The new 718 Cayman GT4 is finally here, marking the return of the naturally aspirated flat-six in Porsche’s mid-engined sports car.
This new version of the almost instantly collectible Porsche brings a host of changes over its predecessor, including a brand new engine and more downforce.
Suspension revisions on the 2020 GT4 are more modest, with most of them located at the rear, where Porsche fitted a new subframe, dampers, control arms and ball joints in order to make the new hardcore Cayman a more precise tool for the job.
When we first heard that the new 718 Cayman GT4 would be powered by a 4.0-liter flat-six engine, everyone expected a detuned version of the unit found in the 911 GT3 and GT3 RS. However, Porsche went the other way and built a new engine from scratch. Well, almost…
What the company’s engineers did was to take the twin-turbo 3.0-liter found in the 911, remove the turbos, stretch it to 4.0 liters and add a few motorsport-inspired stuff along with a cylinder shut-off system. The end result is 414hp (420PS) and 310lb-ft (420Nm) of torque. To further highlight its nature, a six-speed manual transmission is still the only choice available.
Despite the horsepower increase over its predecessor, the new Cayman GT4 achieves the same 0-62mph (100km/h) time with the previous model, at 4.4 seconds. Top speed however has increased by 8 mph, to 188 (302 km/h), mostly thanks to the more efficient aero kit.
Perhaps the second most noticeable change, after the engine -and the main reason for the similar straight-line performance- is its weight: the new GT4 is now 80kg heavier than the old GT4, mostly thanks to the fitment of the mandatory particulate filter and other components, so it tips the scales at 1,420 kg (3,130 lbs).
Despite being a bit chubbier than before, the new 718 Cayman GT4 is over 10 seconds faster than its predecessor on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, showcasing the improvements made where it matters the most for a car like this.