Daily Slideshow: SharkWerks Cayman GT4 Fixes What the Factory Missed

Room For Improvement

By all accounts, the Cayman GT4 is arguably the best driver's car to come out of the Stuttgart factory in recent years. It was a car that many believed would never be built as it used a 385 horsepower 3.8L flat-six out of the 991 Carrera S coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission that would outperform various 911 models. Add in the entire front steering and suspension system of the GT3, a number of tasteful aero bits, and some meaty rubber tucked into the fender wells, and you have a car that looks and often performs better than cars costing three times its price. However, as good as the GT4 is, it does have its shortcomings. Fortunately, the Porsche performance experts at Sharkwerks have been able to rid the GT4 of its deficiencies to create the ultimate Cayman. 

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Common Complaints

Perhaps the two complaints you will most likely hear about a stock GT4 is that the gearing is still way too tall and the 385 horsepower six could use a bit more gusto. With the stock GT4 first gear propelling the car to 47 mph and second gear able to achieve 81 mph at redline, one has to wonder where a 6th gear good for 194 mph will ever be used? Similarly, if a car can nearly break the 200 mph barrier, is more horsepower really necessary? While these sorts of numbers may look good on paper, Alex Ross and his crew at Sharkwerks are concerned with improving the usability of the car whether it be on the backroad twisties or at the racetrack.  

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A Transmission Transformation

With possibly the best manual transmission in the industry, owners want to be able to row gears more often instead of simply leaving it in third gear as they make their way through winding roads. With much development and testing, Sharkwers swapped new cogs into the Cayman's transmission. The original first and second gears have been left untouched, but third, fourth, and fifth now sport reduced ratios which really liven up the car. Ross explains that retaining the longer first and second gears continues to allow the car to work well in tight corners, but the significantly shortened third gear (that is just a smidge taller than second) functions better to keep the engine in the meat of its powerband. Additionally, the shortened gearing allows for the driver to work the third-fourth shift in the same plane instead of having to drop back into shorter second gear if the original taller ratios were left intact. In short, the reduced gear ratios improve acceleration and help keep the engine in its peppy 4,500-6,200 rpm range to punch out of the corners. 

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Pump Up The Power

The gearing changes really bring the GT4 to life, but why stop there? Sharkwerks has long been known for turning out some powerful GT3s and Turbos, so it is no surprise that they would give the little Cayman the same treatment. Ross wanted their GT4 to be a sort of "RS" version of the Cayman so they installed a lightened flywheel and sport clutch setup that weighs 15 pounds lighter than the OE setup. It makes the car more rev happy as well as provides that motorsport-style clutch rattle. They also opted for a more aggressive limited-slip differential from Guard to help with traction out of corners. The engine received various bolt-ons including a high-flow BMC air filter, IPD Plenum & 82mm Porsche throttle body, Cargraphic exhaust manifolds, a new x-pipe, and EVOMSit ECU software to extract an additional 45 horsepower out of the 3.8L. 

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Altering Airflow

In typical RS fashion, Sharkwerks added a few aerodynamic modifications to improve downforce. The rear wing sits noticeably taller with extended uprights that not only put it up into cleaner air, but also allow for the driver to now have a clear line of sight out the rear window. A small "Gurney Flap" has also been attached to the stock ducktail that sits just below the wing to increase downforce by altering airflow on both the pressure and suction sides. A set of dive planes have been placed on the front bumper to give the front-end a bit more bite as well as a stylish flair. Other than that, Ross explains that they did not touch the suspension besides performing an alignment probably because the handling characteristics of the GT4 are already the best in the world. If you are fortunate enough to own a GT4 and are looking to put a little more pep in its step, give the experts at Sharkwerks a call. Customers beware; the Sharkwerks team is reportedly working on a potent 4.3L engine upgrade for the GT4, so proceed with caution! 

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