Slipstream - September 2017

Tech Session Recap: Growler Motor Labs
By Peter Wen
uning is the simplest and the most cost effective
way to improve the performance
T
of your Porsche. When the opportunity
became available to get my car tuned and
dyno’d at Growler Motor Labs, I didn’t think twice.
Growler Motor Labs specializes in Cobb Tuning,
which is unique from other tuning products in the
marketplace. With its proprietary Accessport device,
you can easily modify your Porsche’s ECU by simply uploading
different maps. Plug the Accessport unit into
the car’s OBD-II port and you are good to go; no need
to remove the ECU or visit your mechanic. Currently
Cobb makes Off-The-Shelf (OTS) maps for certain
models of Boxster/Cayman, 996/997/991 Turbos, and
Macans. If more power is desired, OTS maps can be
fine-tuned (called ProTune) for your specific Porsche!
This process is also 100% reversible, since the Accessport
saves a copy of the original Porsche map during
the initial synch.
During the tech session, my Porsche completed
three dynamometer runs. The first run established the
baseline of the car’s performance. We then installed
the OTS map and ran the dyno again. After the second
run, with the OTS dyno data in hand, the Growler technician,
Grant Tillman, expertly “tuned” the OTS map
and created a custom ProTune map for my car. After
that was installed, we ran the dyno for the third time.
Before I get to the results, I must confess, I was a
nervous wreck during those dyno runs. Like an expectant
father, heart racing, palm sweating, I paced the
shop floor. My car was strapped down securely on the
all-wheel drive Mustang Dynamometer. After a brief
warm up, it was eased to around 2,000 rpm, then Grant
floored it all the way up to 6,700 rpm just before the
redline. The computer captured all telemetry data
from the ECU during the run, including horsepower
and torque stats.
Photos by Jim Hirsch
Standing next to my Turbo S while running pedal-tothe-metal
was a surreal experience. The sound coming
off the 3.8 liter flat 6 with twin turbochargers was like a
jet plane taking off. During the rapid acceleration, the
car emitted intense heat waves that sent all spectators
back a step or two. Once it surpassed 6,000 rpm, it was
so incredibly loud and intense that I felt I should kneel
and pray for my baby.
The results were
impressive. Power increased
8% with the OTS
map and 10% with the
ProTune, to 530 WHP
(wheel HP). With the estimated
19% drivetrain
loss, the estimated crank
HP was actually over 650
(BHP)! Torque had even more impressive gain from
the tune: 9% with the OTS and 13% with the ProTune
to 573 (ft-lb), a gain of 67 ft-lb!
With this much gain in power and torque easily
accessible starting at 3,000 rpm, the driving dynamic
(fun factor) improved drastically. Like Jeremy Clarkson
from Top Gear, I too wanted to shout: “More Power!”
My Turbo S felt like a new car. Drive it normally, there’s
no difference. However, when you push it, a new beast
emerges. The best part? The car still has the same
smooth and quick PDK shifts that we all know and love.
Sport and Sport Plus modes all continue to work, albeit
with more urgency and aggression. Launch control?
Yep. Step aside Tesla, this is the new ludicrous-mode!
I absolutely love the tune. It makes an incredible car
even better. Pound for pound (or dollars in this case),
this is one heck of a mod. I am so pleased with the results.
Oh, and one unexpected and unconfirmed benefit:
better fuel economy! Can this really be true? More
power and better MPG? Somebody pinch me!
Editor’s Note: Chris Sorrells also brought his 2017 Macan
S to this tuning session and had similar improvements in
performance numbers. See page 16 for details on our next tech
session and plan to attend.
Over 40 Mavericks were in attendance
25