Yes. (don't let the picture mislead you)

I think you should drive one.

 

Nope it is mid engine not rear like the 996. If you have ever pulled the engine cover of a Boxster you would find no room above the motor (maybe 2-3"). This is what has taken a S/C / turbo to be produced for the Boxster.

As for the TT Guards Red Boxster; read that Excellence article and you will find it broke down on them during testing. TTP at one time had a set up for a Boxster with the IC located in the rear trunk (fins on the trunk). Imagine has the only solution as of now utilizing the Procharger system locating it underneath.

Ask Stephen for a S/C for the Cayman......

Hope this helps a bit

 

Everybody I know who did a supercharger on a Boxster blew their engine. The M96 block motor (Boxster, Cayman and all 911s except GT3/GT2-turbo variants) does not always hold together well with forced induction. A friend of mine has a 997C4S with the Ruf supercharger, and it's written in the engine bay to replace the motor at 50K miles (if it lasts that long).

Turbo setups for the Boxster haven't worked out well. There's no reason to expect that things would be different with the Cayman.

Then again, if you don't mind the risk, you could end up with a sick fast car that handles like its on rails.

 

wow, that's the first RUF SC kit i've heard of going to a customer that doesn't work for RUF. is the owner on this forum. i'd love to hear his feedback and maybe see some dyno runs he's done since RUF USA won't post theirs for some reason.

 

A few people are trying to do that i hear, swapping the turbo motors into the Cayman!! That would be INSANE

 

i never took the cover off once when i had my boxster

i know it's mid engined, but the supercharger kit for the 996 is not any taller than the throttle body. i don't see why it wouldn't fit? i can only assume the engine layout is different from the boxsters. anybody have a pic of the cayman 3.4 engine bay?

 

He's not a forum member, although I should introduce him to the place. Actually, he's a pediatrician that I refer most of my delivering moms to, and he takes care of my son too. He's a car nut, with several Audis too. He wanted a 997TT but couldn't wait- was dying for a Porsche. He fell in love with a 997C4S and our salesman got him a very fair deal. Since the Ruf guys formerly worked at the dealership where we buy (shameless plug- Boardwalk, the only dealer worth a damn in the Dallas/Plano area), he got hooked up. The car sounds great- from what I heard, not as quick as my Turbo S, but very fast nonetheless. IMHO given the $25K pricetag, it's probably the best bang for the buck that Ruf offers. Sooner or later, we'll probably trade cars for a weekend.

 

Most insightful post ever. Tuners or Porsche Dealers never talk about the problems with this cheaper engine. IMO, they avoid the subject. A that's without even mentioning the RMS problems. Those engines suck and I would not have one modded or out of warranty, the owners should class action for the RMS potential alone.

 

Yet there is over 150 evo S/C 996 systems.

 

Couldn't you cool the turbo by adding a roof scoop? Maybe a little ricey but I think it would look HOT!

 

Eddie,
.
i didn't read through the other posts but i assume that you saw the Autoweek article june 26, regarding a similar thought process.. by 9FF....
.
they replaced motors and their Cayman 9FF CR42 now has 420 hp and 358 lbs. of torque.. sounds like it rocks..
.
see www.eurocarboutique.com as they are the US 9FF distributor..
.
JR

 

Yeah, I saw. Adds 120hp and 75tq with bolt-on convenience and no added wear to engine. Yet Alois Ruf believes that the motor needs to be rebuilt, and he rebuilt my friend's motor. Who's right? I like and trust both tuners but I'd have to side with Ruf on this one. The M96 motors have had too many issues for me to believe otherwise- block porosity, RMS, overheated cylinder 6 in Boxster, oil starvation on MK1 996. Maybe I'm just not a gambler with these odds.

 

How about a GT3 motor?

8200 + revs, 400HP+. Yum!

You've got a 60K+ car to mod, why aren't you just buying a used TT or GT3?

Sometimes the mod mentality can take over...

Sorry if that sounds harsh.

 

Excellent discussion guys! I've had this discussion a lot lately with several of our Cayman customers. Porsche's decision to “hold the Cayman back” and the cars excellent (no, amazing) handling have created a situation where we all know how much greater the car could be with some more power.

I would tend to agree with the general sentiment that turbo + Cayman = time bomb.

As others have alluded to, the problem is two-fold.

a) You have the hand-grenade that is the M96 motor.
Most non-turbo motors not designed for FI have "issues" with supra-atmospheric pressure (even when the compression is lowered). Sadly, the Cayman motor is no exception.

b) The mid-engined configuration.
Adequate cooling and air circulation is difficult to maintain. Expensive and complicated fabrication/ducting/plumbing work will be required to experimentally keep the engine cool. While it might seem straightforward to cut some holes in the rear fenders and slap a set of GT2 intercoolers in your trunk, it doesn’t come close to approaching a fully engineered and tested solution like that found in the 99XTT. As such, besides not keeping your engine cool - it would likely introduce new problems.

We have spoken to 9ff about offering an FI solution several times. While it would be great to offer a FI solution to the North American market, unfortunately the difficulty in providing a solution that was reliable and safe - that doesn’t destroy the very character of the car has prevented us from offering forced induction. It’s a difficult decision for Jan, because he loves turbo charging (a lot!). He originally wanted something extreme and crazy for the 9ff CR 42 (900HP TT?).

They experimented with using the water intercooler that is employed in the 800 – 910HP motors. However there was no elegant and simple engineering solution. At the end of the day, the desire for reliability ruled the roost. 9ff would much rather offer an overbuilt, unstressed 425HP NA motor and sleep soundly at night, than a temperamental Frankenstein monster. They still won the Cayman euro tuner challenge anyhow, using only the 3.8L 388HP engine.

That said, we offer several 9ff power options; Powerkits and engines.

The powerkits produce either an additional 20 or 40HP. While the engines – 3.8L and 4.1L offer 380 and 420HP respectively.

The 3.8L is roughly $35k installed while the 4.1L will run $45k. This price reflects a core exchange. Both motors carry a 2yr, 24K mile warranty.

The powerkit and engines represent reliable and proven methods to significantly enhance the performance of your Cayman. Please contact us should you desire more information.

 

only $41K for the 4.1 liter??? cool. i'll take two