2020 Porsche Cayman GT718 Review 4 Years

If you were to write a recipe for the perfect driver's car, it would most likely look and smell just like the Cayman GT4. 

Yes, you can buy a few things without a roof, windshield, doors or even body panels that have license plates on them - few of them are suitable for Australia - which will bring the driver even closer to the action, but they do expand the definition of the word "car" . 

If you consider the basic principles of a car to be dry, warm, cool, able to take at least one passenger and be equipped with basic safety features, while being civilized enough to drive every day when necessary, and factory service and guarantee support in every capital, we are on the same wavelength.

For many avid driving enthusiasts, the letters G, T and 3 typically stand for that pinnacle, and rightly so since the last three generations of the 911 GT3 have set the benchmark for the perfect balance between track-readiness and road legitimacy. They're not the fastest 911s, but they're that close to a GT3 Cup race car without dropping said license plates.

But as magical as the 911 GT3 formula is, I got to spend some time aboard the downright intoxicating 991.2 GT3 Touring with its GT-spec six-speed manual, the idea of ​​a rear-engined car with the rear seats removed. just does not fit with my pragmatic brain. 

The missing seats do reduce weight, but the result would certainly be even better if the now-useless abyss were filled with an engine inside the wheelbase to even out the weight distribution. Hell, even the latest 911 RSR pulled it off and was the first mid-engined 911 race car.

Adding stiffness to the drop-top Boxster, the mid-engined Cayman has always required GT treatment, and it took a full decade to get that with the first (981) Cayman GT4 in 2016. 

I've never had the opportunity to drive it, but the combination of its theoretically perfect engine layout, track calibration from the hallowed halls of the Porsche GT department from top to bottom, naturally aspirated engine and manual transmission is just right. Aside from a few complaints about certain gear ratios, his reputation is that my theory has been confirmed. 

Although most of Porsche's range has since switched to smaller, regulated turbocharged engines, Porsche has introduced the new 718 Cayman GT4 with an even more powerful naturally aspirated engine that is one cubic centimeter smaller than the GT3. 

And here it is on Australian roads, sitting atop a 718 Cayman tree above the Cayman, Cayman S and the upcoming Cayman GTS, next to the mechanically identical Boxster Spyder.

Porsche 718 2020: Cayman GTS 4.0
Safety Rating	-
engine's type	4.0L
fuel type	Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel efficiency	—L / 100km
Landing	2 Places
Price from	$148,500

Is there anything interesting about its design? 9/10

Looking at the new GT4 in isolation, it's easy to assume that Porsche has just reworked the styling details of the previous 981 GT4 and wrapped them around a new 718 package with a more powerful engine.

But aside from the 20x8.5 front wheels and 20x11 rear wheels that still lack the eye-catching center-lock GT3 hubs, it's all brand new and a bit more aggressive.

At the front, the GT4 is fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 245 35/20ZR1 N2 tires. (Image credit: Malcolm Flynn)

The purposeful nose section with massive air intakes at the front and vents on the sides and top now features an extended splitter that protrudes noticeably more than the Boxster Spyder. 

Likewise, at the rear, the rear bumper diffuser insert has been widened to feature the same split twin tailpipes found on the new Cayman GTS.

There are also two levels of fixed ducktail rear spoiler above the bumper between the headlights, and a redesigned Meccano-style wing at the top is now fixed compared to the previous adjustable unit and delivers 20 percent more downforce.

The 981 GT4's detachable front splitter has also disappeared, and this simplification helped Porsche increase its net downforce by 50 percent while maintaining aerodynamic drag and thus top speed. Porsche says this GT4 will reach 304 km/h, which is 9 km/h faster than the 981 GT4 and now the Ferrari F40. At this top speed, the rear fenders and diffuser combine to generate 122kg of downforce.

Its longer skirts front and rear are complemented by the GT3 articulated front suspension architecture and GT4/Spyder-specific rear wheel knuckles. All this is 30mm lower than the regular Cayman with PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) dampers with two switchable settings.

In keeping with Porsche tradition, the standard brakes are also exotic: six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers wrapped around massive 380mm steel rotors at each end. These calipers are originally red but can be black on our car. Carbon ceramic is optional, but more on that below.

These are new Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 1 N2 spec tires, 245/35ZR20 front and 295/30ZR20 rear.

The overall handling is playful, yet balanced and manageable when those big Michelins are cold. (Image credit: Malcolm Flynn)

All of this combines to make it possible to lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 12:7, 28 seconds faster than the 981 GT4. It's also four seconds ahead of the official Carrera GT time, and one of these will cost you at least $800,000 these days.

Claimed 0-100 km/h performance is the same 4.4 seconds as the previous 981 GT4, despite adding 26 kW from the extra 195 cc.

Acceleration from 4 to 0 km / h with only manual control (for now) GT100 is only three tenths faster than a conventional Cayman with optional automatic PDK and Sport Chrono package. That's half a second less than the most recent GT3 and AMG A45 S, which will set you back half the price, but remember that the GT Porsche is about much more than just acceleration numbers. For reference, Porsche claims the new GT4 hits 160 km/h in 9.0 seconds and 200 km/h in 13.8 seconds. 

We like to think of the Cayman as the little brother of the 911, but the aluminum and steel composite GT4 is actually officially 7kg heavier than the GT3 Touring at a claimed 1420kg unladen. It's hard to pinpoint exactly where the extra 80kg comes from compared to the 981 GT4, but various reports suggest it's due to the more sophisticated exhaust system and the larger starter motor that comes with the start-stop system. 

However, this is where things get interesting. Like the new 992 911, the European 718 GT4 comes with Petrol Particulate Filters (PPF) in its dual exhausts to help it achieve its required Euro 6 emissions compliance. Australian models do not come with these filters because the high sulfur content of our unleaded fuel comes out outside the operating parameters of the PPF. But the specifications of the Australian GT4 indicate the same 1420 kg. As I write this after returning our GT4, I wish I had thought to visit the scale during our stay with the car. Can Australian GT4s be lighter and therefore faster?  

However, the 718 GT4 has a significant fundamental performance disadvantage compared to the GT3 Touring due to its lower weight-to-power ratio, officially 4.60 kg/kW versus 3.84. Even if the absence of petrol particulate filters made it 80 kg lighter, the GT4's figure would still be 4.34 kg/kW. Thankfully, then it's $120,000 cheaper than $911 (when new)!

It also turned out that the difference in weight distribution between them is not so great. Despite having all of its engine in front of the rear axle, the weight balance of the new GT4 is officially split 44/56 front to rear, compared to the 40/60 advertised by the last GT3. Clearly, there's a lot to be said for this transmission, exhaust, and rear wing located behind the axle! 

There is more weight behind the rear axle than you probably think.

This fact is also illustrated by the fact that the GT3 only has 10mm of rubber on each rear tire, but this is certainly a statistic for modern 911 doubters.

Another myth worth dispelling is the size difference between the GT3 and GT4. The “baby” Porsche is 130mm shorter overall, but the wheelbase is 27mm longer and the mirror spacing is actually 16mm wider. According to the specs, the GT4 is also just 2mm lower.

Despite the shared front suspension architecture, the GT4's 1538mm front track is narrower by 13mm and the 1534mm rear track is also 21mm narrower. 

So given that the 911 is actually a pretty big car these days, so is the Cayman. MX-5 competitor, it's not.

The interior of the GT4 was also adorned with GT trim, in contrast to the already slick details of the regular 718 Cayman. 

A combination of black leather and Alcantara covers most surfaces, offset by decorative stitching and inlays in brushed aluminum (or body-colour free), door handles in GT-specific fabric, and GT4 logos on the door sills and embroidered headrests.

The same delightfully round (rather than flat-bottomed) buttonless steering wheel from the GT3 is wrapped in Alcantara. But as perfect as faux suede is in racing gloves, my GT4's steering wheel could be wrapped in smooth leather for free, which is much more comfortable to hold with bare hands. This option also replaces the Alcantara gear selector with the same leather.

What are the main characteristics of the engine and transmission? 9/10

At the center of the 718 GT4's history, or rather just in front of the rear axle, is a 4.0-liter (3995 cc) naturally aspirated flat-six engine mated romantically to a six-speed H-style manual transmission. A dual-clutch version of the PDK is on the way, but not before 2021. 

It is a pity that such perfection is hidden under the body.

This engine has the same 4.0 badging as the latest GT3, but it's one cubic centimeter smaller and the 13:1 compression ratio is slightly lower than the GT3's 13.3:1.

This current configuration is similar to the 981 GT4 formula, but the engine size has grown by 195cc. cm, and the new peak power at 26 kW - 309 kW - is reached 200 rpm later at 7600 rpm, or just before the 8000 rpm redline. Peak torque remains the same 420Nm as before and is available from 250rpm to a higher point at 5000rpm, but its range to 6,800rpm is 550rpm more than before.

Those numbers are 59kW and 40Nm less than the latest GT3, but it needs 8250rpm and 6000rpm to reach their respective peaks, but it doesn't redline until a sky-high 9000rpm. 

It's rare to find such a large naturally aspirated engine, and the 4.0 is really the right fit for something non-turbo.

Anything as square as a 102mm bore and 81.5mm stroke should be pretty snappy, but Porsche can boast that it's the first time that direct injection piezo injectors have been able to handle this kind of revving power.

The 991 GT3 was iconic to the model name, only offering a more technically clean dual-clutch PDK automatic transmission, but the latest 991.2 has expanded that appeal to include a now pleasure-focused manual. 

However, the new GT4 does it differently as it only works in manual mode for now, with PDK coming later. However, it is the former that fits the recipe for absolute driver attractiveness that I mentioned at the beginning.

But unlike the manual GT block from the GT3, the GT4 block is simply a shortened derailleur version of the regular six-speed Cayman block. 

All gear ratios match other manual-transmission 718 Caymans, with each ratio significantly higher than the manual-transmission GT3, with a slightly lower final drive ratio. Does it matter? Read more… 

After transmission, power is transferred to the wheels via a mechanically locking rear differential that works in conjunction with Porsche's Torque Vectoring (PTV) system, which can apply individual rear brakes to transfer power to the opposite wheel when needed. 

How practical is the interior space? 9/10

I've always liked the Cayman's two-trunk, two-seat layout more than the 911's tradition of tiny front trunk and tiny rear seats. If you don't have to carry tiny people in the back, you'll probably be fine.

The GT4 continues the Cayman norm: a deep 150 liter bow cavity is complemented by a very comfortable 275 liters under the rear hatch, with an extra shelf above the engine for long or flat items. Considering a standard shopping cart holds 212 liters, a clean 425 liters of Cayman might be ready for Costco.

There's also a pair of handy lidded compartments on either side of the rear shelf, an expandable compartment in each door, and the 718 still has the shiny 991 adjustable cupholders that fold out from the area above the glovebox.

Despite only having two seats, there is no top cable or ISOFIX anchorage on the passenger side of the GT4 for installing a child seat. 

Does it represent good value for money? What functions does it have? 8/10

With a list price of $206,600, exactly $119,800 below the starting price of the 991.2 GT3 Touring when it was new, the $718 Cayman GT4 seems like a relatively good deal, especially considering it's less than $35,000 more expensive than Cayman GTS, which should arrive soon. minute. This is relative, remember. 

The new GT4 costs $16,300 more than the outgoing GTX4, but I doubt that will deprive Porsche of any sales.  

For a car with such a focus on the track, it still comes equipped with basic amenities such as dual-zone climate control, heated seats with partial electric adjustment and automatic headlights.

Unlike the 911 Carrera T, there's no stupid need to opt for the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) multimedia system, which has built-in sat-nav, DAB+ digital radio and Apple CarPlay but still doesn't support Android Auto. There is also cruise control, but not an active system.

It is also prepared for the Porsche Track Precision smartphone app, which works in conjunction with satellite navigation and sends telemetry data to your phone, including sector and lap times. 

Our GT4 was also equipped with a host of options, including 18-way power sports seats ($5150), yellow stitching throughout the cabin ($6160), carbon fiber interior trim ($1400), Alcantara sun visors ($860). $570), body-colored seat belts ($500), yellow top center markings on the steering wheel ($2470), and Bose surround sound ($XNUMX).

The black badge on the GT4's tail is an optional extra and adds $540 to the price. (Image credit: Malcolm Flynn)

On the outside, it was adorned with a black GT4 tail badge ($540), glossy black brake calipers ($1720), active-beam LED headlights ($2320), color-coded headlight sprayers ($420), and power folding door mirrors with lamps. puddles. ($620). 

It was also equipped with the $1000 Chrono Package, which includes the now classic analog stopwatch on top of the dash, as well as lap recording capability and advanced trip computer features on the media screen. The Chrono package can also be combined with an optional secondary lap trigger so you can control your own automatic lap timing on track days. 

The Chrono package costs an additional $1000 and adds an analog stopwatch on top of the dash. (Image credit: Malcolm Flynn)

All in all, our Cayman GT4 costs $230,730 before travel expenses. 

Standard exterior color choices are our test car racing yellow, white, black or classic Porsche Guards Red. There are many other options for the price.

The Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) package is also available as an option ($16,620), indicated by yellow calipers, and further improves braking performance with 410mm front and 390mm rear rotors, while also reducing the weight of the standard by 50 percent . rotors from unsprung masses. 

Behind the rear 20-inch discs are four-piston calipers wrapped around massive 380mm steel rotors. (Image credit: Malcolm Flynn)

Full-size carbon-framed bucket seats, but still wrapped in leather and Alcantara, can be purchased for $11,250, and a bolt-on rear roll cage, six-point driver harnesses, and an 2.5kg fire extinguisher are included in the Clubsport package ($8250).

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How much fuel does it consume? 8/10

The official Australian fuel consumption of the 718 Cayman GT4 on a combined cycle is 11.3 l/100 km, which is the same today, but remember that this is a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated engine with a strong pull. It has a start/stop system to help reduce fuel consumption under heavy driving conditions, and cylinder deactivation to do the same with light throttle cruising.

At the end of our testing, we saw an average consumption of 12.4L/100km on the trip computer, which is not bad given our mixed conditions, including a photo shoot that is never easy to consume.

Judging by the fuel door, the GT4 will run on premium 95 octane unleaded gasoline, but favors the more expensive 98 octane gasoline.

Don't even think about using 91 RON. (Image credit: Malcolm Flynn)

Based on our average test, a 64-litre tank should easily cover 516 km between fill-ups.

What safety equipment is installed? What is the safety rating? 6/10

Porsche does a great job of keeping up with the status quo of modern cars in many areas, but still falls into the high-performance car niche when it comes to occupant safety transparency. 

Only Porsche SUVs and now the electric Taycan have been assessed by Euro NCAP, with no model tested or recognized locally by ANCAP.

So there is still no independent safety rating for the Cayman, let alone the GT4. 

In terms of features, it meets the basic requirements, including dual front, side and side airbags, as well as a stability control system that includes the aforementioned torque vectoring function for the rear wheels.

It also has a rear-view camera built into the media screen and rear parking sensors, but no front sensors or cross-traffic alerts on either side. 

There are also no active safety measures like AEB, blind spot monitoring, or any sort of lane guidance. 

Given its intended function to spend a significant amount of time on racetracks, you may be happy to take safety into your own hands, but be aware that it lacks many of the features that come standard on the sub-$2 Mazda20,000. 

Warranty and safety rating

Basic Warranty

3 years / unlimited mileage


guarantee

How much does it cost to own? What kind of guarantee is provided? 7/10

As with all Porsche models, the Cayman GT4 is covered by the brand's three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty. This is still the average for major premium brands, but note that Genesis and Mercedes-Benz have moved to a five-year period. 

Despite being such a performance-focused model, GT4 service intervals are still 12 months or 15,000 km, but instead of offering a price-limited service plan, Porsche leaves pricing up to individual dealers.

What is it like to drive? 9/10

The GT4 tingles your spine from the moment you turn the fob in the ignition. It's almost retro in the push button era, but still provides more convenient key storage than your jeans.

The 4.0-liter engine runs at high idle and the engine emits a metallic squeal, which in normal analysis would probably be considered a "hell of a rumble", but if you agree with its purpose, it is welcome. GT experience. 

That roar from behind is always audible, and pushing the exhaust button on the center console only unleashes a little more growl and muttering. (Image credit: David Parry photographer)

An abundance of Alcantara, cloth door handles and perfectly placed controls bring a motorsport feel to the cabin. The lack of a conventional flat bottom steering wheel might be a little less savory, but I'm a big proponent of round wheels in road cars with more than one turn lock to lock as they don't feel like you're steering. 50 cent coin.

While I've detailed the technical details above, I'm not going to pretend for a second that I was able to test the full breadth of the GT4's performance or dynamic capabilities. A race track with comparative data would be needed to tell this story. 

The GT4 tingles your spine from the moment you turn the fob in the ignition. (Image credit: David Parry photographer)

I'm also not going to pretend to feel the distinct advantage of the mid-mounted Cayman engine - the modern 911 gets over its ass so well - but I'm filled with joy just knowing that the sharpest formula is being applied to the engine. the coolest layout.

I can tell you that the GT4 is perfect for its place in the Cayman spectrum, which starts in a pretty special space with the base model and gets a little sharper with every trim level up to the GT4. And the GT4 juuuust on the civilized side is too stiff to drive on the road but drips with precision from every moving part. 

The GT4 looks civilized, too sharp for the road, but it still excels in the precision of every moving part. (Image credit: David Parry photographer)

That roar from behind is always audible, and pushing the exhaust button on the center console only unleashes a little more growl and muttering. 

There are no driving modes here, with the exception of the PASM dual-mode shocks, which probably don't offer any benefit in sport mode other than adding a "flaky" feel. The default setting is excellent given the limited suspension travel and low-profile tires, it's really quite accommodating even on rough back roads.

One of the defining elements of the GT4's accuracy is the astonishing lack of backlash in its drivetrain. (Image credit: David Parry photographer)

You can actually hear the throttle opening through the right air intake located near the driver's right elbow. He literally swallows air when you press the accelerator pedal. Given that there is a matching air intake on the passenger side, they are likely to have the same experience.

The sharpness of the throttle response is refreshingly focused considering most cars these days seem to have your right foot in the name of fuel efficiency. 

It's also rare to find a naturally aspirated engine this big for the same reason, and it's really malleable for something with no turbos attached, revving smoothly from about 2000rpm in a linear fashion to 8000rpm. end of the tachogenerator. 

The default setting is excellent given the limited suspension travel and low profile tires. (Image credit: David Parry photographer)

This six-speed shifter is also a sharp tool, with its shorter travel probably due to its light weight, and all the gates are well defined, and it clicks from gear to gear like it should, even when it's cold in the middle of the Blue Mountains. winter. 

Do these relatively high gear ratios matter on the road? I have to say that I didn't really notice during my stay with the car. They're all close enough to each other that it's rockets far from rest. This can make a difference if you're chasing fast acceleration or tenths on a tight race track, but I don't feel it detracts from the everyday driving experience. And it's actually 2600 rpm at 100 km/h in 6th gear, so at that speed it's about 600 rpm shorter than the stock car's norm.

The GT4 leaves a lot to be desired in terms of stopping power on the road. (Image credit: David Parry photographer)

If you're still working on heel-toe coordination, there's an auto-shift feature to ensure perfect downshifts, but thankfully, this shifts for those of us who like to do it the hard way.

I feel that one of the defining elements of the GT4's accuracy is the astonishing lack of backlash in its drivetrain. So it feels just as sharp when you step on the gas as it does when you turn it on, which is great for keeping things smooth as you approach the limits of traction. 

Helping to telegraph these limitations is the steering, which, whatever you may remember from Porsche's pre-electric car steering days, is simply superb by today's standards, with great feel and consistent weight. As I mentioned above, I would have preferred more grippy leather around the rim than stock Alcantara, but that's an easy fix. 

Overall handling is playful yet balanced and manageable when those big Michelins are cold, and fantastically capable when you're on the road. It feels like the center of gravity is so low that it should scratch the road.  

Throttle response is refreshingly focused. (Image credit: David Parry photographer)

One thing that likes to interact with the ground at a frustrating rate is the extended front splitter. Even the flattest driveways and speed bumps require extra care to avoid this blood-curdling noise, and it makes you worry it's about to kiss the ground under hard braking. Luckily, the GT4 sticks to GT's tradition of integrating a replaceable unpainted section for that dangerous edge, but I can't imagine leaving GT4 marks on tar ever handy. 

Speaking of brakes, the GT4 leaves a lot to be desired in terms of stopping power on the road. After all, stock steel blocks are quite large, although they require more pedal pressure than most to perform at their best. They also made almost no brake dust on the discs in modern times. Or perhaps they are just color-coded for the pad material... 

Verdict

The previous 981 GT4 was an instant legend, and the new one is definitely better again. Anyone bemoaning his sub-911 status either has no shortage of foldables or hasn't driven both.

Of course, there are faster things - an E63 or an M5 can do a whole second faster to 100 km/h for the same money - but GT Porsche is about much more than acceleration time. That Nürburgring figure is a more decent measure of its outright capabilities, and in that respect it's about 10 seconds faster than the M5. I know which car would be more fun to generate in those days.

This pleasure extends to total rider satisfaction as the overall precision of the mechanical kit, combined with the peak character of the naturally aspirated engine and manual transmission, makes the driver a key component in achieving the best results.  

Given that its aero parts don't perform at their best until three times the Australian National Highway Limit, I guess there's room for a Touring version in the same vein as the wingless 991.2 GT3. One that also uses the shorter splitter from the 718 Spyder. Now this would be a great car for a driver on the road. 

The 4.0-litre Cayman GTS will no doubt come close, but the GT version will always be a master of the smallest detail.

In terms of driving pleasure, the 718 Cayman GT4 is by far the most right-handed in my book.

Professional photography courtesy of David Parry Photography.