anyone seen this chip?

[Bavarian Motorist]

http://www.************************************************************/productpage.aspx?pid=109558&name=Powerchips%c2%ae#detail


Friend found it for me. It looks good and it has a money-back guarantee which is good, but it seems a little pricey?


Anyone have experience with this?

[RandallNeighbour]

It shows the availability for a 97-99 model 2.5 liter, not your 987 year model.

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

A Chip on a Boxster can be a good adjunct to Intake and/or Exhaust mods, including Forced Induction. But, the Chip alone rarely improves performance on par with the expense of the chip...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[Bavarian Motorist]

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

It shows the availability for a 97-99 model 2.5 liter, not your 987 year model.

Negatory. It says 05+ on there.


I think MNboxster is correct.

[racer_d]

Well

1) It would seem you need to send out YOUR ECU for them to redo, so plan on some downtime for this to be done

2) It is only legal in California on "off road" use - like a track. Likely won't allow you to pass NY emmission which come very close to Cali standards

3) It will certainly VOID any warranty

4) Since you send out your ECU, I am sure the Porsche Diagnotic equipment will know you've tampered with it when you need to have regular maintenance performed

5) What happens when you take the car for a long trip and can't find the octane you specified on the re-flash? Does it ping to death and kill the motor?

6) Without muffler/headers and intake revisions, I don't see you squeezing "10%" (or nearly 25hp) out of the car aws advertised. Sorry.

7) If you haven't already, you could join PCA and learn how to really drive your car well instead of simply "modding" it to go faster

[Topless]

Ah yes, the old chip debate.

We know what they do... Control ignition timing, air/fuel ratios, rev limits, engine temp, turbo boost, and even shift timing on advanced transmissions. Most Fords, Chevys, Hondas, Lexus etc. have chips that are "mapped" for reliability, fuel economy, and performance in that order. "Remap" one of these cars with a max performance profile and you will get stellar performance improvements at a cost of reliability and fuel economy. It is not unusual to see a lowly Honda Civic get a 30% HP increase with the addition of a cold air intake, tuned exahust, and max performance chip. It is now only good for 50k mi. instead of 250k and only gets 20mpg instead of 35 but it goes like snot. Much greater increases are routinely found on turbo diesel engines with the same type of performance mods.

Porsche is a little different. Those little engineers in Stuttgart already mapped these cars for performance 1st. Which is why they are so much fun to drive... which is why most of us own them. They already go like snot right out of the box. Sure you could probably eek out another 10hp with a more agressive timing, and higher rev limit but do you really want to?? 80-100 hp/liter is really pretty good performance.

If I really wanted to get the most out of my original Boxter motor I would use proven techniques... Get cold air to flow freely into the motor, add a performance tuned exhaust that takes advantage of my improved intake airflow, run it on aviation fuel and have my chip "performance mapped" while on a dyno where you could really dial in the timing and air/fuel ratios. This would surely result in performance gains that you could see and feel. It would also cost way north of $1000.

Another way to go is to leave the car alone and take that $1000 and put it towards a Bondurant School of Driving course. I suspect 8/10 Porsche owners would see a greater improvement in lap times and general driving satisfaction by improving our skills than by hot rodding our cars with the same money, myself included. Probably a lot fewer spins and crashes too.

Just one mans opinion. I look forward to your comments.

[Bavarian Motorist]

Thanks for the ideas, guys.


I think I am against sending my ECU anywhere. I'd prefer to just buy an OBD chip that is removable and reversible than to make any permanent changes, even though it would cost more for the single product.


As for learning how to drive better, I plan to do that with this sum of cash I have, however, no matter how well I know how to drive, the car wll always feel better and drive better if it's more powerful. That's not replacable and can not be replicated.


So what would you say then if I took driving courses? Take more? My point is, these upgrades are going to have to happen at some point. Might as well be now.


I appreciate all the input and advice.

I know it would be hard to squeeze power out of this engine that already gets 91hp/L, but I am going to try to anyhow. Silly me.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

I know it would be hard to squeeze power out of this engine that already gets 91hp/L, but I am going to try to anyhow. Silly me.

I know I'm splitting hairs but I think your 2.7L gets 88.8hp per liter if the engine makes 240hp at the crank. Very very good anyway you split it though. I wish my 3.2L was around that mark...right now it gets about 78hp/liter.

[racer_d]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

Thanks for the ideas, guys.


I think I am against sending my ECU anywhere. I'd prefer to just buy an OBD chip that is removable and reversible than to make any permanent changes, even though it would cost more for the single product.


As for learning how to drive better, I plan to do that with this sum of cash I have, however, no matter how well I know how to drive, the car wll always feel better and drive better if it's more powerful. That's not replacable and can not be replicated.


So what would you say then if I took driving courses? Take more? My point is, these upgrades are going to have to happen at some point. Might as well be now.


I appreciate all the input and advice.

I know it would be hard to squeeze power out of this engine that already gets 91hp/L, but I am going to try to anyhow. Silly me.

There is more to performance driving than horsepower. It is the skill sets that make you a better driver. The more skills, the better. It will also cross over to street driving. You will use your eyes more. You will learn to anticipate more. You will react better in "dangerous" situations.

For many years I drove a 100hp 914. For all of those years, I garnered compliments and questions like "hey, how much HP do you have?" or "What kind of "6" is in there?". Then I would tell them. Its a 4cyl with about 100 hp. Yet, I could keep up with 200hp 911's. It wasn't because the "car" was better. It was because the "driver" was better. There's rarely a finer compliment at the track than one that acklowedges the PERSON rather than his equipment.

A 240hp Boxster is not a dragster. If you wanted to win "stop light" races, you should have gone with a Vette or maybe an "overboosted" WRX/Evo.

BUT. If driving curved roads is where you want to have fun, then the Boxster is a champ.

I'm not sure if you are a PCA member, but if not, take advantage of the club. In the NYC area you have 3 of the largest Porsche regions in the US... NNJR (northern NJ), Metro NY and CVR (connecticut). Combined, they have about 6,000 members. They schedule Drivers Ed events, Autocross events and Club Race events (as well as concours and social events).

Join online and sign up for an event this spring. If you've never done these types of events, I say get to an Autocross first. Drive your car against the clock. Then, if you are a rookie, be prepared to be humbled by 115hp Miatas that spank you. Or the civics, or the whatevers. Ride with someone with a similar car. It is amazing what even "stock" Porsches can do.

A few years ago in NNJR, there were 2 spectaularly driven "stock" non-s boxsters that could fight for OVERALL FTD. This against modified 911's and 914s (cars with less weight, more hp AND very good drivers). THAT is learning how to drive and drive well.

HP is nice (and yes, even great drivers like more of it) but if you don't know how to get the most out of what you have, why waste the $$ on more. $1500 spent on a "chip" can cover the entrance fee's for about 5 Drivers ed events or about 40 Autocross events.

[Adam]

Racer_D, very well put. Some of the best advice I've seen on here regarding the topic.

[Bavarian Motorist]

Ok, I'll post an update on my thoughts here...


First of all, I won't be doing those upgrades for a while. Not for a few months at least.


I have a new g/f and I need to spoil her...these upgrades can wait, although I love driving so much, I kind of care about her more. It's a toss-up, though


I can join PCA, I read about it a month ago when I joined these forums, but I am not sure what they do or what they're about. Their website isn't very detailed.

I already mentioned I don't want a drag racer, just SOME more power.

I don't want just an auto-x'er or a dragster, I want something that can do both, but what about when I'm not on a track or a course? Then what? How will I get my thrills? It's not that hard to push the pedal and rev high, and without that added power, how can I replicate the feeling I get from hard acceleration and speed?


There is no way. I can learn to be a better driver all I want, but that part would still be missing.


I picked the boxster because I knew it was a lightweight, precision handling vehicle that would be fun despite the lack of power, but I still find myself wanting more power. I'm sure you've met people like that, and if you have, then you know what they're like, so try to empathize with me.


I'm not one of those sunday cruisers with wind in my hair kind of guys. I'm a hard driver, and I know saying that makes me sound like more of a vette guy, but the fact is, I am a boxster guy, I just need a little more from the car. Nothing wrong with that.


It doesn't even have to be power. How about reducing weight from the car? I'd do that in an instant, and before someone says, "well, why don't you lose some, fatty?", I will reiterate my point earlier as it applies here: No matter what I do to myself, the car ultimately will have to change, at least slightly.


I will invest in PCA, though.