Porsche’s new marvel
Is the new Cayman GT4 now Porsche’s best sports car? Kyle Cassidy takes to the track to find out.
PORSCHE has finally let its Motorsport division tinker with the Cayman and the result is the new GT4. Developed by the same people who concoct Porsche’s 911 RSR racers, the GT4 realises the Cayman’s full potential. It’s the car we’ve wanted Porsche to build ever since the Cayman debuted but the midengined coupe has always been closely managed, the company never allowing it to challenge the 911.
The recent GTS model opened the door to the possibility of the Cayman stepping up, and now the GT4 blows the door off its hinges.
It’s a purist’s drive, a road car that’s usable day-to-day but lives for the weekend when it can smash out fast laps at the track.
The Cayman gets a host of upgrades to become a GT4 including a 3.8-litre engine derived from the 911 Carrera S. That sees the 1340kg GT4 graced with 283kW and 420Nm of torque, or 33kW and 40Nm more than the GTS.
But with a deficit of 67kW to the GT3, Porsche still has the Cayman on a 911-protecting leash as it’s almost a second slower to 100kmh than the GT3 at a claimed 4.4sec.
Signalling this as a driver’s car, the GT4 is only available with a six-speed manual.
The front suspension is upgraded with a selection of hardware gleaned from the 911 GT3 including split wishbones and more scope to make adjustments to the suspension geometry if you know what you are doing.
The track is wider up front and overall the ride height is 30mm lower than a standard Cayman.
It gains GT4-specific dampers and springs while the rear suspension has also been fettled. And it has bigger, wider wheels wrapped with lots of premium sports rubber measuring 245/35R20 on the front and 295/30R20 at the rear. The brakes are pinched from the GT3, too.
Further hardware upgrades include dynamic mounts for the transmission, a mechanical diff lock and Porsche Torque Vectoring which brakes the inside wheels in a bend to improve the steering turn-in. The stability control is programmed with track work in mind and can be partially or fully disabled.
The GT4 looks purposeful with its functional scoops and wings. The gaping vents in the bumper feed the uprated cooling systems and flow air to the brakes while the bonnet slot helps release the airflow up and over the car. This, along with the lower front splitter, helps create downforce, as does the big adjustable rear wing.
The interior is GT4 specific with fabric door pulls, plenty of Alcantara and alloy and even a slighter smaller steering wheel. It gains sports seats, too, though it’s not a stripped out racer as it comes with air-con, cruise, the seats are electrically adjustable and heated, and there’s a full sat nav-equipped infotainment system.
We drove the new car, along with the whole Cayman range, at Australia’s Phillip Island GP circuit just outside of Melbourne
recently. Starting at the bottom, the entry-level 2.7-litre Cayman shows the potential of the midengined package with its balance, front end grip and fantastic steering characteristics. And from there it’s a progressive step up the performance ladder as Porsche carefully adds more power, dynamism and responsiveness to each model.
But moving from the GTS to the GT4 is not so much a step up but rather a huge leap. Heading out of pitlane we get up enough speed to hook into Turn One faster than we had been through all morning. The step up in power is palpable, and the sound is race bred. The steering is immediate, ultra responsive, and these things become apparent after just a few hundred metres travelled.
Porsche has engineered the GT4 for maximum mechanical grip with little reliance on electronic aids to sully the driving experience and through the long sweeping bends it feels more locked into the curves, carrying more corner speed than the lesser models, the front resisting understeer better.
The extra power swallows up the short straights that link the bends and progress isn’t hampered by the need to pull the gears yourself, such is the quick action of the gear lever through its gate.
And when changing down, Porsche has added one electronic aid in the form of an auto throttle blip function to perfectly match the engine speed for the lower gear. You can turn it off by doing it yourself but the computer is better.
The gear ratios are long-legged, shorter snappier steps might be preferable, especially for road use.
Though actually a base, Cayman would be best for the road given you’re able to exploit more of its potential before getting seriously on the wrong side of the speed limit. For the GT4 is designed as track car that you could drive to work; the engine and outright power aren’t the key here, it’s more about pure handling and feedback, which it excels at.
New Zealand-born race legend, Jim Richards, was on hand to finish the day by taking us on a few quick laps in his own GT4, which he’ll run in tarmac rally events such as Targa Tasmania.
He’s jumped ship to the Cayman after running numerous 911 GT3s.
According to Jim, it’s the absolute mechanical grip of the Cayman GT4 that’s prompted his move. He says the GT4 is so well resolved it could easily handle an extra 100bhp.
It was a good end to the day for us, though the day didn’t go so well for the blue GT4, limping off with engine problems. It seems someone, somehow, managed to over-rev the engine, forcing it into limp mode. Paul Ellis, PR for Porsche Australia, said it’s his first mechanical failure in 10 years with Porsche track-based media events. Seems they bred them tough but not indestructible.
The GT4 sells for $196,800, almost $30k more than the GTS, but that hasn’t stopped Porsche NZ selling nine so far, with more orders to be filled in 2016.
And those people have got themselves an instant classic.