Top 5 Upgrades For Porsche Sports Cars

Heritage-inspired designs: $50 - $10,000+

Porsche’s rich heritage has given us many iconic design traits. Many of these stem from motorsport and have gradually made their way onto Porsche’s road-going models. Some of the limited-production models still feature these design traits. A perfect example of that is the Porsche 911 Sport Classic models which feature classic graphics and the iconic ducktail rear spoiler, to name a few. Many owners opt to carry out these modifications, which are most commonly seen on the 911 Carrera models. These aesthetic upgrades that evoke classic Porsches can include anything from liveries, classic stripes or signs, ducktail spoilers, or Fuchs-style wheels.

GT3 homages based on the 911 Carrera are also a semi-frequent occurrence on Porsche forums, with the appropriate tall rear wing, front splitter, wheels, and suspension mods. You can get some of the classic graphics for as little as $50. More mainstream models like the Porsche Cayenne and Panamera can also be seen with Martini or Gulf liveries, evoking classic Porsche race cars like the Porsche 917 or the 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR. Simple vinyl wraps or decals can be relatively inexpensive, while more complex bodywork and custom paint jobs can be quite expensive. The Gulf livery or either of its colors can be specially ordered through Porsche’s Sonderwunsch program for upwards of $10,000.

Headlight/taillight mods: $149 - $5,000

This one is more specific to the Porsche 911, particularly the 996. When the first water-cooled 911 came out it was too modern for the purists. The completely redesigned interior was deemed too plastic and the classic, round headlights were replaced with the divisive "fried-egg" design. It was this particular design decision that many fans attempted to fix by installing “eyelids” that covered part of the headlights with a body-colored trim, leaving a round opening for the low and high beams. Costs can vary widely depending on the extent of the modifications.

Another popular trend concerns the 996.2 taillights, where a body-colored tint masks the clear turn signals, leaving just the bottom red part clearly defined. If you have a Carrera S/ 4S with a red strip that connects the taillights, doing so will give you a 993-esque rear-end look. A more complex operation is to remove the 996 front wings and hood and replace them with 997 pieces. Interestingly enough, 997 body parts are cheaper. Here is a comprehensive discussion on how you can make your Porsche 996 look like a 997. Coming to the costs, simple mods like tinting or adding eyelids can be relatively inexpensive, while more complex modifications like replacing headlights or taillights will cost you between $1,000 to $2,000.

Exhaust upgrades: $250 - $5,000+

Porsche’s iconic boxer engines have a signature soundtrack that is hard to mistake. This is especially true for the iconic Mezger engines and the naturally aspirated mills we see on the 911 GT3 and 718 GT4 models. That said, modern regulations about noise and emissions have forced Porsche to make some unwelcome, but necessary changes. An increasing number of new cars, Porsche included, feature an OPF – Otto Particulate Filter – which restricts exhaust gas flow and muffles the sound of the engine as a "bonus”.

The Porsche community would unanimously agree that the 991 and 992 Turbo models would greatly benefit from an exhaust upgrade as they are, often, mocked for sounding like a vacuum cleaner. Luckily, companies like Akrapovič, ES Motor and others have specially designed exhaust setups that are readily available. Costs can vary depending on the exhaust system’s brand, material, and complexity. Higher-end brands like Akrapovič and Eisenmann tend to be more expensive.

E.C.U. Tune: $500 - $2,000

What does an aftermarket exhaust go hand in hand with? An E.C.U. tune, of course. Any benefits from modifying a car’s hardware would be maximized with the appropriate software, and there are plenty of specialists offering different stages of remaps, a custom tune, or even aftermarket E.C.Us that give you more flexibility.

This is especially true for the more recent generations of Porsche’s 911 and 718, which widely feature turbocharged engines. Each engine has a bit more to give due to being conservatively tuned from the factory, to cover the latest emissions regulations, but an E.C.U. tune would unlock that hidden horsepower and torque of the already-potent boxer engine. These software upgrades work best with exhaust and intake upgrades. Costs can vary depending on the tuner and the complexity. More advanced tunes, such as custom tunes, can be more expensive.

Forced induction: $11,000

This is the most expensive modification on the list, as it involves adding a supercharger or turbocharger to the engine. The cost will vary depending on the specific kit and the labor involved in the installation. Porsche’s obsession with turbocharging is so legendary that it is easy to forget most of the company’s iconic performance models are normally aspirated. Owners of 996, 997, and 991.1 generations of the Porsche 911 Carrera got normally aspirated engines from the factory. Eventually, some owners manage to outgrow the car’s power but are not willing to spend money on the more powerful Turbo variants.

After joining a wide variety of 911 forums and Facebook groups, I was astounded by how common forced induction modifications are on normally aspirated Porsches. A few owners out there have supercharged or turbocharged a variety of Boxsters and Caymans, but it is mostly the 911 Carrera that gets these upgrades. Renowned tuners have developed full superchargers or turbo kits for the earlier Carrera models, like RUF’s R Kompressor conversion for the 997 Carrera and Carrera S models.

Aftermarket Modifications Price Breakdown

Disclaimer: Pricing is approximate and can vary based on specific modifications, location, and labor costs.