Like so many others during Covid, Mike Murphy started a project to keep himself occupied. While others may have taken up painting or building birdhouses, Mike instead built an LS-powered Porsche Cayman.
“I built every nut and bolt of this car myself,” Mike explains. “Almost all parts are used or hand-me-downs from friends, so I've spent less than $30k in total.”
Starting with an $800 rolling chassis, Mike sourced an LS2 V8 from Facebook Marketplace and bolted it to a stock Porsche Cayman six-speed gearbox. Noting that he “didn’t want it to sound like a V8,” Mike then fit the engine with an 8-to-1 header.
Good for some 450 horsepower, Mike says the Cayman is about as quick as a Porsche 911 Cup Car.
Yeah, that sounds fast, but is it fast enough to win our Tire Rack Ultimate Track Car Challenge Presented by Grassroots Motorsports?
We’ll find out on September 18, when some of the fastest cars in the country will descend upon Pitt Race to vie for the title of Tire Rack Ultimate Track Car.
The goal of the Tire Rack Ultimate Track Car Challenge is simple: To find the fastest track machine on four wheels. All that’s required to compete is that both car and driver pass a safety inspection. If you can do that, then enter your car today.
This year’s UTCC takes place at Pitt Race, September 18-21, alongside the SCCA Time Trials Nationals.
The Tire Rack Ultimate Track Car Challenge is presented by Grassroots Motorsports and fueled by Sunoco, in association with Wilwood, Vitour Tire, CRC Industries, XS Power, AMT Motorsport, Vbox Motorsport and Red Line Oil, with trophies from CalltoGrid, BimmerWorld, Falken Tire, Miller Electric, Vorshlag and Hoosier Tire.