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2017 Porsche 718 Cayman S
2017 Porsche 718 Cayman S
With our project car fully up and running we wanted to give a little info about it as there aren't too many 718's at the track, at least not in FL as we've seen. Little back story, we used to run a 2008 Cayman S 6-speed that was built more as a little parts display car and then we started tracking it heavily. Admittedly it was never really set up for the track and it got to the point where it needed a complete overhaul so we decided to let it go to a local friend who has since turned it into a full blown track car. After that the search began for a new project. We were set on a 981 but we had a perfect 2017 718 Cayman S fall into our lap so we snagged it with 10k miles on the clock along with PDK, Sport Chrono, PASM, and PTV. We wanted to see what this turbo motor was all about.
Soul Performance Exhaust Installed:
Recent run at Sebring:
Genuine PORSCHE Upgrades:
- Center Radiator Kit
- Vented Underbody Tray
- GT4 Side Intake Ducts
- Alcantara GT Sport Steering Wheel
- Alcantara PDK Shift Knob
- Alcantara Center Console Lid
- Lizard Green Trimmed Exclusive Floor Mats
- Clear LED Side Marker Lights
- PORSCHE Motorsport GT4 Clubsport Tow Hook Straps
Aftermarket Upgrades:
- COBB Tuning Accessport
- Girodisc 350mm/350mm 2-Piece Slotted Brake Rotors
- PFC Brake Pads
- Castrol SRF Racing Brake Fluid
- FVD Brombacher Stainless Steel Braided Brake Lines
- Soul Performance Sport Downpipe
- Soul Performance Valved Exhaust
- BMC Air Filter
- Forge Motorsport Recirculation Valve
- AWE Tuning Mirror Diffusers
- Rennline Phone Mount
- Recaro Profi XL Seats
- Schroth Profi II 6-pt Harnesses
- Heigo Roll Bar
- 19” OZ Ultraleggera Wheels
- Bridgestone RE-71R Tires
- H&R PASM Lowering Springs
- TechArt Front Spoiler Lip & Aftermarket Wing
- Wrap by Vivid Graphix – Tampa, FL
- Ceramic Coating by First Impression Autoshield – Sarasota, FL
Track Tested:
We completed back-to-back weekends at Sebring with PBOC Florida and the Suncoast Region PCA. The car ran flawlessly, save for a bit of heat soak with consecutive run groups (student and then advanced solo) in this ridiculous central Florida heat. After back-to-back sessions, the car went into Limp Mode. It was too hot!! Despite that, we were able to turn consistent 2:26's in the solo group still feeling out the car. Night and day difference from the old 987.
We had some heating issues with the car on our first weekend at Sebring, and it needed to be addressed. While running at Homestead-Miami Speedway, three out of four track sessions our car went into Limp Mode on the last lap of those sessions. We saw oil and coolant temps spike, the car shut itself down to protect the engine. We had just installed our COBB Tuning Accessport and were running their 93 octane file. The COBB tune is incredible and the car is an absolute beast, but just like before at Sebring the car suffered from the high Florida heat and insuffecient cooling. We ran some logs and were communicating with COBB all weekend. Those guys are awesome and were keeping an eye on the data for us.
The Fix: 718 Third Radiator Kit
718 Third Radiator Kit
We installed our factory center radiator upgrade kit and drained the OEM coolant/antifreeze in exhange for a water/Royal Purple water wetter combination. Dislcaimer: We live in Florida where we do not see freezing temps and our car is not street driven often so we don't need coolant/antifreeze. This is not recommended for all applications and regions of the world, please check with a local technician.
Temperatures were down 20-30 degrees across the board and the car did not skip a beat. Once again we ran the car in two run groups (Blue and White) on both Saturday and Sunday. The torque from the tune is a punch in the face and our PSM light was constantly flashing. We were playing with (and surprising) 991 GT3 and GT4 guys all weekend. We managed to tick off a 2.25 lap using the paddles in Sport Plus in white group with a bit of traffic and were hitting over 140mph on the back straight. That being said we are convinced that if you live in the South you NEED to add the center radiator to help with cooling.