Porsche’s 718 Cayman GT4 Is Greater than the Sum of its Parts
Taking Porsche’s nimble 718 and putting high performance parts from other GT spec Porsches makes the GT4 a fine driver’s car.
James Walker admits he’s a tiny bit late to the game when it comes to the Porsche Cayman GT4, but he’s still excited to drive it. “Everything that I have read and watched, and spoke to owners who are raving about them, so I thought it would be a disservice not to share it,” Walker says. Twenty percent more downforce is made on this car compared to the previous version. That comes in two parts. The GT4 actually has the rear diffuser from the Spyder, which had to make its air move without the wing.
“Turns out the rear diffuser was so effective that Porsche took the learning from that car and fitted it to the GT4. You’re forgiven that it happened the other way around,” notes Walker. Up front, small vents just in front of each wheel actually help in two ways by creating an air curtain. Walker explains, “at high speeds, you get high pressure in the front wheel arch which can generate lift. The slots on the top fender of a GT3 extract that air, and so does this air curtain.”
So it can move the air around a bit better, but on a cold, damp and relatively small track, it is the chassis that matters far more. Thankfully, the chassis is showcasing what the tires can’t. “With the front tires having absolutely no heat at all, the front end still turns in wonderfully well,” remarks Walker. The surface of the track is far from ideal as we can see, yet even with such agility, the car stays compliant. No sacrifice in ride quality then.
But of course the real masterpiece of the car is its driveline. “The whole point of this car, and the way that it was engineered and developed, is all about that extra level of interaction between car and driver,” Walker notes. The gearbox alone is worth the price of admission. And sure, the GT4’s engine isn’t a purebred motorsports engine, but it is more than up to the task of making the GT4 one of the best driver’s cars out there. Need proof? Walker says, “this car is greater than the sum of its parts. Around the Nurburgring, this car is ten seconds faster than the previous generation.” Clearly then, this GT4 is more than just a facelift.
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