GT4 RS Driving Impressions
11-01-2022, 10:02 AM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
GT4 RS Driving Impressions
I’ve had a few days with the GT4 RS now, and I thought I’d share my initial impressions of the car.
First of all, the GT4 RS looks amazing, very much like a junior version of the 992 GT3 RS. All the carbon fiber (weissach pack car), the slash cut front wheel arch, the aero addenda all over the car, the top mounted carbon wing. It’s over the top, but looks fantastic if that’s your thing.
Second of all, the sound is completely insane. As you go from low revs to high revs, or partial throttle to full throttle, this car hisses, then gurgles, then screams. It is by far the noisiest modern car I have driven. Even the exhaust is obnoxiously loud. This is the first Porsche in which I prefer to have the exhaust in quiet mode. Even at idle, the car is too noisy (for me) with the exhaust in loud mode.
Some other aspects of the car…
Acceleration is similar to that of a GT3 (obviously), and handling is very neutral and typical Cayman excellent, without the understeer of a 911 (btw, the 992 is much better in this regard compared to the 991). I love the compact size, balance, and neutral handling of this car very much compared to a 911 GT3. However, the interior feels old and dated, especially compared to a 992, which feels very modern.
Some surprising things about the car…
The ride is much softer than that of a 992 GT3 - completely unexpected! Another thing is that the car up-shifts at relatively low revs even in PDK sport, in fact it up-shifts sooner than the 991.2 PDK GT3 does.
To conclude…
Given that we are headed for an electric car future, it’s interesting that in this last hurrah for combustion engined cars, the most stand-out feature is the one thing that’s missing from electric cars. Porsche has turned up the noise to 11.
Overall, the GT4 RS is a rowdy rambunctious over-the-top car and a glorious send-off to the naturally aspirated combustion engine.
Now, where did I put my earplugs??
First of all, the GT4 RS looks amazing, very much like a junior version of the 992 GT3 RS. All the carbon fiber (weissach pack car), the slash cut front wheel arch, the aero addenda all over the car, the top mounted carbon wing. It’s over the top, but looks fantastic if that’s your thing.
Second of all, the sound is completely insane. As you go from low revs to high revs, or partial throttle to full throttle, this car hisses, then gurgles, then screams. It is by far the noisiest modern car I have driven. Even the exhaust is obnoxiously loud. This is the first Porsche in which I prefer to have the exhaust in quiet mode. Even at idle, the car is too noisy (for me) with the exhaust in loud mode.
Some other aspects of the car…
Acceleration is similar to that of a GT3 (obviously), and handling is very neutral and typical Cayman excellent, without the understeer of a 911 (btw, the 992 is much better in this regard compared to the 991). I love the compact size, balance, and neutral handling of this car very much compared to a 911 GT3. However, the interior feels old and dated, especially compared to a 992, which feels very modern.
Some surprising things about the car…
The ride is much softer than that of a 992 GT3 - completely unexpected! Another thing is that the car up-shifts at relatively low revs even in PDK sport, in fact it up-shifts sooner than the 991.2 PDK GT3 does.
To conclude…
Given that we are headed for an electric car future, it’s interesting that in this last hurrah for combustion engined cars, the most stand-out feature is the one thing that’s missing from electric cars. Porsche has turned up the noise to 11.
Overall, the GT4 RS is a rowdy rambunctious over-the-top car and a glorious send-off to the naturally aspirated combustion engine.
Now, where did I put my earplugs??
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Popular Reply
11-11-2022, 02:29 AM
Rennlist Member
Like all things Porsche, they ask the consumer to judge them on the results of their efforts, not the sum of thier parts. It has been Porsche's culture from the very beginning to do more with less. But, with the GT4RS they relented and acquesed to the demand for a larger engine. And, yes, most everything else done to the car could be characterized as little tweaks. But, the result of the combination of; the mid-engine platform + a powerful engine + many aero tweaks = a truly amazing machine.
What is the facination about comparing this Cayman to the GT3? For a Cayman guy, it is very cool to have a Cayman platform that can keep up with the its big brother. Porsche did not build the GT4RS to be a better car than the GT3. They built the GT4RS to be the best Cayman. And, to that end, they succeeded in a big way.
What is the facination about comparing this Cayman to the GT3? For a Cayman guy, it is very cool to have a Cayman platform that can keep up with the its big brother. Porsche did not build the GT4RS to be a better car than the GT3. They built the GT4RS to be the best Cayman. And, to that end, they succeeded in a big way.
11-08-2022, 02:28 PM
#2
Instructor
Thread Starter
The GT4 RS is Porsche’s new Ferrari
A few more thoughts, now having had a few weeks with the car.
This is the loudest modern car I have experienced. It’s hilariously loud, like a Ferrari 430 Scuderia, or a 16M.
Also like those Ferraris, and also unlike other RS cars, this car has relatively soft spring rates and rides comfortably.
And like those Ferraris, and unlike other Porsche RS cars, this one is oriented much more towards fun on the road then lap times. Compared to RS cars, this one is a lot less serious and a lot less buttoned down. Although it is much better balanced than any 911, there is no way this car is as quick on a track as a 992 GT3.
Btw, it seems quite possible, that the reason the car upshifts so early even in PDK sport mode, is to pass noise regulations. Another interesting thing is that upshifts are butter smooth like that of a Ferrari 458, but downshifts are jerky and super aggressive like that of a Ferrari Scuderia.
Overall, my feeling is that this is Porsche’s 430 Scuderia/458 Speciale, not Porsche’s RS. Hilarious fun, but without the image and maintenance issues that are part of the Ferrari experience.
Best of both worlds!
Unless you hate Ferraris, in which case there’s always Lamborghini 😁
This is the loudest modern car I have experienced. It’s hilariously loud, like a Ferrari 430 Scuderia, or a 16M.
Also like those Ferraris, and also unlike other RS cars, this car has relatively soft spring rates and rides comfortably.
And like those Ferraris, and unlike other Porsche RS cars, this one is oriented much more towards fun on the road then lap times. Compared to RS cars, this one is a lot less serious and a lot less buttoned down. Although it is much better balanced than any 911, there is no way this car is as quick on a track as a 992 GT3.
Btw, it seems quite possible, that the reason the car upshifts so early even in PDK sport mode, is to pass noise regulations. Another interesting thing is that upshifts are butter smooth like that of a Ferrari 458, but downshifts are jerky and super aggressive like that of a Ferrari Scuderia.
Overall, my feeling is that this is Porsche’s 430 Scuderia/458 Speciale, not Porsche’s RS. Hilarious fun, but without the image and maintenance issues that are part of the Ferrari experience.
Best of both worlds!
Unless you hate Ferraris, in which case there’s always Lamborghini 😁
Last edited by BusDriver; 11-08-2022 at 02:29 PM.
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11-08-2022, 02:35 PM
#3
Rennlist Member
Great write up. My son said this is the back road ripper and not the track car. I was disagreeing with him but I see you agree. You have experience and our car is one order.
Thanks for the taking the time to share your experiences. Sounds like you have driven multiple manufacturer cars in different decades.
So, you actually compare the car to an Italian rather than another German. I like that. I think Porsche was thinking outside the box with this one.
I hope it's not as loud as my straight pipe 360 Ferrari Challenge car because that would just be obnoxious.
Have you driven it with ear plugs. My guess is you don't shift at 9 all the time so for romping around the back roads the noise is fine. ?
Thanks for the taking the time to share your experiences. Sounds like you have driven multiple manufacturer cars in different decades.
So, you actually compare the car to an Italian rather than another German. I like that. I think Porsche was thinking outside the box with this one.
I hope it's not as loud as my straight pipe 360 Ferrari Challenge car because that would just be obnoxious.
Have you driven it with ear plugs. My guess is you don't shift at 9 all the time so for romping around the back roads the noise is fine. ?
Last edited by 168glhs1986; 11-08-2022 at 02:36 PM.
11-08-2022, 05:47 PM
#4
A few more thoughts, now having had a few weeks with the car.
This is the loudest modern car I have experienced. It’s hilariously loud, like a Ferrari 430 Scuderia, or a 16M.
Also like those Ferraris, and also unlike other RS cars, this car has relatively soft spring rates and rides comfortably.
And like those Ferraris, and unlike other Porsche RS cars, this one is oriented much more towards fun on the road then lap times. Compared to RS cars, this one is a lot less serious and a lot less buttoned down. Although it is much better balanced than any 911, there is no way this car is as quick on a track as a 992 GT3.
Btw, it seems quite possible, that the reason the car upshifts so early even in PDK sport mode, is to pass noise regulations. Another interesting thing is that upshifts are butter smooth like that of a Ferrari 458, but downshifts are jerky and super aggressive like that of a Ferrari Scuderia.
Overall, my feeling is that this is Porsche’s 430 Scuderia/458 Speciale, not Porsche’s RS. Hilarious fun, but without the image and maintenance issues that are part of the Ferrari experience.
Best of both worlds!
Unless you hate Ferraris, in which case there’s always Lamborghini 😁
This is the loudest modern car I have experienced. It’s hilariously loud, like a Ferrari 430 Scuderia, or a 16M.
Also like those Ferraris, and also unlike other RS cars, this car has relatively soft spring rates and rides comfortably.
And like those Ferraris, and unlike other Porsche RS cars, this one is oriented much more towards fun on the road then lap times. Compared to RS cars, this one is a lot less serious and a lot less buttoned down. Although it is much better balanced than any 911, there is no way this car is as quick on a track as a 992 GT3.
Btw, it seems quite possible, that the reason the car upshifts so early even in PDK sport mode, is to pass noise regulations. Another interesting thing is that upshifts are butter smooth like that of a Ferrari 458, but downshifts are jerky and super aggressive like that of a Ferrari Scuderia.
Overall, my feeling is that this is Porsche’s 430 Scuderia/458 Speciale, not Porsche’s RS. Hilarious fun, but without the image and maintenance issues that are part of the Ferrari experience.
Best of both worlds!
Unless you hate Ferraris, in which case there’s always Lamborghini 😁
Your review is in-line with what I thought after watching the GT4 RS Ring video, the car is still all over the place just like the GT4. I have also heard from someone that goes to the same race shop as I do and has driven both the 992 GT3 and GT4 RS on the Ring back to back for a Porsche event give the same view points.
The bottom line is that the GT4 RS STILL has its Cayman complex, just to a lesser degree. The chassis is just old and outdated now and there is only so much you can do with a 4 wheel strut design suspension and outdated PASM active dampers. Slapping on stiffer sidewall tires and a motorsport grade coil-over suspension gets the car much closer to being where a GT product should be, but it still plays second fiddle to a 911 GT3 by quite a margin.
I feel the same about my GT4, even with the upgraded suspension and tires. It is a great back road carver and SMOOTH high speed road car, but its range when you are dealing with real world roads that really work the suspension is limited.
How much you enjoy the car will largely depends on your local road conditions. Savagegeese said as much as well when they did their review video on it and was hooning it around the track, saying that you could tell and feel it was a strut based suspension.
Basically Porsche just put a different motor in the GT4 and made minor tweaks to aero and suspension tuning and called it a day. When you step back and look at it as a whole and not just the GT3 motor, it is a pretty lazy effort elsewhere.
MSRP to MSRP, I would take a base 992 GT3 over a fully optioned GT4 RS without a second thought.
Last edited by TRZ06; 11-08-2022 at 05:51 PM.
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11-08-2022, 08:17 PM
#5
Don’t be fooled. The car is brilliant on track just as much as it’s brilliant on road.
To say you can feel that it’s strut suspension on the road is a joke.
Under extreme braking on track it moves around a bit more at the rear but changing to max aero makes a big difference here. I did back to back runs as I was sceptical.
On a decently surfaced track there is no issues at all. I’ve seen the ring videos and at high speed and a bumpy track it doesn’t look confidence inspiring for sure.
First day (in the 4rs) at my local track a couple of weeks ago I went a second quicker than my .2 3rs on back to back runs. (Which I was shocked at) That was just after putting in a pb in the 3rs.
992 gt3 was quicker by 0.8 in my mates handy hands.
I have never felt a front end like it.. massively confidence inspiring..
Yes a 992 gt3 will be quicker for sure and is a more sophisticated car but I’d gladly sacrifice ultimate pace for a 4rs all day long.
To say you can feel that it’s strut suspension on the road is a joke.
Under extreme braking on track it moves around a bit more at the rear but changing to max aero makes a big difference here. I did back to back runs as I was sceptical.
On a decently surfaced track there is no issues at all. I’ve seen the ring videos and at high speed and a bumpy track it doesn’t look confidence inspiring for sure.
First day (in the 4rs) at my local track a couple of weeks ago I went a second quicker than my .2 3rs on back to back runs. (Which I was shocked at) That was just after putting in a pb in the 3rs.
992 gt3 was quicker by 0.8 in my mates handy hands.
I have never felt a front end like it.. massively confidence inspiring..
Yes a 992 gt3 will be quicker for sure and is a more sophisticated car but I’d gladly sacrifice ultimate pace for a 4rs all day long.
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11-08-2022, 08:21 PM
#6
Your review is in-line with what I thought after watching the GT4 RS Ring video, the car is still all over the place just like the GT4. I have also heard from someone that goes to the same race shop as I do and has driven both the 992 GT3 and GT4 RS on the Ring back to back for a Porsche event give the same view points.
The bottom line is that the GT4 RS STILL has its Cayman complex, just to a lesser degree. The chassis is just old and outdated now and there is only so much you can do with a 4 wheel strut design suspension and outdated PASM active dampers. Slapping on stiffer sidewall tires and a motorsport grade coil-over suspension gets the car much closer to being where a GT product should be, but it still plays second fiddle to a 911 GT3 by quite a margin.
I feel the same about my GT4, even with the upgraded suspension and tires. It is a great back road carver and SMOOTH high speed road car, but its range when you are dealing with real world roads that really work the suspension is limited.
How much you enjoy the car will largely depends on your local road conditions. Savagegeese said as much as well when they did their review video on it and was hooning it around the track, saying that you could tell and feel it was a strut based suspension.
Basically Porsche just put a different motor in the GT4 and made minor tweaks to aero and suspension tuning and called it a day. When you step back and look at it as a whole and not just the GT3 motor, it is a pretty lazy effort elsewhere.
MSRP to MSRP, I would take a base 992 GT3 over a fully optioned GT4 RS without a second thought.
The bottom line is that the GT4 RS STILL has its Cayman complex, just to a lesser degree. The chassis is just old and outdated now and there is only so much you can do with a 4 wheel strut design suspension and outdated PASM active dampers. Slapping on stiffer sidewall tires and a motorsport grade coil-over suspension gets the car much closer to being where a GT product should be, but it still plays second fiddle to a 911 GT3 by quite a margin.
I feel the same about my GT4, even with the upgraded suspension and tires. It is a great back road carver and SMOOTH high speed road car, but its range when you are dealing with real world roads that really work the suspension is limited.
How much you enjoy the car will largely depends on your local road conditions. Savagegeese said as much as well when they did their review video on it and was hooning it around the track, saying that you could tell and feel it was a strut based suspension.
Basically Porsche just put a different motor in the GT4 and made minor tweaks to aero and suspension tuning and called it a day. When you step back and look at it as a whole and not just the GT3 motor, it is a pretty lazy effort elsewhere.
MSRP to MSRP, I would take a base 992 GT3 over a fully optioned GT4 RS without a second thought.
However enjoyment factor is higher in the 4RS, if I want to feel like a god in videogame mode i'll jump in my racing sim, not a 992 GT3.
Last edited by cafe_racer; 11-08-2022 at 08:22 PM.
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11-08-2022, 08:22 PM
#7
Great write up. My son said this is the back road ripper and not the track car. I was disagreeing with him but I see you agree. You have experience and our car is one order.
Thanks for the taking the time to share your experiences. Sounds like you have driven multiple manufacturer cars in different decades.
So, you actually compare the car to an Italian rather than another German. I like that. I think Porsche was thinking outside the box with this one.
I hope it's not as loud as my straight pipe 360 Ferrari Challenge car because that would just be obnoxious.
Have you driven it with ear plugs. My guess is you don't shift at 9 all the time so for romping around the back roads the noise is fine. ?
Thanks for the taking the time to share your experiences. Sounds like you have driven multiple manufacturer cars in different decades.
So, you actually compare the car to an Italian rather than another German. I like that. I think Porsche was thinking outside the box with this one.
I hope it's not as loud as my straight pipe 360 Ferrari Challenge car because that would just be obnoxious.
Have you driven it with ear plugs. My guess is you don't shift at 9 all the time so for romping around the back roads the noise is fine. ?
Induction when driving normally you get used to quickly and it’s absolutely fine. I did 3k kms through France in a week and didn’t switch on noise cancelling.
On a hard run yes it is loud for sure and if your climbing into 9k a lot you’d want ear plugs in or noise cancelling on. Same with track work.
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11-08-2022, 08:43 PM
#8
Rennlist Member
A few more thoughts, now having had a few weeks with the car.
This is the loudest modern car I have experienced. It’s hilariously loud, like a Ferrari 430 Scuderia, or a 16M.
Also like those Ferraris, and also unlike other RS cars, this car has relatively soft spring rates and rides comfortably.
And like those Ferraris, and unlike other Porsche RS cars, this one is oriented much more towards fun on the road then lap times. Compared to RS cars, this one is a lot less serious and a lot less buttoned down. Although it is much better balanced than any 911, there is no way this car is as quick on a track as a 992 GT3.
Btw, it seems quite possible, that the reason the car upshifts so early even in PDK sport mode, is to pass noise regulations. Another interesting thing is that upshifts are butter smooth like that of a Ferrari 458, but downshifts are jerky and super aggressive like that of a Ferrari Scuderia.
Overall, my feeling is that this is Porsche’s 430 Scuderia/458 Speciale, not Porsche’s RS. Hilarious fun, but without the image and maintenance issues that are part of the Ferrari experience.
Best of both worlds!
Unless you hate Ferraris, in which case there’s always Lamborghini 😁
This is the loudest modern car I have experienced. It’s hilariously loud, like a Ferrari 430 Scuderia, or a 16M.
Also like those Ferraris, and also unlike other RS cars, this car has relatively soft spring rates and rides comfortably.
And like those Ferraris, and unlike other Porsche RS cars, this one is oriented much more towards fun on the road then lap times. Compared to RS cars, this one is a lot less serious and a lot less buttoned down. Although it is much better balanced than any 911, there is no way this car is as quick on a track as a 992 GT3.
Btw, it seems quite possible, that the reason the car upshifts so early even in PDK sport mode, is to pass noise regulations. Another interesting thing is that upshifts are butter smooth like that of a Ferrari 458, but downshifts are jerky and super aggressive like that of a Ferrari Scuderia.
Overall, my feeling is that this is Porsche’s 430 Scuderia/458 Speciale, not Porsche’s RS. Hilarious fun, but without the image and maintenance issues that are part of the Ferrari experience.
Best of both worlds!
Unless you hate Ferraris, in which case there’s always Lamborghini 😁
11-08-2022, 09:00 PM
#9
Thanks for the great write up, glad you’re enjoying it. Mine was unloaded in Baltimore today and hope it gets to my dealer by early next week. One question though, the loudness you mentioned, is that based on the induction noise you hear inside or what the outer world hears?
Last edited by GainesvilleGT4; 11-09-2022 at 12:56 AM.
11-08-2022, 09:26 PM
#10
Banned
Really great feedback and comments. Appreciated.
"To be fair to the GT4RS", it is not supposed to be on the same level as the GT3 RS. Nor is it priced the same (especially considering current ADMs. For the money, the GT4 RS sounds like an amazing offering from Porsche. So fortunate that Porsche makes a lot of offerings at different price points to allow as many people as possible to enjoy the Porsche experience.
As for me, I am very much looking forward to my upcoming Spyder, and since I won't be going on the track, the Spyder is one of the very best back-country cars that I could possibly hope for living here in San Diego. Wonderful hills and canyon driving in this area.... all along with 350 days / year sun shine to keep the town down!
"To be fair to the GT4RS", it is not supposed to be on the same level as the GT3 RS. Nor is it priced the same (especially considering current ADMs. For the money, the GT4 RS sounds like an amazing offering from Porsche. So fortunate that Porsche makes a lot of offerings at different price points to allow as many people as possible to enjoy the Porsche experience.
As for me, I am very much looking forward to my upcoming Spyder, and since I won't be going on the track, the Spyder is one of the very best back-country cars that I could possibly hope for living here in San Diego. Wonderful hills and canyon driving in this area.... all along with 350 days / year sun shine to keep the town down!
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11-08-2022, 10:09 PM
#11
11-09-2022, 02:07 AM
#12
Great write-up! I don't think I'll be in a position to buy a GT4RS anytime soon but I'm still enjoying the hell out of my 981 Cayman S. My 3.4L flat-six flat out at +7500rpm never fails to make me smile. That 4.0L at 9000rpm must be otherworldly.
On a side note I've never felt like my "old and outdated" chassis has ever slowed me down on my local twisty mountain roads. Even with non-GT suspension and 235/265 street-oriented tires its pretty hard to truly test the limits of the suspension/handling on public roads without being wildly irresponsible.
On a side note I've never felt like my "old and outdated" chassis has ever slowed me down on my local twisty mountain roads. Even with non-GT suspension and 235/265 street-oriented tires its pretty hard to truly test the limits of the suspension/handling on public roads without being wildly irresponsible.
11-10-2022, 10:10 AM
#13
Instructor
Thread Starter
More on noise and 992 GT3 comparison…
If the exhaust is in quiet mode, earplugs are not necessary. The sport exhaust button makes a big difference in noise even at idle. In a residential area, the GT4 RS will be fine provided you keep revs and throttle low, and the sport exhaust off. With that said, the car is too noisy for bluetooth phone calls when you are on half throttle merging on to a highway. Once you are cruising at highway speeds, phone calls are OK but not great.
I would not bother wearing earplugs on public roads. But I would wear earplugs on the race track.
Yes, the 992 GT3 is ultimately quicker around a racetrack than a GT4 RS. But, it doesn’t really matter. And yes, Porsche GT cars are often sold on lap times, but only a very small minority of owners will use these cars in competition, where the small lap time delta matters. Besides, if that delta does matter, perhaps a GT4 Clubsport or GT3 Cup is a better choice.
What does matter is that the better balanced Cayman is much easier to hustle around a race track than a 911. The 911’s rear-biased weight distribution requires constant management of longitudinal weight transfer and is therefore harder to extract a quick lap time from. The GT4 RS will be quicker for most drivers, while a GT3 will require an expert to extract its full potential. BTW, I have used both Cayman and 911 platforms in competition.
Between the 992 GT3 and the GT4 RS, The GT3 is the more complete car but the GT4 RS is more fun.
And for sure, the GT4 RS is more unique. After all, it is Porsche’s first Ferrari 😁
11-10-2022, 10:28 AM
#14
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11-10-2022, 12:33 PM
#15
