[nn7man]

I have Nine Excellence's 718 Cayman S development car on loan this week whilst they work on my 991 T.

It's currently at Stage 2 putting out 450 BHP with a custom dyno tune and full Kline exhaust system along with AP racing brakes and Michelin Cup 2s.

The car is biblically rapid, I doubt the next GT4 would see which way it went!

Edit: the BHP is WHP, no wonder it feels rapid!

 

[Gtipirelli]

That sounds like a real weapon

However, 350bhp is more than enough for me and I am not a god enough driver to exploit even all of that, together with the roads being too busy and congested here in the UK

Some more thoughts on the car would be nice though such as how the engine and drivetrain are coping

 

[ZuffenHouseRules]

Not surprising, this is right in line with the 444whp 'tune and downpipe' result we've seen from Ehresmann Automotive GmbH. That is also an S -- with 64mm compressor wheel factory-stock VTG and intercooler.

As discussed here previously, the constraint on 2.5 power as delivered from the factory appears to be primarily in ECU programming and exhaust system/back-pressure.... *not* turbo-size and heat-soak as suggested elsewhere. Li'l Beast is stout as you'd expect from two-thirds of the GT2 3.8.

 

[nn7man]

Its past 5,000 miles and I'm told it hasn't had any issues. I was seeing no more than 1.0 bar of boost when booting it so its not overcooked. Its hobbled from the factory so it doesn't step on the 911 Carrera's toes.

I believe Ken has a Stage 3 VTG upgrade in the works for those brave enough.

P.S. its running the Kline 100 cell cat downpipe

 

[Schredder]

That sounds sweet. I hope you keep us all informed about how it's going and what's coming next. I think when mine is paid off , I would like to pump it up and experiment. Just like having a new car

 

[don]

Does sound like 911 turbo territory. I think the chasis can easily handle the extra power with Cup 2 tires. Would be interested to find out what the drive train is rated up to whether there is any shared structural parts with the 911.

How is the driveability when in traffic and noise when cruising with valve closed?

 

[cipher]

It’s too bad you can’t do a flash tune since the ECU is locked.

 

[TEST DRyVer]

It’s too bad you can’t do a flash tune since the ECU is locked.

That's not entirely accurate. I have a VR Tuned ECU Flash Tune Stage 2. It's a bench tune. That's where you remove your DME, hand it over to Vivid Racing, then they bench flash and and hand it back to you. Cobb, Techart, and various other brands are doing all types of tunes now for our cars. Bench tune, ECU flash tune, piggyback, etc... And the car has only been out for a fairly short while. It took the aftermarket world longer to break through the BMW N55 and S55 for a proper, non-piggyback tune. And needless to say, there are A LOT more N55's and S55 engines out there, so the demand to break into that market was much greater than our real low volume cars...

https://www.vividracing.com/tuned-ecu-flash-tune-porsche-718-boxster-cayman-20l-turbo-300hp-p-151880266.html

 

[autobahn]

I can't wait until my warranty is up... hahah!

 

[cipher]

That's not entirely accurate. I have a VR Tuned ECU Flash Tune Stage 2. It's a bench tune. That's where you remove your DME, hand it over to Vivid Racing, then they bench flash and and hand it back to you. Cobb, Techart, and various other brands are doing all types of tunes now for our cars. Bench tune, ECU flash tune, piggyback, etc... And the car has only been out for a fairly short while. It took the aftermarket world longer to break through the BMW N55 and S55 for a proper, non-piggyback tune. And needless to say, there are A LOT more N55's and S55 engines out there, so the demand to break into that market was much greater than our real low volume cars...

https://www.vividracing.com/tuned-ecu-flash-tune-porsche-718-boxster-cayman-20l-turbo-300hp-p-151880266.html

That's not exactly what I mean by flash tune. Yes they flash it after essentially doing a physical modification to the ECU which requires sending it in. I realize manufacturers are making it more difficult, so maybe I'm asking too much. Even a JB4 would be nice. I really liked my APR tune on my GTI. It was a fairly easy process.

 

[bowenxue]

450 BHP in the 718 cayman s?! I'm interested in the 0-100 times and quarter mile times with that much power. And how much does it cost for stage 2? Tune and headers right?

 

[johan]

450 BHP in the 718 cayman s?! I'm interested in the 0-100 times and quarter mile times with that much power. And how much does it cost for stage 2? Tune and headers right?

Ehresmann (the best tuner imo) does not supply 0-100 times, you cant use launch controll because of massive wheel spinn.
But they state 100-200 times and thats around 8sec (stock S ~10sec)

919 Evo does 0-300 in 8 sec

 

[bowenxue]

Ehresmann (the best tuner imo) does not supply 0-100 times, you cant use launch controll because of massive wheel spinn.
But they state 100-200 times and thats around 8sec (stock S ~10sec)

919 Evo does 0-300 in 8 sec

Well I'm thinking with 450 whp it'll be faster than the 991.2 carerra 2s, or maybe even carerra 4s. Would the PDK transmission be able to take the additional torque? What capacity is the PDK rated for? Is the PDK gearbox used in the 911 turbo s the same as the one used in our 718 cayman s or gts?

 

[johan]

Well I'm thinking with 450 whp it'll be faster than the 991.2 carerra 2s, or maybe even carerra 4s. Would the PDK transmission be able to take the additional torque? What capacity is the PDK rated for? Is the PDK gearbox used in the 911 turbo s the same as the one used in our 718 cayman s or gts?

I am not concerned about the pdk but if you will track alot Ehresmann says its better to stop at 430Hp, to be on the safe side.
The Traction Control takes care of wheel spin so i guess that it is there the issue lays.
In other Words, i have ni idea


It could as simple as the way the clutch works, together with the tire width and traction control does not like to much Hp...

 

[Kingmota]

That's not entirely accurate. I have a VR Tuned ECU Flash Tune Stage 2. It's a bench tune. That's where you remove your DME, hand it over to Vivid Racing, then they bench flash and and hand it back to you.

How do you like the tune?

 

[TEST DRyVer]

How do you like the tune?

It is excellent!!! I was always fighting for my wife's keys to the 335i M-sport for my long (about 50 miles) drive to work. The Beemer is of course more comfortable, and after all the time and money I spent over the last 6 months in that car, it's become legitimately quick! Definitely faster than my Cayman for freeway driving (of course when you get to the "higher speeds", the Cayman is more stable and reassuring)! But after the VR Tune, the base 718 is now putting out as much horsepower as the 718 GTS, and noticeably more torque than the GTS. I don't like comparing it to the GTS though, because that's not really fair. The GTS is a whole package that makes the entire car feel much more like pure sports car or a less powerful Supercar rival. So let's dial it down and compare it to a 718 S. It's faster than a Cayman S in every measurable way, with the exception of braking. You do feel that you can lean on the S brakes harder than the base model in the twisties. But now I'm running Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires and the VR stage 2 tune, with nothing else. The rest of the car is stock. I no longer fight for the Beemer keys on the way to work (but I still can't put 100 miles a day, roundtrip on the Cayman). I would like to run the Cayman against the Beemer and see what happens. The Beemer is an 8 speed ZF auto, so I think it will defiantly beat my Cayman from a dead stop, but rolling, I think I have a legit shot with the Cayman now.

I ran against my buddy a few weeks ago. He has a 17 Base Cayman with a PDK, VR stage 1 tune, VR exhaust, spacers, and H&R lowering springs. From a dead stop he had me. That PDK launches hard! And the manual is really tricky to launch. I might be lucky to get 1 good launch out of 7. But from a roll, my car kept right up with him. And I believe if we were able to run a couple of more times from a roll, I might just barely edge him out.

There is slightly more lag after the tune, but when the turbo kicks in, it kicks in fairly hard. Not all in one shot, but linear... I'm absolutely loving it! I should of bought the VR Tune from the beginning, when I first got the car. If they do launch the Cayman T, and I end up with one, I would have the tune put on right away. I no longer wish I opted for the S. I just wish I would of known how effective it was sooner. To be fair, Vivid Racing had the stage 1 tune fairly quick after the 718 launched in the US, but the stage 2 made all the difference. I drove a stage one Cayman right after they launched, and it was noticeably quicker, but it didn't force me to go out and buy it right away. I simply assumed someone would come out with something better. It was worth the wait! I heard the Cobb tune is excellent, and I know people are putting down serious power with the Techart tune, but the Techart is a bit to pricey for my budget...

 

[bowenxue]

To be honest, I love adding more horsepower and all, but the main issue for me currently is the traction. I find that in winter, when the tires do not grip well, I will lose to even a C43 AMG in a drag race! Coming from an AWD Mercedes C350, you can see why I've never experienced wheelspin. Maybe it's the stock Pirelli's? I wonder if upgrading to Michelin Pilot Sport 4s will enable better traction even in 0 C winter here in Vancouver?

 

[johan]

To be honest, I love adding more horsepower and all, but the main issue for me currently is the traction. I find that in winter, when the tires do not grip well, I will lose to even a C43 AMG in a drag race! Coming from an AWD Mercedes C350, you can see why I've never experienced wheelspin. Maybe it's the stock Pirelli's? I wonder if upgrading to Michelin Pilot Sport 4s will enable better traction even in 0 C winter here in Vancouver?

Pirelli, 4S and all the rest will start to loose traction from +10 C* and down......

 

[Andros X Thomson]

Michillen Aplin Sports are phenomenal in cold weather on the cayman.

 

[TEST DRyVer]

To be honest, I love adding more horsepower and all, but the main issue for me currently is the traction. I find that in winter, when the tires do not grip well, I will lose to even a C43 AMG in a drag race! Coming from an AWD Mercedes C350, you can see why I've never experienced wheelspin. Maybe it's the stock Pirelli's? I wonder if upgrading to Michelin Pilot Sport 4s will enable better traction even in 0 C winter here in Vancouver?

Grip is attached to several factors, but from your description, switching to Pilot 4S's will not resolve your problem. All of these tires, including the ones you currently have fitted, are a fairly soft compound, ultra high performance summer tires. All of the tires in this category get firm in the temperatures you mentioned. Firmer compound will result in less grip. Of course in AWD cars, this becomes less noticeable as you have all 4 tires fighting for grip. If you are looking for high performance in your winter season (I live in the Arizona desert, so winters are absolutely beautiful here), you would need to switch to a dedicated winter tire, like the gentleman mentioned above, or at the very least a well rated all-season performance tire. If I lived in Vancouver, I would likely switch tires twice a year. I'd keep my ultra high performance summer tires stored for the winter, and have a proper winter tire installed right now. I know it's a pain, but you're driving a mid-engine, RWD sports car, with ultra high performance summer tires on for a Canadian winter. I know Vancouver doesn't get as cold as the majority of Canada, but you guys have beautiful and twisty driving roads, and constant elevation changes. I think you would enjoy your drive much more if you had 2 dedicated sets of tires for summer and winter. Plus, it would add a considerable amount safety for your daily drive...