Project Cayman GTS 4.0

Project Cayman GTS 4.0 – Introduction

Project Cayman GTS 4.0 – Introduction

Detailing and Protection

Drawing on my former detailer background, I gave the car a thorough refresh after the thousand-mile journey home. I used spray foam, wash, clay bar treatment, and PPF decontamination with light buffing. A three-stage paint correction using Status Detail products restored the finish. OzBraz applied additional PPF to the doors, roof, headlights, and rear quarter panels, leaving only the rear hatch and bumper exposed. The final step was ceramic coating with Gtechniq Crystal Serum Lite and Exo v5 as a sacrificial topper. Exo v5 must be re-applied yearly to maintain hydrophobic qualities and protection.

The ceramic coating process requires meticulous preparation but provides superior protection and a deep, lasting shine.
The rear view emphasizes the GTS 4.0’s purposeful stance, with its black diffuser and centrally-mounted exhaust tips hinting at the naturally-aspirated flat-six.  The wall of text badging for the model designation is a bit too much.

The Badge Debate

The rear “718 Cayman GTS” badging felt excessive. While complete debadging was tempting, the GT4’s centered badge aesthetic appealed to me. My PPF installer removed the original badges, but we discovered ghosting around the mounting points of the lettering. Light buffing couldn’t eliminate it, so we committed to color sanding and buffing the entire bumper. I’m very pleased with the results.

Project Cayman GTS 4.0 represents a balance between daily usability and track capability. The badge modification is a subtle nod to the more powerful and capable GT cars.

Technical Challenges and Solutions

I discovered a peculiar memory seat issue during the drive home – having both key fobs present while saving settings actually disabled the entire system. The fix was equally unusual: cycling the seat fully forward and back three times restored functionality.

The persistent message notification settings proved more stubborn than expected – a common quirk in Porsche’s PCM system.

The PCM (Porsche infotainment) system’s persistent message notification chimes required a phone-side Bluetooth settings adjustment rather than staying disabled in the PCM system. For whatever reason PCM keeps re-enabling the message chime enablement even though it has no problem preserving my treble settings.

The MIB firmware update enabled Android Auto integration, adding modern connectivity to the Porsche’s tech suite.

Android Auto and PCM Updates

For whatever reason Andriod Auto isn’t available in this version of PCM. Apple car play is. I know iPhone users will tell me to just get a real phone but that’s okay I can think for myself. Rather than use potentially unreliable adapters to trick the system, I explored the MIB firmware route. No it’s not Tommy Lee Jones with the flashy thingy to wipe your memory. The MIB firmware allows you to unlock Andriod Auto by flashing the PCM firmware. The all-in-one update not only enabled Android Auto but also unlocked navigation and the track precision app. The existing GPS antenna made this a plug-and-play upgrade, though cars without it would need the additional hardware. The update also exposed advanced audio and diagnostic capabilities through the PCM.

Looking Ahead

Up next, Project Cayman GTS 4.0 will receive further customization with the Launch diagnostic tool. The nice thing about Khiem going first in this adventure into Porsche’s is he’s done the homework already. Thanks buddy!

7 comments

  1. I’m excited to see what you do with this build! Agree on the rear being too heavy on the emblems; just ‘GTS’ looks much cleaner. I very briefly looked into doing the Android Auto hack, but it was a bit past my comfort level. I’ve never used AA before, so no big loss to me, I make due with the phone in a phone holder for navigation purposes. I didn’t realize the previous owner already installed the GT4 shifter. It is really really good and there is no NEED to upgrade beyond it. Based on my Numeric upgrade experience, it needs the upgraded cables too in order to make a significant difference over the GT4 shifter.

    The 4.0L, NA, flat-6 will probably go down as one of the best engines made. And there’s a big chunk of power in it that Porsche bottled up so as to not infringe on the higher trim and model cars.

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much for all your help buddy! It’s really a dream come true.

      I’m happy to help potentially brick your PCM anytime you’re ready ;-).

      I’m looking forward to those future upgrades too!

      Reply

    1. It really is great! So great that instead of thinking of the usual never ending list of things to modify I’m pretty happy with the car the way it is. You know us though, we’ll find some things 😉

      I haven’t driven a 718 Spyder, Cayman T or S or their Boxter equivalents yet but look forward to some day. Lots of different flavors of ice cream to try. I imagine they are all good. I try not to live life with regret but I probably should have dipped my toe into this market earlier at a lower price point. Still, I’ve enjoyed building other cars on this website too.

      Reply

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