Each month, we get to know our band
of reporters as they share their real-life experiences with their 911s
1999 996 Carrera 4
Having fitted a performance sports exhaust
thanks to Quick Silver, and just last month finally getting my new Euro Cup GT
carbon induction kit sorted, I’ve been keen to keep things moving. In speaking
to various turners, I was certain of what needed to be done next.
It seems that, with the additional airflow
entering my engine (Euro Cup GT quote at least 50 per cent more cold, fresh
air) and the free-flowing exhaust expelling burned exhaust gases far more
quickly, there were gains to be had in terms of both performance and drive ability
if I was to have the car properly remapped.
1999
996 Carrera 4
For those unfarmiliar, remapping is in
essence recalibrating your engine’s Electronic Control Module to take advantage
of the various parameters specific to your car.
Let me simplify what that actually means:
first of all, as Porsche are sold worldwide, every single one must work in a
vast range of conditions. That means your Porsche needs to be able to cope with
much poorer fuel quality than we get here in the UK and far higher or colder
temperatures.
Fundamentally, every Porsche has been dialed
down to run in a worst case scenario, and frankly here in the UK those simply
aren’t the goalposts we play with! With the UK’s relatively mild temperatures
and high-quality fuel, there is a margin that can be breached safely and
reliably, and means there’s room for improvement when it comes to engine performance,
in my case for my 3.4
Having set myself a goal, I began hunting
for a reliable, reputable and camera-friendly re-mapper. Following advice, I
was pointed in the direction of Revo Developments, a specialist in engine
software and performance tuning, and booked myself in.
The first thing the Revo team did was
connect my car to their data loggers through the OBD2 port and took it out for
a test drive. The aim was to measure the readable data including throttle
position, fuelling and oxygen supply, to make sure there were no vacuum leaks
or worn sensors, as Revo need to be assured that every car they work on is in
good health. Even a minor fault can be accentuated through a remap as you are
pushing everything a little more and wiping your car’s stored adaptive data.
Same
car, different character: Joel is impressed with the new response at low RPM of
his 996
Without this data, the car’s brain is back
to square one, so it’s essential that your 911 is working properly before you
have any work done, or more to the point, before Revo will sell you their
software. Thankfully, my car was returned with no anomalies, so following an
inspection it was time to get underway.
First, it was plugged into Revo’s Serial
Port Programmer (SPP). Revo have a huge library of fi les should the need arise
to return the car to the standard Porsche map. The ECU software wasn’t on file,
so was downloaded prior to anything else being done.
As Revo have been remapping 996s for years,
they already have a range of maps. However, these are adjustable and allow for
each car to be set up to suit variations in conditions, fuelling and
components. As I have a new exhaust and induction system, the team wanted to
make further tweaks to incorporate and take advantage of the additional airflow
and exhaust system. Because of these previous modifications, I would be looking
at a Stage 2 remap rather than a Stage 1, which offers an advantage for a
standard car with no modifications.
It turns out Revo had an updated factory
software version for my car, so an hour later, with a technician squirreling
away and manipulating my Revo map, the fi le was ready, uploaded and set up by
the Revo guys. It was now time for a test drive.
First, I noticed on startup how immediately
the car settled to a normal speed (800rpm). Previously, there was occasionally
a little hunting (between 500-1,300rpm), as the car worked out how to handle
all that fresh air coming into the engine bay.
I fired through the gears at slow speeds to
see how the engine coped with low rpms. The car still pulled, but in sixth it
pulled with more vigor below 2,000rpm than I was used to (more like fifth gear,
actually). With the car warmed up, I started to stretch her legs more, and was
greeted with the same linear power delivery I have become accustomed to.
It’s hard to quantify the improved
performance, but I did notice the speed in which the tone of the car changed as
the VarioCam kicked in. It’s strange, but over the past few months I have learned
how my car sounds, and how long it takes for that crescendo to build. There is
no question about it; this is happening faster and more aggressively.
I also noted how it pulls more cleanly in
higher gears; from 3,000rpm in fourth, you now get more torque. I wouldn’t say
it was like being in third gear, but I would say it’s not like being in fourth!
Remapping
can quickly unlock an extra potential in performance
What else have I noticed? Well, the car
just feels right, almost like it has had a full-on service and fluid change, or
somehow someone has turned the clock back slightly. It does feel more
responsive at lower rpms and pulls harder, but the character hasn’t changed; it
just feels a little bit more muscular.
As a point of reference, I was recently on
a rather large stretch of ‘private road’ and pulled alongside a 2006 997S, a
car with 355bhp and a larger 3.8-liter engine. While I certainly didn’t beat
him, the difference was slight. In fact, there was no more than a couple of
cars length in it from 60-120mph.
I have been very pleasantly surprised by
the results of Revo’s map. Despite countless arguments that tuning a naturally
aspirated car is as useful as a chocolate ashtray, my experience tells me that
is not the case. If you have modified your car then a remap will help you
realize some of that untapped potential. If your car is as Porsche intended, it
will indeed help you take advantage of the quality fuel and pleasant climate
your Porsche will have become accustomed to here in the UK.
