PRECIOUS CARGO
Wanting a fix of Porsche performance, but needing family-friendly practicality, Gary Conway buys a 957 Cayenne Turbo…
GCAP Performance, the premium marque tuning and vehicle maintenance company I operate from the heart of Notting Hill, takes care of a high number of desirable Porsches. A regularly returning customer brings his gorgeous Carrera GT in for regular work (he likes to use his cars, no matter their rarity), as does the owner of a genuine RUF CTR ‘Yellowbird’. As you can tell, from air-cooled classics to the latest 911s, GCAP takes care of many cherished Porsches residing in and around West London.
The first engine I ever built was a 993’s flat-six, but rapid demand for GCAP’S services and steady investment to aid expansion of the business meant buying a Porsche to call my own was an idea I was unable to entertain. Then, when my son was born, I needed a family friendly car. Consequently, a series of uninspiring BMWS found their way onto my driveway. The want for a Porsche remained strong, however, and though I’d dearly love a sports car (I even toyed with the idea of buying a Boxster and using it as a development vehicle with a view to entering it into club-level motorsport), demands at home and at work simply won’t permit such a purchase right now.
Thankfully, those of us who enjoy a busy professional life and have a young family can still own a Porsche —if you’re watching the pennies, but still want to enjoy a true performance variant of a product from the Stuttgart stable, plus still be able to carry a decent amount of (human) cargo, then the 957 Cayenne Turbo is an absolute steal at current prices. It’s also a model welcoming of power and style upgrades, which is great news as far as GCAP Performance is concerned. Granted, you can get hold of a 955 Turbo for much less money (for less than the cost of a 924 S, in fact), but the first Cayenne Turbo looks very dated compared to the later 957 and, more importantly, the earlier model carries a lot of faults ironed out by Porsche in time for 957 Turbo production. For example, early Cayenne Turbos (4.5-litre V8s) feature plastic coolant pipes, which send fluid to the turbochargers as well as the engine itself. These pipes become weak and brittle with age. Facelift models (4.8-litre V8s), like mine, make use of aluminium parts, though it’s true to say a small number of early 957 Turbos managed to roll off the production line with the troublesome plastic pipework in place. Additionally, through breakdown of the crossover pipe between heads at the rear of the engine, coolant loss is a source of frustration for owners of first-gen Cayenne Turbos. GCAP offers a well-designed two-part screw-in pipe which eliminates risk of failure and is significantly cheaper than Porsche’s solution of buying a new manifold.
Having secured ownership of this black 2008 957 Turbo, I’m looking forward to a process of personalisation, which will include many performance upgrades, as well as updates to the already impressive aesthetic. A major engine and transmission service is my first port of call, followed by an overhaul of the braking system, wheels, suspension, exhaust, in-car entertainment equipment and custom trimming for the interior. I’m also looking into the possibility of replacing some of the cabin’s standard (and, in some cases, dull) plastic parts with new items made from genuine carbon-fibre. I’ll be documenting all of this work in coming issues of 911 & Porsche World.
Another early job will be the installation of an advanced Metatrak vehicle tracking system. It’s something I recommend to all GCAP customers, meaning I need to practice what I preach! Most of all, though, I’m looking forward to covering decent ground in my new Porsche, as well as using it for the commute to and from my workshop each day. I’m already hugely impressed by this super-suv’s performance and load carrying capabilities (though mpg isn’t exactly earth shattering, especially when darting around central London). Moving forward, I hope my adventures with this big-power V8 go some way to demonstrating just how many aftermarket tuning products and services are available for owners of early Cayenne Turbos — the 957 Turbo is capable of 700bhp through bolt-on upgrades and remapped software, and that’s with continued use of the stock turbochargers and engine internals. Who says 911s, Boxsters and Caymans are the only modern Porsche products suitable for modification?! More next month.