2019 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 And Spyder Say No To Turbos
Fans of high-revving naturally-aspirated engines, rejoice. The Porsche Cayman GT4 is returning to the road, eschewing the rest of the line鈥檚 turbo flat-fours 鈥?and it鈥檚 bringing an open-top Spyder with it. Porsche officially announced the pair late Monday. Standing at the top of the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman ranges, the Spyder and GT4 are both mechanically identical, packing the same 414hp 4.0-liter, flat-six engine. The new engine is unrelated to the similarly-sized heart of the 911 GT3; instead it shares its origins with the 911 Carrera鈥檚 turbocharged engine. Nonetheless, free of snails, it should be a singer, with a redline of 8,000rpm. Torque sits at 309lbft, which should encourage regular rowing of the (standard) six-speed manual transmission. There鈥檚 no mention of a PDK either: the only shifting assist is an automatic rev-matching feature for downshifts, which can be turned off. Whether buyers opt for the purist hardtop or the wind-in-your-hair Spyder, both cars tip the scale at 3130lb. That gives them an identical 0-60mph dash of 4.2 seconds 鈥?we assume with the lightweight roof up on the Spyder. Steel brake rotors are standard, with Porsche鈥檚 carbon-ceramic discs available as an option.
The GT4 and Spyder both gain a harder-edged look outside too. A large front lip spoiler is joined by a functional diffuser out back. On the GT4 this accounts for 30% of the rear axle downforce; the Spyder becomes the first Boxster model to generate aerodynamic downforce at the rear because of it. The Spyder鈥檚 rear spoiler deploys automatically at 74mph, whereas the GT4鈥檚 larger fixed item produces 20% more downforce than the previous model. All in, Porsche says the 718 Cayman GT4 can post lap times a full 10 seconds faster than the original GT4. That puts it at an even 7:30 鈥?faster than the 911 GT2 of only a decade ago. Changes to the interior are minimal. Both cars get a GT Sport steering wheel, with a handy centering line on the GT4鈥檚 rim. Porsche has also shaved a half inch off the gear lever鈥檚 height for more directness. In select markets, a Clubsport package will include a half-cage, fire extinguisher, and six-point driver鈥檚 side seatbelt.
Unless you want flashy calipers to show off with. In which case, why don鈥檛 you just spray paint them yellow in your garage and save some money? When Porsche switched the Cayman from a naturally aspirated flat-six to a turbocharged flat-four, not everyone was happy about it. Admittedly, the switch from free-breathing to forced induction is usually a hard pill to swallow, but it鈥檚 not an issue here. The Cayman, even with its new engine, is still quick and responsive. It doesn鈥檛 have the same sound anymore, but it actually kind of sounds like a Subaru now. That鈥檚 neat. Most steering wheels now have controls for the stereo volume, radio channel and cruise control settings. It makes the wheel itself an extremely busy space, full of buttons. Refreshingly, the Cayman鈥檚 steering wheel isn鈥檛 like that. There are no buttons on it, unless you count the little toggle that switches the car鈥檚 driving modes. But that鈥檚 it. The only thing that wheel is designed to do is steer. You鈥檝e got a center console for everything else. They talk about the car鈥檚 impracticality. Sure, the Cayman is no SUV, but it does come with two trunks. There鈥檚 a shallow trunk behind the engine, which can carry a backpack or a small suitcase. And the frunk is actually quite deep. It could fit bags of groceries, some stuff from Costco or even a person, if you need to give someone a ride in a pinch.
Porsche currently offers three different 718 Cayman models in their lineup, from the 300hp base model to the 365hp GTS, with the 350hp Cayman S slotted neatly in between the two. As the top-of-the-line Cayman, the Cayman GTS delivers performance that is on par with the more expensive 911 Carrera model and can effortlessly change roles between everyday road car and track day use. Porsche uses the GTS moniker to identify models that are more sporting both mechanically and visually than lower-level models. In the case of the Cayman GTS, it has 15hp more than the Cayman S, thanks to a revised intake manifold and a larger turbo compressor that allows for more turbo boost. It also comes standard with the Sport exhaust, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and a limited slip differential. Visually, the GTS is distinguished by black accents, larger air intakes and 20鈥?Carrera S wheels on the outside and alcantara trim and Sport Plus seats on the inside. A 6-speed manual is still offered, which is becoming harder to find, with the PDK dual-clutch transmission optional.
All of the Cayman models are attractive, but the GTS is especially so as the larger wheels and black accents give it more street presence, especially when combined with the Racing Yellow paint on our test car. I love the size of the Cayman. It鈥檚 big enough to feel substantial and be comfortable enough to take on a long highway drive, but it鈥檚 small enough to feel like you鈥檙e a part of the car when you鈥檙e in the seat. It is a bit tight in the legroom area for me at 6鈥?鈥?but it鈥檚 not uncomfortable. 290), which lowers the ride height by 20mm and has stiffer springs and roll bars than the standard PASM calibration. Curb weight on the Cayman GTS comes in at 3,098 pounds with the PDK transmission, which is only 99 lbs. It also feels more special to drive, with the aggressive appearance and the more upscale interior, along with the more sporting nature that comes with the Sport exhaust and the PASM suspension.