Specialty File
The injustice of the Porsche lineup is that the most powerful engine available in the sweet-handling Cayman is a 295-hp, 3.4-liter flat-six and the 911’s least powerful mill is a 325-hp, 3.6-liter version of that same engine. Of course, the 911 is the company’s flagship sports car and as such enjoys rank and privileges, but the Cayman is about 150 pounds lighter than the 911 and has a mid-engine layout that is theoretically superior in terms of chassis balance, not to mention a body that’s more responsive, we’re told, to aerodynamic aids. If Porsche would greenlight a big-engine Cayman, the company might just have a Corvette beater that wouldn’t cost 120 grand.
And although Porsche has no plans for an über-Cayman, a recently formed company in Connecticut called Farnbacher Loles sent us a Cayman that looked on paper like the answer to our dreams. Dubbed the Cayman GTR, it is powered by the 3.8-liter engine from the 911 Carrera S, and with a few extra goodies, it pumps out a claimed 395 horses.
Unfortunately, this Connecticut Yankee GTR also comes with Porsche pricing. The engine switch alone carries a price of $39,500—almost as much as a new Vette—but it does include a custom exhaust system and a limited-slip differential. Our test car also came with an adjustable suspension system, 19-inch wheels and tires, lightweight seats from a Porsche GT3, Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB), and a healthy dollop of carbon-fiber trim and aerodynamic bits. Including the cost of the starter Cayman S with PCCB ($67,910), the total price of our GTR test car would in fact be $124,360.
Never mind that that money would get you a 911 Turbo, the GTR was indeed the best Cayman we’ve ever driven.
Owing to modern electronics, the engine swap was no easy job. Getting the mechanical bits in place is straightforward enough, but then it’s a real challenge, for example, to modify the electrics so the engine computer doesn’t go postal when suddenly presented with the airflow of the big engine. It’s not like back in the day when all power problems were resolved by a big-block Chevy.
Those with the means will enjoy a Cayman that feels as if somebody had stuffed a Chevy V-8 under the hood. The 3033-pound GTR was punchy and pulled authoritatively no matter where the tach needle sat. Compared with the last Cayman S we tested, the GTR’s 4.4-second sprint to 60 mph was 0.4 second quicker, and the quarter-mile time of 12.8 seconds at 113 mph handily outran the stock Cayman’s time of 13.3 seconds at 107 mph.
What’s strange is that we’ve tested standard 911s that were about as quick and a 3290-pound 911 S that was even stronger (0-to-60 in 4.1 seconds and the quarter in 12.6 seconds at 112 mph). The Cayman’s gearing is slightly taller than the 911’s, and the Cayman has less weight on the rear, but that shouldn’t make for much of a disadvantage in quarter-mile speed. Perhaps some of the electrons in the GTR’s computer need straightening out.
We’re also curious why the GTR couldn’t equal the stock Cayman S on the skidpad and in the braking department. The GTR pulled 0.95 g on the skidpad and came to a standstill from 70 mph in 169 feet. The stock Cayman S recorded 0.99 g and stopped in 154 feet. The GTR has 19-inch Yokohama Advan Sport tires, which are a notch below, performance-wise, Yoko’s Advan Neovas. Our experience tells us the Neovas are a match for the stock Cayman’s Michelin Pilot Sport PS2s but aren’t available in 19-inchers. All things being equal, braking and skidpad performance are largely dictated by tire grip, so a switch could produce substantial dividends.
Our mostly straight-line test results don’t always foretell what will happen on a winding racetrack. At Lime Rock Park in northwestern Connecticut, the company says the GTR has turned lap times that are several seconds quicker than a stock Cayman S and quicker than even the 911 S. We didn’t get a chance to verify the claims, but the suspension system, which lowers the car about two inches, certainly felt firm enough to get the job done. It wasn’t overly stiff, and the new legs didn’t pollute the Cayman’s communicative steering. The GTR could be easily drifted in a manner that’s tough to perform in the stock car.
Before we sign off, we want to mention the exhaust note: Its yowl has a shrieking quality that brings Le Mans to mind. It’s the best melody this side of a Ferrari’s and a strong reason to justify the big price.
Farnbacher Loles, 45 Miry Brook Road, Danbury, Connecticut 06810; 203-798-2929;www.farnbacherloles.com.
