2019 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Spotted In Traffic, Rumored To Debut Next Month
In fact, I've brought along a recent spy clip that showcases a 2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 test car doing its thing in Stuttgart traffic (this is the carmaker's home city, remember?). The prototype doesn't seem to sport any serious camo, so we can talk about the showroom appearance. Compared to the retired Cayman GT4, the aero is a tad more aggressive. Then again, this is a trend for Porsche sportscars, with the tendency being even more prononunced in the case of the 992 (think 911 Carrera Aerokit and GT3). As for the oily bits of the entry-level GT model, there are still important questions to be answered. And the most important one revolves around the naturally aspirated boxer occupying the middle section of the machine. And while the Neunelfers see the engine delivering outputs that start with a "5", the muscle number of the engine will be brought close to 400 ponies for the newcomer. Then there's the transmission. A manual is obviously in the game, but the rumor mill talks about Porsche leaving 911 cannibalization fears behind and offering an optional PDK for the first time.
The Porsche 718 Cayman might not feature the flat-six its forebears are renowned for. But that鈥檚 not to diminish the characteristics of the perky four-cylinder buried deep within its soul. This car is, in almost every respect, a proper Porsche. Despite its muted four-pot sound, the 718 Cayman drives and behaves like a Porsche should. It鈥檚 responsive and quick when it needs to be. It holds the road with a vice-like grip matched only by a three-year-old holding on to a much-loved lollipop. It looks a million bucks and it puts a smile on your face every time you slide into its comfortable cabin. 30K cheaper (before options) and with almost as many thrills per minute as its bigger sibling, I reckon this one is the pick of the bunch. It might be the runt of the litter, but it has snarling ferocity that is more than enough for most purists.
We saw it testing a few months ago, but now it鈥檚 here to race. Meet the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, Porsche鈥檚 newest entry-level race car. Porsche will offer two versions of the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport鈥攁 Competition version for professional racing and a Trackday version for, as the name suggests, track days. When the Cayman became the 718 Cayman a few years ago, its naturally aspirated flat-six was controversially dropped in favor of a turbocharged flat-four. For both versions of the GT4 Clubsport, the flat-six makes a return, though it鈥檚 not the new 4.0-liter used in Porsche鈥檚 911 race cars. Instead, it鈥檚 the same 3.8-liter six as the previous GT4, but it benefits from a new intake manifold that bumps power from 380 hp to 425 hp. That power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox. The McPherson strut front suspension comes off the 911 GT3 Cup and features three-way adjustable sway bars. Rear suspension also consists of McPherson struts, though a blade-type adjustable anti-roll bar is used instead.
Of course, ride height, track width and camber are all configureable, while the Competition version also gets adjustable shocks. Brakes consist of big steel rotors front and back, which are clamped down by six-piston calipers up front and four-pistons in the rear. Trackday GT4s also get a brake booster. The wheels are forged alloys with five-bolt hubs, while Michelin tires are supplied with delivery. Most of the bodywork is made from aluminum and steel as on the 718 Cayman street car, but the doors and wing are made from a natural fiber mix consisting primarily of flax. Seriously. The material is more sustainable to make than carbon-fiber and it only nets a small weight increase. That wing, along with a new diffuser and front splitter also helps raise downforce compared with the previous GT4. All cars get an FIA-spec welded-in roll cage, an escape hatch in the roof, and a six-point harness for the driver.