RAS1962

Trying to decide on a Cayman R. How much power can you get from basic mods. like exhaust, intake,and tune. Looked at Tpc turbo kit and that is very impresive, but I was wondering about other options. Thanks for any help.

orthojoe

Not much. On normally aspirated cars it is very difficult to squeeze out extra HP that is meaningful, especially if the car is already well tuned from the factory like the cayman R. The only way to make real power is forced induction, but that opens up potential can of worms. Enjoy the car 'as is'. Get an exhaust if you just want a louder sound. The power gains won't be anything big, and any butt dyno feel is likely placebo. This is coming from a guy with a lot of experience modifying cars. It usually takes about a 20hp increase to feel 'any' difference at all.

khooni

I gnash my teeth when I hear guys (who may/ may not have been lurking in forums) with 2 posts ask about modifying a focused porsche with silly mods. Why even bother? Get a 997 turbo if you can afford it.....

why ruin something that is regarded as the best in the industry with thousands of engineers working on the development. Compromised? A CR is hardly a family sedan......... I too have a history of modifying cars and it stems from pure ignorance and stupidity ( thankfully on more mundane cars) but this kind of talk just winds me up.

I applaud individuality but this is akin to one deciding that Leonardo made a mistake on the Mona Lisa and making a correction. Tragic.

mooty

^ right on, bro.

Jamesr6967

I applaud individuality but this is akin to one deciding that Leonardo made a mistake on the Mona Lisa and making a correction. Tragic.[/QUOTE]

+1

Have to agree, if it was an older car with old technology, then improvements could be made with newer technology. Better to buy a slightly older factory turbo car and modify it for your needs, if you feel it is necessary. (A good example is what Ruf did to the 930 turbo).

ClintonM3

My motto now: drive stock, drive faster. It used to be fast and furious, in my twenties. Aside from not gaining huge differences, with modern automobiles, mods can often lead to error lights, waring lights, check engine lights, etc. Sometimes is just more headaches. Mods are not exactly cheap with Porsche. And like everyone said, the cars are pretty much "maxed out." Any more gains, it has gotta have compromises. Most poeple will spend money if it enhances "control"of the car. Speed enhanments, not so much. Have you driven the Cayman R? The car doesn't need enhancements in terms of control. Speed enhancements? Maybe to some, but not to me, not worth the money.

I find that on RL, all you'll see is mostly just aesthetic modifications. Even so, you hardly see any boy racer type of stuff, like bodykits, body colored boutique alloy wheels, etc. For me, I would use the money and buy other toys.

mrd_spy

I disagree, car manufactures have tight rules on co2, noise and mpg these days.

For one a modern Porsche has 4 cats which just sap power.

I modded my 1st cayman to 342bhp from 295 and that felt a big change.

I plan to do the same with my Spyder and results should be a better torque curve and about 345bhp.

medtech

I would humbly suggest you do some research on turbulence and air flow through a modern Porsche engine, before you harm that poor Spyder.

The main point to this is that people much smarter than you or I, spend years trying to find the right "balance" from the intake all the way to exhaust. Upset that balance and you get something "different" but not necessarily "better".

khooni

really? If you have ever driven a DFI porsche you will know that it is much more free reving than earlier non DFI porsches so while it has lots of cats, it doesn't mean it can't be optimised from the factory. While it is possible to raise the redline and have higher peak HP, it is immensely difficult to have a better torque curve. Also, when you increase HP, you must realise that the rest of the car is designed around a certain power output, mis-matches generally shorten the life span of either the engine or the car.

As said, it is better to raise your driving ability than to mod the car. Modding stays with the car if you are better than the porsche engineers but driving ability stays with you. I know which one I rather have. Don't rice porsches, it's just wrong.

Bob Rouleau

Acceptable mods - GT3 control arms so you can adjust camber for race tires. Pagid or equivalent brake pads. Roll bar and 6 point harnesses. Track wheels and tires. I leave the engine alone except for more frequent fluid changes.

ClintonM3

Well... I find that with enough modifications, there is usually a down side. Has your mpg dropped? Not that mpg matters, as I am only getting 13mpg with stock, but never the less, the engineer's job is to find the perfect balance within all the parameters. And I think nobody strikes that balance better than Porsche, that their setup should satisfy a vast majority of enthusiasts.

And personally, I think a lot of people who mod, are doing it for mental reasons. More stuff, more more more must be better. I know, because they are never satisfied, heck I did it myself. Get stuff if you need it, get stuff if you appreciate it. Never get stuff just so you can say you have it. Few are doing it that they truly enjoy it.

I don't cherish the stuff that I bolt on to my car. I now cherish the days I am out with my car. "Stuff" come and go, and is the experience that counts the most.

orthojoe

Before/after dyno proven HP increase? 47hp increase with exhaust modifications is not realistic. At all. Even with a ECU 'tune'. Why only 3hp more than the gen 1 cayman?

mrd_spy

Yes full dyno results of my last Porsche from a outfit who did not know what I was up to, just a before and after graph.
Was not just exhaust , also had 996gt3 throttle body.

Deleting the 2 rear cats alone can net you 10+ hp and makes the car feel smoother, the secondary cats are pure co2 reducing units.

Check out backdrafts spyder before they sold it.
They quoted 350bhp.

I was going for the ti exhaust to save weight as my spyder is total light weight spec with no add ons, so already a rare light car.

Get the weight to 1200kg and 350bhp will make it quite entertaining and cost less than shiny red bits ;-) although I do like the GT3 RS4 steering wheel, but will not be buying one lol.

RAS1962

Well I closed the deal on the cayman R today. Hopefully picking it up on sat. Thanks for all the comments. Everybody is entiteled to their opinion. I will drive the car for a while before I make my mind up on mods. I did consider a clean used 997 turbo almost the same money. In the end I chose the cayman. I'm glad there is a forum with so much information.

the_vetman

Very good suggestions.

However, getting an AM exhaust does 2 things: some power, and immense driving enjoyment (if you want it louder). Also, you eliminate 2 cats and shed weight.

If one's after more power without going turbo, you can certainly do GT3 TB + race/competition plenum, better air intake (e.g. BMC air filter, Evo V-flow), ECU flash, etc. AM air filters are relatively cheap, but I'm not quite sure that GT3 TB + plenum + flash are worth the cost ($$$). Each person needs to decide whether the value exceeds the cost. Look to spend approx. $3,000 for those.