Porsche has finally launched the all-new 718 Cayman GT4 RS, a car that many of us including myself have been waiting for. Many of us have been expecting a GT4 RS ever since the previous 981 Cayman GT4 came out. Now it’s finally here what are my thoughts on it? Is it worth the wait or is it a huge disappointment?
The standard GT4 is a fantastic car, and it is very hard to improve such a thing. It’s small, nimble, lightweight, and with 414hp it is very quick. You can get one with a PDK gearbox or a 6-speed precise close-ratio manual. It is a very fun car and a proper track-day monster. Depreciation is also literally non-existent on these things, as they are one of the slowest depreciating cars ever made.
The thing is though, Porsche hasn’t just improved the GT4 with the GT4 RS. They’ve completely embarrassed it. The new GT4 RS is probably the most hardcore Porsche on sale right now (yes more hardcore than the bigger more expensive 911 GT3). It has a more aggressive body kit, a tiny rear window, an adjustable front splitter, louvered vents on the front fender, front canards, and a swan-hang rear spoiler.
All of this is done to improve downforce and make this car faster in every single way. In fact, the new GT4 RS has 25% more downforce than the standard GT4. You also get a louder exhaust system (apparently it is the loudest stock GT car ever from Porsche). The only reason the GT4 has 10hp less than the Gt3 911 is that the exhaust is a lot shorter.
Weight has been massively reduced. The bonnet and front wings are now made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, the rear window is plastic, the door handles have been replaced by straps, you get lightweight carpets and less insulation. This means that the whole car weighs 1490kg which is a whole 5kg less than the GT4. Not massive, but the reason why it isn’t considerably lighter is that Porsche has worked its magic elsewhere.
picture via caranddriver.com
Supercar Levels of Performance.
The new Cayman GT4 RS packs an absolute nuke under the hood. The standard GT4 has 414hp which is a lot for a car of this size. How much does the GT4 RS have? Does it have 424hp? Maybe 450hp? Nope. It has 493hp which is pretty much the same as the previous 991 GT3.
Now, you may think that 493hp in this day and age isn’t a lot for a fast car, and you’d be right. The new M3 has more horsepower than that. But wait till you hear the other figures. This car has 348hp per tonne which is amazing, and this means it does a 0-60 time of 3.4 to 3.2 seconds. Flat out this car will do 196 mph which is also 200 mph. The new GT4 RS then is the fastest Cayman ever made.
The 0-60 time is actually pretty much the same as a new PDK 911 GT3 and is faster than a manual 6-speed GT3 Porsche. It is stupidly quick, and because it is so much smaller than the GT3 it is easier to handle making it more nimble. The standard GT4 is amazing and it is one of the best (if not the best) handling new cars on sale today. The GT4 RS then will be the next level.
The Porsche GT cars in my opinion have felt a tad gutless in comparison to other cars at the price point. The previous 991.2 GT3 RS was an almost $200,000 car yet it only had around 510hp which is the same as a cheaper Alfa Romeo Quadrfligio. This meant that it could only do a 0-60 of around 3.2 to 3.4 seconds. That’s quick, but for that sort of money, it needs to be better. In that car’s defense though, straight-line speed isn’t the main priority for this car.
The new GT4 RS though is a little different. It has GT3 RS power and performance figures but it is a heck of a lot lighter which means that it will feel faster than the larger more expensive GT4 RS. The Cayman was never meant to be this quick at all, it’s just baffling.
It Isn’t As Expensive As You Think.
The GT3 911 starts at $161,100 which is expensive but the GT3 does offer a lot for the money. The GT4 RS though is the bargain of the century.
You can get a base model with all the aerodynamic parts, lightweight seats, etc for just $143,050 which is yes a lot of money but hear me out. It has the same number of seats as a GT3, it has an interior that is just as luxurious, the build quality is amazing and the performance figures are near enough identical. Yes, on the GT4 RS you don’t get the option of a 6-speed manual gearbox but the 7-speed dual-clutch PDK gearbox is incredible.
For GT3 money, you can potentially get a Wessiach pack GT4 RS which includes lighter alloys from the GT2 RS and GT3 RS Wessiach pack. You also get an exposed carbon hood and carbon-fiber exterior parts such as the side vents and window cover at the rear.
The launch color for this car is arctic gray, which is like Crayon and Porsche Agate Gray mixed together. You can’t actually get the new GT4 RS in the popular crayon color that many enthusiasts love unless you go down the Porsche PTS (paint to sample) route.
There are many options you can choose to have on your new GT4 RS. These include a front-axle lift, the sports-Chrono pack, Porsche Carbon Ceramic Brakes (PCCB), park-assist, a dashcam, seat heating, etc. You can even design your own racing seat that fits the contour of your body (Porsche actually 3d print these seats which is cool).
To Conclude:
If you’re thinking of buying a new 992 GT3 then don’t. Get the GT4 RS instead as it offers the exact same for so much less. In fact, it offers more for less.
It looks outstanding, I love the aggressive bodywork on the car and the swan-tail spoiler. It is a proper go-kart and the performance figures are mind-blowing. How can a Cayman have 911 performance? Plus, the Gt4 RS being a mid-engine car means handling will be better than the 911 Gt3.
Has Porsche accidentally made the GT4 Rs a GT3 killer? I think so.