GIAC/ A.W.E. tuned ECU installed - 1st impressions
Now at 2200 miles, the hope of the passage of factory boost restriction being gone has passed. There was no boost unlimitation being unleashed at 2000 miles. Porsche lied. There is no boost and torque plateau starting at 1950 rpm. There is no 18psi boost to be found, ever! Boost never hit until 3k rpms, no matter what gear. Why would they promise us that and deliver nothing even close?
I opened the box to find my ECU. Well packaged, and re-install was a snap. The weather outside was dreadful - 35F and freezing rain. I started up the car half expecting error messages. There were none. The startup idle was smooth, no burps, no hiccups, no surges. I let it run for 10 minutes at idle, blipping the throttle from time to time. No changes. No hint of any difference. Did I just waste $3500?
Next day it is still cold, but dry. Time to check things out. Warm up the car and head for the highway. Car is as placid as usual. No change in driveability whatsoever. Did I get the correct box back?
Started up the entrance ramp to the freeway. Let the motor rev up a little. Boost gauge showing activity way earlier than before - bar graph starts shooting up at about 2700 rpms. Boost stays pegged at 1 bar - not just a poke at 1 bar anymore, it just stays there.
Open lane, hit the sport button, and accelerate up an overpass staying in 6th. Car pulls exceptionally hard. I'm at 135 coming close to turn in on a 50mph sweeper. Boost gauge is pegged at 18. I have never seen 18 before! Are my eyes lying?
Exit the freeway and do a U-turn. Go thru the toll booth at about 10mph and firmly mash the pedal. Holy ^$%$!!! All 4 tires spin and the car fires off like a catapult. My neck has just lost 30% of its disc height from jerking. Tachmeter swings wildly like the VU meters of old tape decks. Redline hits much earlier than expected. Time to snap off shifts and stop trying to look at the boost gauge. Keep the nose straight.
Slow down, breathe. Let the car saunter home. Pulse is still high. Brain is wild with activity. The promise has been realized. My 997TT is now like the Tin Man with a new heart-soul! Forget about the X50, the Turbo S, the GT2. This is all you need. For now at least....