RE: Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 And Boxster Spyder Unveiled
For the 991's I agree Porsche have met the requirements by seemingly improving their engine performance and related exhaust systems, which is why its surprising that the same hasn't been achieved with the 718 GT4. And at 414bhp from 4.0L its not setting any new specific output benchmarks of its own. So power, weight, sound, all three either not having moved the game on, or moving in the wrong direction (for car enthusiasts anyway, albeit in the right direction for the environment), and all due to stricter emission regulations. First, it's unclear if it's much heavier at all overall. The way it's measured has changed. Second, the GT4 is up by 35HP, which is more than the 991.2 GT3 to 991.2 GT3 in pure horsepower and yet even more in proportional terms. Third, start stop and cylinder deactivation etc probably just reflect how much more mainstream these cars are getting and the volumes involved. Nothing new or different going on, it's just that as the GT cars become a larger slice of the mix, they're going to have to do that stuff.
Fourth, the specific output of the new GT4 very obviously has nothing to do with WLTP. Porsche is selling a WLTP 4.0 with 510PS. So why even mention that as if it implies anything to support the idea that WLTP is havng an impact, when that clearly isn't the case? The GT4's specific output is limited by the desire to protect the 911 brand and to limit engine costs, plain and simple. Nowt to do with WLTP. Fifth, noise we don't now yet. I think it'll be fine and in any case I'd rather the balance was tipped a bit towards induction. Don't like the current fashion for shouty exhausts. Generally, I think it's clear that WLTP isn't causing NA cars to be heavier and less powerful to an extent that 'impacts fundamentals'. Overall, I'd suggest peeps relax about WLTP. It very clearly isn't a major issue for NA sports cars given sufficient manufacturer will. But here we are with yet more NA manual cars from Porsche that are more powerful and have higher specific outputs than their immediate forebears. But somehow this is an indication that WLTP / emissions are changing fundamentals in a negative way? In a word, nope!
Porsche-files have been up in arms over the new 718 Cayman and Boxster since their introduction. Though Porsche began its production of sports cars with four-cylinder engines, the necessary removal of the flat 6-cylinder from the mid-engine sportscar lineup was met with open hostility. It seems this new 718 Spyder and 718 Cayman GT4 are meant to salve the rather rancorous contention. Both open-top and coupe 718s are already some of the best dynamically adept automobiles Stuttgart make, but to build something better, Porsche鈥檚 GT department took over. The sports cars are now centered around a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat 6-cylinder engine connected to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission; the manual is the only available transmission as according to Porsche, it鈥檚 pure. As for the engine itself, Porsche claims that it represents an enhanced version of its new 3.0-liter turbocharged flat 6-cylinder found in the 911鈥檚 newest generation. However, we鈥檇 be remiss to not say that it鈥檚 likely that Porsche used the knowledge from its 911 GT3 which also features a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat 6-cylinder engine. The new engine will rev to a spine-tingling 8,000 rpm and delivers 414 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque.
Hot on the heels of the debut of the 718 Boxster, Porsche鈥檚 new 718 Cayman complements the roadster in the mid-engine model line-up. This third generation of the mid-engine sports coupe has without a doubt a more striking and athletic appearance. Which you could argue is quite common when automakers release newer versions of their top-selling sportcars. What is not common, however, is decrease the number of cylinders in the engine. Which is exactly what Porsche has done with the 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman; the original naturally aspirated flat-six engine has been replaced with a new turbocharged flat-four cylinder engine. So does mean that the new Porsche 718 Cayman has received a downgrade? The new 2.5 litre turbocharged flat-four cylinder powerplant in the S model produces 350 horsepower. It produces make 25 more horsepower than its predecessor; which is impressive when you take into account that the newer model is running on lesser cylinders. The torque produced by the new engine yields driving pleasure and agility even at low revs.