Porsche 996 Carrera IPD Intake Plenum (1999-2004)

The 996 did not mark the beginning of a new Porsche chapter, it marked the beginning of a new Porsche book. The prolific 911 was baptized and emerged water cooled, leaving the legendary air cooled engine to live in Porsche history.

IPD Competition Plenum:

Porsche has been controlling engine output by restricting the inlet track for decades. This has been successfully accomplished by utilizing smaller throttle bodies. This simple power control solution has been a very effective way of preventing lower level models from out performing certain flagship models, especially models with prolific racing pedigree. Although the factory engine packages are fantastic performance machines, they are engineered and developed to achieve specific performance numbers that satisfy a target demographic and compete with rival brands. Unfortunately driving enthusiasts who seek an elevated Porsche driving experience require performance levels well outside the target market.

All of the IPD Plenums deliver substantial power and torque gains, but when combined with larger throttle bodies they perform even better. All of the IPD "Competition" Plenums utilize the next largest size throttle body offered by Porsche. In this case, the Competition Carrera upgrades the factory OE 74mm throttle body with Porsche's 82mm 997 GT3 throttle body. All of our Competition Plenums are designed to perform with cars equipped with high performance exhaust systems. The more extensive the exhaust system (headers, kats and mufflers) the better. Optimizing air intake and exhaust together creates a balanced performance package that allows the engine to inhale and exhale more air thus creating more power and torque.

IPD has pioneered another new Plenum design with the Competition Carrera Plenum. Laminar flows and volumetric efficiencies have been further enhanced with our unique and innovative internal merge collector area. This completely new approach has yielded not only great performance gains but more linear power delivery and improved throttle response as well. Gains vary depending on pre-existing mods and quality of after-market exhaust installed. As we all "should" know, horsepower and torque become harder to find and typically more expensive as we climb the proverbial performance ladder. That being said, performance components yield different power gains depending on the order they were installed. IPD tests and evaluates all products on bone stock cars, this establishes a level playing field and a better "apples to apples" comparison. The Competition Carrera Plenum however is designed to work with applications that are already moderately to heavily modified. Power gains will vary with each Carrera, but the bottom line is, there will be noticeable and impressive gains that are sure to make any Porsche Carrera driving enthusiast smile.

Power improvements will be fully realized once the factory ECU/DME makes all the necessary "adaptation" requirements. This process can be expedited with a series of "hard pulls" or spirited full throttle acceleration runs through the gears. Of course this should only be performed on a closed course circuit.

IPD X51:

• The 996 3.6L X51 package was typically found on the "40th Anniversary" limited edition cars (MY 2004) but could also be special ordered by performance minded customers. The X51 engine package increased horsepower from the standard 316 up to 345.
• The X51 Carrera's came equipped with a variety performance upgrades, both internally and externally, that made the cars very desirable for Porsche drivers looking for something closer to the GT3 experience.
• The X51 engine package was blessed with many wonderful internal performance upgrades but Porsche still utilized the factory air distributor opening the door for the IPD Plenum to provide even more additional power.
• The 996 X51 IPD Plenum is designed to use all the pre-existing factory hardware and OE 74mm throttle body. The revolutionary design of the IPD "Y" style Intake Plenum increase horsepower by 24 and torque by 22 (at the wheels).
• The X51 Plenum is a direct bolt on replacement and installation is relatively straight forward for mechanically inclined DIY customers although IPD strongly recommends all Plenum installations be performed by a trained and qualified Porsche technician.

IPD 3.6:

• It's difficult to find power for the naturally aspirated 3.6L Carrera S, but the IPD Plenum does it better than any other after market mod available. This simple bolt on performance upgrade replaces the factory plastic air distributor with the IPD patented aluminum "Y" style Plenum.
• The IPD Plenum delivers impressive horsepower gains of 24 and torque gains of 22 by means of a superior and more efficient design. These gains are mainly felt in the mid range where it is most needed and most enjoyed but performance improvements are realized throughout the entire rev range. Performance improvements like this can be felt in the "seat of your pants" and will truly transform your Porsche driving experience.
• These added power gains create a more liner power curve helping to minimizing the dip in power typically experienced in the factory curve resulting in considerable performance improvements.
• The 996 Plenum installation is a direct bolt on R & R (remove and reinstall) procedure. Installation is relatively straight forward for mechanically inclined DIY customers although IPD strongly recommends all Plenum installations be performed by a trained and qualified Porsche technician.

Carrera S IPD 3.4:

Just like the Carrera S, it's difficult to find power for the naturally aspirated 3.4L Carrera, but the IPD Plenum does it better than any other after market mod available. This simple bolt on performance upgrade replaces the factory plastic air distributor with the IPD patented aluminum "Y" style Plenum.

The IPD Plenum delivers impressive horsepower gains of 25 and torque gains of 22 by means of a superior and more efficient design. These gains are mainly felt in the mid range where it is most needed and most enjoyed but performance improvements are realized throughout the entire rev range. Impressive Performance improvements like this will truly transform your Porsche driving experience.

These added power gains in the mid range create a more liner power curve helping to minimizing the dip in power typically experienced in the factory curve resulting in considerable performance improvements.

The 996 Plenum installation is a direct bolt on R & R (remove and reinstall) procedure. Installation is relatively straight forward for mechanically inclined DIY customers although IPD strongly recommends all Plenum installations be performed by a trained and qualified Porsche technician.

Carrera 2 IPD 3.4:
Porsche introduced all 996 C2's with conventional cable throttles while all C4's were equipped with E-gas throttles. This was for the model year 98 in Europe and 99 in the US.

The IPD "Y" designed Cable plenum is a direct factory replacement of the OE "T" style air distributor. The IPD Plenum provides impressive max horsepower gains of 28 in the mid range and an additional 12 horsepower on top.

The IPD Plenum is the absolute single best modification that can be installed on these early under powered 996 Carreras and will transform your Porsche driving experience.

Installation is relatively easy and straight forward for mechanically inclined DIY customers although IPD strongly recommends having a qualified Porsche technician perform any IPD Plenum installation.

To confirm whether your Porsche is a Cable or E-gas throttle simply look at your throttle body for either a black electronic module (E-Gas) or a conventional spring / cable throttle control.

1. Superior and more efficient design over the factory intake.
   The IPD Plenums are products of efficiency that simply improve intake air flow and increase air velocity. The “Y” shape design and dimpled interior surface make air flow more laminar (less turbulent) dramatically improving power and torque across the entire RPM band. Smoother more optimized intake air flow will improve the performance of any engines. The more efficiently an engine breaths, the more efficiently it produces power. 

2. Deliver impressive power gains regardless of modifications.
   The superior design of the IPD Plenums optimize flow while increasing air velocity. Period! This applies to any Porsche engine, producing any level of power. The patented “Y” design delivers impressive performance gains for both bone-stock and highly modified Porsches. The more efficient design of the IPD Plenum will always outperform the factory air distributor. The factory intake will become even more detrimental to performance as your increase the power and torque outputs. The bigger the power, the better the IPD Plenum performs.
   
   
3. Produce substantial gains for both turbo and NA applications.
   The Plenums always deliver considerable gains on both turbo AND naturally aspirated engines. It’s a fact that the Turbo Plenums do produce more power than the NA Plenums. But the Turbo engines also produce more power. The fact is that the percentage gains of the different Plenum applications are actually almost identical, around 8-10% depending on the specific model. 
   
   
4. Do not require an ECU flash and will not cause a CEL.
   IPD Plenums should never cause a CEL or require an ECU Flash. If a Plenum is installed correctly there should be no fault codes or running issues, only solid performance gains across the entire RPM band. The only issue that could possibly arise is the need for a new MAF sensor if you already have a degraded sensor or perform a TB adaptation. There is absolutely no need to re-flash your ECU after installing an IPD Plenum, Period! Although any reputable Porsche tuner could further optimize an ECU program to achieve even greater performance gains with the Plenum installed.
   
   
5. Aluminum Plenums run cooler and don’t suffer from heat soak.
   The Aluminum Plenums do NOT experience heat soak under driving or racing conditions. It is true that aluminum has a higher thermal conductivity than plastic. In fact, aluminum is 650 times more thermally conductive than plastic and has a specific heat capacity that is 550 times higher than plastic. This means the aluminum Plenum actually spreads the energy it’s exposed to 656 times faster than the plastic and can store more than 550 times the amount of energy per unit mass. Bottom line, aluminum can absorb more heat than plastic, but it also takes considerably more energy to heat up and it's losing that energy way faster than the aluminum allowing the IPD Plenum to remain cooler from outside ambient air under driving conditions, ultimately improving engine performance over plastic. Plus, why would Porsche utilize aluminum intakes on GT3’s, GT2’s, Cup Cars and Cup R’s?
   

NOTE: If you are upgrading your throttle body along with the IPD Plenum, you may need to visit a dealership to have them perform a manual throttle body adaptation process. Some customers have reported that installing the throttle body and plenum while the battery is disconnected results in the car performing an adaptation check once the battery is reconnected, alleviating the need to visit a dealership. However, Fabspeed recommends having the adaptation performed at a certified dealership for optimal results. If you need a recommendation for a dealership in your area, please contact us.