Engine warranty aside, Has anyone has done ecu on the gt4? I Know mcchip-dkr offers up to 406 hp / 450 trq.

http://mcchip-dkr.com/en/chiptuning/..._gt4-dfi_385ps

 

This is part of the Stage 1 kit that BGB posted about a while ago, though it's intended to adjust the ECU for the hardware mods that are being installed; not sure what's different if you only want the software by itself. Although I have to say that their website description makes me very wary: "Chiptuning from mcchip-dkr means the following for you: more power, less fuel consumption, less engine wear and driving pleasure." If all of that is the case, then unless this tune would cause the car to fail emissions in certain areas, why wouldn't Porsche tune the car this way? I don't buy that it was solely to keep the GT4 "in its place".

 

Why not? Why does the boxter get 10hp less than its cayman equivalent? I think Porsche are hyper sensitive to the perceived pecking order of their cars.

 

Screw the ECU tune....I bet a lightweight flywheel will have a bigger effect and re-gearing even more so.

 

Well even if I were to accept the conspiracy theory, that would only explain the lack of increased power that the aftermarket tune offers, not the reduced fuel consumption and engine wear -- unless somehow both of those can only be achieved by increasing power, which I would have a very difficult time believing.

 

Yes, and both of those would have a bigger effect on your wallet as well, not to mention likely breaking the auto-blip functionality if you cared about it.

 

Doing a tune on a NA high HP per-displacement engine has a bad cost - reward ratio. The factory does not leave a lot on the table. Drove several GTS's never could feel the difference to my15 CS?
15-20 hi-RPM hp is hard to feel 20-30 FT-LB of low end torque you can feel.
No NA tunes will do that on the GT4. carl

 

You're right. Tune alone.. Meh. Honestly i'd be squeezing out as much hp possible for the car keeping it NA. That being said i think tune + race headers + intake \ 82mm throttle body would be more than enough for the car.

 

I dont know why people call it a conspiracy theory. Its just sound business practice. Dont compete with yourself. It makes all the sense in the world for Porsche to ensure they keep differentiation in their offerings. If models start overlapping each other, your costs for the same revenue go up.

Take that Cayman vs Boxster example. Boxster is just about the only convertible on the market that is cheaper than its hard top equivalent. Porsche help justify that by giving the Cayman a HP advantage, that whilst immaterial, is still tangible.

We see the same here with the GT4 and the Carrerra S.

In any case, back on topic:

It does stretch credibility. Whenever I ask tuners on this topic I get vague answers about "manufacturer tolerances", "inconsistent fuel grades" etc. I still dont see how you can get more power from less fuel and less engine wear all from an ECU tune. It sounds like cold fusion.

 

I'm not chiming in to promote the ECU mod we sell because I'm sort of at the end of my rope for promoting items on this forum given the feedback or lackluster reception. This is only to add color to an offering that someone above mentioned that we sell and address thoughts and concerns that have been voiced.

I joined up with some super smart guys in Europe who delivered to me something that no one else in the world could. Making a better power curve is only part of what these guys have done. Everyone wanted to know how to make 991 mapping work in a 981, these guys did it. The curves are perfect for a car with aftermarket mods because it has been mapped to expect them. People wanted more RPM without the ECU freaking, they did it. Want your ECU to expect the larger throttle body on your GT4 because you don't want the smaller 74mm version? They did it. The flywheel won't anger anything, just those that didn't purchase one and drove someone's car who did.

As for needing it on a stock car and its benefits, the curve will be a bit smoother for a stock car but not by much because a stock car without aftermarket intake and exhaust upgrades needs to be less refined than one that has them. We never meant to imply that the tune is for people who do only these mods - you can do it alone - but we never suggested it given that someone would go to their internet podium and bemoan us for trying to rip people off for 10 HP. So we offer it as something to complement an entire kit of headers, mufflers, filters, IPD and a throttle body. We offer it to people that want to make appropriate power, more RPM and add the larger 82mm throttle body but don't want a CEL that will cause a fatter ECU mapping.

These guys overseas are the only people in the world that say "sure we can try and revise this" when I want a modified GT4 mapping for the shorter gears and how it will affect potential issues with the auto blipper. They spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to engineer this stuff and it's not cheap for a 3rd party like me to purchase. If your gut tells you that you want a flash, you may want this mod then. The single biggest reason I work with these guys is that we were asked to build 2 PDK 3.8L cars this Spring; customers wanted daily drivers that make 415hp and 430hp (one was a 991 3.8L swap and the other a 991 3.8L Power Kit swap); both cars drive perfectly every day like stock cars without a single CEL.

Otherwise, it's not for everyone and we are no longer saying that it is which is why we want suggest to many to just enjoy your cars and also want to wish everyone a congrats on the arrival of their GT4s.

 

John, don't give up on us. I enjoy the technical content of your posts and marvel at your breadth of knowledge. Who knows, I might even become a customer once the thrill of OEM power levels inevitably wanes. I've only driven my GT4 around 20 km (it's at the detailer this week) but have already ordered the Tarret caliper stud kit and will likely pick off other "low-hanging fruit". Warranty-negating ECU tunes and other engine mods, however, will require more careful consideration, regardless of how efficacious they are.

 

I appreciate the sentiment. You still have BGB parts on your car indirectly. I put the maker of our wheel studs in touch with Tarett last year and reiterated the frustrations by you folks about changing brake pads. While we could have sold them I wanted to give more offerings to people like Tarett. You won't be disappointed. You are in very good hands with Ira.

I may continue to check in here and there for but now it's best if I don't go on the forums and we let Miguel the Intern field direct email inquiries. Otherwise feel free to send me an email. Congrats on your new car and thank you again for the overly kind words.

 

+1. John: I also value your posts and inputs. Sorry to see you check out.

 

I can't imagine a vendor which has a greater value add than you guys… Keep in mind that the remote format of Internet forums, but everybody is King behind their own computer screen, breeds negativity and critique from people who aren't even players.… 99% of it can be discarded. Hope you find good enough reasons to stay

 

You should certainly stick around. Your knowledge along with a few other users such as Petevb are the only reasons I keep reading this forum.

Haven't bought anything yet from you guys but certainly would at the next chance I get.