Porsche's 718 models received quite a bit of criticism for the sound of their new flat-four turbocharged engines. Thankfully, the new GT4 will stick to the six-cylinder naturally aspirated formula, and it could even be fast enough to merit the RS badge.
Porsche is no stranger to making excellent track cars, but all of them were of the 911 variety until the arrival of the Cayman GT4. This car became an instant collectible for purists, and the formula will only be improved during the "facelift."
The Nurburgring testing session gives us the opportunity to see an almost finished car. However, Porsche might also be after another lap record that makes buying this car extra-juicy.
Andreas Preuninger, head of GT car development at Porsche, recently confirmed that there would not be a four-cylinder GT model for the foreseeable future. He argued that that throttle response is better with a high-revving engine than a turbo one.
In 2015, the Cayman GT4 upped the ante by borrowing a 3.8-liter from the 911 Carrera S, but slightly de-tuned to 385 horsepower and 420 Nm of torque. Porsche doesn't make that anymore, opting for a 3-liter turbo.
The rumor mill suggests that the 2019 version of the hot Cayman will up its displacement with a detuned version of the 911 GT3's 4.0-liter flat-six. We should see over 400 horsepower, which in a car that's 50 kilos lighter than the GTS means a 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of 4 seconds and a top speed of over 300 km/h.
Both manual and PDK gearbox options have already been confirmed. The new GT4 will have a leg over its predecessor in the interior department as well.
As we saw with the 911 R, prices for limited-edition Porsche models can quickly get out of hand, as speculators buy and hold onto them. The automaker will crack down on such behaviors, but getting behind the wheel of a 718 Cayman GT4 will probably still set you back a cool $100,000.
The Nurburgring testing session gives us the opportunity to see an almost finished car. However, Porsche might also be after another lap record that makes buying this car extra-juicy.
Andreas Preuninger, head of GT car development at Porsche, recently confirmed that there would not be a four-cylinder GT model for the foreseeable future. He argued that that throttle response is better with a high-revving engine than a turbo one.
In 2015, the Cayman GT4 upped the ante by borrowing a 3.8-liter from the 911 Carrera S, but slightly de-tuned to 385 horsepower and 420 Nm of torque. Porsche doesn't make that anymore, opting for a 3-liter turbo.
The rumor mill suggests that the 2019 version of the hot Cayman will up its displacement with a detuned version of the 911 GT3's 4.0-liter flat-six. We should see over 400 horsepower, which in a car that's 50 kilos lighter than the GTS means a 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of 4 seconds and a top speed of over 300 km/h.
Both manual and PDK gearbox options have already been confirmed. The new GT4 will have a leg over its predecessor in the interior department as well.
As we saw with the 911 R, prices for limited-edition Porsche models can quickly get out of hand, as speculators buy and hold onto them. The automaker will crack down on such behaviors, but getting behind the wheel of a 718 Cayman GT4 will probably still set you back a cool $100,000.