2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS – What We Know About the Mid-Engine Track Slayer

This situation will soon change once the new 911 GT3 gets here, and it won’t be the only one because the most powerful Cayman ever is about to be unleashed as well.

Tentatively called the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, the upcoming mid-engine model will also sport a 4.0-liter N/A engine that can rev through the stratosphere, but with quite a few more horses than its non-RS little brothers, not to mention a racing-inspired body kit.

First, we should probably talk about the piece of resistance in the new track weapon, which in this case is not the evil-looking wings and intakes but the propulsion system.

In an era of turbocharged craziness, it is increasingly uncommon to still come up with a large displacement, high-revving beast like Porsche continues to do.

The version used by the 718 Cayman GT4 and GTS 4.0 is actually derived from the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter 9A2EVO flat-six used with various outputs in the current 992 generation of the Porsche 911.

Losing the twin-turbocharger setup and gaining no less than an extra liter in cylinder displacement, among other things, has made the N/A 4.0-liter one of our internal combustion heroes of the current era.

In the more vanilla 718 Cayman GT4, the massive flat-six develops no less than 420 PS (414 HP) at a screaming 7,600 rpm and a healthy 420 Nm (310 lb-ft) of torque available between 5,000 and 6,800 rpm.

Rumors suggest that Porsche will provide the bonkers GT4 RS with at least 450 horsepower when it goes on sale later this year, which should be more than enough to give the compact mid-engine sports model a massive edge on the world’s most technical circuits.

Partly responsible for the expected road and track prowess is the racing-derived body kit, which is full of aero features never-before-seen on a road-going Cayman or any other mid-engine Porsche, for that matter.

We are talking about a carved front bumper with huge air intakes and a massive splitter, a front hood with NACA ducts, a set of 911 GT3 RS-style outlets on top of the much wider front fenders, and a massive rear wing. Heck, even the rear side windows have been replaced by air intakes, while the underbody has definitely received some upgrades in the wind tunnel as well.

All of that aero work is bound to confer the 718 Cayman GT4 RS with massive amounts of downforce, even compared to the regular GT4, which is not exactly looking that slippery either.

Completing the ‘race car for the road’ design, a bunch of bits and pieces borrowed from its 911 brothers are expected too.

For example, the GT4 already features the 911 (991.2) GT3 entire front axle and a host of rear-axle components, so the RS might even get some parts from the bonkers 911 GT2 RS, such as the rear-axle steering.

With the entire world, and we’re including Porsche here, switching to electricity for its upcoming lineups, many will see the 718 Cayman GT4 RS as the magnum opus of the Cayman lineage, the last and best of its kind.

There are many signs that the next generation of the 911 might go hybrid, so the 718 Cayman and Boxster lineup might follow as well, if not go full electric at the rate things are currently changing in the industry. It might as well go out with a bang, and the GT4 RS will definitely be a big one.