Owner Review (copy / paste)
06-22-2015, 12:16 AM
#1
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Owner Review (copy / paste)
Found this on the CaymanGT4 forum (who found it on another forum - there are a lot of moribund forums out there...). I enjoyed the read, posting here for other's interest.
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Blueline’s GT4 Review
Please find below some thoughts, views and random opinions about the GT4 after a few weeks ownership. Please notethat I have not taken the car to a track yet, but I will update the review then…
1. The Engine
The engine pulls nicely on lower RPM, it really opens up at 4500 RPM and continues to push hard up to the redline. There is a notable additional urge at 6000 RPM.
There is plenty of low end torque, which I have been missing until now in the 98x models. The torque curve in the GT4 is also quite flat which gives it a nice wide power band.
It feels like the normal 3.8l DFI engine, but with more urge than in the 997.2 and pretty much similar to the 991.
The throttle response is direct.
1.1 Should Porsche have added the X51 kit and 430hp?
No. The GT4 with 385hp does not lack in power. It is quick as is. Very quick, actually.
…but? Well, please note that even if the 991 GT3 has 90hp more, the GT4 has only 20Nm less in maximum torque and that with a much flatter curve. Up to 5200 RPM the GT4 engine delivers more torque than the GT3 engine, in a car which weights 100 kg less. After 5200 RPM the curves are in line, with the GT4 being 20 Nm below.
Bluelines Points: 5/5
2. The Exhaust
What a sound! Maybe the single biggest surprise. It is simply fantastic! On the low end it has an almost air-coolednote to it. Deep, growling and with a pronounced *flap, flap* character. On the mid and high end it turns more raspy and high pitched similar to the GT3.
Overall it is an aggressive sound and it is very different to the 991 PSE. It does sound a lot more race car than sports car. It is is also much louder and I am almost surprised it got approval.
If you switch the sports exhaust off the car is quiet and neighbourhood friendly.
Bluelines Points: 5/5
3. The Gearbox
The gear lever has a short throw with a delightfully direct and precise feel. It feels shorter than the 987/997 short-shifts. The character is mechanical, but without being clunky. You can quickly flick through the gears with a small hand movement and it is a true pleasure doing so.
You can feel the lighter flywheel which makes the car very responsive in lower gears.
I did not notice any issues with downshifting to, for example, 1st gear before the temperature was up. All previous cars with short-shift had this issue, but it seems to be gone. I remember that I sometimes even had to double clutch to get 1st gear in.
3.1 The Long Gears
Maybe the most discussed and criticised point about the car. So, are the gears long? Yes. Does it bother me? No. Does it prevent me from having fun? Absolutely not.
The car pulls hard in 2nd gear from 50km/h all the way up to 130km/h. It is a, relatively speaking, light car with, relatively speaking, plenty of low end torque. I can understand why Porsche spent money on other things than changing the gearbox, the torque from the 3.8l engine combined with the low weight works very well.
3.2 The Rev-Match Feature
I must admit I was highly sceptical about this gizmo. After about 5 minutes in the car my scepticism had turned into a big grin. It works very well and unless you know how to dance like Walter Röhrl it is a true help for very fast downshifts. The sound it makes on these downshifts is insane! True race car like, with occasional loud bangs. PDK downshift are boring in comparison.
This might sounds strange, but it feels like the rev-match feature closes the gap between a traditional manual and PDK, in a positive sense.
3.3 “I am not getting a GT4 because it does not have PDK!”
Well, if you were one of those people. Too bad. You have missed out…
Being someone who is fully convinced about PDK and who enjoys driving with PDK on the road and on the track, I was curious to see how I reacted to a manual gearbox. Well, I was in for a surprise. A positive one, that is. While the entire business of moving around a lever in an ancient arcane pattern while having to press a redundant pedal in the floor is starting to become silly, the pleasure of doing so far outweighs the silliness.
The gearbox in the GT4 has been very well engineered, to provide the driver with the maximum feel, while being as efficient and modern as possible. In my opinion the manual gearbox fits the car perfectly and I think PDK would rob some of that feeling.
Bluelines Points: 4.5/5 (no 5 due to the long gearing)
4. The Suspension
The suspension is hard, but without being harsh. Even on bad surfaces the car is not bone rattling hard in Normal mode. I would not say it is comfortable though.
There is very little roll in the body. Even coming fast and hard into a turn, the car stays amazingly flat.
Bluelines Points: 5/5
5. The Brakes
The steel brakes offer a stupendous amount of stopping power and there is a good feel to the pedal. Not much more to say, simply great brakes.
5.1 What about PCCB?
Get them if you want to show-off your yellow brake callipers or hope that they leave less brake dust.
Bluelines Points: 5/5
6. The Steering
The steering is pretty light, with a precise and direct feel. There is lots of feedback in the steering wheel and you can feel the surface and the wheels very well. The 918 steering wheel, or Macan steering wheel if you want, is great too.
The turn in is very quick. Steer in, hold on, breathe out…
Bluelines Points: 5/5
7. The Exterior
The exterior design is drop dead gorgeous in my opinion. The GT4 is cleaner and minimalistic compared to the GT3, having less air inlets/outlets, vanes, etc. and a more flowing design.
The GT4 front facia is a master piece and maybe the most beautiful part of the car. The three air intakes have a clean design and great proportion. It makes the car look very aggressive and you instantly realise that this is not a “normal”Cayman.
The wing also suits the car very very well. It is more subdued than on the GT3, but in my opinion, suits the 981 shape better than the 991.
The ground clearance for the front spoiler lip is 11 cm.
8. The Interior
Standard Porsche Cayman or 991 quality. I did not spec the leather package and I don’t miss it at all in this car.
8.1 Full Bucket versus Sport Seats
Ok, another much discussed topic… The full bucket seats offer great side support and have a race car like feel to them. The seat can be moved forward/backward with a manual lever under the seat. It can also be moved up/down with a button on the side. Please note that the seat is fixed in the front and the up/down movement tilts the seat forwards/backwards. Hence there is quite a lot of freedom to move the seat’s position, height and tilt, at least compared to previous bucket seats. Except for the front edge, which is fixed in height.
There is not much padding in the seat and it does get hard after a short time of driving. I have had trouble finding a suitable seating position and I did end up with a sore back after a few days. My suspicion is that the seat base is a tad too long for me and the front is a bit too high. This means I cannot move all the way back to the rear seat wall and the back in slightly curved. I have experimented a lot with the seat configuration, but not found a solution. I think bringing a small pillow behind the lower back should do the trick.
It is also bit troublesome to get in to the car with the bucket seats, especially if you cannot open the door more than the first step. The side wall of the bucket seat is high and the steering wheel close. Not a car you wiggle into a narrow parking spot at the shopping center. At least not if you plan to get out and in.
The Sport Seats on the other hand are far more comfortable! If you plan to use the car more on the road and less on the track, then think twice before ordering the full buckets. The Sport Seats work on a track too, you just cannot fix a harness. Please don’t start arguing weight difference. This matters little if your back is sore.
9. The Handling
Lets add all the features together and look at the full package with respect to the handling. On the various car forums people tend to single out and exaggerate specific features, usually focusing on some random number which is not sufficiently high or low. In real life, things work differently…
The full package feels very complete and cohesive. Of course the GT4 could have had more power or different gearing, but it would not have changed the full package. Porsche has put together a great car with the GT4 and I am most pleased that they focused more on driver involvement than raw numbers. You feel this instantly when driving the car. The connection between driver and car is excellent!
The handling and feel of the car is simply awesome. It is direct, precise and mechanical. Almost a bit old school GT3 or air cooled.
You can throw it around like a go-cart and it never complains or becomes nervous. The turn in must be one of the quickest in any Porsche, or other brand for that matter. Just fixate and steer and the car shoots off like nothing I have ever experienced before.
9.1 Is it as Fun as Everyone Claims?
Yes! No further comment needed.
9.2 Is it a Daily Driver?
In my view, no. The bucket seats, the cup tires and the low front lip speak against. Of course one could spec the GT4 with Sport Seats and change the tires, but I would think a Cayman GTS does the daily driver job a lot better. The GT4 is a special car for special driving.
9.3 What About the 7:40 Ring Time?
I have no longer any doubt this car laps the Nürburgring in 7:40 as claimed by Porsche.
10. 981 GT4 Versus 991 C4S
Firstly, these are two completely different cars and comparing them does not make much sense, but for completeness, here we go…
10.1 The Engine
The 385hp engine in the GT4 feels pretty much exactly as powerful as the 400hp engine in the C4S. It does feel more powerful than the 385hp engine in the 997.2.
10.2 The Exhaust
The exhaust notes for the cars are very different. The GT4 has a lot more aggressive sound and is far louder then the 991. The pops on the overrun are not as prominent in the GT4, but you get the occasional (very) loud bangs. The GT4 is more raspy and high-pitched than the 991.
You can hear that one exhaust was more engineered for sound while the other more for performance
10.3 The Gearbox
Manual in the GT4 versus PDK in the C4S. Well, I think the type of gearbox fits each car perfectly. I would not want the GT4 with PDK, nor would I want the C4S with manual.
10.4 Suspension
The GT4 in Normal mode feels like the C4S with -20mm S-PASM in Sport mode, although the C4S has more roll in the body.
10.5 The Brakes
The GT4 has more bite in the pedal. The brakes squeak more too. Other than that, both cars have excellent stopping power.
10.6 The Steering
The GT4 offers far a more direct and precise steering feel and feedback than the 991. The GT4 is a tad lighter than the 991, but it does feel like the steering wheel is directly connected to the wheels. You can feel every little bump in road surface and know exactly where the wheels point. The 991 in comparison is more muted and filtered in the steering feel.
10.7 The Exterior
I guess a matter of taste. I love the classic 911 shape without a wing. I have also fallen in love with the wing on the GT4 and much prefer this addition to the wing-less models. The wing fits the shape excellent and it is not overdone.
10.8 The Interior
Same same, depending on your spec of course.
10.9 The Performance
The straight-line performance feels pretty much exactly the same. Both cars pull with similar power and I cannot point at one feeling faster within the gears. Between the gears, the C4S feels quicker due to the violent shifting in Sport Plus mode.
10.10 The Handling
Both cars handle very well. The GT4 feels lighter and nimbler. It provides more feedback to the driver and has a better balance. In the GT4 you feel connected to all parts of the car, in the C4S it feels like the connection is fixed to a rubber bushing. It is there, but muted and less prominent.
The rear-end nervousness of the 911 is completely absent in the GT4 and replaced by… hm, well, nothing. Simply great balance.
10.11 The Comfort
A clear win for the C4S. It is far more comfortable and my definite choice for a longer distance travel. The GT4 does not stand a chance here.
10.12 The Choice
If you for some reason are stuck choosing between a C4S and a GT4… get the C4S. You would not be making this choice otherwise.
11. Verdict
I am very happy with the GT4! The car is everything I had hoped for and more.
Overall 5/5 points!
---------------------
Blueline’s GT4 Review
Please find below some thoughts, views and random opinions about the GT4 after a few weeks ownership. Please notethat I have not taken the car to a track yet, but I will update the review then…
1. The Engine
The engine pulls nicely on lower RPM, it really opens up at 4500 RPM and continues to push hard up to the redline. There is a notable additional urge at 6000 RPM.
There is plenty of low end torque, which I have been missing until now in the 98x models. The torque curve in the GT4 is also quite flat which gives it a nice wide power band.
It feels like the normal 3.8l DFI engine, but with more urge than in the 997.2 and pretty much similar to the 991.
The throttle response is direct.
1.1 Should Porsche have added the X51 kit and 430hp?
No. The GT4 with 385hp does not lack in power. It is quick as is. Very quick, actually.
…but? Well, please note that even if the 991 GT3 has 90hp more, the GT4 has only 20Nm less in maximum torque and that with a much flatter curve. Up to 5200 RPM the GT4 engine delivers more torque than the GT3 engine, in a car which weights 100 kg less. After 5200 RPM the curves are in line, with the GT4 being 20 Nm below.
Bluelines Points: 5/5
2. The Exhaust
What a sound! Maybe the single biggest surprise. It is simply fantastic! On the low end it has an almost air-coolednote to it. Deep, growling and with a pronounced *flap, flap* character. On the mid and high end it turns more raspy and high pitched similar to the GT3.
Overall it is an aggressive sound and it is very different to the 991 PSE. It does sound a lot more race car than sports car. It is is also much louder and I am almost surprised it got approval.
If you switch the sports exhaust off the car is quiet and neighbourhood friendly.
Bluelines Points: 5/5
3. The Gearbox
The gear lever has a short throw with a delightfully direct and precise feel. It feels shorter than the 987/997 short-shifts. The character is mechanical, but without being clunky. You can quickly flick through the gears with a small hand movement and it is a true pleasure doing so.
You can feel the lighter flywheel which makes the car very responsive in lower gears.
I did not notice any issues with downshifting to, for example, 1st gear before the temperature was up. All previous cars with short-shift had this issue, but it seems to be gone. I remember that I sometimes even had to double clutch to get 1st gear in.
3.1 The Long Gears
Maybe the most discussed and criticised point about the car. So, are the gears long? Yes. Does it bother me? No. Does it prevent me from having fun? Absolutely not.
The car pulls hard in 2nd gear from 50km/h all the way up to 130km/h. It is a, relatively speaking, light car with, relatively speaking, plenty of low end torque. I can understand why Porsche spent money on other things than changing the gearbox, the torque from the 3.8l engine combined with the low weight works very well.
3.2 The Rev-Match Feature
I must admit I was highly sceptical about this gizmo. After about 5 minutes in the car my scepticism had turned into a big grin. It works very well and unless you know how to dance like Walter Röhrl it is a true help for very fast downshifts. The sound it makes on these downshifts is insane! True race car like, with occasional loud bangs. PDK downshift are boring in comparison.
This might sounds strange, but it feels like the rev-match feature closes the gap between a traditional manual and PDK, in a positive sense.
3.3 “I am not getting a GT4 because it does not have PDK!”
Well, if you were one of those people. Too bad. You have missed out…
Being someone who is fully convinced about PDK and who enjoys driving with PDK on the road and on the track, I was curious to see how I reacted to a manual gearbox. Well, I was in for a surprise. A positive one, that is. While the entire business of moving around a lever in an ancient arcane pattern while having to press a redundant pedal in the floor is starting to become silly, the pleasure of doing so far outweighs the silliness.
The gearbox in the GT4 has been very well engineered, to provide the driver with the maximum feel, while being as efficient and modern as possible. In my opinion the manual gearbox fits the car perfectly and I think PDK would rob some of that feeling.
Bluelines Points: 4.5/5 (no 5 due to the long gearing)
4. The Suspension
The suspension is hard, but without being harsh. Even on bad surfaces the car is not bone rattling hard in Normal mode. I would not say it is comfortable though.
There is very little roll in the body. Even coming fast and hard into a turn, the car stays amazingly flat.
Bluelines Points: 5/5
5. The Brakes
The steel brakes offer a stupendous amount of stopping power and there is a good feel to the pedal. Not much more to say, simply great brakes.
5.1 What about PCCB?
Get them if you want to show-off your yellow brake callipers or hope that they leave less brake dust.
Bluelines Points: 5/5
6. The Steering
The steering is pretty light, with a precise and direct feel. There is lots of feedback in the steering wheel and you can feel the surface and the wheels very well. The 918 steering wheel, or Macan steering wheel if you want, is great too.
The turn in is very quick. Steer in, hold on, breathe out…
Bluelines Points: 5/5
7. The Exterior
The exterior design is drop dead gorgeous in my opinion. The GT4 is cleaner and minimalistic compared to the GT3, having less air inlets/outlets, vanes, etc. and a more flowing design.
The GT4 front facia is a master piece and maybe the most beautiful part of the car. The three air intakes have a clean design and great proportion. It makes the car look very aggressive and you instantly realise that this is not a “normal”Cayman.
The wing also suits the car very very well. It is more subdued than on the GT3, but in my opinion, suits the 981 shape better than the 991.
The ground clearance for the front spoiler lip is 11 cm.
8. The Interior
Standard Porsche Cayman or 991 quality. I did not spec the leather package and I don’t miss it at all in this car.
8.1 Full Bucket versus Sport Seats
Ok, another much discussed topic… The full bucket seats offer great side support and have a race car like feel to them. The seat can be moved forward/backward with a manual lever under the seat. It can also be moved up/down with a button on the side. Please note that the seat is fixed in the front and the up/down movement tilts the seat forwards/backwards. Hence there is quite a lot of freedom to move the seat’s position, height and tilt, at least compared to previous bucket seats. Except for the front edge, which is fixed in height.
There is not much padding in the seat and it does get hard after a short time of driving. I have had trouble finding a suitable seating position and I did end up with a sore back after a few days. My suspicion is that the seat base is a tad too long for me and the front is a bit too high. This means I cannot move all the way back to the rear seat wall and the back in slightly curved. I have experimented a lot with the seat configuration, but not found a solution. I think bringing a small pillow behind the lower back should do the trick.
It is also bit troublesome to get in to the car with the bucket seats, especially if you cannot open the door more than the first step. The side wall of the bucket seat is high and the steering wheel close. Not a car you wiggle into a narrow parking spot at the shopping center. At least not if you plan to get out and in.
The Sport Seats on the other hand are far more comfortable! If you plan to use the car more on the road and less on the track, then think twice before ordering the full buckets. The Sport Seats work on a track too, you just cannot fix a harness. Please don’t start arguing weight difference. This matters little if your back is sore.
9. The Handling
Lets add all the features together and look at the full package with respect to the handling. On the various car forums people tend to single out and exaggerate specific features, usually focusing on some random number which is not sufficiently high or low. In real life, things work differently…
The full package feels very complete and cohesive. Of course the GT4 could have had more power or different gearing, but it would not have changed the full package. Porsche has put together a great car with the GT4 and I am most pleased that they focused more on driver involvement than raw numbers. You feel this instantly when driving the car. The connection between driver and car is excellent!
The handling and feel of the car is simply awesome. It is direct, precise and mechanical. Almost a bit old school GT3 or air cooled.
You can throw it around like a go-cart and it never complains or becomes nervous. The turn in must be one of the quickest in any Porsche, or other brand for that matter. Just fixate and steer and the car shoots off like nothing I have ever experienced before.
9.1 Is it as Fun as Everyone Claims?
Yes! No further comment needed.
9.2 Is it a Daily Driver?
In my view, no. The bucket seats, the cup tires and the low front lip speak against. Of course one could spec the GT4 with Sport Seats and change the tires, but I would think a Cayman GTS does the daily driver job a lot better. The GT4 is a special car for special driving.
9.3 What About the 7:40 Ring Time?
I have no longer any doubt this car laps the Nürburgring in 7:40 as claimed by Porsche.
10. 981 GT4 Versus 991 C4S
Firstly, these are two completely different cars and comparing them does not make much sense, but for completeness, here we go…
10.1 The Engine
The 385hp engine in the GT4 feels pretty much exactly as powerful as the 400hp engine in the C4S. It does feel more powerful than the 385hp engine in the 997.2.
10.2 The Exhaust
The exhaust notes for the cars are very different. The GT4 has a lot more aggressive sound and is far louder then the 991. The pops on the overrun are not as prominent in the GT4, but you get the occasional (very) loud bangs. The GT4 is more raspy and high-pitched than the 991.
You can hear that one exhaust was more engineered for sound while the other more for performance
10.3 The Gearbox
Manual in the GT4 versus PDK in the C4S. Well, I think the type of gearbox fits each car perfectly. I would not want the GT4 with PDK, nor would I want the C4S with manual.
10.4 Suspension
The GT4 in Normal mode feels like the C4S with -20mm S-PASM in Sport mode, although the C4S has more roll in the body.
10.5 The Brakes
The GT4 has more bite in the pedal. The brakes squeak more too. Other than that, both cars have excellent stopping power.
10.6 The Steering
The GT4 offers far a more direct and precise steering feel and feedback than the 991. The GT4 is a tad lighter than the 991, but it does feel like the steering wheel is directly connected to the wheels. You can feel every little bump in road surface and know exactly where the wheels point. The 991 in comparison is more muted and filtered in the steering feel.
10.7 The Exterior
I guess a matter of taste. I love the classic 911 shape without a wing. I have also fallen in love with the wing on the GT4 and much prefer this addition to the wing-less models. The wing fits the shape excellent and it is not overdone.
10.8 The Interior
Same same, depending on your spec of course.
10.9 The Performance
The straight-line performance feels pretty much exactly the same. Both cars pull with similar power and I cannot point at one feeling faster within the gears. Between the gears, the C4S feels quicker due to the violent shifting in Sport Plus mode.
10.10 The Handling
Both cars handle very well. The GT4 feels lighter and nimbler. It provides more feedback to the driver and has a better balance. In the GT4 you feel connected to all parts of the car, in the C4S it feels like the connection is fixed to a rubber bushing. It is there, but muted and less prominent.
The rear-end nervousness of the 911 is completely absent in the GT4 and replaced by… hm, well, nothing. Simply great balance.
10.11 The Comfort
A clear win for the C4S. It is far more comfortable and my definite choice for a longer distance travel. The GT4 does not stand a chance here.
10.12 The Choice
If you for some reason are stuck choosing between a C4S and a GT4… get the C4S. You would not be making this choice otherwise.
11. Verdict
I am very happy with the GT4! The car is everything I had hoped for and more.
Overall 5/5 points!
06-22-2015, 02:56 AM
#3
Racer
The original post is from Planet-9 and a Swedish guy living in Switzerland. He also keeps a "daily" diary there where there is quite a lot of useful and interesting information (although most of it is summed up in this post). Spring seems very far away!
06-22-2015, 12:52 PM
#4
Rennlist Member
Well I'm ditching my c4s for the gt4. This is a weekend fun/track car and it should suit my needs better than the 4s and it's about 25k cheaper too.
06-22-2015, 03:58 PM
#5
Very thorough review..nicely done.
And this... "While the entire business of moving around a lever in an ancient arcane pattern while having to press a redundant pedal in the floor is starting to become silly, the pleasure of doing so far outweighs the silliness."
...pretty much the reason why manuals are still hanging around.
And this... "While the entire business of moving around a lever in an ancient arcane pattern while having to press a redundant pedal in the floor is starting to become silly, the pleasure of doing so far outweighs the silliness."
...pretty much the reason why manuals are still hanging around.
03-29-2016, 03:44 PM
#7
Nice review and I agree with everything but the 991s vs GT4 performance. I have had both cars at the same time and the 911 is noticeably quicker. Now you might never notice but when you drive them back to back you can feal the difference. The lul in the GT4 3.5k area is a real hamper and the 991 pulls all the way to redline where the GT4 falls a little flat at the top
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03-29-2016, 03:59 PM
#8
Rennlist Member
Nice review and I agree with everything but the 991s vs GT4 performance. I have had both cars at the same time and the 911 is noticeably quicker. Now you might never notice but when you drive them back to back you can feal the difference. The lul in the GT4 3.5k area is a real hamper and the 991 pulls all the way to redline where the GT4 falls a little flat at the top
( same engine) But I have yet to hear that has been done
(By tuning I mean same hw tb plenum and flash )??
OP thanks for posting good read 👍
03-29-2016, 06:21 PM
#9
Race Director
I think with a Stage 1 package you will feel and be quicker than the 991S. The problem is the last 991S I drove for a couple months was PDK so would not be an apples to apples comparison. I also have to believe the lighter weight of the GT4 should help.Throw in LWBs , PCCBs, and a lithium battery and you are almost another 100 lbs lighter.