Flashing the ECU
 

Does anyone know about flashing the computer? I called a local Porsche dealer and they said it could add 40 HP and is not detrimental to the car, although it does void the warranty, but I have an '01 so no issues there. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. i am honestly thinking about it as it is a substantial hp improvement for such a light car.

If you can find a software program that adds 40 hp to a boxster's power output, please let the rest of us know about it ! Even the best ecu programs only add a small blip in hp.
Re-mapping the ecu generally results in better throttle response, fuel efficiency and the like, than it does actually creating significantly greater power output .

There is an interesting section in Wayne Dempseys book "101 Projects for your Porsche Boxster" regarding flashing the DME - he recommends Softronics but doesn't give any hard and fast figures.
Maybe using the search function for Softronics may give you something....

well i've heard 15-20 from one shop and 40-45 from another. Both being Porsche performance shops. Somewhere there's a disconnect. I can't believe they are telling me what I want to hear to take my money when there are $100k+ porsches in their shop, but hey, you never know

Sorry, but the only disconnect here seems to be between you and the individuals providing wrong information . Any appreciable gains in hp relative to remapping the ecu are usually part and parcel with a series of other performance upgrades; namely, the exhaust system, air intake and possibly the plenum . Provided that all of these upgrades have been done in a thoughtful and methodical manner, one can expect overall gains somewhere in the range of 15-20 hp . Give or take some .

Agree that 15hp is all you're likely to get from a ECU remap of the 986 2.7L engine (20hp is more typical of a 3.2L "S" model).

Here is a source for reference:
http://www.softronictuning.com/product-information/porsche-cayman-boxster-ecu-tuning/

Ask for a guarantee and a dyno proof
 

Most one size fits all flashes affect throttle response making it more sensitive and thus affecting negatively fuel economy. They also change the rev limit upward. Not much gain.

A good flash after all other mods have been made can be complex. I've known one expert with almost unlimited resources and access to the source code flash writers to spend dozens of cycles of flash, dyno and drive, then come back again and adjust and do it again before being satisfied with driveability, economy and power (and a match to available fuel octane quality).

Does softronic do a ecu tune for the 986 2.7l ? I was under the impression that they only don't have that but only the 987 2.7l. And only the 3.2l for the 986.

Softronic was my first choice... but since I have a 986 2.7l, in the end I went with the superchips (uk) option. The engine is noticeable smoother, a little better grunt but did not notice any improvement in the consumption. An additional 10+hp and 10-15nm of torque was all they quoted, which is probably believeable (no dyno done).

I wasn't expecting much on a NA engine so am not disappointed... the smoother engine is already a bonus. Was hoping for better consumption though..

Hopefully with the future mods of the ipd plenum, exhaust, everything will add up nicely..

Sorry, my post was a little confusing....

I was simply trying to make a general statement that regardless of the engine (986, 987, 2.7, 3.2), the most you can expect is a 15-20hp gain and that a 2.7 would likely be at the lower end (15hp) of that range.

You are correct that Softronic does not offer an upgrade for the 986 2.7 engine, only the 986 3.2.

Again, sorry for any confusion.