Skip to main content

The 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 might be the optimal sports car

What more can be said about the Porsche Cayman GT4 that hasn’t been said already about the Cayman S and GTS? Take the best the best sports car under $100k, give it more power, grip and aero, keep it under $100k still, and it keeps the title. And of course, one of the best overall sports cars period. Mid-engine, light weight, powerful and Porsche quality adds up to a near perfect package.

This 2016 GT4 is a gorgeous Sapphire Blue on 20” thin spoke wheels showing lots of big brakes and red calipers. The 20” wheels allow and dictate great body curves with an aggressive but not overly obtrusive wing. Porsche Carbon Ceramic Brakes, also known as PCCBs were not chosen due to the cost of the option and replacement cost if the car is tracked regularly.

This GT4 will likely be tracked at least once, and always driven with passion. The owner knows Porsches and previous cars he’s owned being a 996 GT3 and 997 GT3 RS 3.8 with lap times at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca of 1:37.7 and 1:36.369 respectively on Hoosier R6 DOTs. So rest assured this car will be driven as designed, and represented very well. Tidbit: The GT4’s front axle from the 911 GT3.

Typical Porsche quality and workmanship is featured throughout the cabin, even the pull straps in lieu of door handles are designed and installed with care and a smooth, bolt-action precision feel when opening the door from within; from a pull strap mechanism, no less! The deep, one-piece carbon fiber backed lightweight sport buckets from the 918 Spyder are very comfortable once you get used to the
fixed, upright backrest angle. However, they have an extremely wide range of height adjustment and plenty of leg room. One interior complaint is the parking brake switch, never knowing which direction activates it versus release, and the sound is noticeable. Sometimes leaving an intrusive manual lever is best.

The GT4 3.8 liter boxer 6 cylinder engine is from the Porsche 911, supposedly filling up the available space so that the PDK dual-clutch won’t fit, leaving only a manual, albeit with very tall gearing, one of the few complaints about the car. Rated at 385hp, Car & Driver magazine tested it in the ¼ mile in 12.3 seconds at 117mph; roughly the same as the new Corvette manual. This is easily a high 11-second car if it had the PDK transmission, especially with more aggressive ratios. The EPA rating isn’t exceptional at 18 city and 23 highway. Do you care about that in a high performance car? The curb weight is only 3,050 pounds!

The owner reports the brakes are extreme, the massive rotors along with the 245-front, 295-rear Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s mounted on 8.5” and 11” wheels had a 70mph-0 braking distance of 151 feet which is exceptional. Understeer has been reported by the magazines but keyboard warriors probably don’t know an aggressive, track-oriented alignment could change that. From a lapping perspective, Randy Pobst, clocked a 1:37.43 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. This is quicker than the new Corvette and any other sub-500hp car. except of course, a 997 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 3.8 liter. Motor Trend used to have a summary of their excellent "Laguna Lap" reference, but now Fastestlaps.com is keeping track for therm.

The sport exhaust has a great tone, very sporty yet not overly obtrusive nor obnoxious. It fits its size, power and intent. Especially with the auto rev-match downshifting which makes anyone sound like a pro. The Cayman GT4 is easily a daily driver or a track star with a purity that is quickly going away: Normally aspirated, light weight, rear wheel drive, no hybrid assist, manual transmission yet still livable and practical enough despite the mid-engine layout with impressive performance. Does it really get any better?

Album pics: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.983478208423557.1073741898.378354382269279&type=1&l=b0c30677b1





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Sixth generation Camaro V6 review

Chevrolet updated the chassis of the Camaro for 2016 with the new Alpha platform and by all accounts the approximately 250 to 300lb weight reduction was a huge improvement. Despite having a brilliant chassis and three powerful engine choices, the interior and outward visibility hardly improved at all. I wanted to like this car, I really did. It has some really good aspects but overall it’s only good for going in a straight line, not reverse or backing up out of any parking space, on public roads or modified into a track-only car.  You decide if the interior justifies a $29,000 MSRP. The 2017 model is essentially the same. The 335hp V-6 is a great engine, responsive, sounds good and with the quick shifting 8 speed automatic, the car is capable of mid-high 13 second quarter mile ETs. It feels every bit as quick as the numbers suggest. It has no appreciable dead spots and has an excellent pull. The 8 speed auto is finicky on the highway though, downshifting at the slightest provocatio...

2015 Porsche Cayman GTS review and test drive

The 2015 Porsche Caymen GTS is the now the best all-around sports car under one hundred thousand dollars, replacing the prior title holder, the Porsche Caymen S. Take everything the prior S model is, add horsepower and a more track and driver oriented, visceral demeanor while retaining streetability, and that is the GTS. Besides horsepower, it adds a new body kit, a sport exhaust system, 20” wheels and a lower ride height versus the S. Conveying the balanced perfection of a Cayman isn’t easy unless it’s driven. The latest generation gives it a more exotic, grown-up look. Inside, the familiar ideal seating position with excellent outward visibility. Every surface visually sculpted, everything that is touched has an engineered quality with logic of the controls. For performance driving or track days it has a lower ride height, among the lowest center of gravity among production cars, and an engine placed where it’s supposed to be, right behind you. The sport exhaust reminds the driver th...