ANGLE OF ATTACK
Is it an exaggeration to say the new 718 Cayman GT4 RS is the most significant Porsche production car of recent times? I can’t remember a new Stuttgartcrested speed machine so many marque enthusiasts have been excited about. Ever since the model was announced, anticipation has been strong, with many questioning whether the GT4 RS would pose a serious threat to the 911. After all, it’s not unusual to hear enthusiasts talk about the Cayman’s mid-engined configuration delivering superior handling. Coupled with the GT4 RS’S adoption of the 992 GT3’S flat-six (albeit with a few less ponies, but still significantly more power than the 718 Cayman GT4), this is surely the biggest challenge from any Zuffenhausen product to the 911’s status as the de facto dream Porsche? And all before tuners get their mitts on the two-seater tin-top and extract even more oomph from the normally aspirated four-litre boxer.
To find out exactly what kind of animal we’re dealing with, we took charge of a GT4 RS on both road and track. You’ll find our verdict in this very issue of the world’s best-selling monthly Porsche magazine. We also hit the Monte Carlo
Rally’s Col de Turini Alpine stage in order to put the new Macan T’s chassis dynamics to the test. This fresh addition to the Macan line-up might not be making use of a V6, but with the cost of motoring currently spiralling northward, it’s difficult to ignore how much sense the sharp, well-dressed, two-litre, T-badged crossover SUV makes right now.
Talking of vehicle styling, our cover car is a 993 Carrera treated to a wealth of Rs-beating updates by Roock Racing, creators of the lightest-ever 993 GT2. The jaw-dropping 3.8-litre restomod is owned by none other than Ian Callum, one of the world’s most celebrated automotive stylists, responsible for some of the best-loved modern Aston Martins and Jaguars. That his go-to ride is a modified air-cooled 911 was a story we couldn’t ignore. Enjoy the magazine.