This particular 2006 Porsche Cayman S, finished Carrara White with black leather interior and a 6 speed manual transmission, was destined to be something special from the day it was built. Some 30 days prior to its scheduled arrival at Boardwalk Porsche in Plano, TX, this stock unit was already earmarked to be a showroom demo for the dealership’s rapidly expanding aftermarket program, which was developed in conjunction with Wheel Experts. Upon receipt of the car, we proceeded to equip the exterior with the TechArt Type I aero kit (front spoiler I, side skirts, and rear wing type I), while rolling stock was upgraded to 20” TechArt Formula GTS wheels with Continental Sport Contact 2 tires.

When long-time show scene veteran Alex Wacker arrived at the showroom of Boardwalk Porsche in late July 2006, he was looking to for a base vehicle to start a new project. His former Mitsubishi Evo show car had already cleaned house on the import tuning circuit for the past 2 years, and after winning virtually every award possible, the car was being retired. For this new project, he wanted to go a step or two up market, and the thought of trying his hand at European tuning after dominating the import scene was intriguing. Upon arrival at the dealership, he ran into the aforementioned white Cayman S on the showroom floor with the TechArt aftermarket equipment we installed a week prior. He quickly realized that the potential of a properly tuned Cayman on the show circuit was huge, and after discussing the financials with Porsche sales consultant Shawn Conway, a deal was made and Alex drove off into the sunset, hoping he could transform his new acquisition into a show winner. However, before leaving the dealership, Alex mentioned to Shawn that he was already sponsored by another wheel manufacturer, so he would not need the 20” TechArt wheels the car wore on the showroom floor. Shawn agreed to remove the wheels from the deal, but he suggested that Alex get in contact with us to see if we could help him achieve his goal building a show-stopper. Within a few days, Alex stopped by our Southlake office, where we discussed various plans of attack to prepare the car for the upcoming show season. As a result of our discussions, the company agreed to sponsor the entire project from the get-go, and in order to meet the deadline of the project, we began immediately planning the best course of action.

Since the 20” TechArt Formula GTS wheels were removed at the dealership before delivery, the car was equipped with the TechArt Type I aero kit but with factory 18” rolling stock. This was currently the “weakest link” on our project, so we addressed this area first. Alex wanted an aggressive look to his wheel package, so we decided on a set of our forged 3-piece Modulare M5 wheels, finished in powder coated gloss black with chrome lips to give that aggressive look we desired. The wheels were custom machined to our specifications, measuring 20x8.5 with a 2” lip at the front and 20x11.0 with a 3.5” lip at the rear. After receiving the centers from Modulare, we proceeded to assemble them in our Southlake facility, and after passing initial QC, they were subsequently mounted on Michelin’s ever-popular Pilot Sport 2 tires, measuring 245/30/20 fore and 295/25/20 aft. After a quick spin on the Hunter GSP9700, the road force balance was confirmed true and we bolted the wheel and tire assembly to the car. During the time the wheels were being machined and finished, we brought in a set of KW’s Variant 3 INOX coil over suspension, which lowered the ride height 1.5” and gave the car both the added handling characteristics and the aggressive stance it needed to match up with the new wheel package.

After completing the wheel/tire upgrade and the suspension to get chassis set properly, next up on the list was exterior aesthetics. The car came equipped from the dealership with the TechArt Type I aero package already installed, but Alex’s plans called for something much more dramatic. TechArt was to release a new conversion for the Cayman, which they dubbed “GT Sport”. This package consisted of a radically designed carbon front bumper spoiler with xenon driving lights, a pair of side skirts, and a carbon rear wing with adjustable carbon gurney flaps. At the time, the package was slated for production but not quite yet officially released to the public. After some negotiating with TechArt importer CEC, we acquired the rights to the very first parts they were to receive as Alex wanted to be the innovator and be the first in the US to complete this conversion. His dream was realized in early October when the parts arrived safely in an air freight shipment directly from Germany. We immediately called up local partner Stuart’s Paint and Body, where owner Stuart Singer and crew hustled to complete the car is only a week’s time, just in the nick of time for the Boardwalk Porsche grand opening party at their new dedicated Porsche showroom adjacent to the old Porsche/Audi building. The crew at Stuart’s did a marvelous job handling the paint and install duties, with paint match being nearly 100% (a difficult feat on a white subject vehicle) while fit and finish were truly superb. A pair of RUF carbon fiber mirrors was added to round out the exterior, but this would not be the last time they would involved with this project.

With such an aggressive exterior appearance provided by the combination of the KW suspension, 20” Modulare wheels, and the TechArt GT Sport aero package, the last thing needed to wrap up the project was some bite to match the bark. For this, Alex turned to the Porsche tuning specialists at RUF Auto Centre in Plano, TX, to provide the pavement-eating power he desired. RUF managers Hans Hoffmann and Wayne Corley told Alex about the upcoming Kompressor conversion their German counterparts were currently preparing for the 3.4L Cayman S motor. With a mechanically driven centrifugal compressor providing a maximum boost of 0.6 bar, an additional 100 HP and 40 ft/lbs TQ could be added to the drive train. Naturally, Alex jumped at the opportunity to be the first US spec car to be equipped with the new supercharger kit, so he quickly volunteered to be the guinea pig and allowed the crew at RUF to perform their magic. The end result is a neat and tidy installation, providing the both the power and prestige a RUF motor is known for, and Alex could not be happier with the results. For good measure on track days, a set of OEM GT3 seats was installed to keep Alex safely planted in the driver’s seat. The interior was also upgraded with a RUF shift knob and short shirt kit, while a TechArt pedal set, footrest, and floor mats round out the cabin improvements.

Following the completion of this project, we contacted our friends at Modified Luxury and Exotics magazine about a possible feature, and editor Colum Wood was so impressed, he arranged for a photo shoot the very next week, as he had set aside a spot in the July 2007 issue just for us. Many thanks for all involved in this project: Shawn Conway at Boardwalk Porsche, the entire Modulare Wheels team, Mark Carrillo at CEC, Stuart’s paint and body, the entire RUF Auto Centre crew, and Colum Wood from MLE magazine. Stay tuned for our next upcoming project, which is just around the corner….