This beautiful 2011 Cayman R was transported to us shortly after the owner took delivery of the vehicle. He knew the R was a great base to start with and after driving it about 3000 miles, he had a few ideas on how he could improve upon what he liked about it.



It was refreshing to see a 6-speed after so many recent PDK cars.



The owner also requested that we test drive the car in stock form and determine what we would want to change if it was our own car.

It's unnecessary to change the appearance of anything here: the bright 19-inch OEM wheels look great and the factory Cayman R wing and front look just about perfect in silver with the yellow PCCB calipers.

The owner plans to track the car occasionally so he was most interested in mechanical upgrades: more power, suspension improvements and the brakes and cooling. So on the lift she goes...



We first tuned the ECU with EVOMSit software for another 16 horsepower and sharper throttle response by remapping the e-gas pedal. We also enabled left-foot braking for track use.

Here's a video showing EVOMSit tuning on the Cayman R:
Todd Zuccone and Evolution MotorSports Push the 2012 Porsche Cayman R to 346 HP - YouTube

Off comes the front bumper cover, and lights:


Next we took the Porsche factory center 997 radiator and related shroudings:


Installed:




One complaint we have been hearing about the DFI Cayman and Boxster models is that the brake pedal feel isn't quite what you'd expect, even with PCCB ceramic rotors. Luckily Porsche's 997.2 GT3 brake master cylinder fits, so with a little work the brake feel is transformed and the pedal can gain some of that instant feedback found on the GT3 models:




Stock suspension bits:


To stiffen up the rear suspension and give more adjustment, RSS's adjustable toe-steer kit and locking plates were installed:


An ugly and quiet stock exhaust:


With the DFI generation of Porsches upon us, the common complaint is that the car just doesn't sound special. It doesn't suit the car: in fact it barely suits a sewing machine. So on the floor it goes...


We'll deal with the exhaust a bit later.



Since this car features an old fashioned manual transmission, this means Porsche has put in the heavy dual-mass flywheel. While it's great for keeping the noise down (and this unit is a little lighter than previous generations) it's not nearly as rev-happy and fun as the 14-pound lightweight unit, which significantly helps acceleration on the 3.4L engine.

The transmission is removed.


The stock flywheel bolted to the engine:


The new flywheel:



A Tubi exhaust was installed after ceramic hot-coating in black.



Here's a short video showing the Tubi on a DFI 987.2:
2010 Porsche Boxster S DFI with Tubi Style Exhaust at Shark Werks - YouTube

Before the car was complete, the tires were also switched. Porsche supplied Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires, but the owner preferred the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, commonly found on the 997 GT3RS.

And here she is, all ready for the road or track:




I drove the car before and after all of these upgrades. The most obvious difference was in the acceleration. Sure the car sounds a bit raspier and the brake feel is nicer, but the combination of the lightweight flywheel, software and exhaust really helped to bring the car alive. With TCS disabled the tires spin freely in 1st gear and the engine is much peppier as the revs climb. The sound is nice, deep and exotic but not too loud (it helps with a 6-speed and hardtop). The suspension feels tighter in the rear and these Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, once the release agents are scrubbed off, should provide a huge traction boost over the OEM rubber. I was really happy with how the car turned out, and I can't wait to hear what the owner thinks once she's home again safe and sound!

 

That's amazing. I bet it sounds and drives great.





I wouldn't want the invoice though!

 

Can't believe how massive those PCCB calipers are...

Great work, must be nice to work on a new car where everything is still factory clean w/o rust and road grime all over the suspension components.

 

Hi Chris, cheers and thanks - it is a great car to drive! Definitely one of the best Caymans we've done, just because it started out so well.

Thanks Golfguy - yes it's very nice to work on fresh cars!