Planet 9

OK, here we go. I just returned from Farnbacher Loles where Kip pounded my Cayman on their dyno once again. First, some of the details.

My Car: 2007 Cayman S
Mileage: 10,181
Gasoline: 93 Octane [R+M/2]
Dynamometer: Dyno Dynamics sustained load, climate controlled
Engine Mods: None
Exhaust: Stock Headers with A.W.E. Tuning Catback


Baseline Tests:
(taken in January when my car was completely stock):

Stock RWHP:



Stock BHP:




A.W.E. Tuning Tests:

A.W.E. Tuning RWHP:



A.W.E. Tuning BHP:



Gains:

BHP Gained: 19.4
RWHP Gained: 17.1

Yup. That's right. 19.4 BHP gain....! As soon as I drove my car I knew this system was delivering more than previously thought. The car simply rips. If you drove my car, you would agree. There is no way that's an 8-10 hp gain. It's way more than that and the dyno agrees.

Kip did about 12 runs over the course of an hour. Some cold, some hot. The tempurature in their climate controlled room is the same with small differences in barometric pressure and relative humidity from last time (differences that would likely reduce power output). The shortest run was 307 BHP. Then 309, then 311, then the car consistently spit out 312-313, over and over.

I forgot to ask Kip for the overlay between baseline and AWE. I'll give him a call and see if he can send one to me. I'd like to see that because interestingly, the AWE seems to hit harder in the mid range than the stock.

OK, go ahead. Discuss........

__________________
Gator Bite
PCA Cayman Register Advocate

For more information on this exhaust system, please see this thread: http://www.planet-9.com/cayman-mod...eneration.html

__________________
Gator Bite
PCA Cayman Register Advocate

Thanks GB for the detailed analyzes, it’s good to get some definitive results from a singular mod. The bad part is I may have to put the A.W.E. exhaust on my wish list. Sounds like it would complement my recent Softronic upgrade.

Very impressive. Thanks GB!! So when you adding a Softronic Plenum.

-Moto

Great review, definitely on my list of exhaust options.

Sigh I used to work a 1/4 mile from their facility in PA. Did not own a Porsche then..

GB, I was just watching your U Tube video of the Borla exhaust tonight trying to make a decision on which system I would like to get. I was a little concerned about the resonate rattle I could hear, it sounded like your number plate. Anyway, now I'm waiting for another U Tube clip with the AWE exhaust.. don't make this easy..

Are you going to make the ALMS race at LRP ?? If so, I'll see you there..

Great, but when you get 300 RWHP, THEN you can really see what the Cayman can do.

Unfortunately not. I have to be in LA for business....

I can only imagine. I feel my car is pretty strong as is.

__________________
Gator Bite
PCA Cayman Register Advocate

What's the max gain in torque? It looks like the low end dip in torque has been smoothed out with AWE.

When I had mine dynoed, it showed a 23 hp gain. Given all of the variations in dyno machines, this is pretty spot on. I don't think anyone believed my results. Hopefully, they will believe yours

__________________
"The Cayman doesn't need any more toys." -- My wife

Thank you for posting this. I was afraid that I was alone and I was expecting everyone to call bull****. Do you have your print out? Is there any chance you can post it in this thread? (Same goes for anyone else with an AWE catback.)

I don't have any trouble believing the results because I went from the Borla, to the Stock exhaust to the AWE. I could really feel the loss and then recovery of power. After my first drive with the AWE I said to myself, "There's no freaking way that this system is making only 8 hp."

__________________
Gator Bite
PCA Cayman Register Advocate

It looks like about 20 ft-lbs. at 3,750 RPM (which is a lot more significant than 20 hp at 7,200). I will be in Danbury again today. I'll stop by and see if I can get Kip to print a before/after curve.

__________________
Gator Bite
PCA Cayman Register Advocate

I think what we are seeing is dead on. Cars with no intake or ecu mods will gain a lot from just exhaust. Cars with intake and/or ecu mods will gain less from the same exhaust because they've already free'd up the system some with the existing mods. You cannot just add the hp of each mod independently to get a total, the actual total will be somewhere less than that.

__________________

My Garage | My Gallery | My Articles | My Blog |My Classifieds
K-Man S

Question: A chassis dyno (i.e. Dyno Dynamics) takes its measurements at the wheels to give you rwhp. How does it come up with bhp?

__________________
John
'07 997 GT3

Previous cars:
'07 Cayman S
'89 944 Turbo
'86 944

GatorBite is your car desnorked or not?

__________________
- Suneet

looking 4 an exhaust system n curious wich 1 would b ur recomendation, power n sound being the most important factors, i will eventualy add an intake, but seeing ur results from the dyno im thinkin exhaust first?
aloha

RWHP is pretty much a calculated aproximation based on many controlled variables, but with a few uncontrolled. So each dyno can be calibrated with a correction factor to compensate for 'drive train loss' and calculate BHP.

Most folks on this club like discussing RWHP, but that is a very inaccurate way to make a comparison between one car and another because EVERY dyno will see a different drive train loss. I grind my teeth every time I read a post that says, "Oh, so if it's 280 RWHP, with a 15% DT loss we are at......". The problem is, 15% is a total guess. Like I said, EVERY dyno, will deliver a different loss, even if you compare the same models from the same manufacturer. You can never assume what the loss is unless that loss has been calculated on the dyno that gave the results in the first place.

BHP is simply the most accurate way to compare one car to another.

I have been going back and forth. It was not for the dyno runs. Honestly, I can not feel any difference one way or the other.

Very tricky questions to answer. It seems each system has it's own strengths and weaknesses. Most often, the quest for power results in unaccepably high sound output. The quest for acceptable sound output results in diminished power output. The quest for both results in unaceptably high prices. So, rate these items on a 1 to 10 scale, 1 being not important, 10 being very important.

Has as much power as possible:

Has a sporty aggressive sound:

Has no resonance:

Is affordable:

Looks great:

Is easy to install:

__________________
Gator Bite
PCA Cayman Register Advocate

I wish they wouldn't polish the damn thing or at least offer it without polishing. Its only going to discolor anyway. For me its all about the power, sound & build quality. I'd rather save the $$$ they put into polishing.

If they don't polish and everyone else polishes, then it will affect their sales.

Polishing would help to prevent rusting as the (I think 304?) lower nickel content leads to higher corrosiveness. My boat parts are 316L and they still tarnish without a good sand and polish. The ss that awe uses is top quality for the application so I guess I'll just install it and be happy.

My preference would also be not polished if it doesn't affect the life of the exhaust.