Boxster S (986) Just under 300bhp for just under £1500?
Discussion
Hi,
I am picking up my Boxster S this weekend. I havent had chance to test the performance yet but I do notice a lot of comments saying that they are a bit under-powered.
With this in mind I have been searching around for cost effective upgrades.
Now, there is a website called 'evolve your car' who offer an ECU remap. I normally wouldnt bother with remaps on a non-turbo car but they offer a 20bhp rise for around £700. Couple this with a new exhaust that claims a 10bhp + increase and sports cats that also claim a 10bhp increase and your talking an overall 40bhp gain. The exhaust parts vary in price but I have seen a sports exhaust on ebay for about £400 and decats for about £300. So the total cost will be about £1400.
Am I being naive in expecting these gains? Is it worth it?
I am picking up my Boxster S this weekend. I havent had chance to test the performance yet but I do notice a lot of comments saying that they are a bit under-powered.
With this in mind I have been searching around for cost effective upgrades.
Now, there is a website called 'evolve your car' who offer an ECU remap. I normally wouldnt bother with remaps on a non-turbo car but they offer a 20bhp rise for around £700. Couple this with a new exhaust that claims a 10bhp + increase and sports cats that also claim a 10bhp increase and your talking an overall 40bhp gain. The exhaust parts vary in price but I have seen a sports exhaust on ebay for about £400 and decats for about £300. So the total cost will be about £1400.
Am I being naive in expecting these gains? Is it worth it?
I don't doubt you can get more power out of a remap but it's often a fatter curve below peak power that results. They can get around the emissions dip that might be engineered in.
However this probably invalidate a warranty and 'may' make the engine less reliable. Power has to come at the expense of something else.
However this probably invalidate a warranty and 'may' make the engine less reliable. Power has to come at the expense of something else.
Edited by Rawhide on Wednesday 25th April 13:56
Doubt you'll see a 40bhp gain from that lot.
I'm not a boxster expert, but I would suspect Porsche got most of those elements within 90% of optimal (even given variations in fuel quality etc etc etc), so you may be able to see a 10% rise if you could iron out all the compromises Porsche have in there.
I'd think you may see a 15-20hp rise tops. And I equally wouldn't be surprised if it was nothing at all.
However, spend the same money on the suspension and brakes, and I think you'll have a much more rewarding and quicker car.
I'm not a boxster expert, but I would suspect Porsche got most of those elements within 90% of optimal (even given variations in fuel quality etc etc etc), so you may be able to see a 10% rise if you could iron out all the compromises Porsche have in there.
I'd think you may see a 15-20hp rise tops. And I equally wouldn't be surprised if it was nothing at all.
However, spend the same money on the suspension and brakes, and I think you'll have a much more rewarding and quicker car.
What kind of suspension modification are you talking about. I was actually considering upgrading the suspension but didnt really know what to do. I installed bilstein coilover suspension on my last car (Audi S4) and it improved the car no end. The stock suspension however was very crap indeed and after the installation of the bilsteins the ride was very hard.
I thought Porscshe would have had nearly optimal suspension on it already? What products would you suggest to improve it?
I thought Porscshe would have had nearly optimal suspension on it already? What products would you suggest to improve it?
newboxsterS said:
What kind of suspension modification are you talking about. I was actually considering upgrading the suspension but didnt really know what to do. I installed bilstein coilover suspension on my last car (Audi S4) and it improved the car no end. The stock suspension however was very crap indeed and after the installation of the bilsteins the ride was very hard.
I thought Porscshe would have had nearly optimal suspension on it already? What products would you suggest to improve it?
I thought Porscshe would have had nearly optimal suspension on it already? What products would you suggest to improve it?
How old's the car? By the time the suspensions 6-7 years old, it'll be well past it's best, and the good quality aftermarket stuff is normally a good bit better than stock.
Don't know what the boxster boys go for. I run KW Variant 3 on my 968, and the GT3 guys run the same, often revalved for their purposes. You'll need a boxster specialist for specific kit to go for. Someone will be along soon...
newboxsterS said:
Hi,
I am picking up my Boxster S this weekend. I havent had chance to test the performance yet but I do notice a lot of comments saying that they are a bit under-powered.
I am picking up my Boxster S this weekend. I havent had chance to test the performance yet but I do notice a lot of comments saying that they are a bit under-powered.
What a depressing post. You are already a victim of internet forum neurosis. You haven't even picked your car up yet, and by your own admission have no real idea of what it can do, yet already its not going to be enough. Says who? Any tosser can spout EVO stats in the local pub and try acting the big racer, but very few will genuinely know what they are on about. Ok so there are a few dedicated GT2 boys on here who feel nothing less than 500bhp will do, and have the experience to handle it. Similarly there are plenty of 944/68 posters who would be very glad of the power hike the "S" offers. (yes, yes, we know, the 944 turbo can get 300bhp no probs
) FWIW I think you should spend money making sure your car is in the best condition possible - with particular attention to refreshing brakes and suspension - and spend time making up your own mind before embarking on (often dubious) upgrades. Its a GREAT car and not that many have the genuine talent to realise its full potential. And i would pay little heed to the small contingent of the genitally-challenged whose advice serves mainly to
big themselves up. IMHO of course
I would try the car first. If your S is running well it will be quick car, I have 2000 S and at snetterton recently I had no trouble staying with a 3.4 996 down the long straight and had it well and truly nailed under braking and round the twisty stuff. It was pulling 7200 in 4th just before the bridge ,120 mph. I have the sports suspension,But I found even this was a bit soft on the dips there, So I am thinking of the coil over route when some come along at sensible money. Regarding the engine it is very easy to spoil the factory set up. For track work next year i will go the route of having Autofarm open it out to 3.7 and playing with the cams and heads. But for road work i woulg leave it alone.
Funny thing is Chris Harris retried a 2000s this week in Autocar,His comment was,I dont remember these Boxster being this Quick!! Top Man.
Funny thing is Chris Harris retried a 2000s this week in Autocar,His comment was,I dont remember these Boxster being this Quick!! Top Man.
I think you may of bought the wrong car, the box is all about balance, not power over grip type driving, if you see 'fast' being as much horsepower as possible then a Tiv may of been a better buy. 'Fast' in a box is about corners, braking and then straight line speed, ofcourse ,all IMO!!
I have obviously encountered more anti-boxster posts than some of you.
I do enjoy a bit of a burn around but I dont often encounter many 'twisties' and when I do they are normally back-roads in the countryside. I never drive fast and recklously around these becuase whenever you encounter a corner, you have no idea what is goin to be around it. I learned the hard way after encountering a stationary tractor whilst doing 80 and wrighting the car off into the back of it.
The comments about it being under-powered may have been relating to strait line performance. Such as on a dual carridgeway.
A car needs considrable performance in order to be noticably quicker than average. More and more cars are getting more and more bhp. I was quite embarrased by a Vauxhaul Astra VXR in my Skyline the other day. Some random Volvo also remained embarrasingly close to my behind whilst I had my foot firmly planted to the floor. Having said that, I had some fun with an Audi RS4, he was trying to pass me but couldnt muster the power to do it while I was under full acceleration.
Such matters are pathetically obvious shows/challenges of machoism but thats why you buy a porsche right, you want a nice, fast car?
I dont know the point I am trying to make this has turned into a random rant. I gues I want the car to be faster than most cars. The idea of being in my Boxster and being out-paced by a smug teen in a tacky 'hot-hatch' really frightens me. I would be such a battering to my manlyness.
I do enjoy a bit of a burn around but I dont often encounter many 'twisties' and when I do they are normally back-roads in the countryside. I never drive fast and recklously around these becuase whenever you encounter a corner, you have no idea what is goin to be around it. I learned the hard way after encountering a stationary tractor whilst doing 80 and wrighting the car off into the back of it.
The comments about it being under-powered may have been relating to strait line performance. Such as on a dual carridgeway.
A car needs considrable performance in order to be noticably quicker than average. More and more cars are getting more and more bhp. I was quite embarrased by a Vauxhaul Astra VXR in my Skyline the other day. Some random Volvo also remained embarrasingly close to my behind whilst I had my foot firmly planted to the floor. Having said that, I had some fun with an Audi RS4, he was trying to pass me but couldnt muster the power to do it while I was under full acceleration.
Such matters are pathetically obvious shows/challenges of machoism but thats why you buy a porsche right, you want a nice, fast car?
I dont know the point I am trying to make this has turned into a random rant. I gues I want the car to be faster than most cars. The idea of being in my Boxster and being out-paced by a smug teen in a tacky 'hot-hatch' really frightens me. I would be such a battering to my manlyness.
I own a 986 Boxster..it may be under powered compared to a 911 yes but in reality a Boxster S is certainly not going to leave a Boxster standing..it doesnt matter how fast your car is in a straight line especially with a Boxster because the cars handling is sublime and yes some cars may be quicker 0-60 etc but its all down to the drivers ability at the end of the day. I have come up against loads of people in quicker cars who didnt know how to drive hoofing it on straights and throwing the anchors on at the last minute. Forget about performance figures with the Boxster, just enjoy the cars mid engined handling benefits and watch as many cars try to follow you round bends as quick and fail miserably.
After extensive time spent on dynos and unpleasant sums of money spent on various performance upgrades on previous cars I can safely say that if there's one thing you can't do in the tuning world it's to assume that the net benefit of a set of performance modification is the sum of the claimed gains from each. To my mind you're lucky if you see a net gain equal to the maximum claimed by any individual contribution! Turbo cars aside of course - where it's an entirely different World - an exhaust change alone yield lots of horsepower.
Regardless, get the car first, fiddle with it later - if you *need* to - it's not exactly slow. But there's little you can do to a NA Boxster to give a noticeable (arse dyno) hike in power without some rather serious expenditure. Or a different car.
Regardless, get the car first, fiddle with it later - if you *need* to - it's not exactly slow. But there's little you can do to a NA Boxster to give a noticeable (arse dyno) hike in power without some rather serious expenditure. Or a different car.
softinthehead said:
What a depressing post. You are already a victim of internet forum neurosis. You haven't even picked your car up yet, and by your own admission have no real idea of what it can do, yet already its not going to be enough. Says who? Any tosser can spout EVO stats in the local pub and try acting the big racer, but very few will genuinely know what they are on about. Ok so there are a few dedicated GT2 boys on here who feel nothing less than 500bhp will do, and have the experience to handle it. Similarly there are plenty of 944/68 posters who would be very glad of the power hike the "S" offers. (yes, yes, we know, the 944 turbo can get 300bhp no probs )
FWIW I think you should spend money making sure your car is in the best condition possible - with particular attention to refreshing brakes and suspension - and spend time making up your own mind before embarking on (often dubious) upgrades. Its a GREAT car and not that many have the genuine talent to realise its full potential. And i would pay little heed to the small contingent of the genitally-challenged whose advice serves mainly to
big themselves up. IMHO of course
) FWIW I think you should spend money making sure your car is in the best condition possible - with particular attention to refreshing brakes and suspension - and spend time making up your own mind before embarking on (often dubious) upgrades. Its a GREAT car and not that many have the genuine talent to realise its full potential. And i would pay little heed to the small contingent of the genitally-challenged whose advice serves mainly to
big themselves up. IMHO of course
Never a truer word said, Nice Post Softinthehead
I have a 997S which could just about keep up with track only minis around Silverstone in December. These minis were not going as fast as they were turning on rails, oh and they knew the circuit, oh and they probably had better drivers 
(at least "I" did not spin).
Although I do not speed in the UK in the way you describe since I live in London, the above should give you a good idea that extra "speed" is not at all extra "power". As for beating other cars, when you get married you will find out that there is no point in trying to get the parade the best looking siliconed girl!!!
(at least "I" did not spin). Although I do not speed in the UK in the way you describe since I live in London, the above should give you a good idea that extra "speed" is not at all extra "power". As for beating other cars, when you get married you will find out that there is no point in trying to get the parade the best looking siliconed girl!!!
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