First On-track Review of the New Porsche 718 GT4
Engaging driving dynamics, mid-engine balance, and a 4.0L flat-six is the key to pure bliss.
The new 718 GT4 is coming very soon and man is it looking amazing so far. If you haven’t been keeping up with our coverage of the car so far, don’t worry, we got you covered. Porsche has been teasing the car for some time now and more and more details and information is coming into public light about the car as time passes.
Recently, Carfection was able to get some on track time with the car to see what it’s really about. However, remember to keep this fact in the back of your head: the GT4 is not a track car. Andreas Preuninger, head of GT cars at Porsche, mentioned time and time again in his interview that the GT4 is not meant to be a 100% dedicated track car like its bigger brother the GT3. Rather, the function of the GT4 is to be driver-focused, extremely engaging, and enjoyable, more so than chasing lap times. Is it capable of throwing down a fast lap however? You best believe it.
Henry from Carfection got the opportunity to take the new GT4 out to Knockhill Racing Circuit on a very sunny Scotland day to see what its all about. In terms of the track, it is one that Henry knows very well, as it was the one were he received his racing license years ago. This goes to show that if anybody knows this track well, its going to be him. The track looks really fun, with good elevation changes and tight technical corners.
As Henry goes down the front straight, you can really hear that 4.0L flat-six start to sing towards the 8,000 RPM mark. This particular car has been equipped with the Club Sport Package, thus, it has fixed-back seats and a half cage behind the driver. The car also is sporting optional Carbon Ceramic brakes to really reel in the stopping power. For not being track focused, this GT4 does have a Nurburgring Nordschliefe lap time 4 seconds faster than the legendary Carrera GT and 12 seconds faster than the old GT4, so it definitely knows how to party.
Henry says the biggest factor he feels that contributes to this car’s on track quality is confidence. The car’s mid-engine balance is so good as is its power-to-weight ratio, that the driver knows exactly what the car is doing and when it will do it. Second, he states that he is thoroughly impressed with the ride quality. The way the car settles itself over bumps and curbs and regains traction is stellar. However, Henry does have a slight complaint: the gearing seems a little long, especially in the lower gears for the amount of power the car has. It seems that it takes just a little bit to long to really rev up to be able to get into that next gear.
What did you guys think of the GT4’s on track performance? We are curious to see it go head to head with another car in its class. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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