IGNITION
A new naturally aspirated flat-six has made its way into Porsche’s latest Cayman GT4 and Spyder. And this time around you may even be able to buy one, too…
Incoming: a new Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder (both with flat-sixes!), a 755bhp Ultima, the stripped-back Mégane RS Trophy-r, an unrestricted Ford GT, and an even sportier Alpine A110
IF YOU WERE TO SIT DOWN AND ROUGH out your idea of a pure yet everyday useable road-going sports car, it’s hard to think of a more finely resolved proposition than Porsche’s new 718 Spyder or Cayman GT4.
Lithe, and blessed with an all-new, high-revving naturally aspirated flat-six, a manual transmission, and chassis tunes that favour on-road enjoyment over chasing lap times, each is a thoughtfully crafted car that prioritises pleasure over the blinkered pursuit of pace.
It’s an ethos Porsche embraced with the first Cayman GT4, and to a degree the previous two Boxster Spyders, though only now have the two models come under the control of Andreas Preuninger and his talented team in Porsche’s Motorsport department – a consolidation of effort that significantly elevates the credibility and desirability of the Spyder, which in the words of its creator ‘is now an open GT4. Full stop.’
Frustratingly, our first contact with the GT4 and Spyder is purely platonic (we’re set to drive them next month), but it doesn’t take more than a glance to appreciate both possess the hallmarks of true
Motorsport department models: stance, sculpted bodywork, comprehensive aero packages and perfectly pared-back driving environments are all present and correct.
The hardware is no less convincing, with both cars featuring an all-new dry-sumped 4-litre naturally aspirated flat-six. The bore and stroke are very close to those of the 911 GT3’S engine. However, that’s something of a red herring, for the new unit’s origins are actually rooted in the 3-litre turbocharged 9A2 motor found in the latest 911
‘EACH IS A THOUGHTFULLY CRAFTED CAR THAT PRIORITISES PLEASURE OVER THE BLINKERED PURSUIT OF PACE’