How to Extract More Power Out of Your 992.1 Carrera

We recently spent some time in South Florida with our friends at M-Engineering. While we were there, we tested a multitude of exhaust and software combinations, and we compiled this into an informative video for YouTube. In this post we’ll review that content, and explain the options you have when you’re considering upgrades for your 992.1 Carrera.  

Before we dive into the data, allow us to give some context to the inspiration behind this campaign. While we had our 992.2 for testing, we were a little underwhelmed by the updates. According to the independent dyno data, the 992.2 only gains ~30WHP/10WTQ over the previous 992.1. Tuning is still forthcoming for the 992.2, so if your priority is performance you have a decision to make. Do you spring the extra $30-$50k for the newest 911, and make a little power over the 992.1? Alternatively, do you hold onto your 992.1 and spend ~25% of that expense on upgrades, making approximately 125whp/224wtq over a new 992.2? We feel this makes the 992.1 very attractive to keep, so here’s the data for you to make the call yourself. 

Considering all of this, we wanted to layout all of the options for 992.1 owners to get more out of their car. While doing this, we discovered an exhaust and tune combination that will allow you +155WHP and +234WTQ over stock.  

Here’s a list of the configurations we tested with a link to the YouTube Segment: 

The stock baseline dyno run came in at 347 WHP and 319 WTQ. A little lower than what you may expect out of a 911, that’s because these numbers are measured at the wheels after drivetrain loss, not at the crank like Porsche’s factory numbers. While you may see different numbers from dyno to dyno and car to car, the horsepower and torque changes from stock to modified should stay similar to the independent testing seen here. 

Muffler (Catback) Change Gains 

If you want better tone quality and character with more sound level and performance, but don’t want to touch your cat assemblies, here are the power gains you can expect. With our X-Pipe Exhaust System alone we saw an increase of ~15 WHP and ~20 WTQ. We saw almost identical gains when the car was equipped with just the Valved Exhaust System, though the Valved System does allow you to quiet the car when needed.  

 Catalytic Converter Change Gains

If you’re looking for more sound level and turbo noise when your stock valves are open, while maintaining near stock sound level with valves closed, you can change your cat assemblies. With our Sport Cats alone we saw an increase of ~21 WHP and ~16 WTQ. With our Comp Link Pipes we saw gains of ~22   WHP and ~15 WTQ.  

Catalytic Converter/Muffler Combo Gains

When you start to combine Catalytic Converter Upgrades with Muffler Upgrades, you see more cumulative gains throughout the power curve. When working together, our Sport Cats or Comp Link Pipes and X-Pipe or Valved Exhaust System picked up closer to ~22 WHP and ~23 WTQ.  When we switched to our Performance Exhaust System, which is a bespoke Cat and Muffler Design, we saw a gain of ~28 WHP and ~27 WTQ. 

Exhaust + Tune Gain 

Now we’ll touch on what happens when you add M-Engineering Software into the equation. What you’ll notice if you watch the video is that the Factory Porsche Software will eventually prevent you from making more power. The computer detects a higher Torque level than stock and starts restricting the power. On the flipside, the Factory Exhaust components do not have the exhaust velocity to maximize the performance gains from software. Hence, the gains of using both together will exceed the gains of only doing one or the other. 

With completely stock exhaust + Tune we saw gains of ~125 WHP and ~170 WTQ. With our Sport Cats + Stock Muffler + Tune we saw gains of ~133 WHP and ~190 WTQ. Swap to the Comp Link Pipes and you’re picking up ~143 WHP and ~179 WTQ. With our X-Pipe Exhaust System + Stock Cats + Tune we saw gains of ~151 WHP and ~178 WTQ. Replace our X-Pipe with our Valved Exhaust System and we saw gains of ~137 WHP and ~200 WTQ. When combining our Sport Cats with our Valved Exhaust System and Tune (aka our Performance Package), we saw gains of ~152 WHP and ~200 WTQ. Swap the Sport Cats for Comp Link Pipes and we see a gain of ~155 WHP and ~234 WTQ. We saw nearly the same gains when measuring our Performance Exhaust Systems + Tune, ~160 WHP and ~215 WTQ. More gains can be expected when changing Turbos, Air Intakes, Fuel, and opting for a Pro Tune as opposed to the off the shelf offering from M-Engineering.  

Our Conclusion

 If you enjoy the 992 platform, the 992.1 is the better return on investment from a performance perspective. With less total investment in the car and upgrades, you can significantly outperform the newer 911. Once software is available, we look forward to seeing how far the 992.2 platform can be improved, though we know your total spend will be considerably more to outperform an upgraded 992.1. We hope the information presented here will help you decide which platform to invest in to maximize your driving experience.  

 Miami Miles touched on this topic in a recent YouTube video linked below. We look forward to revisiting this comparison once software for the 992.2 has been released to compliment our full exhaust suite.