We saw Porsche testing a new variant of the Cayman GT4 that will be based on the new 718 Cayman a couple times last year. The last Cayman GT4 Clubsport was a track-focused version of the Cayman GT4, which is already a sportier, more enthusiast-oriented variant of the regular Cayman. The report, citing, Porsche鈥檚 GT motorsport boss Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, claims that the new vehicle will be easier to drive. When it comes to power, the next Cayman GT4 is rumored to get the naturally-aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six from the 911 GT3. While that motor makes 500 horsepower, the Cayman GT4 will most likely get a detuned version, while it is expected to be offered solely with a dual-clutch PDK transmission. If this is bad news for the purists, who鈥檇 prefer a manual gearbox, the good news is that Porsche will manufacture more examples of the next-gen Cayman GT4 Clubsport. While just 400 units of the first one were built, the new one鈥檚 production will not be as limited.
After only one track event, my 1976 Porsche 930 Turbo or Bad Boy was retired from track duty. Instead of taking it down the path of performance and track mods, I took it in another direction -- turning it into a garage queen/concourse car. But the track bug would not go away, so I looked to buy an entry-level track car. Do you get the feeling that there is no such thing as an entry-level track car? That maybe entry-level and track car are oxymorons or perhaps mutually exclusive? 6K, the search spanned the entire US. The goal: to find a decent car to build into a track monster. After I got it home, I worked my way through it: started off with a thorough detail, changed all the fluids and did other minor maintenance things that anyone does when buying a used car. Okay, actually very few people would go through it as thoroughly as I did, making sure it was ready to transition over to its new duty -- track car.
On the minus side, I discovered that it was really a 20-footer: looked pretty good from 20 feet away, but when you got closer - not so hot. The white paint was not uniform, it had been repainted and not all at the same time, so all the panels were actually different shades of white. But on the plus side, the unibody frame was not bent which boded well for maintaining a good alignment and tracking straight. I won鈥檛 bore you with all the mods. 10. Other miscellaneous stuff that would fill a page. It was kind of half a track car. It had enough mods to make it go faster and handle a little better, but the big stuff would come in round two (suspension, exhaust, etc. -- actually a lot of ETC). By this point I think my wife thought I was going off into the deep end of car mania. And I will admit I was -- not finished yet.
To complete the triumvirate of Porsche ownership, I wanted a daily driver, something my wife could drive too. I convinced her that our 7-car garage (yes, I said 7-car garage) needed one more Porsche to fill the void. There was a big hole in my life that could only be filled by a Porsche Boxster. You know, something along the lines of a convertible variety. Now way back in the 80s I鈥檇 owned the sagging rusting Porsche 914, but it was not a real convertible, it was more of a Targa (meaning it had a removable roof panel). It鈥檚 not the same thing until you have a car with a top that disappears completely, the wind in your hair and a barrage of olfactory sensations as you drive down the road. Your nostrils are filled with the scent of fresh cut grass, French Fries from Whataburger, too much perfume from the gal in the car next to you, fresh skunk road kill (searing your nose hairs).