
Good stuff
The engine, the chassis, the damping... it's basically flawless
Bad stuff
Porsche is limiting the time you have to order one, so get in line quick
Overview
What is it?
If youâve ever wondered what would happen if Porsche stuffed the stupendous 4.0-litre, naturally aspirated, flat six from the latest 911 GT3 into the back of its mid-engine baby-brother, the Cayman⌠the GT4 RS is your answer. This is Porscheâs GT department letting its hair down, saying âhold my Stein!â, and producing the car that weâve all dreamed about, but never thought theyâd have the nerve to put into production.
Yes, itâs the most hardcore, powerful and track-hungry Cayman Porsche has ever made, but with the new 911 GT3 already in existence and a nut-job GT3 RS coming later this year, its remit is a little different. In the words of Andreas Preuninger, head of Porscheâs GT department: âIt was high time to have a big party on the 718 platform. This car is a live concert on four wheels, it's such an entertainer and it was such a fun project to make. Itâs something that came from our heart and weâve wanted to do it for a long time.â
Doesnât it, yâknow, step on the GT3âs toes a bit?
We can see why you might think that. At ÂŁ108,370, the GT4 RS is roughly ÂŁ15k cheaper than a GT3 with the same gearbox, 20kg lighter, only six seconds slower around the âRing, has an identical 0-62mph time and has the same number of seats with a roll cage behind you (if you tick the no-cost Clubsport package box, which you should). But Preuninger insists they are entirely different beasts: âWe are eager to give the GT3 everything we can to let it stay on pole position, like the double wishbone front axle, the rear-wheel steering. On the GT4 RS we didn't look too much into super aero and eking out the last 10th of a second on the track. We tried to find the perfect compromise between road and track driving.â
Numbers, gimmee gimmee gimmeeâŚ
We have 493bhp (thatâs 79bhp more than the standard GT4, but 10bhp less than a GT3 due to the exhaust needing to take a more tortuous route around the rear suspension), while torque gets a slight bump to 332lb ft and itâs PDK-only - as per the âRSâ doctrine. No manual gearbox here. Boo. Still, 0-62mph takes 3.4 seconds (a GT4 with PDK takes 3.9secs) and the top speed is 195mph. Perhaps more impressive is the NĂźrburgring lap time (on the optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres) of 7mins 4.511sec, over 23 seconds quicker than the standard GT4⌠which is light years around the âRing.
Any other tricks up its sleeve?
Errrr, itâs easily one of the best-sounding cars weâve ever driven. Ragging a GT4 RS is like having thick treacle poured into your ears⌠and then an entire wasp colony crammed in after it. Itâs just ridiculous. And each journey to 9,000rpm isnât merely a sound, itâs laced with sucking, vibrations, rattles and spikes of adrenaline. A low-end warble that hardens in the mid-range and becomes silkier until it decomposes into a frantic shudder between 7,000 and 8,000rpm, before a magnificent ear-gasm for the final 1,000rpm that makes your soul sing and your face muscles hurt.
And thatâs just when youâre chasing the redline. The rest of the time youâve got a musical instrument to play with using your right foot on the pedals and fingertips on the paddles. Normally Iâd berate anyone who thought deleting the infotainment system (a no-cost option) in the name of saving a few kgs was a good idea, but here it might just make sense. Who needs infotainment when you can summon thunder with the throttle?
And thatâs not even the best part. With most fast cars the best noises come from the exhaust pipes - which can sound wonderful from the cabin, but you know itâs sounding even better to whoever you just drove past. Youâre effectively providing a public service. But not here, because what youâre listening to is induction noise from the carbon-fibre intakes where the rear quarter windows are normally found. So while itâs a rock concert turned up to eleven for driver and passenger, itâs no more antisocial outside the car than a standard GT4. Itâs a trick Singer deployed to great effect on the DLS, but thatâs a car that costs about a gazillion pounds more.
What's the verdict?
Does the world really need a GT4 RS when we already have a more-hardcore-than-ever 911 GT3? Yes. Yes it does; goodness are we happy this car exists. With an all-electric Cayman on the horizon, you can tell Porscheâs GT department senses the combustion engineâs demise and wants to build these types of cars while it still can, these monuments to whatâs possible when you mix extraordinary engineering with a bit of fun.
Porsche isnât limiting numbers of the GT4 RS, just the amount of time it builds them for, so get in there while you still can. Silly quick on track, surprisingly usable on road and a sonic sensation everywhere. Believe the hype⌠this is likely to go down as one of the all-time greats.
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