MAP OF THE WORLD
Following fitting of a Fabspeed carbon-fibre intake system, a GT3 throttle body and an IPD competition plenum, Dan Furr’s 911 gets remapped...
Last month, I outlined what’s involved in fitting a Fabspeed carbon-fibre competition air intake system to a 997 Carrera. The keen-eyed among you will have recognised the car featured in the step-by-step guide as my 2006 997 Carrera 4S. As regular readers will know, I’ve been experimenting with various aftermarket intake solutions, including a variety of filters and airbox modifications, but after installing an IPD competition intake plenum and an 82mm GT3 throttle body, I decided to take the plunge and treat the car’s flat-six to the Fabspeed carbon-fibre competition intake system it has been crying out for.
In case you missed the article (back issues are available by hopping online and visiting bit.ly/issues911pw),
I’ll briefly outline the benefits of the Fabspeed system. Essentially, it promises to improve power and engine noise throughout the rev range — with more flow and colder air getting to the flat-six, more power is achieved. A direct replacement for the factory airbox (no drilling is required), this superbly presented lightweight intake equipment is constructed from high-quality carbonfibre for strength, durability and great looks, while the twin dry-style air filters won’t play havoc with the mass airflow sensor, which oiled filters are known for doing. Fabspeed reckons an additional 21lb-ft torque and 19whp was released from the test 997 Carrera strapped to the company’s Dynojet rolling road.
After installation, even on idle, I immediately noticed a gruffer engine note. As you’d expect, under acceleration, the noise is far more pronounced. It’s richer, throatier. Not invasive in the cabin, and certainly not in any way anti-social at low revs, but hearing the car’s 3.8-litre flat-six at full chat was mesmerising prior to installing
the cool carbon kit, so you can imagine how extraordinary it sounds now. The hugely enhanced intake sound (under load) makes the boisterous boxer sound like a vintage Formula One car! Throttle response has also noticeably improved.
The 997’s ECU is ‘adaptive’ insofar as it will alter its state of tune to suit engine behaviour, including changes brought about by altered intake equipment. In truth, the amount of ‘adapting’ going on is minor, which is why a remap is the best way to maximise gains. Fabspeed has already considered this, hence its Xpertune remote mapping service, which I took full advantage of after installing the carbon intake system.
GET CONNECTED
What is Xpertune? Available for a wide range of modern Porsches, including every flavour of 997, this user-friendly upgrade takes the form of a handheld electronic device the user plugs into their car’s OBDII port. Doing so allows the device to communicate with the vehicle’s ECU, at which point the current map can be downloaded. The device is then disconnected from the OBDII port.
To retrieve the downloaded map file, the device is connected to the user’s PC via USB. Fabspeed supplies the necessary cables with each Xpertune purchase. After installation of the required Mygenius app, a simple menu of options is presented, effectively allowing files to be transferred to and from the handheld device. Long story short, the ECU map file is transferred to the PC, after which, it can be emailed to Fabspeed’s technicians at the company’s Fort Washington headquarters.
Fabspeed supplies a ‘tuning form’ for the user to complete with details, including fuel octane, plus any additional or altered engine equipment. With this information at its disposal, the firm’s tuning team can reconfigure the received ECU map file to leverage the best performance from the engine. They do so by locking in to their huge experience working on modern Porsches in various states of tune, from totally standard to wildly modified — despite the Xpertune process being carried out remotely (ideal if, like me, you live outside the United States), Fabspeed’s extensive history in the field of Porsche tuning means the company’s technicians have encountered every flavour of modern and modern-classic Stuttgart-crested production car you care to think of, including those heavily altered from standard specification (often with Fabspeed’s own range of parts). In other words, they’ve seen it all before and can therefore eliminate guesswork from calculations when supplying Xpertune customers with updated ECU maps.
The new file is emailed to the Porsche’s owner, who can then download it to their PC, transfer it onto their
Xpertune device and install it on the car’s ECU. It’s a super-simple process and takes only a few minutes.
Fabspeed aims to reply with the updated map file within one or two business days. It’s important to note, the car’s ECU can be returned to its standard map file at any time — the user simply retrieves it from their PC and transfers to the ECU. Similarly, new maps can be created as extra tuning equipment is added. To find out more, or to order your Xpertune device, visit fabspeed.com. I’ll publish my review of the changes in next month’s issue of 911 & Porsche World.l