plenum upgrade to my 2008 Cayman S Sport

Last year I had my tech install the softronic performance software as my first upgrade. I didnt notice a big difference so I went and bought the IPD Competition Plenum and GT3 throttle body. Once plenum is installed, does anything else need to be done to maximize the performance? does the softronic software need to be tweeked or will it recognize the new equipment automatically and maximize the performance over time as the car is driven? Any info will be appreciated. Thank you Darrin

Softronic automatically adjusts the ECU to adapt to aftermarket bolt-on mods such as exhaust and intake. It's only when you install a turbo kit or upgrade the engine internals you'll need a reflash ($500 fee).

BTW, if it's more power you are seeking, do the exhaust. I've done the catback portion so far (SOUL Performance) and already feel a difference as it deletes the secondary cats. But, the big gains will come from the headers. They incorporate 200 cell cats with a long-tube design which significantly allows the engine to breathe. The system is expensive but the gains are quite evident. Increased tonal sound is another positive result.

I totally agree that Softronics plenum race kit, EVOMs v flow intake, Softronics ECU mapping, Soul long tube catless headers and Milltek exhaust together is an excellent system. The long tube catless headers flowing into the Milltek muffler and tips gives a great sound with minimal drone. Scott builds each flash for the customers needs and does a great job pulling all the maps together. I stressed getting the torque curve to straighten out around 3500 - 4500 where there is usually a flat spot, now pulls strongly all the way to 7000 rpm. I have gone a step further and added a Wavetrac ATB LSD to put the additional power to the ground, which it does seamlessly.

There's no way it automatically adapts to different parts (that are of any consequence). These different parts are require a different tune. Will the car run? Yes. Will it be optimized and deliver maximum performance? No. I'm an engineer and I've been calibrating ECUs for 25 years. I spend a lot of hours on our dyno tuning these cars to get the most power that can be safely made. There's no one size fits all tune. I haven't tested Softronic so I'm not bagging on them, I think you may be mis-characterizing their product though.. I've never looked at their website, I'm assuming they are a competent company but maybe they just sell a single tune for all I know.

I'm not sure Scott's program is an artificial intelligent flash kit, rather he makes the maps that utilize the components that you tell him your motor has, the intended usage environment and fuel octane. No learning curve here. Check out his ads on this web site, I have his race Plenum kit, and race flash. John at Soul hooked me up with Scott at Softronics to determine the best flash solution for my mid range torque needs, including Soul's long tube catless headers, which worked perfectly. Attached is the Softronic description of the Race Plenum Kit/ECU flash Softronic set out to offer a complete Race Plenum package for the 3.4 liter Cayman S and 2.7 Cayman (2007-2008). Add a real 25 BHP and loads of mid range torque to your Cayman S with the new Softronic Stage II Racing Intake system. This robust combination of hardware and performance software brings everything we know about Porsche 's 3.8L Carrera S, GT3 and the 3.4L Cayman S or 2.7 Cayman motor together to deliver the highest performance available and pave the way for more radical enhancements. At the heart of the Stage II Racing intake is a larger less restrictive racing throttle body mated to a new high flow intake distribution pipe. The hardware you see above is just the tip of the iceberg. To make use of these new high flow intake components, Softronic has developed an exclusive all new Motronics software tuning flash. This new software flash targets the higher volumetric efficiency of the intake and engine by completely retuning the remaining intake resonance valve, Vario Cam Plus, Ignition, and Fuel delivery maps. The results: Never before seen tire roasting increases in mid range torque and a nice extension to high RPM horsepower,all files are tested with 93oct and exhaust recommended. .

Thank you for all your thoughts and info. I just got the Plenum and throttle body installed today. The little I drove seemed like it had better response and some extra kick. Need to drive it more but happy so far. Thanks again.

I have the BMC filter , Milltek exhaust, and EVOMSit Stage II tune on my 987.2 S Boxster . Just completed my first HPDC at Summit Point and LOVE how the car responded. I've had the EVOMSit installed for about 2 months and I've noticed crisper response. I'm still considering the Plenum & TB mods, but have heard very mixed reviews, primarily from street-drivers. I love revving these cars and even on the street frequently live in the 4-6k rpm range. The knock I've heard is that one loses low end response w/ the IPD P&TB, but gain it at the top. Makes sense to me but seat-of-the pants is really the ultimate. From that perspective, after 4 previous air-cooled Porsches including a 2.7 RS+ motor that I paid $20k +/- to rebuild from a 2.4 E, the EVOMSit tune is the BEST $500 I've ever spent on a Porsche mod in my 30 years of Porsche ownership. With 300 HP out of the box, the 3.4 DI S motor with this tune and exhaust is a gas. On and off the street. Cheers, John

So after driving today my check engine light came on. Everything seemed fine and then it came on. I’ve read a lot about this mod and the tune as we have talked here about, shouldn’t be an issue. Any ideas?

I’m not a fan of changing the electronics on Gen 1 Caymans . I’ve seen no compelling evidence anywhere that it really works. I’ve done exhaust TB and plenum and it does work. I’ve got real on track experience that demonstrates it. Even see a difference when going back to stock exhaust. Hopefully your check engine light is nothing major but if it is seriously consider going back to stock ECU. Just my .02cents

What is the CEL for?

so i found the code to be p1095, which seems to be the maf sensor. i guess somewhat of a normal problem. So now i have something else to fix. Hope thats the only issue

Make sure all the clamps are tightened, no air leaks. There are solutions that you can use to remove any oil or residue from you air flow meter. Look up on Google MAF cleaners.

The Cayman as a car is a fantastic momentum car. Using the right tires, lightening the car, setting the suspension correctly, having better brakes with good cooling and perhaps even adding some aero to the chassis at some tracks will make a much bigger difference on lap times than the 20 HP and meager torque improvement these power mods allegedly do. In essence, I question changing factory software settings of any kind in street cars used in the street or or in track days. More so in Porsche vehicles. The factory Porsche engineers are magicians of dynamics performance and they have spent countless hours to make these cars and motors are as good and reliable as they can meeting all the legal emission requirements. These engineers are using the pinnacle of technology equipment and testing under all possible conditions in the dyno and the real world investing millions of dollars into it. They also make a huge effort integrating with other car systems for seamless actuation and performance. I do not care how good or smart a tuner maybe but they do not have the same backbone support and testing hours in their products as the OEM have. It means that undoubtedly you will end up with engine lights, performance issues and ultimately wear in components that were not supposed to wear. In the worst case scenario you may end up even damaging your equipment beyond repairs demanding expensive replacements sometimes. I really do not want to sound like a purist. I have built and driven a fair share of race cars and deleted many of the emission devices searching for that extra bit of power while remaining reliable under racing conditions but in a street car, I really do have a much different view. I was given for free the IPD and the GT3 throttle body for my 09 Cayman S a few months back. The IPD is very well crafted piece and the GT3 throttle body is just a Porsche part but I actually did not install either in my car because I really thinkthey are worthless and bring in unnecessary risks. It went from me to a fellow racer and he ended up not using it either for the same reasons. I have been in the track for years with many capable drivers in the instructors group, some of them have aftermarket software and power enhancers in their 987's ( Cayman , Cayman S or Cayman R's). I have yet to see one of them to be any faster than mine. In fact, speaking of Cayman platform, I only get passed by some race prepped Cayman 's and some GT4 's. Period. My car is set very well for brakes and suspension and that is the game changer on the Cayman platform but my car is still a street car 100%. Brakes and Suspension are items that you can change and improve if you do track time heavily because the factory limits the Cayman platform by price range. Replacing these components is proven and the solutions they provide are true and proven by many racing sanctioning bodies. A very good friend of mine went to town with his Cayman S . He ended up with a 4.2L stroked engine in it. Very competitive builder and a very expensive build. The car was very fast. It ran for less than 5,000 track miles. Although it had warranty in the built motor and everything was found to be spot on meaning no over-revs or lack of maintenance the crankshaft broke and because of that being an original motor part, it was not warrantied so all that investment went flushed to the toilet. This is the ultimate loss for power mods but all of them lead you in the same direction, regardless. Keep it simple ----> service regularly all your fluids, inspect your brakes and tires regularly, install a larger engine oil sump or install and accusump system, cool your transmission gears, cool your brakes properly, have fun at the track, repeat. My 2 cents take on the Cayman power mods.

We all have our opinions about the plenum effectiveness by itself. I chose a 78 mm GT3 throttle body and plenum. Scott at Softronics tuned the maps to meet my needs of mid RPM range torque dip that happens with a 987.1 3.4 M97 motor . That was my target. I also chose Soul long tube catless headers feeding into a Milltec muffler and extension pipes. Evoms air cleaner was also used to allow more air if needed. Scott tuned from the top to the bottom, meaning allowing more air flow and retuning the resonance valve to work more effectively in that RPM range. He also changed the Vario Plus valve opening to have a bigger impact mid range. Lastly, he changed the fuel mapping to a more aggressive advance for 93 octane fuel. I race in a timed event with a standing start where mid range torque is very important. These changes have helped getting off the apex and sending that additional torque through a Wavetrac ATB LSD. Keep in mind, I race a 07 Cayman S in the Porsche GT3 class vs modified GT4 's GT3 's and modified 2019 911 's with all their traction and weight control management drivers aids active. Top time is usually from the Porsche GT3 class car a sponsored car by Dundon, Hoosier's and a Walla Walla wine company, who has a quiver of 5 sets of Hoosier tires, a modified motor that would pass you in a heart beat. Dundon has a long tube induction system tuned for air wave pulses through the motor and exhausted by a 4 pipe long tube catless system with power delivered via a Drexler LSD. He pulls in to the pits beautiful motor home pulling a long trailer, filled with electric scooters, jacks, pressure wenches, all color coordinated with sponsors emblems and logo's. Then he blows everyone away because he can afford to test motors, suspension, and tires on a regular basis. The owner then picks another top driver from the stock ranks, who race in a different time slot, as a co-driver to see how good he is as a driver, including Ron Bauer, a 2019 and 4 time SCCA Solo National Champion. Their times are .10 of a second apart as they drift down to the last run, each taking the top spot for a while. I'm in a baseball cap waiting for my line to stage, checking pressures, going over where I can improve while this is going on. Sort of keeps the intensity going as the PA system announces and the electronic timer confirms the new top time of the event. I do have thoughts about a professional operation within the PCA ranks, but for now I will keep that opinion to myself as the owner is open to questions and discussions that help us improve our cars and driver techniques. Check out Dundon's web site for their Plenum's details.

Might shed some light on what to expect from Softronic, plenum, headers and exhaust. Softronic SRP before / after dyno, stock CS I had baseline dynos done at two locations on my totally stock CS. A Quaife TBD was installed, and the car was dynoed again (no change). The Softronic SRP and software flash were installed, and the car was run for a weekend on the track at a DE using 100 octane gasoline (8 gallons 104 octane... www.planet-9.com

Graywolf- That post was from 2008, which is how my car was setup when I purchased my car in Dec 2015 @ 22 k miles. When I changed to Soul long tube catless race headers in Oct of last year, John at Soul connected me to Scott at Softronics. Scott looked at my info from the ECU download and found that the original flash he developed still installed. We discussed an upgrade across the entire 6 maps that he constructed in the flash. He changed each one to reflect my direction to improve the mid range torque/hp with the Soul, Milltec, EVOMS and his original race GT3 Plenum and 78 mm GT3 throttle body. What a difference the new flash made to the mid and upper ranges. Absolutely no fall off or flat spots around 3500, just straight pull to 7000 rpm. Great job to Soul and Softronics for this complimentary system, all mods working seamlessly together. No rough idling, stalling, engine preignition, just reliable great performance. Scott mentioned that the GT3 78 mm throttle body is better suited to the 3.4 motor, especially if the rpm is a hard stop at 7000. Mid range torque is much better with the smaller throttle body. I find I really don't need to whined out the engine any longer, 4000 is good enough from the added torque on the street. Thinking about a Sprit Booster to give me even more perceived mid range punch.

Yep, 2008. The same as the OP's car and mine for that matter. What's just as relevant now as then is it wraps data around the myriad opinions whether flashes, plenums etc do anything or not. Both HP and torque gains were had including filling in the mid-range sag. Just like today. Could Scott do better now versus then? Probably as he's a rather sharp guy. I wouldn't expect much though as the cams and heads become the limiting factors for flow.