Cayman GT4 RS Sets Blistering Time at the 'Ring
The long-awaited answer to Porsche fans' question is satisfying. For the most part.
A Landmark Achievement
I haven't been as eager to see one of the GT range attempts a fast lap since the 997 GT2 RS made front pages. The curious fans among us—those less concerned with the established hierarchy, anyways—have wondered what a Cayman with a proper GT-spec engine would be capable of.
Not Lacking Grunt
Now with a 4.0-liter flat-six making a healthy 493 horsepower, the Cayman GT4 RS means a mid-engined car has finally joined the GT ranks. Yes, the GT4 had the right badge, but its long gearing and milder motor limited its potential.
With the GT4 RS, the capability of the rear-engined 911 chassis can finally be fairly assessed. No longer can the dominance of the big brother 911 be attributed to power alone; the new Cayman's theoretically superior dynamics and more even weight distribution ought to do more than level the playing field—even if the 911's aerodynamics beat out the Cayman's.
The 718 Cayman GT4 RS accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds – half a second quicker than the 414 hp 718 Cayman GT4 with PDK. The top track speed is 196 mph (GT4 with PDK: 187 mph), which the GT4 RS reaches in seventh gear.
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But Aero?
The GT4 RS isn't lacking downforce, though it's not quite producing quite as much as its big brother, the 992 GT3.
Combining that swan neck rear wing with a ride height that is 30 millimeters lower than a standard Cayman, front-wheel well ventilation, an aerodynamically optimized underbody with a rear diffuser, an adjustable front diffuser. and a new front spoiler lip with flow-around side-blades, the GT4 RS generates up to 25 percent more downforce in the racetrack-only Performance mode than the 718 Cayman GT4.
That translates to about 220 pounds of downforce at 120 miles per hour. Not anything to sniff at, but far from what the big GT3 makes. Plus, the 911's rear-engine design frees up a little more space for whoppers of rear rubber. Huge, outrageous tires. That does make a difference when the majority of corners on the Nordschleife are relatively slow. More traction means quicker corner exits, and over the course of a seven-minute lap, you can see how the big 911 still manages to complete said lap around nine seconds faster.
The 911 also has double-wishbone front suspension, rear-wheel steering, and weight not far from the Cayman's.
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Driven Hard
Could Joerg Bergmeister have managed a faster lap? Not bloody likely.
The commitment is clear from his onboard here.
The curb-hopping behavior and excellent power-down characteristics make it a weapon around the 'Ring. Of course, it's nicely damped and doesn't hop, not even in faster corners like Schwedenkreuz (1:13).
Such is the downforce that he's nearly flat through Fuchsrohre (1:35).
It's fairly clear that the commitment here is supremely high. Porsche doesn't hire journeymen to record the record laps, after all.
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Indisputable
Its lap time might not have pleased the more cynical Porschephiles out there, but the GT4 RS' performance doesn't require deep analysis to reveal it's undeniably special. It ran on the better option tires, but it was the same car a discerning enthusiast can order from Porsche. It's a turnkey sports car that deserves all the praise it hasn't yet received.
Besides, lap times are only part of the equation. Let's see how this mid-engined scalpel measures up against a 911 where the sections are more technical. Let's see if the two are more easily matched on a mid-speed course with a predominance of quickish corners. Who knows?
What's clear is that with an engine like this and the ability to clamber curbs in such an indefatigable style, this Cayman GT4 RS is one of the purest machines to leave Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.
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