*Porsche 911 Carrera S (997, 2004-06)
VF Engineering has a supercharger kit for the late-model 997. The stock engine, with 310 hp and 265 lb-ft torque, is boosted to 475 hp and 370 lb-ft torque with VF's 6 psi kit. An upgraded vehicle is capable of a reported 11.45-second quarter-mile. $11,900
*Porsche Carrera GT
AWE Tuning offers two exhaust options for Porsche's ber-car. The first consists of a rear muffler section only, which replaces the stock unit and attains a weight saving of 26 pounds. The new rear section allows for a reported 12 lb-ft torque gain at 3000 rpm. $8,995
The second option adds a pair of straight pipes to the rear muffler section. The complete system allows for total weight savings of 50 pounds and claimed torque gains of 22 lb-ft at 3200 rpm, with a 12 hp gain at 6700 rpm. $10,490
*Saab 2.3L turbo engine (2002-05)
Powerchip offers a software upgrade to push output to a claimed 275 hp and 288 lb-ft torque. $640
Hirsch Performance of Switzerland offers a package with a total claimed peak gain of 305 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque available between 2000 and 4000 rpm. This is achieved through the installation of a modified turbocharger, a larger air intake pipe and intercooler, a big-bore sport exhaust, and reprogramming the ECU. Contact the manufacturer for pricing.*Saab 2.0L turbo engine (2000-05)
The 2.0-liter turbo engine was developed to produce several different OEM power outputs, and BSR Sweden offers software upgrades for every model, in the form of a hand-held programmer known as the PPC. This unit allows the driver to reprogram the vehicle with a push of a button, and switching from stock to modified tuning programs without opening the hood. $1,300
*Volvo S40/V50 1.9L
In stock form, the 1.9-liter four-cylinder turbo produces 170 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. Evolve offers a software upgrade that will boost power to 202 hp and torque to 212 lb-ft, depending on the octane used. $640
*Volvo S40/V50
BSR Sweden offers three tuning stages for the T5 engine. Each stage uses the Portable Program Carrier (PPC), a device allowing the user to switch between the different stages and back to stock at any time.
Stage one consists of an ECU upgrade combined with a sport air filter insert. A claimed increase of 38 hp and 68 lb-ft of torque should be realized. $1,050
Stage two is comprised of an upgraded air intake and ECU, plus a stainless exhaust system. $1,800
Stage three has an upgraded air intake and ECU, BSR stainless exhaust system, and three-inch downpipe. With this system, output is increased to a claimed 278 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. $3,800
Sources such as Engstrm, IPD, Evolve and Heico Sportiv also offer software upgrades in varying stages, as well as sport exhausts for most applications. Contact individual manufacturers for pricing.
*Volvo S60/V70/S80/XC90
Engine management upgrades for many late model turbo Volvos, developed in conjunction with TME of Sweden, can be purchased from IPD USA. Coupling the revised software with an IPD sport exhaust, end users should expect gains of around 30 hp and up to 50 lb-ft of additional torque. From $995
Heico Sportiv of Germany works its magic on the Bosch ME9 Motronic system by increasing total power output on Volvo's five-cylinder turbo engine to 310 hp at 6000 rpm and 295 lb-ft of torque from 3000 to 5000 rpm. The company also offers sport air filters and exhaust systems. Contact the manufacturer for pricing.
Engstrm also employs a Portable Program Carrier device to revise software maps and increase performance on each of these applications, while allowing the end user to easily switch back to factory settings if desired. The company claims power gains up to 90 hp, depending on the application and tuning stage. Contact the manufacturer for pricing. American Volvo tuner, Evolve, also offers upgraded software packages for T5-equipped vehicles, as well as a complement of sport exhaust systems. From $680.