Nick
The other day we were asked about modding a 2006 Porsche Cayman S – what are some of the options? We thought long and hard, and this is what we came up with. Given that Porsche’s true Mid-Engine sportscar, which never carried the pricetags of the 911’s to begin with, are now becoming surprisingly affordable for enthusiasts getting their first taste of Porsche magic.
However, given that the Cayman and Boxster can’t be too close in performance to their larger sibling, their performance is dialed down – but with a few clever mods for 987 Cayman S, you can give your Cayman a significant boost in power and sharpen its handling from a knife edge to a scalpel for incredible handling performance.
#1 – WHEELS
To start, tires are a great way to get things going- were you thinking of a set of wheels?
We’ve got a ton of options for Porsche Cayman Wheel fitments – Forgestar CF10 Wheels for Cayman are a great choice, but if you prefer something more iconic “Porsche” in its design, Ruger Classic wheels for Porsche Cayman (shown here on a 911 – sorry) really deliver on that brand-defining look, or Ruger Mesh Wheels for something more modern.
Ruger Mesh Wheels 19×8.5 ET45 /19×11 ET40 / Hankook Ventus 235/35-19 / 285/30-19 / H&R Sport Springs
HRE Flow Form wheels are a great choice – like the HRE FF01 Wheels for Porsche seen on this Targa Trophy Mega-Run liveried 987 Cayman.
They stand up to track duty, as well, check out this set of FF01 Tarmac wheels on this 987.2 Cayman S at the California Festival of Speed.
Whatever wheel is your style, with a mid engine car like a Porsche and with the unique 5×130 bolt pattern, don’t trust the local tire store, cos they’ll botch the fitment and your wheels – talk to our Mod Experts, give us a call at 714-582-3330 and get expert advice on the best fitment for your style, taste and budget.
#2 Get More Power Than You’d Think from a Performance Exhaust.
As for performance, let’s talk about POWER first. Believe it or not, you can get a significant amount of power out of the of the 987 Cayman Exhaust System.
Fabspeed offers some excellent products for the Cayman S, aFe Power and Remus Exhaust have some great options as well, to name a few. Sound is very subjective, so consider: what are you looking for out of an exhaust?
An exhaust is definitely worth doing on your Cayman, for instance, in the case of the AWE Tuning Cat-Back exhaust with tips for 987 Porsche Cayman S, you get +10-11hp at the wheels and a +9ft/lb of torque as well.
That’s not bad at all for extremely conservative horsepower estimates and a great sound.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
If you prefer a different sound, consider instead Remus Cat-Back Exhaust for 987 Porsche Cayman S, which also offers a nice power gain in the same ballpark as other catback systems, though Remus tends to err on the conservative side – but if you want a sound you will love living with, this is probably the one for you. Offering OEM quality fitment and a great tone, Remus Catback Exhaust for Cayman is another way to give your Porsche a unique sound as well as enhanced power.
Then you have the FabSpeed Maxflo Cat-Back Exhaust system. Fabspeed is well known for their extremely high-end exhaust systems for exotic high performance vehicles from Ferraris to your Cayman S. The FabSpeed Maxflo Cat-Back Exhaust for 987 Cayman S alone yields a small gain in horsepower, but if you really want to dial it up, Fabspeed also offers Headers for Cayman and tune packaged together with the catback for maximum power gains.
 |
For an even more aggressive sound and maximum power, check out Fabspeed Catless Headers for Porsche 987. These things are beautiful and sound as good as they look. The F1 and NASCAR-style High Velocity Merge Collectors create more power and torque across the RPM band and dramatically better sound.
#3 Let Your Boxer Breathe Easy With INTAKE Upgrades
 |  |  |
As far as intakes for 987 Porsche Cayman go, there are a couple of tricks to it – and these tricks are no small thing. A High Flow Air Filter for Cayman S is a great start, but pair that with a IPD Plenum Intake and you’ve got yourself a real winner! This intake upgrade installs just ahead of the throttle body, and it’s a bottleneck point in your air intake system. Installing an IPD Plenum Intake for 987 Porsche Cayman S will unlock an additional 10-14whp and 8-12wtq.
After the plenum, let’s think about induction itself. One of the intakes available is the Fabspeed Comp Intake for 987.2 Porsche Cayman models.
While on its own, that tube doesn’t look very exciting, consider it’s replacing the restrictive and quiet OEM airbox with a high performance, high flow intake, and the tubing’s shape and integrated heat shield means you’ll get increased flow, a more engaging engine note behind your head when you hit the throttle, and thanks to that heat shield, lower intake temperatures, meaning more horsepower and torque – and maybe even better fuel economy too.
#4 – SHARPEN THE SUSPENSION
With a bit more oomph behind the driver, now we can focus on sharpening your handling even further. You can upgrade your 987 Porsche Cayman Suspension in one of two ways – Sport Springs and Coilovers.
If you want to keep things on the closer-to-stock side, Sport Springs or Lowering Springs are a great way to do that. Eibach Pro-Kit Springs will lower your Cayman 1.2 inches both front and rear and lowers the center of gravity. Eibach is a middle of the road compromise as sport springs go, balanced for comfort and handling.
H&R Sport Springs are the sportier option for Sport Springs, typically riding slightly stiffer than Eibachs and offer a 1.4in front and 1.2in rear drop. Then on the other hand, you have Vogtland Sport Springs for 987 Porsche Cayman. Vogtland is well-established in Austria and their spring rates are chosen with preserving comfort in mind while also improving handling, and like the Eibachs, the Vogtland Sport Springs offer a 1.2 inch front and rear drop.
Of course, sport springs don’t handle or ride quite as well as a proper coilover. We offer KW Coilovers for 987 Porsche Cayman in everything from Fixed Damping V1s to fully adjustable V3s and also offer KW Clubsport Coilovers – the Clubsports are an especially great idea if you daily drive your Cayman but still want to be ready for track day weekends.
KW Clubsport suspension kits are independently adjustable in compression and rebound forces and include high
performance racing springs. Racing top mounts are optionally available for further performance. KW Clubsport
guarantees excellent handling, best performance, highest agility and fantastic lap times.
With just a few simple bolt on Mods for Porsche Cayman S, you can turn it from a blunt tool into a precision driving instrument – a cat-back exhaust and an IPD Plenum Intake upgrade will dramatically sharpen your throttle response, and a set of coilovers will give your Cayman the handling to go chasing down the 911 guys at your next PCA track day, allowing you to enjoy your Porsche to its full potential.
If you have questions about modifying your Cayman or Boxster, or aren’t sure how to best upgrade, we invite you to call our friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic Modification Experts at 714-582-3330 or chat live at www.modbargains.com
Story by Nicholas Gregson