The new 718 Cayman GT4 is finally here, marking the
return of the naturally aspirated flat-six in Porsche’s mid-engined sports car. This new version of the almost
instantly collectible Porsche brings a host of changes over its predecessor,
including a brand new engine and more downforce.
Suspension revisions on the 2020 GT4 are more
modest, with most of them located at the rear, where Porsche fitted a new
subframe, dampers, control arms and ball joints in order to make the new
hardcore Cayman a more precise tool for the job.
When we first heard that the new 718 Cayman GT4
would be powered by a 4.0-liter flat-six engine, everyone expected a detuned
version of the unit found in the 911 GT3 and GT3 RS. However, Porsche went the
other way and built a new engine from scratch.
What the company’s engineers did was to take the
twin-turbo 3.0-liter found in the 911, remove the turbos, stretch it to 4.0
liters and add a few motorsport-inspired stuff along with a cylinder shut-off
system. The end result is 414 hp and 420 Nm of torque. To
further highlight its nature, a six-speed manual transmission is still the only
choice available. Despite the horsepower increase over its predecessor, the new Cayman
GT4 achieves the same 0-100 km/h time with the previous model, at 4.4
seconds. Top speed however has increased by 8 mph, to 302 km/h, mostly
thanks to the more efficient aero kit.
Perhaps the second most noticeable change, after the
engine -and the main reason for the similar straight-line performance- is its
weight: the new GT4 is now 80 kg heavier than the old GT4, mostly thanks to the
fitment of the mandatory particulate filter and other components, so it tips the
scales at 1,420 kg.
Despite being a bit chubbier than before, the new
718 Cayman GT4 is over 10 seconds faster than its predecessor on the
Nurburgring Nordschleife, showcasing the improvements made where it matters the
most for a car like this.
