Carpokes Porsche Forum

I just joined the site and am happy to be here! I recently acquired a 718 Cayman S and am quite pleased with it. As a frequent consumer of YouTube videos, I've seen a lot of content regarding tuner software and other aftermarket up grades that may or may not be worthwhile to me. Here are a few questions that I have on the subject:

1. Are there downsides to getting a Stage 1 or Stage 2 tune on my car other than the cost? For example, would it create additional wear and tear on the car?

2. What should I know about which tuner software products and aftermarket exhaust products are the most reputable and effective?

3. Can I go somewhere in particular to do due diligence on companies that do this work? I live in Central Ohio by the way.

Any guidance that any of you could provide would be much appreciated.

rlt73 wrote: Sat Mar 25, 2023 9:18 am I just joined the site and am happy to be here! I recently acquired a 718 Cayman S and am quite pleased with it. As a frequent consumer of YouTube videos, I've seen a lot of content regarding tuner software and other aftermarket up grades that may or may not be worthwhile to me. Here are a few questions that I have on the subject:

1. Are there downsides to getting a Stage 1 or Stage 2 tune on my car other than the cost? For example, would it create additional wear and tear on the car?

2. What should I know about which tuner software products and aftermarket exhaust products are the most reputable and effective?

3. Can I go somewhere in particular to do due diligence on companies that do this work? I live in Central Ohio by the way.

Any guidance that any of you could provide would be much appreciated.

I cannot provide good answers your particular questions since I haven't done tuner or exhaust upgrades (yet).

However, I can welcome you to Carpokes!

Meanwhile, I do know that there are a lot of good aftermarket Porsche tuner devices and products. The same is true for exhaust systems. Hopefully someone here will be able to specifically address some or all of your questions with their own experiences.

Meanwhile, you'll find a lot of ideas and help by poking around the site, especially in specific forums. I've found that the provided Carpokes search tool works really well too, so you might try that route.

I just now tried two searches using "Stage 1 tune" and also "Stage 2 tune" which resolved to several posts (including yours which is at the top of the search results). I didn't go thru the posts but maybe there are some answers (or leads to answers) buried in a few of them.

search.php?keywords=stage+1+tune

search.php?st=0&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&keyw ... age+2+tune


I also did an advanced search using "+cayman" & "+exhaust" which yielded a number of topics.

search.php?keywords=%2Bcayman+%2Bexhaus ... mit=Search

You might also try searching using different keywords that relate to your questions. Best of luck in your endeavor - it should be fun!

Thank you very much for all of this valuable feedback. I will follow up and see what I can learn. I also appreciate your warm welcome!

rlt73 wrote: Sat Mar 25, 2023 9:18 am I just joined the site and am happy to be here! I recently acquired a 718 Cayman S and am quite pleased with it. As a frequent consumer of YouTube videos, I've seen a lot of content regarding tuner software and other aftermarket up grades that may or may not be worthwhile to me. Here are a few questions that I have on the subject:

1. Are there downsides to getting a Stage 1 or Stage 2 tune on my car other than the cost? For example, would it create additional wear and tear on the car?

2. What should I know about which tuner software products and aftermarket exhaust products are the most reputable and effective?

3. Can I go somewhere in particular to do due diligence on companies that do this work? I live in Central Ohio by the way.

Any guidance that any of you could provide would be much appreciated.

Your car has the 4 cylinder turbo, correct? If so, there are some gains to be had with a tune.

1) More power means more wear for the most part, but if you stick with a well-known Stage 1/2 tune and don't go crazy with mods, etc. it's unlikely you'll have any issues or wear out your motor prematurely. Other things to consider are warranty coverage (if any), smog requirements, and fuel quality/octane rating. I'm guessing you are out of warranty, but if you live in a state like California, it's wise (and legally required) to pick a CARB-approved tune. Most companies offer incremental tunes based on the octane rating you will run. More octane means more boost and timing, and so more power. Be careful not to get a tune intended for better gas than you plan to use....

2) Ask a dozen hot-rodders and get a dozen answers on that one. Cobb Tuning is among the best know, and offers its Accessport, which gives you a lot of flexibility you won't find on many tunes, with endless tuning options to keep up with whatever you end up doing. If/when I pull the trigger on my car, that's my plan.

3) I think all you can do is ask around, like you are doing here. If you start searching and asking, a small group of names will keep coming up. Be sure to think about what you want before you start -- 10% more power from a nice Stage 2 package, or a 500hp monster running meth injection, etc. Off the shelf tunes are good for the former, whereas custom tuning with supporting mods are better (needed) for the latter...

Good luck and keep us posted!

Thanks so much for the information. Much appreciated!

I was very happy with the APR Stage 1 ECU and TCU tunes on my prior Audi RS3 and S4. You may want to check them out. Depending on your location, there may be an APR dealer near you. I’m almost positive they offer several tuning options for your car.

https://www.goapr.com/platform/porsche/718c/

Thanks for your note and the link. I had a feeling that APR was a major player, based on some YouTube videos that I've seen. I will call their toll-free number and check them out.

I purchased a Softronic tune for my 2018 base Cayman about a year ago and I can't imagine going without it. It added 65 HP. I chose Softronic for a couple of reasons. I could install it myself without driving 2hrs to an installer, it works with both 91 and 93 octane (not all do), and after talking with Scott at Softronic, it's hard to imagine someone with more experience with Porsche custom tuning.

I have recently gone with Softronics on my Cayman and found it to be a very positive experience. I have the non-turbo model so I realize our experiences will vary.

Do you have manual or PDK?

I have PDK. Still trying to figure out what I want to do.