Forgestar CF10 Gunmetal 19x85et45 19x11et52 on 02 Porsche Carrera 4S [996] on H&R Springs
Sr Mod Expert Alan knows a thing or two about modding the Porsche 996, which is why Nicholas H brought in his 2002 Porsche Carrera 4S [996] in to Mod Auto to get a whole host of mods installed to compliment the car’s existing Forgestar CF10 Wheels for Porsche.
As we said in our guide to the Best Mods for the Porsche 996, the next thing to do after a set of great looking wheels for Porsche 996 is to lower the suspension to give the car just the right stance. The wheelgap of your Porsche is a bit of an eyesore- I’d liken it to someone not having front teeth. Lowering the car not only improves the car a ton visually, but the lower center of gravity means much sharper handling as well.
A drop wasn’t all we had in mind, either. In addition to lowering the suspension, Mod Expert Alan was hooking the Carrera 4S up with a host of bolt ons from FabSpeed Motorsport to make the car look, sound and perform better.
One of the first things we’ll be upgrading is the Porsche 996 Exhaust System. Here’s the stock exhaust coming out.
To let that Flat Six sing, the expert Installers at ModAuto installed a Fabspeed Maxflo Performance Exhaust System for 1999-2005 Porsche Carrera [996]. Installing the Maxflo exhaust alone yields a significant bump in power – 12 horsepower and 10lb/ft of torque at the wheels, to be exact. What’s more, they’re also lighter than stock, shaving 7lb off the weight over the rear wheels. So to recap, installing the Fabspeed Exhaust on this Carrera 4S will make it sound better, lighten the rear end AND delivers a rather noticeable 12hp gain at the wheels – which is two or three times more than you’d expect to get out of fitting the average car with a set of high flow mufflers. Clearly, Fabspeed knows what they’re doing.
Here’s a clip of the Fabspeed Maxflo exhaust in action.
Here’s our Tech fitting the passenger side.
Nicholas H opted to retain the OEM 996 Carrera 4S Exhaust tips, though alternate tips are an option.
And there’s the driver’s side going in.
With both sides installed, the improvement over stock is clear. After installing the Fabspeed Maxflo Exhaust for Carrera, we moved on to the suspension.
Sr Mod Expert Alan recommended a set of H&R Sport Springs for Porsche 996, which would bring the car down by approximately an inch both front and rear, eliminating the unsightly wheel gap.
There’s the front set of H&R Springs installed.
Above, you’ll see how the H&Rs appear installed into the rear suspension.
Forgestar CF10 Gunmetal 19x85et45 19x11et52 on 02 Porsche Carrera 4S [996] on H&R Springs
With the car back on the ground, we can see the OEM exhaust tips line up right where they did before, even though the Fabspeed system is now in place, making this a very stealthy upgrade.
But enhancing exhaust flow is only one half of the airflow situation. So of course, we upgraded the 996 Intake system as well.
The next thing to go was the intake, in favor of a new intake from Fabspeed. A Freer flowing 996 Intake can unlock quite a bit of power, particularly in Porsche applications. Above, you can see the restrictive stock airbox.
We’ve replaced that with a Fabspeed Carbon Fiber Intake for Porsche 996 Carrera. This new setup completely replaces the stock airbox with a free flow intake that incrases horsepower, looks badass under the rear bonned and lets you really hear that flat six behind you, as you’d expect of a driver’s car.
Speaking of horsepower – the Fabspeed Intake for Porsche Carrera 996 models is good for a whopping 22whp gain – coupled with the Fabspeed Maxflo Exhaust, Nicholas’ 996 is leaving the shop with approximately another 30 ponies at his disposal – not bad at all for just two bolt ons on a non-turbo car!
How does this intake yield another 20 plus ponies? Two factors – one, is that Porsche is famous for controlling the power output of its engines by restricting intake airflow. Two, the stock airbox is set up to be quieter, with minimal “noise, vibration and harshness”, and dampens the sound of your 996.
By replacing the restrictive flat airbox with a flow-optimized dual-inlet setup with a streamlined merge, you’re simply able to unlock more of the horsepower the car already had.
Forgestar CF10 Gunmetal 19x85et45 19x11et52 on 02 Porsche Carrera 4S [996] on H&R Springs
The sun had set so we were only able to snag a couple of photos in the last light of the day, but already it’s easy to see how much better the car looks lowered.
Forgestar CF10 Gunmetal 19x85et45 19x11et52 on 02 Porsche Carrera 4S [996] on H&R Springs
As you can see, just three simple bolt-on can give your car a huge change in its appearance, sound and performance – this Carrera 4S left here more capable in the straights, in the corners – and at the valet. The Carrera now looks and performs at its best. This is the way the car was intended to be enjoyed. So why drive around without hearing that glorious flat six sing a day longer?
As they say, life’s too short to stay stock. So talk to a Mod Expert today – Give us a call here at 714-582-3330 (x8006 for Sr Mod Expert Alan Wei), stop by the showroom in La Habra, CA during business hours, or Chat Live on ModBargains.com.
Thanks for joining us, we’ll see you next time! Thanks to Nicholas H for sharing his build with us.
Need something installed? Our shop, Mod Auto, offers full service installations – if it’s aftermarket and bolt on, odds are we can install it for you. Call 714-582-3330 (x8006 for Sr Mod Expert Alan Wei) or CLICK HERE to Use Our Online Appointment Scheduling System
Story & Photos Nicholas Gregson