Porsche 996 Carrera

The normally aspirated 996 Carrera is a great street car that has more to give. The RWD Carrera 2 and the AWD Carrera 4 are great platforms to increase power on the 3.4L or 3.6L motor. From 2000 – 2005 the 996 Carrera used a drive by wire system which allows VRTuned to fine tune the overall performance of your vehicle. VRTuned is able to gain 20 horsepower to the crank and 13ft/lbs of torque.

3.4L Stock Power – 300HP and 258ft/lbs
Tuned Power – 322HP and 271ft/lbs
3.6L Stock Power – 320HP and 273ft/lbs
Tuned Power – 340HP and 286ft/lbs

VRTuned flashes the 996 Carrera through the OBDII port of the car. With their Flasher Client software, they are reading a full 1mb of the file to completely tune the ECU. Other companies claim to be able to do this, but are only read 128kb and making global changes. The ECU flash will alter your fuel and timing maps to give you a very linear increase over stock. For those worried about check engine lights, there are none! For those running a high flow cat or straight pipe exhaust systems, VRTuned raises the O2 levels which will remove the possibility of having a CEL from this type of exhaust. Once the car is flashed, the low end torque and throttle response will be much improved. The mid-range of the RPM band will feel stronger as well. The overall improvement of drivability makes the 996 Carrera even more fun then it was originally. Since warranty is always a concern, VRTuned also provides you with your original file. With this original file you can flash your car back to stock at any point. If you go to the dealer, there will be nothing visible through the Porsche PIWIS system. VRTuned can program your vehicle no matter what country you are from or what octane you use. We have different maps for those running 91 octane or 93 octane and higher. We have tested this software in many competition venues with nothing but positive results.

What are the benefits/functions of going with VRTuned compared to the competition?

  • VRTuned does not require the removal of your ECU from the car. There is no down time at all.
  • Your car can be flashed at your convenience from the comfort of your own garage.
  • VRTuned reflashing is done via a Client Cable that is connected to the OBDII port. The customer simply plugs the cable into the car and reads the file with a laptop per the instructions with the cable. Once the file is downloaded, it is emailed to the VRTuned secure server where the file is tuned and then emailed back to the client. The client simply uploads the file and they are done. Total process is about 1 hour.
  • Reflashing is done according to the vehicles octane level of pump gas and modifications are taken into account (Intake, Headers, Exhaust) to enhance power gains.
If you have any questions about the Porsche 996 Carrera ECU Flash, please contact us using our Support Page.

About The Author

Dan Mermelstein - Co-Owner, Blogger, Porsche Enthusiast, VRTuned Marketing and Technical Support. Available to make your car faster!

5 Responses

  2. Jason Walker

    Love the additional power and response. Radar detector a must. Was hassle free and simple to install. Like the fact that I didn’t have to send my ECU away.

  3. ROMAN

    JUST FLASHED MY CAR AND TAKE FOR TEST DRIVE.BOY!!! THE DIFFERENCE WAS INSTANT!!!THANKS TO DAN FOR HELP….HIGHLY RECOMENDED!!!!!!

  4. Paul

    I must admit that, being an owner of a naturally aspirated 996, I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of the VRTuned ECU tune.

    To be fair, the turbos have much more to work with for gaining power, which is why I think what VRTuned is able to do with the 996 non-turbo tune program is simply fantastic! Honestly speaking, I *really* noticed the difference. I rarely write reviews, but I am so pleased with the results that I feel that I had to give kudos to where they are due. The folks at VRTuned really deserve accolades with this product. My only regret is that I wish I had done this sooner. If anyone is riding on the fence for this one, in my humble experience I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone wanting some tangible gains from their 3.6L 996. Can’t comment on the 3.4L engines, as my car is an 03 model, but I would imagine it would be much the same.

    The biggest things that I noticed as a result of the ECU tune are:

    1. It really woke up my other modifications. My performance mods thus far are mild. I have a K&N 57 Series cold air intake kit as well as an IPD performance intake plenum. Although I noticed decent gains from those bolt-on mods, the new tuned ECU program truly brought them to life. I am thinking that the tuned ECU is delivering even more than what VRTuned says it normally delivers because the engine program is actually taking better advantage of the mods now than the stock ECU program ever did. I recommend the combination of mods that I have for someone not looking to go crazy with their 996.

    2. The engine after the ECU tune is smooth as butter and I have had no issues thus far (~500 miles). I expected a roguher idle or some sort of compromise because the engine is tuned for 93 Octane now, but it runs excellent. This is how it should have come from the factory.

    3. The engine is more eager (better throttle response) and pulls better in just about every range. 2500 rpm is never a strong part of the normal 996 powerband, and it still isn’t, but now it responds eagerly. At 4000rpm it really starts to come alive and pulls *very* hard, much more than before. At 5500 rpm the engine is a terror with no dip all the way to redline. I used to have a burp in power delivery around 6000 rpm before the VRTuned tune, but now the flat spot has been replaced with a much steadier and aggressive pull to redline. The car is even more of a blast to drive.

    4. Vividracing/VRTuned is a great vendor. Responsive to emails, and deliver on time as promised.

    Needless to say, I am a very happy customer. Three words sum up my experience for the VRTuned tune.

    Worth. Every. Penny.

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