Unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2021, the new 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS gave us an appointment on the technical and winding The Streets of Willow circuit in California.
This 2.5 kilometer ribbon of asphalt, unrolled on the mountainside, is a perfect environment to discover the most radical and most visceral variant of the 718 range which borrows the engine from the recent 911 GT3.
At the wheel of the GT4 RS, all your senses are on alert. Driving such a powerful and light car on a circuit is an experience that totally focuses your concentration. With its red zone at 9,000 rpm, the flat six naturally aspirated 4.0-liter screams with a fabulous sound as it delivers its 493 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque.
Photo: Porsche Cars North America
This is the same engine that powers the 911 GT3, except here it has been rotated 180 degrees, the 718 Cayman being a mid-engined car. This arrangement plays on the intake pipes, those of the GT4 RS are located just behind the side windows, and this is why this engine delivers a little less power and torque in the GT4 RS than in the GT3, although It develops just over 123 horsepower per liter of displacement, which is remarkable. Unlike the GT3, the GT4 RS is only available with the tight seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission, which is a model of track efficiency.
Photo: Benjamin Pelletier-Vachon
Lively and direct
Over the laps, we are sublimated by the direct and precise behavior of the GT4 RS which reacts with extreme vivacity, the car responding immediately to the slightest request. This is explained by the contained mass of 1,415 kilos, i.e. 35 less than the Cayman GT4 and 20 less than the 911 GT3 with PDK gearbox, but also by the fact that the suspension elements are connected to the chassis by joints. patella rather than bearings.
Engineers lowered the body by 30 millimeters and added specific shock absorbers, firmer spring rates and modified anti-roll bars as well as a six millimeter wider front track and an 8 millimeter wider rear track, compared to to the GT4.
Photo: Porsche Cars North America
Studied aerodynamics
The tires are from Michelin with Sport Cup 2Rs that perform very well on the circuit, which is a first for the 718 range.
The steering is rather light, despite the fact that the aerodynamics of our test car are set to provide maximum downforce, the front deflector being adjustable in four positions, while the rear wing with collar-mountings – swan is in three positions.
With this maximum downforce, the downforce is increased by 25% compared to the GT4. No wonder the GT4RS was 23.6 seconds faster than the GT4 on the northern loop of the Nürburgring circuit. We also count on a time of 3.4 seconds for the 0 to 100 km/h and a top speed of 315 km/h.
Our test car, colored Arctic Graywas also equipped with the Weissach package, offered as an option at a cost of $15,110, which includes several body elements in carbon fiber reinforced plastic, including the hood and the rear spoiler, as well as titanium exhausts at the 935 look, as well as a rear window stamped with the Porsche name.
Add to that the 20-inch forged magnesium wheels ($17,840) and ceramic composite brakes with 410-millimeter front and 390-millimeter rear discs ($9,130) and a few other options. individual to arrive at $230,370 for our test car, with the starting price for a GT4 RS being $166,600 with delivery slated for summer 2022 domestically.
Photo: Porsche Cars North America
Cockpit-style cockpit
The Weissach package also includes a fascia panel wrapped in Race-Tex material as well as a Weissach logo plaque attached to the cupholder covers.
The steering wheel displays a yellow stripe at the midday position and the adjustment of the driver’s seat allows the seat to be lowered almost to the level of the pedals to better feel all the reactions of the car, what the English call “driving by the seat”. of your pants”.
On this aspect, and many others, the GT4 RS is both exceptional and fabulous. With her, we are full of thrills! It comes very close to the level of performance of the most advanced variants of the 911 range.
Is it the last 718 with an atmospheric engine, or even the last with a heat engine? The question deserves to be asked, the Stuttgart brand continuing its approach to electrify several of its models in the future, including the 718 range.