Test bench | Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS: on the track

(Willow Springs, California) With the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, Porsche revisits its past and proves that the passion for automobiles is not dead.

Eric LeFrancois
special cooperation

Time Machine

The 911? Porsche and his followers only have eyes for her. This is probably why she has never been seriously worried by another sportswoman from the house of Stuttgart. Not this time. By attaching the RS signature (RennSport) to the 718, the German manufacturer is reviving a name which, long before the 911, would establish its reputation in motorsport.

When we talk about transfers from the racing world, it’s mostly about work methodology and materials (that’s why these cars are so expensive).

In the wake of motor racing, the designers have decked out the GT4 RS with seriously studied and elegantly integrated aerodynamic appendages to increase downforce (for grip) and drag (top speed). As on a real racing car, both the front diffusers and the rear spoiler are fully adjustable to achieve the desired balance depending on the course. And the adjustment options don’t stop there. You can also change the camber angle and toe of the suspensions. You’re a pilot and a good tuner, aren’t you?

Riddled with small and large openings, the body promotes both the flow of air and the cooling of the mechanics. The latter on paper appears in all respects identical to that of the 911 GT3. This is not entirely true. The engine manufacturers had to make several modifications to accommodate it in the central part of the 718 Cayman GT4 RS. It was necessary to review the positioning of several accessories, including the piping and the pump of the dry sump system. Ultimately, there is a slight power deficit compared to a 911 GT3 due to the profiling of the exhausts.

concert for two

From the start, in fact, you can feel this two-seater alive in all its members. The engine rumbles. Add the air swirls and the rolling noise of the tires, and here you are at the heart of an orchestra that has no problem being heard! The chassis, of the virile kind, communicates its slightest reactions, which also contributes to making it exciting to master.

Impressions confirmed by the confrontation on the track, where we were able to try it out. Because it generates significant aerodynamic downforce, the GT4 RS is a racing car with a “human dimension”, the driving of which reveals strong but controllable sensations, and is within the reach of a well-trained amateur driver. For even more thrills, Porsche offers the Weissach package and expensive magnesium wheels to reduce unsprung weight. These have a definite impact on road holding, provide greater sensitivity to the steering wheel and allow more radical changes in trajectory.

Agile, endowed with astonishing traction and quick and precise steering, the GT4 RS reveals its formidable potential in just a few turns. Over the turns, confidence is established and the pleasure it provides continues to intensify as we learn to exploit the extraordinary gifts it communicates to us. She only asks to let you treat yourself.

No surprise… fortunately

Moreover, its main quality is perhaps precisely the fact that it never surprises you. Impeccably balanced, devoid of inertia, the chassis shows exemplary stability in all phases of driving, including the most critical. Needless to invoke the braking, very efficient, especially if it consists of carbon-ceramic brakes (an option).

To avoid big mistakes and warn the pilot that he risks crossing the limits of reasonableness, a battery of electronic equipment makes it possible to correct the shot in the event of a small pilot error.

That said, you have to take care to calm your enthusiasm when riding on wet surfaces, especially with the Michelin Pilot Cup 2 Rs on them. They are real bars of soap in the rain. If, on the contrary, the way is clear, dry and very hot, the cavalry of this Porsche can mount an assault.

The seven reports are linked together at a steady pace, we discover with incredulity that the needle of the tachometer touches, without even failing, the 9000 revolutions. Calms you. Fortunately, it is not necessary to turn into a public danger to appreciate the thrust of its mechanics, both majestic and hair-raising. In itself, its inimitable metallic acoustics are already a delight… over short distances.

But the 718 Cayman GT4 RS does not only have qualities. Its suspensions, mounted on rigid joints, allow too little movement, especially if the course is reduced to a state of ruins, as in the streets of Montreal. And what about its front fairing which, despite the presence of jacks to lift it, requires you to approach the speed bumps diagonally with extreme caution, at the risk of tearing everything off. You just have to adapt your driving style.

Hosting costs related to this report were paid for by Porsche Canada.

Technical sheet

Engine

• H6 DOHC 4L naturally aspirated
• Power: 493 hp at 8400 rpm
• Torque: 331 lb-ft at 6750 rpm

Performance

• Weight: 1464 kg
• Acceleration (0-100 km/h): 3.4 sec
• Top speed: 315 km/h

Gearbox

• Standard: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
• Optional: none
• Drive mode: propelled

Tires

• 245/35ZR20 – 295/30ZR20

Tank capacity and recommended gasoline

Dimensions

• Wheelbase: 2484mm
• Length: 4455mm
• Height: 1267mm
• Width: 1821 mm (exterior mirrors excluded)

Back to F1

Earn on Sunday, to sell better on Monday. This is the motivation which, since its creation, has driven the automotive industry to engage in car racing. On the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit, next weekend, five manufacturers will seek to establish this correlation between Formula 1 and the production vehicles that they intend for us. And, certainly, Porsche will do the same in 2026, the year of its return to the queen discipline where it made, as a manufacturer, a lightning passage during the 1962 season with the American driver Dan Gurney (our photo).

The hunt for pounds

“Weight is the enemy. This quote uttered by Émile Mathis in 1932, but wrongly attributed to Colin Chapman, was probably written in full at the top of the specifications for the 718 Cayman GT4 RS. To reduce its mass, the designers opted for carbon fiber bucket seats (- 13 kg), but also a polycarbonate bezel rather than glass (- 1.7 kg). Finally, this two-seater has been lightened by 32.6 kg, and we offer the possibility (optional) to make it lose an additional 26.9 kg.