So, finally driven the Porsche Cayman GT4!

[Biancaneve]

Tires: MICHELIN Pilot Sport Cup 2
Conditions: wet

Here are my first impressions:

Engine: 9

it pushes strong from fairly low rpm to the red zone (7500 rpm). No need to go to the limit, yet … change at 6000 and you’ll still be “in the cams”. The sound is involving and much better than the 991 Carrera S, not having any tedious resonance.

Gearbox / clutch: 8

good old 6-speed manual gearbox, excursion is just right ... quick enough for the twisty road but surely lagging behind the pdk for the track. Clutch with a "sporty" feeling.

Life on board: 8

The cockpit is smaller than the hypertrophy 911s' and fit to purposes. Lightweight handles (like it or not), not so much storage space. Materials and finishing are according the usual good Porsche quality. Steering wheel and gear stick in Alcantara (need to see how long will remain pristine under heavy and, sometimes sweaty, usage)

Brakes: n/a

due to the wet condition I wasn’t able to really push hard … I haven’t noticed any strange behavior. ABS is not intrusive.

On the road: 8

Road holding: the car has some manageable understeer and it’s almost neutral in the long, fast bends. Anyhow, I think that there is room for improvement in the wheel / tire combination; 20” wheels with very low aspect tires seem a little overkilling; 19 or 18 would allow for more road usable setup but won't fit with the big red calipers. Michelin tires have very (for a road tire) rigid walls and work at rather low pressure (about 2-2.2 bars). It takes a while to have them at the right temperature.

Stability: didn't notice any strange load transfer under brake or acceleration.

Traction: Nothing can match the weight distribution of the 911, with its overboard engine. Therefore, with central-engined Cayman you’ll find yourself more easily into sideways at the exit of slow corners than with your ol' 911. A very well sorted LSD (25% under load) will help you to keep the car on the road and exhibit in glorious counter-steering.

Feeling: Not so heavy but not featherweight either. The small diameter steering wheel is responsive enough, the car make you feel secure. Power steering is not disturbing so much. Reactions can be quite quick for the average driver but the car is also (relatively) easy to control. The various electronic systems interfere in a very subtle and almost unnoticeable manner. Seats are very supportive and make you feel part of the chassis.

Overall: 9

That Cayman is a lot of the car for its sticker price. With under 100K€ you can have a real street racer with top quality finishing. More involving than any "normal" 911 (i.e. taken aside GT3 and RS), less demanding and faster in most of the real world circumstances. Buy one if you can ... production will end soon (if not over already) and no GT4 is foreseen in 2016 so far.

[37yrold911]

did you track it, or is that street impressions?

[Biancaneve]

Street, partially on an old track now open to traffic ...

[Porsche-RSR]

That Cayman is a lot of the car for its sticker price. With under 100K€ you can have a real street racer with top quality finishing. More involving than any "normal" 911 (i.e. taken aside GT3 and RS), less demanding and faster in most of the real world circumstances. Buy one if you can ... production will end soon (if not over already) and no GT4 is foreseen in 2016 so far.

The GT4 Clubsport will be presented in LA in November. It will come with a PDK gearbox, 911 Cup front axle and a modified braking system.

See: http://www.telegraaf.nl/autovisie/au...ubsport__.html (article is in Dutch)

[Biancaneve]

The GT4 Clubsport will be presented in LA in November. It will come with a PDK gearbox, 911 Cup front axle and a modified braking system.

See: http://www.telegraaf.nl/autovisie/au...ubsport__.html (article is in Dutch)

Indeed, but it won't be street legal in most countries, as far as I was told by Porsche.