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Knocking on the 911′s pedestal.
Hear that? It is the sound of the Porsche 911’s pedestal cracking. The plinth on which Porsche has ensconced the 911, secure from threats like the 914, 944, and, most not too long ago, the mid-engine Cayman, has been heretofore unassailable. Browse the spec sheets of the 911 and the Cayman, and like models such as the S and GTS are very carefully and conspicuously separated by their engine outputs, the 911 always coming out on prime. With the new Cayman GT4, Porsche is for the first time permitting one of its lesser automobiles to encroach on the 911’s space. And what a glorious encroachment it has turned out to be.
We could talk about the wild aerodynamic bits and Porsche dropping barriers amongst its models, but we’ll get straight to the most essential GT4 reality: 385 horsepower. With that output, the GT4 ultimately marries the outstanding Cayman chassis not only with a level of energy it deserves, but a level of energy it is capable of handling. Positive, the lab coats in Stuttgart have spent far more than 50 years telling physics they “can’t even” and somehow gifting the 911’s far-from-ideal ass-engined layout some thing resembling docility, but a mid-engine sports auto is inherently better balanced.
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In the GT4, energy comes from a variant of the 911 Carrera S’s 3.8-liter flat-6. The engine is the greatest offered in the Cayman lineup, and it is 45-hp stronger than the GTS model’s 3.4-liter 6. The suspension, according to Porsche, “consists nearly entirely of components of the 911 GT3,” and combined with a 1.2-inch-decrease ride height and dynamic transmission mounts, should enhance on the Cayman’s already impeccable chassis performance. Porsche certainly utilized the GT3 for inspiration when it came time to design the GT4’s wild aerodynamic kit, which consists of a enormous fixed rear wing and a deep chin spoiler the front fascia’s trio of cooling inlets also mimics the GT3 appear.
Carbon-ceramic brakes are optional, as are carbon-fiber seat shells and a version of Porsche’s Sport Chrono lap-timer package with a new overall performance-tracking smartphone app. Regular gear includes leather and faux-suede sport seats, a sport steering wheel, and—unlike the 911 GT3—a 6-speed manual transmission. Oh yes, consume your hearts out, GT3 early adopters.
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With practically the identical output as the 911 Carrera S but the very same difficult-core focus as the 911 GT3, the Cayman GT4 need to easily outperform most of the 911 lineup. Porsche claims the newest Cayman can hit 183 mph and sprint from zero to 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds. That acceleration figure is, like all of Porsche’s functionality estimates, virtually comically conservative. Our 325-hp extended-term 2014 Cayman S reaches 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, and even though Porsche hasn’t outlined specifics with regards to the GT4’s weight, it’ll most likely weigh much less than any other Cayman. Figure on a sub-4-second zero-to-60 run after we strap our test gear to the vehicle, contemplating we achieved 4.2 with a manual-equipped Cayman S.
Even swiping its suspension elements from the GT3, the GT4 won’t exceed that 911’s on-track heroics. We’re told the GT4 matches the GT3’s 7 minute, 40 second Nürburgring lap time—the 2011 GT3’s, that is. Hey, Porsche, did you think we wouldn’t notice that the GT4’s 3.8-liter 6 makes 400 horsepower in the Carrera S, or that fitting the GT3’s PDK dual-clutch automatic could make the GT4 even quicker? Yet in spite of Porsche’s continued efforts to stymie the Cayman’s ultimate potential, the GT4—which will hit U.S. dealerships in July—creates a total mess for the GT3. That’s because at $ 85,595, the GT4 is nearly $ 50,000 less expensive than the GT3, and it comes with the manual so a lot of enthusiasts pined for when the GT3 launched with out a single. Which would you decide on as your track toy?
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