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The Knockhill Race Course is a 30-minute drive northwest of Edinburgh, Scotland, and is surrounded by pastures filled with sheep. Based on the surrounding countryside and circuit map, Knockhill does not seem a daunting challenge, but romping around the "National Motorsport Center of Scotland" in a Porsche Cayman GT4 2020 proves the opposite. The 9-mile, 1.3-mile road course keeps you on your guard with sharp turns and changes in altitude. It's a serious race track that's best tackled in a serious track car. Fortunately, that's exactly what the new Cayman GT4 is.
Sweet six
After a slow and steady commitment behind an instructor in a 911 GT3 RSit's time for my hot rides. If you release the GT4's throttle at the front right, its new naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat six-cylinder engine will emit great sounds up to the 8,000-rpm red line. min. The soundtrack is not as pleasing to the ear as the high-pitched cry of the GT3, but few engines manage to match those captivating noises. Whatever it is, it beats the four-cylinder drone of the other Cayman models.
As in the 718 Spyder, with which the GT4 shares its mechanisms, the engine also has a system for stopping / restarting and deactivating the cylinders.
I have no complaints about the 414-horsepower engine and its 309-pound-foot torque. It improves the 2016 Cayman GT4 This 29-horsepower 3.8-liter engine is exclusively connected to a very slippery six-speed manual transmission, giving the driver a sense of being part of the driving experience. Porsche said the new GT4 would have gone from 4.2 seconds to 100 miles by the hour and that it would reach 28 km / h if it had enough space.
The optional carbon-ceramic brakes kill speed in a flash, and switching to lower gear before starting a turn is a kid's game, thanks to the GT4 automatic lap matching function. Do you want heel and toe for yourself? No problem – the rev match can be disabled by simply pressing a button.
GT3 Foundations
Another major piece of the GT4 puzzle is its upgraded chassis components, which were extracted from 911 GT3. Adaptive dampers, swing arms, ball joints and subframes come directly from the 911 hard core. Cayman base, the GT4 is more than one centimeter from the ground, for a lower center of gravity.
The GT4 borrows a number of suspension parts from its big brother 911 GT3.
Porsche
Runway rats will also appreciate the ability to adjust the GT4's pinch, camber and anti-roll bars. A limited slip mechanical rear differential, torque vectoring, a new stability control agreement and tack, 20 inches Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires complete the changes made to road handling.
When the suspension is set to Normal, there are lean entry angles at the start and body movements in the Knockhill chicane. But make no mistake, the GT4 is remarkably agile, with responsive steering and strong grip. The car is not afraid to bounce on a sidewalk. If you put the shock absorbers into Sport mode, the Caymanians feel a little more impatient to turn around, change direction, and stay on high-speed corners.
Knockhill's tight hairpin attack with too much enthusiasm provokes the GT4 Front tires to wash, but it's easy to collect things and still be able to move quickly. During the various turns of Knockhill, the GT4 does everything you tell it, without doing any stories. the GT4 never launch any curve with his manipulation. It's an absolute thrill and perfectly predictable.
Getting on the sidewalk is not a problem with the 718 Cayman GT4.
Porsche
Because of the gray and rainy skies in Scotland, my track time includes some wet turns, which do not bother the GT4 as much as you think. Thank Michelin tires for their excellent grip under these conditions; it's good to know the GT4 do not become a handful if a cloud of rain puts a brake on your day.
Form and function
The GT4 gets a new front fascia with larger air dams, a revised lip spoiler, a new central air outlet and front side air curtains. At the rear, a manually adjustable fixed wing with integrated side plates and a functional rear diffuser. Not visible is the closed underbody panel. All of this translates into a 50% improvement in the strength of support compared to old GT4.
Inside, the GT4 will be available with some seating options in the US, ranging from a standard two-way sport seat to $ 5,900 carbon fiber seats. Unfortunately, US regulations prevent the installation of the factory installed stabilizer bar, but we have a good deal of Alcantara to cover the steering wheel, seat inserts, door panel armrests and headliner. The brushed aluminum on the dashboard and the center console trim is also standard.
The carbon fiber bucket seats will trap you on the spot, but they will cost you $ 5,900.
Porsche
Porsche Communication Management's infotainment system uses a 7-inch touchscreen and every GT4 in the US benefits from this technology. (Buyers from other countries may specify a central stack without multimedia.) The GT4 is equipped with an eight-speaker audio system, a satellite radio, Bluetooth and two USB outlets . Navigation, a Wi-Fi access point, a Bose audio setup, a wireless charger, and Apple CarPlay are optional. As with every Porsche, Android Auto is always a no-go.
An improved star
After driving the new Porsche Cayman GT4 on track, it is clear that this machine is complex and extremely powerful. Without driving them back to back, it is difficult to quantify exactly how much a car is superior to that of its predecessor. After all, the previous GT4 was already a high benchmark. Porsche reminds me that the new GT4 will turn the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7 minutes and 28 seconds, 12 seconds less than the last GT4. In fact, the new GT4 is 4 seconds faster than the 2004 Carrera GT supercar, whatever its value.
The Porsche Cayman GT4 2020 is coming soon to the US with a base price of $ 99,200, not to mention $ 1,350 destination. Deliveries are expected to begin next spring. That makes $ 18,500 more expensive than the excellent Cayman GTSbut if you buy a Porsche 718 for track service, you absolutely have to splurge on the GT4. Believe me, you will not regret it.
Editor's note: Travel expenses related to this function have been paid by the manufacturer. This is common in the automotive industry because it is much cheaper to send journalists to cars than to send them to reporters. While Roadshow accepts multi-day loans from manufacturers to provide editorial revisions, all revisions to marked vehicles are completed on our territory and under our terms.
The opinions and opinions of the editorial team of Roadshow are ours and we do not accept paid editorial content.
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