Avera

As per title . . . anyone have a 23' Macan GTS and Cobb Stage 1 tune?

Specific question for those that do . . . did the tune disrupt the 'smoothness' of shifts and overall performance?

Avera

shelbyking

I have the Cobb tune on a 2022 GTS which I believe is exactly the same and no problems here. Very nice performance bump.

to_riffic_day

Does not disrupt the smoothness whatsoever. Performance is a nice bump and makes throttle response/tip-in feels better. I only had about 2 weeks to drive on it before I took off on location for work, but in that time, I really enjoyed it. Totally worth it.

Avera

Thank you for the feedback . . . I have been around these car forums for a while and do not recall the term 'tip-in' before? Perhaps you could elaborate on what that means?

Not many 23' GTS owners out there that have reported back on their Cobb experience. Those that have seem to feel it is a definite improvement without apparent disruption of OEM 'smoothness' or drivability.

Thank you again

Avera

to_riffic_day

I just mean that initial application on throttle feels more appropriate than w/o the tune. Seems everyone is adamant of owners get a Pedal Commander, but with the tune, it's not necessary. Feels better with just the tune.

Avera

Gotcha . . . thank you

I personally went with the RoarPedal . . . all of the throttle boosters do the same thing and nearly everyone seems to enjoy the result.

I do think the throttle boosters are the best investment any new Macan owner can make. No other $150-300 investment makes such an impressive difference in driving experience.

I have only come across a couple individuals with 22' or 23' Macan GTS and Cobb tune. As with yourself, very satisfied with the Cobb tune. Unlike your feedback, they report the throttle booster was still very effective and considered to add cumulative benefit over the Cobb tune alone.

I am not looking for a huge improvement in throttle response and the tune might achieve what I am after?

Thank you again

Avera

itsyaboypg

‘22 S and Cobb Stage 1. From what I understand the ‘21 GTS and ‘22+ S/GTS tunes are similar (all 2.9L TT)

PROs
Biggest benefit is the linear power delivery. With the stock map it was sluggish until 3k+ rpm. With the tune it’s so much more responsive - especially at the low end. And WOW is it quick for a 4400lb SUV! Pre tune on summer tires my Macan was 4.1x to 60 with a 12.7 quarter mile. Post tune it’s 3.7/12.0 while bogging down hard on launch. I need to try again with PSM off and am hoping for better results, imo 3.6 and 11.8x is definitely possible.

CONs
In sport and sport+ mode the shifts from 1st to 2nd (and occasionally 2nd to 3rd) are definitely rougher than the stock tune, but nothing alarming or annoying. Even with the stock map, my Macan’s PDK didn’t like being babied, but that’s especially true after the tune. If I drive it a little more aggressively the shifts are much smoother. Also, slightly lower gas mileage but I didn’t buy a Macan to save on gas

Overall, I definitely recommend the tune. It wakes up the car and gives it the low rpm responsiveness it’s missing. So much fun to drive!

Avera

Thank you for your feedback

My initial impressions were that the 2.9L V6 has plenty of TQ/HP for a daily driving sport SUV. Admittedly, however, I am a little finicky and found the GTS flattens out a LITTLE sooner than I PREFER.

After some contemplation, I decided to pull trigger on the Cobb tune.

According to my butt-dyno, the GTS pulls a bit harder and longer than the OEM tune. Nothing insane, but appreciable. I would say 'just about right.' I have perceived no disruption in the ‘smoothness’ of the OEM tune.

Some have stated they did not feel a throttle controller is needed after tuning, while others feel the throttle controller retains its value . . . I do not feel the tune addressed the OEM throttle lag in any way.

Overall, I consider the Cobb tune an unnecessary splurge on my part. I could have very easily continued to drive my GTS without the tune and been very satisfied with just the Roar Pedal. However, the tune has achieved what I had hoped and I am quite pleased.

Our views differ slightly with respect to low-end performance of the OEM tune. Could be simply a matter of subjectivity and perception? Possible that the 22’ S OEM tune is different than the 23’ GTS? Either way, seems both are quite satisfied with the results achieved after installing the Cobb tune.

Avera

ozziegt

I'm not surprised that you are seeing some lack of smoothness / response with the OTS Cobb tune. I have a 2015 Turbo. My experience with the OTS Cobb Tune (shared by other Turbo owners, but not all) is that the transmission shift mapping does not really match up very well with the new power profile from the tune under moderate throttle conditions (things like a moderate throttle application for some light passing, etc.). Under full throttle it's fine but for every day driving it was pretty annoying waiting for the downshift to happen and then getting a surge of power or having it upshift early when it should have stayed in gear a bit longer. The amount of throttle required for a downshift felt excessive. So much that I just stopped using it and went back to the factory tune. I think this probably depends on the individual's driving style.

There has been feedback that getting a custom Cobb Tune does a much better job and provides a better experience. This is an expensive option. I bought the Flat6 OTS Cobb Tune and it has been much better, but I am still seeing some weird behavior under certain load conditions. Flat6 has offered to look at some logs but I haven't had a chance to send them.

The pedal commander stuff. Honestly, I think it's a bit overhyped. It just changes the throttle pedal mapping so you don't have to push the pedal as far to get the same throttle response. I bought the pedal commander after all the rave reviews, and put it on a recommended setting (City +1) and it was just way too jumpy at low speed and so it takes more effort to drive smoothly because you have to use very small throttle inputs. I also didn't really see any difference in throttle response when giving it lots of throttle at normal speeds (it didn't cut down on turbo lag or downshift times). That being said, I still am running it but with a very low setting (city -1) because I appreciate a little more sensitivity but it's not a performance upgrade at all.

Avera

I have NOT witnessed ANY disruption of the OEM 'smoothness' after the tune. Remains smooth as silk.

The above stated, I was HIGHLY skeptical going into the tune. I had an 18' Turbo that I applied an OTS Cobb tune and it was a disaster. The biggest problem - which is well known problem now, but not back then - was boost pressures overwhelming the diverter valve. There were other issues like misfires that could not be overcome with data-logging and pro-tuning. The good news was that Cobb has a 30-day guarantee, so I reloaded the OEM map and moved on at the time.

My experience this time with a 23' GTS and Cobb tune has been completely different . . . extremely satisfying thus far. The OEM tune flattens out a bit earlier than I like and all I wanted was a little bump in the climb. No intent or desire to try and turn my sport SUV into my GT4 or anything like that. Having followed Cobb over the years I have witnessed a pattern of increasingly conservative OTS stage 1 maps, as well as relying on third-parties for pro-tunes and custom tunes. This more conservative approach seems to correspond with increased OTS map satisfaction, including my current situation.

I respectfully disagree with your assessment when it comes to the value of a throttle controller. I do not believe a Macan owner can better spend $150-300 than on a throttle controller. Also, for the record, I run my Roar Pedal in Sport mode (sensitivity 3 out of 9). I believe Sport mode corresponds to City mode with the Pedal Commander, being the least aggressive mode. In other words, just a little better throttte response has represented a HUGE improvement . . . Sport Plus and Race modes are just too much.

Avera

ozziegt

I don't want to take this thread off topic, but can you send me some more resources on the diverter valve issue?

Avera

I am not sure which year Porsche changed diverter valves from pressure controlled to electronically controlled? Perhaps this occurred with the 2.9L V6 that is currently in the S and GTS?

At any rate, it is now well know that the Cobb tunes (tunes in general) overwhelmed the pressure-regulated diverter valves with the boost pressure. For that reason, most with older model Macans are well-advised to swap out their OEM diverter valves with an aftermarket option if pursuing an aftermarket tune. I believe the APR R1 is the most popular option, but there are certainly others from which to to choose.

I am sure there are many other good resources, but Jon at Flat 6 Motorsports has always been a reliable resource for me over the past few years of P car ownership. Jon has an incredible reputation for being responsive and insightful when it comes to P car matters across the lineup. If you would like more information, email Jon and I am certain he will respond quickly and answer any more specific questions you might have.

Avera



@Flat6Motorsports

to_riffic_day

It wasn't a huge improvement in throttle response, but it was enough of a difference for me that I really don't need a throttle booster. Coming from a X3M which had a very twitchy throttle response, my wife hated it, so the last thing I wanted to do was make the Macan like that and so far she's enjoyed driving it.