Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Commences Track Testing At The Nurburgring
The same test mule was earlier spotted cold testing in the Arctic. The 718 GT4 will get the 911 GT3鈥檚 4.0-litre engine. Porsche has moved from the cold Arctic winter to the Nurburgring for its vehicle testing. The full-blown GT4 was spotted with minimal camouflage lapping the Nordschleife. The GT4 sits above the GTS in the 718 range and this new one has a new powerplant lurking in the engine bay. The upcoming Cayman GT4 will replace the 3.8-litre motor of the older car with the 911 family鈥檚 naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six engine. However, Porsche will detune the power output of the motor to be restricted to below 400bhp mark. This would allow the GT4 to be a step up from the GTS鈥?350bhp, but it won鈥檛 enter the flagship 911 GT3鈥檚 territory. Given the minimum camouflage, we could easily spot that the test mule had a split at the end of the front bonnet, similar to the 911 GT3. Apart from that, the front fascia had a restyled bumper with larger air dams. At the rear, there is a massive wing and aggressive diffusers with dual circular exhaust sticking out. Since the test mule had little to no camouflage, Porsche might be prepping to reveal the all-new Cayman GT4 real soon. The new GT4 will be a lot more expensive than the car it replaces. It would be joined by the 718 Boxster Spyder which was also caught in its final testing stage at the Green Hell.
The 2.5-liter might not sound quite as good as a naturally aspirated flat six when the throttle鈥檚 opened wide, but it still sounds pretty awesome. It has a raspy snarl that, while perhaps laying it on a little thick, offers an extra dose of sensory delight while retaining that machine gun brap that boxer engines are known for. While the Cayman S can still send its output to the rear wheels with a six-speed manual gearbox, our tester was fitted with the optional seven-speed PDK, which might be the most deft automatic on the planet. Silky smooth and lightning quick, the Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe leaves barely enough time between shifts to take a breath. When not blasting off the line as quickly as a new 911 Carrera, the Cayman S certainly knows how to tackle twisting roads. With the engine mounted behind the driver but in front of the rear wheels, the car鈥檚 balance is unquestioned and not overly difficult to maintain.
With its wheels tucked noticeably closer to the corners than a 911 鈥?a byproduct of that car鈥檚 rear engine layout 鈥?the Cayman鈥檚 turn-in response is uncanny, allowing it to dart around the road like a waterbug. Helping the car change directions so quickly on the road is its rigid chassis and suspension, something that was only enhanced by the optional adaptive dampers fitted to our tester. With the pricey Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system along for the ride, the Cayman S was able to feel like two different cars. The difference the active suspension makes is like the difference between how my ab muscles look and how I wish they looked. The steering setup isn鈥檛 as raw as the manual one in the Alfa Romeo 4C, but the electromechanical system is typical Porsche and features nice weighting that is hard to find elsewhere. If there was a nit to pick about the Cayman S it would be the car鈥檚 cabin. It鈥檚 unlikely many Porsche buyers are in the market for a no-frills sports car, making the interior a bit of a letdown. While the inclusion of real aluminum trim is appreciated, this cabin is about as plain as a rice cracker and could use something 鈥?anything 鈥?to get excited about. Like any Porsche, the price can also climb quite quickly. 96,445 in Canada) with but a few crucial options added. 540 in Canada) to the price. Make no mistake, electrification has its place in this world, but we also need safe havens from alternative fuels. And the 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman S is one such sanctuary.
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