2007 Cayman Inspired by Super GT Race Cars
A show car built more like a race car, this wild Porsche Cayman was a real standout at Las Vegas' SEMA show.
Showstopper
As you already know, SEMA is a massive showcase filled with not just vendors and parts but builds designed to command as much attention as possible. The results are typically a mixed bag, but this amazing 2007 Porsche Cayman profiled over at PasMag is nothing short of a standout.
Photos: Mike Kuhn for PasMag
Like, Not Love
Interestingly enough, Dionne Mascunana's Cayman S has been to SEMA not once, but multiple times. But its latest iteration is arguably its finest. Back in 2016, the car sported Kei Miura's first iteration of the Pandem body kit, a version the creator didn't exactly love.
Photos: Mike Kuhn for PasMag
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Dare to be Different
So as soon as the car returned home from Vegas, the duo got to work refining its look. "Every show, Caymans started to have the Pandem kit, and they all looked the same to me. I really wanted mine to be different when it was all said and done. I’ve always tinkered with things I've owned since I was a kid. I actually broke a ton of my old RC cars just to mod them," Mascunana explained to PasMag.
Photos: Mike Kuhn for PasMag
>>Join the conversation about this DTM/ Super GT Inspired Cayman right here in the Rennlist Forum!
Odd Inspiration
This time around, Mascunana found inspiration from the world of motorsport. But not in the way you might imagine. He noticed that the Mazdaspeed RX8 front bumper looked a lot like the ones on old Porsche racers, so he worked on combining the Mazda bumper with the existing Pandem piece.
Photos: Mike Kuhn for PasMag
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Chop Away
Despite this seemingly strange combination, the result looks pretty awesome. Mascunana then moved to the back and chopped away at the rear bumper until he was happy with it. Finally, he molded in a set of Spyder headlights and taillights to modernize his ride in a big way.
Photos: Mike Kuhn for PasMag
>>Join the conversation about this DTM/ Super GT Inspired Cayman right here in the Rennlist Forum!
Going Big
Now, it was time to work on the aero. Mascunana knew he wanted to be extremely aggressive in this department, so what better place to draw inspiration from than Super GT and DTM racecars? Which, of course, feature massive wings mounted out back.
Photos: Mike Kuhn for PasMag
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Swan's Neck
"I love what we’ve done to the kit itself, but my favorite part of the build has to be the swan neck wing," Mascunana said. "The wing took seven months to build, from cardboard prototypes in my garage to fitting the CNC-made uprights to the bridge made by my buddy Steve Van Der Vorst at D-lng Designs."
Photos: Mike Kuhn for PasMag
>>Join the conversation about this DTM/ Super GT Inspired Cayman right here in the Rennlist Forum!
Cardboard to Reality
Mascunana then followed up that monumental effort by custom designing his own front splitter, rear diffuser, and canards using the same exact process. A set of massively wide 19-inch Work Meister M1 wheels complete the look and fill up those widened fenders quite nicely.
Photos: Mike Kuhn for PasMag
>>Join the conversation about this DTM/ Super GT Inspired Cayman right here in the Rennlist Forum!
Straight Up Race Car
The interior of this Cayman is straight-up race car as well, featuring Recaro P 1300 GT seats and Schroth Profi III 6-point harnesses. Other race-inspired goodies include Rennline aluminum floor panels, a Momo 300-mm steering wheel, a roll cage, and even a Zoom carbon fiber rearview mirror.
Photos: Mike Kuhn for PasMag
>>Join the conversation about this DTM/ Super GT Inspired Cayman right here in the Rennlist Forum!
Look Good, Go Fast
With a fortified suspension in place, really the only thing left to do is build up the stock engine. Mascunana has added headers and an exhaust, along with a GT3 throttle body. But he's got big plans for the future - a twin-turbo setup. Once that's done, we can safely say his wicked Cayman will run every bit as good as it looks!
Photos: Mike Kuhn for PasMag
>>Join the conversation about this DTM/ Super GT Inspired Cayman right here in the Rennlist Forum!
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