Lava Orange. Love it or hate it, there is no denying that it looks fantastic on the 2017 Carrera 4S that rolled into our shop for development just a few short weeks ago. This beautifully spec'ed out 991.2 was the first variation that we've been able to get up close and personal with, and we were all duly impressed.
At first glance, the new 991.2 Carrera isn't substantially different from the outgoing 991 Carrera. It's had a few cosmetic updates such as the new rear deck grille and a couple of other interior tweaks such as the much-needed and much-improved infotainment and navigation system.
The revolutionary change is found just inside the rear bumper, in the form of a brand new twin turbo-charged 3.0-litre powerplant. This controversial move to forced induction on the Carrera has many Porsche-philes up in arms, but we're here to tell you: This change is a good one!
The new turbocharged engine is an absolute gem. It has the driving characteristics and predictability of the tried-and-true Porsche flat six, but now with the hair-raising addition of some very responsive turbos. The sound of the snails whistling away as you apply the throttle is truly intoxicating, and blends seamlessly with the classic 911 growl. The addition of Fabspeed Sport Headers and Sport Cats only enhances this symphony, bringing it to the forefront of the driving experience.
Since our development car was already equipped with the Porsche Sport Exhaust (PSE), we began by locking in the design for the upgraded Carbon Fiber Tips. Compatible with any PSE-equipped 991.2 Carrera, these bolt-on tips go a long way towards making the rear end of the new 911 look much more aggressive and customized.
With the tips on lock, we turned our attention to developing a high-performance header to replace the restrictive and obstructive factory exhaust manifolds. We started by removing the OEM counterparts from the vehicle, and taking a closer look at them to determine where we could improve upon the design.
It quickly became obvious that the monolithic design of the factory headers left a lot to be desired. The exhaust gases load up inside the large chamber and then have to fight their way out at a 90-degree angle to make it into the outlet tube and into the turbo. This turbulence leads to slower turbo spool and negatively impacts throttle response and horsepower. To top it all off, we noticed that the factory header even had a connection pillar inside the collection chamber that directly impedes the flow (pictured below).
We began by waterjet cutting new inlet and outlet flanges and selecting the optimal cast merge collector to maximize flow within the envelope of the 991.2.
Dyno testing of the final design returned some fantastic results. We found an additional 18 whp and 7 ft/lbs of torque by simply installing the Fabspeed Sport Headers.
With our new Sport Headers in the bag, it was time to move on to the catalytic converters. The factory cats on the 991.2 Carrera are quite heavy and extremely dense which impedes the exhaust flow and robs the engine of horsepower.
We built a fixture around the factory cats and began work on creating the replacements using high-flowing 200-cell HJS catalytic converter cores, which we import direct from Germany. As the largest importer of HJS cats in North America, Fabspeed is able to leverage our extensive experience to select the perfect core for each application which will provide maximum power without triggering a Check Engine Light (CEL).
The tri-metallic 200-cell HJS cats that we use in our new 991.2 Carrera Sport Cats significantly outflow the factory cats, and added an impressive 23 whp during our dyno testing.
Fabspeed's Sport Cats make a pitch-perfect addition to our Sport Headers, adding over 32 whp and unleashing an addicting exhaust note. You may want to invest in a good jacket at the same time, because you're never going to want to drive without your windows down once these are installed!
For our hardcore track junkies and competitive racers, we also developed Catbypass Pipes in parallel with our Sport Cats. These straight-through pipes allow for maximum exhaust flow while saving every possible ounce from the vehicle.
Our PSE-compatible product line for the Porsche 991.2 Carrera is now available on Fabspeed.com and through all of our Authorized Dealers. You can check out a full-length demo video below, and as always, our passionate Performance Specialists are standing by to answer any questions that you might have.