectable 478hp and 480Ib ft of torque. Rob Young, one of the owners of DMS owns a 997 Turbo. This car has been featured in various magazines over the years including Total 911 and 911 & Porsche World. The benefits to customers is that he has spent years creating and refining his maps to give the absolute best performance available. After the hardware and after the map was added to my car, the results were stunning: 621hp and 590In ft of torque. Rolling road figures are not definitive, results can alter based on weather condition, humidity, temperature, type of tyres fitted on the car etc. etc. So the numbers are just a approximation. However standard figures seemed to be bang on so it's a good idea of what to expect on the street.
The drive home was a learning experience. There is slightly more noise in the cab now but hey that's what I wanted! The linear power delivery has changed; it still feels smooth as the rev counter passes through 2,000rpm, the boost starts as it would a standard car but then it hits 3 grand and the floodgates open. The car wakes up fully and the powerful surge comes. If you plant your foot flat, the delivery is brutal, almost violent, and you are pushed back firmly in the seat. The noise comes at the same time and for the first time since owning the car I turned off my music, opened the window and just listened and enjoyed the soundtrack.
You have to relearn how far you plant your foot, as your old knowledge is now invalid. Do what you used to and you could be in a tree in seconds. First gear passes so quickly it's all you can do to stop it hitting the rev limiter. Previously the power came in a silky smooth, almost apologetic way, and was all done at 5000 revs, but now it now revs to well over 6500 until the rev limiter calls time. The car remains docile when you are being light footed or cruising which is a relief because otherwise it would be hard to live with if it was always the raging monster it can be. If you want civilized just keep the revs under 3,000rpm and it drives pretty much like a NA Carrera even though the turbos still come on boost if you're too eager.
When I started down this route I couldn't imagine going faster in my 911 Turbo. I knew there were faster cars, but when my foot was flat down it was hard to imagine anything moving more quickly. It seemed to be almost everything I wanted in a car. Now I know it is everything I was looking for and more. Can I live with it day to day? Very easily, it's a sweetheart when I'm cruising and a monster when I give it a foot full. And amazingly it doesn't seem any worse on fuel than before. I'm still averaging 23mpg driving on mainly urban roads and I'm still able to get 33+ MPG on the motorway. It really is a win win.
Still getting 33MPG on the motorway (driving carefully) with this much power!
Upgrades video
Make what you will of the figures in the video. How the car feels (and sounds) on the street is what matters and it feels and sounds epic!
Tech 9
The car going into Tech 9 tomorrow for the next phase of the conversion: GT2RS rear bumper and LED lights! Looking forward to seeing the results.