Daily Slideshow: Proven Performance: Ryan Stewart's Cayman
Ryan Stewart added some 997 to his ever-evolving 987 to build a budget GT4
Old habits never die, nor do 987s
It is inevitable that when creating one’s “dream car” that, by the time it’s completed, it falls short of perfection. To remedy that you can start from scratch, throw parts at it, or plan a complete redo. Ryan chose redo. “I found myself looking for a gentlemanly occasional track day toy so I could take a break from the intensity of building a full-on race car,” he says. “But try as I might, I couldn’t shake the idea of turning a Cayman 987 into my own interpretation of a GT4. There’s something about being the underdog that appeals to me, and Porsche models don’t get more sniffed at than the Cayman. It’s been totally worth it, however, as I’ve now got a fully-fledged track Porsche that can take on a European road trip and the most arduous race circuits along the way, plus harass the odd GT3 every now and then.”
Photo by Mark Riccione via SpeedHunters.com
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Evolution and creationism coexist in this Cayman
The easiest change to see is—naturally—its complete cosmetic makeover. He did a complete color-change from silver to Maritime Blue and revamped the body with a cross-section of Carrera Cup, GT3, and GT3 RS parts, including an extended front lip, carbon arch canards and Gurney extensions, a carbon blade wing on Getty Design uprights, and used the front arch extensions and turn indicators from a GT3 RS 4.0. The Bilstein stripe scheme came with the suspension change you’ll read about in a minute.
Photo by Mark Riccione via SpeedHunters.com
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Don’t mess (too much) with what works
When building a Track Day-capable street car—especially a Porsche—it’s often best to leave the engine itself alone and rely on intake and exhaust upgrades to extract the maximum go-fast. Ryan did that formula one better by adding Evolution MotorSports’ Intelligent Tuning software to the mix, paired to that firm’s V-Flow intake, with a set of Supersprint cat-less headers and a lightweight race exhaust downstream. To keep his 987’s flat-six lubed on-track is the duty of a Porsche X99 pack baffled sump and Porsche Motorsport Carrera Cup air/oil separator and breather system. “For track use,” he says, “considerable modification to oil control and cooling is required to keep the engine safe.” Speaking of…
Photo by Mark Riccione via SpeedHunters.com
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You’ve got a radiator! And YOU’VE got a radiator!
If I didn’t show you the pic you would be excused for not believing it; there really are three radiators behind that front fascia. CSF offers upgraded radiators for 987s and GT3s—and all the OE direct-fit bits that go with them—so Ryan was able to convert his Cayman’s cooling network to full GT3 spec with all of its benefits. [Details here.] “The Cayman cooling system now has two stock size, higher efficiency radiators in each wheel arch, plus a high-efficiency third radiator in the nose, just like a 997 GT3,” he says. “The middle radiator acts as a central heat sink while the outer coolers allow coolant in and out of the side radiators.”
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Those GT3 benefits are more than just cool(ing)…
There’s no half-assing in Ryan’s world, nor in his 987. Thanks to his dedication to crafting a real-deal GT3 cooling system with all of its proper ductwork—including the “smile” vent atop the bumper—he got that car’s aerodynamic bag of tricks, too. “It’s a pleasure to excitedly tell people the GT3 vent is fully functional and will help reduce lift,” he says. “It’s said to be one of the reasons why the 997 GT3 is so stable at high speed. With such a large wing on the rear, it’s welcome comfort.” Brakes that work are a comfort as well, and thanks to more GT3 parts—and some from Carrera Cup cars—the air passing through the outer radiators gets combined with underbody air and is funneled over the brakes (more on those later) for cooling.
Photo by Mark Riccione via SpeedHunters.com
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Show-car looks, slot-car handling
Many a driver has looked at the ruins of their “race car” and wished they’d put as much effort into making it handle as look good. Ryan won’t, as he’s got Bilstein looks AND its serious hardware. We’re talking a fully-active, adaptive, and programmable setup that uses Bilstein’s DampTronic suspension kit paired with DSC Sport’s PASM module and a 997 Turbo yaw sensor for ideal handling at all times. Electrickery aside, Ryan’s 987 also features what must be every bit of billet suspension bits RSS has to offer, plus their anti-bump steer kits front and rear, with everything adjustable at-will. And while it’s got the called-for spherical bearings or solid bushings in place, Ryan retained rubber top mounts to keep the ride one shade short of punishing.
Photo by Mark Riccione via SpeedHunters.com
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Adding grip and whoa the all that go
A sports car is only as good as the tires and wheels you put on it, so it’s no surprise that Ryan had to custom-order wheels to get just what he wanted. The black 18-inch ATS GTR wheels—nine-inches-wide in front, 10-inches out back—are shod with Nankang’s sticky street legal AR-1s. Through the spokes, you can see the standard Cayman brake calipers and Tarox heat-treated discs, but you can’t see the Pagid RS29 pads, braided lines, and the 997 GT3 master cylinder that rules them. And for the rear discs, similarly-hidden in the rear fenders is the custom ductwork that cools them.
Photo by Mark Riccione via SpeedHunters.com
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What’s inside counts, too
Everything you’ve seen and heard thus far makes it clear that Ryan’s 987 has all the makings of a track rat, an impression furthered with a tour of the cabin. A pair of Mercedes McLaren AMG Recaro Pole Positions are bolted in with custom CNC-cut subframes, while you’re belted in by a five-point Schroth harness system mounted to an RSS harness bar plus a GT3 anti-submarine bar. Steering is via a 330mm Personal Grinta ‘Kingston’ Edition wheel while shifting duty for the six-speed manual ‘box goes to a CAE Ultrashifter with carbon surround and all manner of billet bits. The only nods to potential daily-drivability are the Kenwood infotainment head-unit, door speakers, and slimline subwoofer behind the passenger seat, plus the last vestiges of factory controls and gauges.
Photo by Mark Riccione via SpeedHunters.com
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