Racecar Road Trip: 1,700-mile Journey with a Cayman GT4 RS
It goes without saying the latest GT-car from Porsche will kill it on the track, but is this Cayman too ‘Renn’ for the road?
Perhaps the most anticipated GT-car of its generation, the 982 Cayman GT4 RS is a certain step outside of the brand’s comfort zone.
So Henry Catchpole and the folks at the Carfection YouTube channel chose a different approach for their latest video: what about a road trip?
Originally, Porsche had a firm stance on keeping RS models strictly 911-based.
However, as the latest redesign of the iconic 4.0 liter, flat-six engine powering the 911 allowed for the possibility, their stance changed. Initially, a prototype of the GT4 RS was created for the previous generation 981 chassis.
It is only now that we are graced with a production version, finally able to take advantage of the Cayman’s small size and balance with the ferocity of a 911 engine.
Normally, we would be curious about the track-focused RS model’s lap times and the like, but we already know it’s going to be a stunner around the apexes.
Heart of the 911 in the body of a Cayman, what can go wrong?
After a press event at Estoril Circuit in Portugal, Catchpole worked out the opportunity to drive one of the available GT4 RSs all the way back to the factory in Stuttgart.
The following would be an epic road trip across Western Europe, filled with nothing more than galavanting carelessly across 1,500 miles to the final destination.
As much as an awesome track day sounds, if given the option between the two, we would choose the road trip every time.
Road Trip + Racecar = Yes
So even though “they’ve been telling people this is a car for circuit driving or Sunday morning blasts”, how will the best Cayman ever fair across a long drive? Let’s find out.
For those wondering about the technical details of the car, this grey example features the Weissach Package, which adds copious amounts of carbon fiber across the chassis.
Combined with forged wheels, this five-figure option turns an already jaw-dropping car into a museum-worthy piece. Come on, there are NACA ducts on the exposed carbon hood, can you ask for much more?
Certainly, a car with the recipe concocted such as this one is almost destined to be great. However, Catchpole brings up a good point, “this is a car that promises to be pretty special, but can it live up to the hype?”
From the Circuit to the Backroad
Equipped with 245/295 staggered Michellin Cup 2 tires capable of handling the most aggressive of race tracks, we think the RS will be up to the task. However, is the RS simply too much for the road?
Catchpole luckily had a full two and half days journey to find out. Starting in Portugal and heading to Northern Spain to begin, the first important item on the itinerary was a picturesque Spanish canyon road.
While gracefully dancing across the tarmac amidst a blend of dry and wet weather, Catchpole comments, “it’s just so playful this car, the chassis is just, on your side.”
The GT4 RS is only a couple of pounds lighter than a PDK 992 GT3 but has 10 HP less than the 911 due to longer exhaust. However, the overall power-to-weight ratio of both cars is nearly identical.
A blend of heritage destined for greatness
Certainly, however, 500 HP from the flat-six feels different in a Cayman than a 911. From the cockpit lavished with carbon 918-style buckets standard, there really isn’t a better way to experience a good driving road.
The flocked Alcantara dash reminds us of its motorsport heritage, and the interior mix of touchscreen components with analog dials “feels like the perfect ergonomic blend.”
Even though this RS model may not have a manual transmission, Catchpole did not find himself using the paddle shifters.
Instead, he preferred the shifter and how the “short and stubby throw on it feels perfect… lets you live out those rally car sequential shift fantasies.”
Best Non-Manual Gearbox in a Porsche Ever?
You still might be wondering, why is PDK the only option? Well, it all comes down to logistics. The GT3 transmission is too long and wouldn’t fit, while the GT4 transmission can’t take 9,000 RPM.
With the GT4 RS having the shortest gearing of any GT car, it has solved a long-standing gripe of Cayman owners: long and laggy gear ratios.
As a cohesive package, there are few vehicles that challenge what the GT4 RS has to offer. Catchpole after his canyon drive was completely sold.
“This has got to be up there with the best GT cars ever…the best sports cars ever,” said Catchpole.
“It’s a match made in heaven, how could it go wrong? But the execution is so good, it’s rawer than I even dared hope it might be.”
Faster & More Rewarding Than Ever
So yes, even though it is 23.6 seconds faster around Nurburgring than standard Cayman GT4, all that falls to the wayside when considering the driving experience this Porsche provides.
Catchpole struggled to find flaws with the Cayman, resorting to “the larger rear wing obstructs the rearview mirror and that’s about it.”
So even though we are not surprised that the latest GT iteration to come out of the factory is a stunner, no one knew how good it would really be.
A 992 GT3 MSRP is about $160K, the GT4 RS is 20K less. Would you choose a standard GT3 over the GT4 RS at their respective price points? Join the discussion here today at Rennlist!