An Analysis Of Why The GT4 Is The Cayman We Always Dreamed Porsche Would Make

The Porsche Cayman was introduced in 2005, which means this year one of the world’s most iconic sports cars celebrates its tenth birthday. After a decade of playing Robin to the 911’s Batman, it was about time the Cayman was given a leading role. Enter the GT4, the most hardcore factory Cayman ever built.

Porsche has put a hell of a lot of work into making this as badass as possible, and it’s held back only slightly so as not to embarass the 911 GT3. Here’s a technical breakdown of how Stuttgart’s finest turned the Cayman into the ultimate driver’s car:

Engine

The GT4 gets the engine from the 991 Carrera S, however in a slightly detuned form. It’s officially 380bhp, but that’s likely a conservative estimate to keep 911 owners happy; we wouldn’t be surprised to see customer cars arriving with closer to the 991’s 394bhp.

Specifically you’re looking at a 3.8-litre flat-six, which sits in the middle of the chassis, driving the rear wheels. Revisions over the original 9A1 engine include a new crankcase, intake system and other bits to help it fit in the engine bay.

Maximum power is made at 7400rpm and peak torque of 310lb ft is made between 4750 and 6000rpm. The GT4 will hook up and smash through 62mph from standing in 4.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 183mph.

Bodywork and aero

Porsche’s GT department has grafted a more aggressive look onto the Cayman, transforming it from a soft sports car to a track hungry mean machine. A redesigned front bumper features larger air intakes that feed an additional radiator that has been fitted in the GT4. There are also larger side intakes and a prominent rear wing. The overall effect of the aero work is 100kg of downforce at top speed (183mph).

There is a front diffuser air channel section that can be removed, because adjusting the rear wing through its three degrees of angle can upset the balance of the car’s downforce. Taking off a section of the front diffuser sorts things out. The level of customisation and adjustability on this car is incredible, as is further evidenced in the suspension setup…

Suspension

The suspension has been given a heck of a lot of attention, and arguably warrants an article in itself. The front setup has been pretty much carried straight over from the 911 GT3 with some minor alterations to fit the Cayman. That means you’ve got forged aluminium wishbones that are split to allow for camber changes, adjustable aluminium dampers with lightweight springs, and a three-way adjustable front roll bar.

The rear suspension is completely new. So much so, that it can’t be swapped out into any other Cayman. There are completely new Bilstein dampers with helper springs, new adjustable forged aluminium wishbones, an adjustable rear stabiliser, reinforced crossmember, new pivot points and a new steering rod.

There are two suspension settings available to the driver from the centre console: Normal and Sport.

Wheels and brakes

Design-wise the wheels are inspired by the 991 GT3; this fact shoves the car’s serious GT-ness in your face. Here they’re 20-inch alloys fitted via a five-lug hub from the Turbo, rather than the GT3’s centre-locking setup. Sticky rubber is provided by Michelin in the form of its Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, which are 245-section at the front and 295-section at the rear.

With great thrust comes a great need for stopping power. The Cayman GT4 uses 380mm cast-iron discs gripped by six-piston callipers at the front, and 340mm discs squeezed by four-piston callipers at the rear. Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) are an optional extra (410mm front, 390mm rear).

Transmission

Here’s one that’ll get the purists excited: the GT4 is a manual! There might be a PDK option in the future, but the reason for only having a six-speed manual at the moment is because Porsche wants this car to appeal to enthusiasts who just want to enjoy the car, rather than those who want to shave tenths off their lap times. Those people can buy a 911.

Interior

The interior is largely familiar Cayman fare, however the Alcantara steering wheel is tiny, just 360mm compared to 380mm in other models. The electric power steering software has been tweaked.

There are optional carbonfibre seats (£1907), while ticking the Clubsport option (£2670) gets you a roll cage. Door handles have been replaced by fabric door pulls similar to those found in RS models.

Vital statistics

Now you know what goes into making a Porsche Cayman GT4, watch Chris Harris throw the whole package around Portimao: