944 S2 proMAX performance

[pcn1]

I've just been looking at the proMAX web site. They are offering some performance upgrades for the S2, and the suggested power increases look at odds with the collective theory that you can't sqweeze any more out of a S2 engine without major surgery.
Anyone here had any experience of their products ?

[steil]

If you have a search you can find that kit being sold in the US for quite a good price.

I know of an S2 which has the US kit & it dyno's at 270bhp - it's used pretty much exclusively as a track car & it's quicker than most S2's. However it has this as peak power but at the expense of drivability - fine for track/race use but tedious on the road.

If you use full throttle & peak revs a lot - then it's worth looking into it, otherwise it'll affect drivability and you won't benefit from the power gain.

[NJH]

pcn1 said:

I've just been looking at the proMAX web site. They are offering some performance upgrades for the S2, and the suggested power increases look at odds with the collective theory that you can't sqweeze any more out of a S2 engine without major surgery.
Anyone here had any experience of their products ?

Yes, given the low cost of the chip it does a good job at smoothing out the power delivery and works well on cars that have had a cat bypass. Can't honestly say if it really increases the power much since my car has never been on the rollers. I have managed an indicated top speed of 159 mph and my best with the G-tech pro for 0-60 was 5.9 seconds. If I can do a RWYB at Santa Pod I may have some more useful figures and I may put the car on the rollers when the 951 guys have their next day out at Weltmeister.

[zcacogp]

The upgrades mainly centre around the chip, which seems to be quite popular. However, when I asked around about it, no-one would say that it made their car any faster or more powerful. Everyone looked a little coy and said "Yes, it's good ... it makes the engine a lot smoother", but nothing more than that.

Essentially, it didn't come anywhere near to pursuading me that it was worth the cash.

I think I'd stick to the general notion that S2's are not upgradable without oodles of cash, and spend things on a suspension upgrade, better tyres when you replace them, or possibly some driver training.

If you want to go down the upgrades path, sell up and buy a 951. (Then bankrupt yourself with all sorts of go-faster goodies, but be able to make a GT3RS look like it's stuck in reverse gear around Bedford ... )


Oli.

[NJH]

zcacogp said:

If you want to go down the upgrades path, sell up and buy a 951. (Then bankrupt yourself with all sorts of go-faster goodies, but be able to make a GT3RS look like it's stuck in reverse gear around Bedford ... )


Oli.

IMHO from the experience at Bedford 90% of that is down to 1) the inherently good handling of the 944 platform 2) The fact that it works well with slicks even on basic M030 suspension. Both of these you could do with an S2 and probably lap within 1 or 2 seconds of a 951 with the same suspension/tyres etc. but maybe 100 or 200 more horses under the bonnet.

[zcacogp]

NJH said:

IMHO from the experience at Bedford 90% of that is down to 1) the inherently good handling of the 944 platform 2) The fact that it works well with slicks even on basic M030 suspension. Both of these you could do with an S2 and probably lap within 1 or 2 seconds of a 951 with the same suspension/tyres etc. but maybe 100 or 200 more horses under the bonnet.

And more difference again is down to the driver ability. (Last time I was at Bedford I had a seriously hard time from a base-model clio ... OK, I was in a Golf GTi not a 944, but I should have had him for breakfast, and I emphatically didn't!)


Oli.

[NJH]

zcacogp said:

NJH said:

IMHO from the experience at Bedford 90% of that is down to 1) the inherently good handling of the 944 platform 2) The fact that it works well with slicks even on basic M030 suspension. Both of these you could do with an S2 and probably lap within 1 or 2 seconds of a 951 with the same suspension/tyres etc. but maybe 100 or 200 more horses under the bonnet.

And more difference again is down to the driver ability. (Last time I was at Bedford I had a seriously hard time from a base-model clio ... OK, I was in a Golf GTi not a 944, but I should have had him for breakfast, and I emphatically didn't!)


Oli.

Can cut many different ways, in the wet big Dave flew past me in his clio. Ok I was going very slow at the time but anyways he was going very well indeed. Later in the day I was quicker then some pretty quick on paper cars such as an M3, and can't remember how many times I passed the TVR or was there 2 of em can't remember they all look the same in those situations. Also don't remember being passed once all day long by any of the impreza's or evo's present. That Turbo fiesta thing was scary though, including the driver who always looked angry for some reason! ( I hope that wasn't my fault as well)

[pcn1]

I didn't really want to part with any cash for these bolt-on's at the moment. I'll spend my pocket money on a novice trackday that gives training first. I'll be the first to admit the S2 is a better car than I am driver.

[zcacogp]

pcn1 said:

I'll be the first to admit the S2 is a better car than I am driver.

That's you and me both, chum!


Oli.