The top of Porsche’s 718 lineup, the new Cayman GT4
(alongside the Boxster Spyder) is expected to pack the 4.0-liter boxer six from
the 911 GT3, albeit likely de-tuned for the smaller package, producing just
over 400 horsepower. The previous generation Cayman GT4 had a 911 Carrera
S-sourced 3.8-liter flat-six with 385 PS. Porsche executives have hinted
that the new model will be available with both manual and dual-clutch automatic
transmission options.
It won’t weight more than the GTS, so expect the GT4
to keep under 1,450kg or 3,200 pounds, which combined with the 4-liter flat
six, it should easily beat the previous model’s 0-100 km/h time of 4.4 seconds and 295 km/h top speed.
Compared to existing versions – including the Cayman
GTS – it’ll also have bigger wheels, a stiffer suspension, and a more
aggressive aero package that will add a bigger rear spoiler. That wing looks different than
the unit we’ve seen attached to prototypes up to this point. It appears to bear
a similar curve and even the same vertical brackets holding it in place, but
this one has bigger end-plates. Much bigger, the better to channel airflow and
keep it stable at speed.
Big as it is, that in and of itself won’t make the
GT4 the unadulterated performance machine that it most definitely will be. But
it speaks to the overall package that promises to take the Cayman far beyond
the “baby” status to which it was once consigned, and make it every bit the
driving tool that Porsche’s other GT models have proven themselves to be just
in a smaller package.
