With Porsche confirming the next-gen Cayman will be silent and electric, the old-school gas-guzzling naturally-aspirated GT4 RS is the perfect final chapter for the 718 (982) series.
The 718 Cayman GT4 RS has been a highly anticipated sports car for many Porsche enthusiasts. It’s currently the hardest, loudest, and most exotic Cayman money can buy. And while Porsche sure took its time on the development, the wait was well worth it considering what the GT4 RS is truly made of.
Being the first Cayman to receive the Rennsport (RS) treatment, Porsche’s GT division gave it everything. They urged to push the boundaries for what could also be the final chapter of its mid-engine sports car, as what comes next will be an EV.
And so, an extreme diet and a naturally-aspirated heart transplant later, the Cayman GT4 RS was born. It turned out to be a fantastic little beast able to tackle every road and racing circuit imaginable. And amazingly, despite the lower price tag, it felt no less of a performance car than its 911 GT3 stablemate.
Origins
Interestingly, the development of the Cayman GT4 RS started as a birthday surprise for Porsche’s then R&D chief Wolfgang Hatz, who, in 2015, initiated the idea of putting the 911 GT3’s engine into the Cayman GT4. At that time, the 991.1 GT3 RS’s MDG unit was too big for the GT4’s engine bay, so Porsche’s GT division boss Andreas Preuninger and team had to do some butchering of the 981 body for the first prototype.
The main hurdles when it came to squeezing the 500 hp motor into the Cayman’s mid-section involved turning it around and designing a new air intake packaging. But being a curiosity-driven project, the team carried on and nailed the first test mule with a manual gearbox — and fell in love with the result.
Longing to see the prototype make it to production, Preuninger brought it to a CEO meeting and let the executives have a go. It didn’t take long for the car to wow everyone at the Weissach proving ground, giving Preuninger’s team the green light to continue the project.
Naturally-Aspirated Fun, Uncut
If there’s one thing that made the GT4 RS worth the wait, it’s the engine. Indeed, it has the latest-gen naturally-aspirated 4.0-liter flat-6 derived from the 992 GT3, which is nothing short of a masterpiece. Want to know why? Read our full technical rundown of Porsche’s 4.0L right here!
Copy-pasting the GT3’s power unit means the GT4 RS has the same stratospheric 9,000 rpm limit, boasting 493 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque. And interestingly, Porsche assures there wasn’t any effort made in detuning the engine, so the missing 9 hp and 16 lb-ft from the GT3’s spec sheet is mainly due to the extra back pressure in the longer exhaust required by the mid-engine application — or maybe it was just unethical for the baby Cayman to step on the 911’s toe.
Nonetheless, those numbers are still a significant bump from the 414 hp and 310 lb-ft you get in the standard Cayman GT4. And with the lighter chassis and standardized 7-speed PDK gearbox, the GT4 RS accelerates to 60 mph in a GT3-like 3.4 seconds and reaches a top speed that is nothing to be ashamed of, hitting a supercar-rivaling 196 mph.
Read more: Porsche’s 4.0L Flat-Six N/A Is Nothing Short of a Masterpiece
Track-Focused Handling
The standard Cayman GT4 was already one of the world’s best-handling sports cars, but the 49 lbs. lighter GT4 RS does take things up a notch. For starters, the RS has many added aero bits for increased downforce, such as a front splitter with flow-around side blades, front wheel arch vents, underbody air directors, and a GT3-inspired swan-neck wing. As a result, the aero upgrades account for up to 25 percent more downforce than the standard GT4, which comes in handy under high-speed cornering.
Moreover, while it may enjoy the benefit of a 992 GT3’s fancy double-wishbone suspension and rear-axle steering, the GT4 RS still has a highly balanced ball-jointed chassis with stiffer springs and dampers, making the handling just as precise. There are also a couple of Porsche’s wizardry racing tech bits, such as an active damping system and torque vectoring for improved stability and more agile cornering.
As for the more visible features, the front rotors are 10mm bigger than the GT4, and you can opt for carbon ceramics for an extra $8,000. And while it retains the grippy Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires measuring 245/35-20 (front) and 295/30-20 (rear) from the non-RS variant, an even-stickier 2 R set is available as an option.
All those track-focused upgrades mean the GT4 RS has a more viscous racing DNA, reflected by its Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time of 07:09.3 – a whopping 23.6 seconds quicker than the regular Cayman GT4 and only 14 seconds slower than the 992 GT3.
A Live Concert on Wheels
Still, one point the 911 GT3 isn’t overshadowing the GT4 RS is the noise, distinguishing the driving experience of the two rocket ships. Indeed, the mid-engine setup means the Cayman’s 4.0-liter MDG sits right behind you instead of further back, as in the 911. And removing the soundproofing engine bay cover means that the engine’s raw and unfiltered sound is a lot more “in your face.”
In addition, the rerouting of the air intake channel also contributes to the GT4 RS’s symphony. Replacing the rear quarter windows are air-intake scoops, so you can hear all the hisses and swooshes more vividly as the airbox sucks the air right beside your ear!
In other words, brace yourself for deafening noises within the cockpit, especially when you have the rev needle at 9 — it’s nothing short of a concert on wheels, producing one of the best fuel-powered tunes ever created.
Beyond Standard — Clubsport and Weissach Package
If the $143,050 base price is not enough for you, Porsche will, of course, gladly offer several optional packages for a premium. For instance, if you want an even lighter GT4 RS, the $13,250 Weissach Package might be your cup of tea. The package sheds even more weight by replacing several components with exposed carbon fiber, including the front lid, air intake cover, side mirror upper trims, and rear wing. It also adds lighter titanium exhaust tips, Race-Tex upholstered dashboard, and optional lighter magnesium wheels (costs another $15,640 but shaves off another 22 lbs!). Considering the weight reduction, the Weissach Package isn’t that expensive, especially considering the added value on the secondhand market in the future.
Fancy racing with your GT4 RS? You can also opt for the free-of-charge, yes, completely free, Clubsport Package, containing a steel roll cage, six-point harness, and fire extinguisher, and enter any GT4-homologated race. It sure sounds very enticing, but be aware that your new Porsche won’t be road legal anymore.
Should You Get It Over The 911 GT3?
I’m well aware this isn’t a comparison test, but knowing that a fully equipped GT4 RS costs fairly similar to a standard 911 GT3, the least I can do is give you my two cents here.
To many, the 911 GT3 may be the more sensible choice. It’s a more sophisticated machine with many hi-tech features, including a control-arm suspension, rear-wheel steering, manual gearbox option, and tons of benefits from the rear-engine layout. It’s even a better daily driver; some say it’s a great GT car.
Still, while the GT3 is far from being considered calm and unexciting, the GT4 RS is one of the few cars surpassing its brutality. Sure, it’s neither faster nor more comfortable than the GT3, and it doesn’t come with nearly as many gizmos. But the GT4 RS offers what most purists love about Porsche motorsport products: pure raw performance that’s still controllable and not too intimidating.
And that’s how the GT4 RS will win you over.
Last Words
Honestly, although the GT4 RS is an absolute gem of a driver’s car, I can’t help but feel a little sad that it might be the internal combustion Cayman’s swan song. But regardless, Porsche’s GT division has once again done a great job celebrating natural aspiration, even when they had to squeeze it into the 718’s smaller body.
The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS may not be the perfect sports car, but it’s an excellent reminder of what pure driving is all about. Speed, responsiveness, handling, and sound — these are the qualities you’d associate with a fun car, and the GT4 RS offers all of them in spades. A true celebration of what ICE sports cars have been about in the last 100 years.
Can electricity bring as much excitement? We’ll know soon enough, I guess!
Gallery: Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS
