Racing Legend Mark Webber Drives the 718 Cayman GTS!
Watch the Porsche Motorsport icon effortlessly toss around the new GTS at the legendary Estoril Circuit.
2020 marks the release (some might say the return) of the 6-cylinder Cayman. Not too long ago back in 2016 when the 718 Boxster/Cayman line made its debut, a lot of long time Porsche fans weren’t too happy about the fact the flat-six had disappeared from the line-up. The flat-six engine had long been a staple in the Cayman line up until that time. Since its inception, every Cayman/Boxster model until that point had been powered by a flat-six.
This engine configuration hadn’t exactly disappeared entirely during the 718 generation, as it was still available in the form of the Cayman GT4. However, many of us know that these limited production cars are most of the time more unattainable than not, especially when they have the letters “GT” in the name. Porsche harked back to the 718 name to recognize a point in the company’s history where they were winning races by creating nimble and agile cars, when they lacked the logistics to build bigger engines. However, most of us will agree that if you have a better engine, you might as well use it.
Thus, we have been rewarded with the 718 GTS, the first of the 718 generation non-GT Cayman/Boxsters to offer flat-six engine after their abrupt departure. Not only this, but the GTS features a stunning 4.0L flat-six that generates 400 HP and screams to 7,800 RPM. That’s something we can get behind. There is also another individual that feels the same way, his name is Mark Webber. You’ll see him here effortlessly pushing the GTS to its grip-limited edge around the legendary Circuito do Estoril outside of Lisbon, Portugal. We can thank the official Porsche YouTube channel for this amazing lap.
For those not familiar with Webber, he is without a doubt one of the most accomplished drivers of his era. Not only has he successfully won the WEC LMP1 class with Porsche Motorsport back in 2015, but he has also 9 Formula One wins under his belt on top of 42 podiums. Few drivers have the skill set and experience that Webber has had the opportunity to develop over the near 20+ years of his professional racing career. While Webber has now retired from pro racing, he continues to be a representative for the Porsche brand.
We are so glad that he is because or else we wouldn’t get the opportunity to see amazing laps like this. It’s amazing to see a driver have so much confidence in their own ability and the car’s ability. On top of that, the foot cam shows us Webber’s trick foot work while heel-toeing into corners. This can only be described as automotive eye candy.
Thinking he’ll miss a shift? He won’t. Thinking he’ll miss an apex? He won’t. Thinking he’ll lose the rear while powering out? Not even close. All the inputs he puts into the car are smooth and controlled and he still is pushing the car to its limits. If you haven’t seen the lap in full, we encourage you to watch simple poetry in motion.
Photos: Porsche