Porsche Cayman GT4
Watch out, 911, Little brother's out to get you
With more of everything that counts, the Cayman’s keen to fght its 911 big brother
1 It’s a Cayman, only more so
The Cayman’s blueprint – driven wheels at the rear, engine in the middle, justifiably smug driver in front – is beyond reproach. Porsche has wisely chosen not to meddle with the formula, instead opting for what you might call a holistic upgrade: more power, more wing and plenty of bits nicked from the 911 GT3. A Cayman turned up to 11.
2 It’s got the engine from a Carrera S
It was long rumoured that Porsche stymied the Cayman’s performance to prevent it trampling on the toes of big brother 911. No longer. The GT4 gets the 3.8-litre naturally aspirated fat-six from the Carrera S, producing 380bhp at a screaming 7,400rpm. That’s 40bhp more than the Cayman GTS, making this the most powerful Cayman yet.
3 It might just outpace a 911
Porsche quotes the GT4’s 0–62mph time at 4.4 seconds. That’s probably a trife conservative but, even so, still puts it a tenth quicker than that 911 Carrera S. And such is the Cayman’s inherent poise and balance that it’ll give that same Carrera S a mighty headache around any track you care to mention, too. Top speed stands at 183mph, which is probably enough for the morning commute.
4 It’s got a stick shift!
Eyebrows were raised, and Nomex-clad fists waved, when Porsche announced it would equip its latest 911 GT3 with a seven-speed PDK gearbox, refusing to even ofer the option of manual. No such clutch-free tomfoolery here: the Cayman GT is ofered with just one transmission option, a six-speed stick shift with dynamic mounts. The three-pedal sports car is not, it seems, quite dead yet.
5 It’s got a massive wing
The Cayman has always tended towards a subtle aesthetic, shunning the strakes and vents of its shoutier rivals. But for GT4 duty, the coupe has gained a whacking great fixed wing, helping to generate downforce and look excellent. There’s a deeper front splitter, too, while the entire car sits 30mm lower than the standard Cayman. The cabin gets a new Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, and the doorhandles have been ditched in favour of fabric grabs. Kerbweight? A smidge over 1,400kg.
6 It’ll be a track monster
Porsche reckons 80 per cent of the buyers of its GT-badged cars will use them for track days, and, should your wallet permit, you can spec your GT4 with all manner of track-ready goodies: carbon-ceramic brakes, carbon-shell bucket seats and Porsche’s Club Sport package. It’s for more than just show. The GT4 has already lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7m40s, putting it in the same bracket as the Merc SLS and Ford GT. That’s supercar pace, not sports-car pace.
7 It’s a veritable bargain (sort of)
The GT4 will set you back £64,451, which seems rather a lot for a Cayman when the 275bhp base model clocks in at £40k. But look at it this way: it’s almost £20,000 cheaper than a 911 Carrera S and a whopping £35k below a 911 GT3. And it won’t depreciate.