Bosch European Motors
Porsche is preparing a successor to the awesome Cayman GT4, based on its updated 718 Cayman, but prior to the car's arrival in the coming months the German firm has shown the racing variant: the 2019 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport. The race car provides plenty of clues for the upcoming road car, namely the choice of powertrain, in this case a 3.8-liter flat-6 generating 425 horsepower, or 40 hp more than before. Torque measures at 313 pound-feet, up 3 lb-ft. The mid-mounted engine is mated to a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission and sends drive to the rear axle, which features a mechanical differential lock. It isn't clear what transmission will feature in the 718 Cayman GT4 road car, but the predecessor model came with a 6-speed manual only. Other features in the Clubsport racer include a lightweight spring-strut front suspension taken from the 911 GT3 Cup race car, plus a racing brake system with steel discs measuring 15 inches all around. There's also a welded-in safety cage, a single racing bucket seat, and a six-point harness. All creature comforts have been removed, helping the weight to be capped at 2,910 pounds. This time around, Porsche will offer two versions of the Clubsport racer. There will be a non-homologated version for track enthusiasts appropriately labeled the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport Trackday. The homologated version will be known as the Competition. Its main upgrades over the Trackday are adjustable shock absorbers, adjustable brake balance, an integrated air jack system, and quick-release steering wheel. Both versions can be ordered immediately and will be delivered to teams and drivers starting in February. As for the 718 Cayman GT4 road car, we'll likely see it debut in March at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show. The car's mechanical package will also be shared with a 718 Boxster Spyder.
I really thought I had missed the boat and regretting not buying one when I had the chance. It pushed me to bite the bullet and I bought a 2016, 981 Cayman S less than 2 years ago. And I'm SO glad I did. The car is just phenomenal. When I had the Cayman at the dealer last fall for an oil change and radio software update, I asked about the 718 GT4. The (981) GT4 is the car I really wanted but it was too far out of the price range and they were all already spoken for by the time I was getting serious. Nothing was firm last October but it was widely suspected that the 718 GT4 would come out sometime in late 2019 or early 2020 and with a return to the flat-6 engine. And the dealer was taking deposits already back then, although I guess it was all unofficial.
I spoke to the salesman for a while before he would even confirm that such a list even existed. 20K deposit and they seemed reluctant to really discuss it further since I'm not one of their marquis customers. In a fit of pure madness, I asked him, if I were to put down a deposit today, how long it would be before my number came up. He seemed reluctant to talk specifics but he told me, already back then, that it would probably be 2 years or more before I got my hands on one. 90K and was doing the mental arithmetic at how much I could get for my car and if it was feasible. 20K on top of that in options, prep, taxes, etc. I'm glad Porsche is returning to the Flat-6. But I'm a bit dismayed at how far up-market they're climbing. 100K for a Cayman seems like madness. Still, there doesn't seem to be a shortage of people lining up to order one. 85K in 2019 dollars.
When Porsche drew curtains on the 968 to make way for the Boxster in 1995, they also marked an end to their 4-cylinder motors in production cars. Exactly two decades later, think tanks at Porsche decide to take a step back into history. First, they revived their 718 model series and in the gamble, bring back 4-cylinder motors with forced induction. We call it a gamble because a sports car has seldom been synonymous with 4 cylinders (just like an economy hatchback doesn't sport a 6 cylinder). Stringent emission norms are rattling many premium manufacturers. The bug hasn't spared the epitome of automotive racing either. Formula 1 has seen a steady decline in cubic capacity since 1987, eventually landing up with 1.6L forced induction engines that probably sound akin to a vacuum cleaner. The only place one can hear the real deal cacophony of F1 engines at 19,000 rpm is on YouTube. The Boxster and Cayman follow suit in the downsizing game and are now powered by not only smaller displacement engines, but lesser cylinders as well. 718s get 2.0L and 2.5L 4-cylinder Turbo motors. Gone are the 2.7 and 3.4 liter flat-six engines.