Gliding through Portimao's Samsung corner, former World Rally Champion Walter Rohrl is driving the Cayman GT4 very, very quickly, but by now I've spent enough time with the car to sense it's got some left in it. As we exit Turn 9, Rohrl glances in the mirror at the three GT4s tailing us. They're keeping up. His face, already stoic, tightens slightly. His eyes narrow, and his body language is suddenly slightly but obviously more serious. It's on. Rohrl is driving the GT4 for everything it's worth. Three corners later, he backs off a bit, looks over at me, and says dryly, "Sometimes you have to show them who is the chief."

It's there, at the razor's edge, where I finally appreciate just how good the GT4 is. Rohrl has left the traction and stability control on, and they never make themselves known, even allowing him to rotate the car several degrees at corner exit. It's immediately clear to me the car wants to go even faster, but we've reached the limit of what the best street tire can do.