Thebob -
To be honest, you come across as highly argumentative... and not in a good way. You are also guilty of putting words in people's mouths, and turning their words around to fit your own arguments. I am not impressed.
First, I do FIRMLY believe that all claims and "data" should be taken with a grain of salt, at the least - from BOTH forum users, and sponsors looking to sell a product. I was born a skeptic, and will always likely be one. I have nearly 2 decades experience racing cars and building engines. Show me the data, the timeslips, corrected dynos, etc. I get it.
However, you seem to have a very strange take on this situation. And you need to understand, there are MANY reasons why a stock Carrera 991 3.4 isn't tuned to it's maximum efficiency, either. It is both flawed logic, and presumptive ignorance, to compare stock 991 engines to tuned 987.2 engines... for several reasons. Why not compare tuned 991 engines with the higher flowing components, to tuned 987.2 engines? That would be a more logical comparison.
The limitations and design requirements for a mass-produced vehicle are very different than for one-off customized vehicles. These constraints that steer the design and production of these mass-market systems include cost, weight, emissions, noise, product placement, and other factors.
As an individual, we have the luxury of choosing which of these (somewhat conflicting) factors we wish to prioritize. For instance, in the search for performance, we may be comfortable with a vehicle with increased emissions, louder sound, and higher cost. That's why we spend $2000 on a cat-back exhaust, when Porsche might spend $500 making the stock exhaust. We get more noise, less weight, higher flow, and other benefits for that additional cost. Those benefits are worthwhile to us; and they may NOT be worthwhile to the larger mass market, such as noise, resonance, or cost.
My point... is that there are MANY factors in designing and producing mass-market products... and to apply that same logic to custom, niche-service industries is ludicrous. You strike me as a fairly intelligent individual, so I doubt these concepts escape you.
Now to more directly answer your question... How could a tuned 987.2 outperform a stock 991 3.4 liter?
Well, reference the above. The 991 is produced for the masses. There are emissions constraints. There are production cost constraints. There are sound level constraints. Etc., ad infinitum. And how those factors create the cost/benefit algorithm is likely only known deep within the bowels of Porsche AG. Not to mention, the "pecking order" of the 911 3.4, 3.8, S versions - Porsche wants their money.
So, YOUR opinion might be that that 987.2 aftermarket exhausts make no additional power - since they are at best a noise maker and "does not unrestrict flow in the slightest". Have you flow-benched all the aftermarket exhausts vs. stock exhausts? Have you compared the fluid dynamics between different systems? Until you do, and you provide those results for all to see, dynos, flowcharts, and numbers... YOU are talking out of your ***.
Softronic posted a dyno, showing results, with a lot of comparative options... which is unique for the 987.2 model, since not many dynos exist. You disagreed, then tried to turn their words around. Maybe their experience is that with the proper tune, the cat-back exhaust can add some power. Maybe their findings are incongruent with yours. So be it. But to try to turn their statement into "with just a tune you can reach 360HP out of a stock Cayman S (9A1 engine)" is self-serving manipulation of their input and insight. That is clearly NOT what was said.
If you were truly "genuinely curious about your opinion on the component difference between the 991 Carrera and the 987.2 S models" then just ask those questions to begin with in a non-combative manner. Because in my opinion, you were doing a disservice both to yourself and the community in your approach. We ALL would love the data and explanations provided by shared experience and expertise. But if I were a sponsor and I had the insight and knowledge to answer those questions, an approach such as yours would make me want to spend as little time or effort educating or helping the community. I would likely feel that I was spending more time and resources defending myself, and correcting erroneous and "spun" statements, than actually sharing information and valuable knowledge.
Just my 2 cents.
:cheers:
