I don't mind it, and those saying it usually aren't doing so facetiously.

 

To be honest guys (Chris inc) I truly fail to see what the big deal is with the whole "doc" thing and it was kinda just a nickname anyway and no way being disrespectful. I think I just enjoyed using it all this time due to his user name with the ttsurgeon thing going on and with him being a real doc... well it all kind of went together, a perfect fit if you will, and with that touch of respect added in. Anyway if he wants me to now call him Chris after all these years well no problem but in a way I will miss calling him "doc" because he is such a huge doc iykwim and it really fits him around here. And if i do happen to drop the sly doc in here and there, it wont be for any other reason to add a bit of light hearted humour along the way. Certainly not worth "flipping the lid" imho..

Anyway, back to the proverbial consensus...

 

Drove my 2014 TTS for 200 miles then had EP installed. I like the more aggressive sound so for me it is perfect. But I know this is just a matter of taste. I still only have 900 miles so haven't driven it hard yet. Anxious to see how it sounds once I do. Interestingly I think the Tubi exhaust on my C4S sounds better, but I'm guessing that is just inherently from a naturally aspirated motor.

 

Great to have a new EP customer surface finally! I hear there are a few down your way now with them on! So tell me how does it stack up in comparison to the stock system? Any drone or internal volume issues that could become old at one point? Any points worthy of mention in terms of improvements over the stock system?

Re the tubi I hear you on that. I also owned a 997s with a tubi and headers and it sounded pretty good......nothing like the turbo tubi which sounded lame. I think it has to be accepted that an atmo engine is always going to have that more pure raspy Porsche sound.

 

Most of my miles are highway miles to/from work about 70 miles a day. In the mornings, I leave before traffic so it is pretty much full speed, carefully observing the speed limit, of course I don't feel like there is highway speed noise / droning that is any different than stock. In the evenings I am in traffic bumper to bumper. The biggest differences I notice vs stock in this kind of driving are the obvious more aggressive sound when accelerating, and the gurgling / burbling / popping (not sure what the right word is) when I let off the gas and the car begins to slow. It makes this noise with each successive downshift, not at first, but once lower RPMs are approached and foot is off gas. Hope that helps.

 

Interestingly, in viewing this thread you reference, EP says that the 0-124 mph time is the same as stock. I have never seen a system that reduced back pressure fail to provide a performance improvement. Is the PDK so efficient that the turbos never go into vacuum, thus keeping the boost on for each shift?

 

Thanks for the feedback. Given the OEM system has proven to be relatively satisfactory for the car I've been on the fence for a while myself. I really didn't want to upset the interior sound levels too much although after running up nearly 2000kms now I'm beginning to yearn for a bit more in certain situations.

Having had such an excellent experience with my last EP I knew deep down if was going to brave messing around with this new car it wouldn't be with any other system than the Europipe. So, I recently pulled the trigger with Stef again and will have a system shortly for install. Anyway any info you can provide me in the meantime would be greatly appreciated. I know exactly what you mean with the gurgle and pop when you get off the power and the car intuitively downshifts with the reduction of any speed as you approach a corner or a set of lights. Its very addictive. Shame the 997tt didn't have that. I also notice that the way they have piped in some sound really doesn't allow you to accurately determine just how much volume is really happening on the outside but the piping does pump up the volume inside when you get on the gas. So I'm wondering just how much extra volume happens inside with the EP in similar circumstances? If as an example the stock system delivers a 5 out of 10 in sound level when you get up it a bit what would you say the EP gives now?

You also say the sound level inside while cruising is the same as before but is the same if you apply light throttle or, is it only the same when you are in off throttle situations? If so how much louder is it inside if you apply light throttle on and off in light urban traffic? Also is there any resonance like how the stock system produces at times at around 1800 rpms in a cruise gear? I recall Stef saying he has eliminated that annoying resonance. Is this the case? I know this resonance is no big deal but it can annoy if in a prolonged situation and I recall 1gunner saying his annoyed him a bit on a trip so am thinking is the EP worse in that situation?


Good spot enzom! I did notice that myself however do I recall previous comments about the new ecu programming that a re tune is required to take full advantage of any reduction and the system will only be able to deliver benefits within certain parameters in which the ECU allows.

I will email Stef and hopefully he will oblige an answer for us. But keep in mind that if the EP is unable to provide any gain with its significant reduction in back pressure then it would have to also have apply to other systems as well.

 

On the resonance - no I don't notice that. When getting on the accelerator moderately, it is louder inside than stock was. Understand however that with 900 miles on the car I haven't driven it very aggressively yet. I have two points of comparison that may or may not help you. I would say the piped in sound is not as loud as the piped in sound on my C4S, which has a Tubi exhaust. I would say it is louder than the piped in sound on my Cayenne GTS, which has Porsche Sport Exhaust.

On your separate note about gain, I have to chuckle, because what I have heard anecdotally from my dealer is it is about 10 HP, and in my mind I don't know how one could even notice that in this car. I have only floored it twice, and both time it was whiplash, and I felt like my cheeks were flapping like a skydiver! It's awesome!

My dealer has installed a lot of EPs. Their "standard" offering for TTS customers who want it is the EP, a BMC filter, and a tune by some guy who comes over from Europe. Sorry I don't know who it is. Point being, my dealer claims on the 997 TTS these three combined adds 70HP. The BMC is apparently not available yet for the TTS, nor is whatever EU guy needs to do his thing with the tune. Yes I know, highly technical terms there...

 

With the usual subjective caveat...a couple more impressions to add to the mix.

I just got done with two days on the track during which I got a dozen or so laps in a TTS [in sport plus mode, naturally ] with the stock exhaust and rather more laps than that with C2S's variously with PSE on and off. There's no doubt in my mind that in that regime, pushing the loud pedal hard and letting PDK or sport plus auto blip manage downshifts, the PSE sounds better...more edgy, more volume, more...snarl. But comparing the C2S without PSE or with it turned off I was pleasantly surprised in comparison by how good the TTS sounds at full tilt on the loud pedal...it's pretty visceral given a nice long straightaway with room to run up and down through a few shifts.

As an aside, I'm not really an expert sport driver but even so it's blatantly obvious how much more capably the TTS is compared to a C2S or a Cayman S is on the track...what a machine. Of course it's faster to accelerate...flattening your eyeballs as it does so...but the TTS made me feel like I could carry markedly more speed into and through corners. That was the most impressive part. I don't suppose the lap times were in fact that much faster (in fact I'm fairly sure they weren't because I was following a pace car in the TTS and doing open laps in the C2S's) but the extra sensation of the car's competence and the confidence it inspired in me was palpable.

 

I agree that the way this car accelerates and feels so weightless, so to feel 10 hp would prove difficult. Maybe a very long straight with no cops around will allow some form of measurable test. I've only had the need to floor mine on a couple of occasions now and still never managed to reach full rpms..... had to more or less back off due to the sheer acceleration and speed generated in such short space of time. Unbelievable! That said, did you experience any difference at all in torque delivery between the shifts in moderate driving situations? Often the advantages of a system in a car of this power is not realized by improved accel times but realized in different driving situations/ways?

Also, as you had the stock system on previously would you say there has been anything adverse since the install? No regrets anywhere? or is it all good on every solitary front?

 

Stef said the accel times were "much the same" as stock 0 to 124 and openly admitted any gain or improvement in HP or torque shown on a Dyno graph could be fairly critiqued as being pointless if it did not result in improved Accel times. He is also not a big fan on Dyno numbers even though they did their own Dyno testing. He mentioned these numbers are produced at WOT, and the PDK downshifts, as is the case with everyone elses dyno testing....

That said, he confirmed additional power/torque had been acheived by the reduction in backpressure from 5.1 stock to now 2.05 psi. realized in each shift where the gearbox now changes 200 rpms earlier at part throttle. There is also an improved throttle response as well. He said the PDK is extremely efficient, coupled to an already very powerful engine which is behind consistent accel times vs a manual transmission which would always see variances depending upon operater skill.

 

Thanks for following up.

 

Curious whether EP eliminates the 1800-2000 rpm highway cruise speed drone that the OE exhaust has....

Steph claims it does, but with all due respect, he's selling a product.
Would be nice to hear real world consumer reports.

 

Agree. And agree...

So far Stef has been honest in everything that has come out of his mouth and I respect that until proven otherwise. That said his new EP is a brand new system with newer and harder expectations to live up to. The bar has clealy been raised for all AM manufacturers. Now so far as all the other AM's go, well they should know my sentiments by now....they simply cannot be trusted and frankly I don't care how much foot stamping they want to put up. The (drone) is the main question here I was really hoping to get a clear answer from bigdogtex. So Bigdog are you out there?..anything further to elaborate on?

As a general rule of thumb, you increase exterior volume and you also increase interior volume in that process. So, it is whether that increase in interior volume brings along with it an increase in drone which is currently there that is my major concern, in fact a complete deal breaker for me if it does.

I found with my last 997tt it had a similar level of stock drone as what 991tts has and whilst I have not personally found it to be a major issue for the new car 99% of the time there are moments when I would prefer if it was not there. Why Porsche has not completely addressed it, it may well have come down to the limitations of the manufacturer of the stock system. That is possible....verrry possible. I just use past examples of 99% of AM system manufacturers who have failed miserably in addressing the drone issue for the 997tt.1 systems they were selling and instead relied purely on convincing buyers that the exterior note was the be all end all....never focusing on least of all advertising the fact that the car became a headache factory in the process. So I will grant EP1 the fact it did not drone in any way that would detract from driver enjoyment regardless of whether it was aggressive or quiet drive times behind the wheel. That said the 997tt came with a terrible interior stock note unlike the 991tt which does not share that same issue so it could be fairly said best to leave everything alone and enjoy it for what it is.

The EP1 greatly improved the interior note whilst not increasing interior drone from stock which was quite an achievement many have since come to recognize who bought that system.....myself included hence my enormous respect for the brand. But 991TT is a different car in many many ways...and all good, and that raises the bar significantly for all AM manufacturers who now want to claim they have indeed made things better.

I am a firm believer that if the interior volumes become obtrusive in any way it can and will detract from the driver and passenger enjoyment at one stage. I mean you can't seriously expect to be in a sporty state of mind all of the time least of all be able to drive the car aggressively all of the time. There will be times when you want quiet and then there will be times when you might want to hear that engine growl a bit more than what it currently does now.....not that I suppose it really needs to because it's pretty damn good stock the way it is at WOT and/or near to. Those that say they want loud all the time are not credible in my books so for me a system essentially needs to deliver both scenarios for the driver, for it to claim success.

So 1gunner what the real story is with the new EP I have absolutely no idea at this point in time, but I would dearly love to know from anyone that is prepared to be completely honest to give a genuine and accurate account without getting themselves too caught up or obsessed with the indulgent exterior side of the argument, which essentially only benefits those standing on the sidewalk anyway. So, like yourself, I sit here patiently awaiting a quality heads up from someone who is capable of calling it. And meantime I will await the EP myself (which I have now ordered) and will do the testing exercise myself.

If owners want to speak up about any other AM system they have on their cars, and review here please do so....love to hear from you. That said, not saying I will personally believe any of you as the track record of honesty on these forums has unfortunately proven to be less that reliable which led me to my own costly mistakes in times gone by. I mean, I have heard guys swear (and still do to this very day) how a .... system never drones when even the god damned manufacture/designer and distributor said it does so, go figure! Me? ...well I'm a hard critic on anything anyone puts up.... and I make no apologies about that.

 

Yes, exactly!!