Dancing and driving have a lot in common, they can both take years to master, can be done solo or with a group, and they can be good for your mental health. So put on your red shoes and dance the blues away with me as I take a spin with the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS.
Choreography is the art of making dances and Porsche have certainly composed something special with the Cayman GT4 RS. The sequence opens with a flash of the Guards Red Cayman passing by with its Carbon-Fibre Reinforced Plastic low snout and fixed rear wing dominating the scene. The lightweight material is also used on the front bonnet and fenders and the optional Weissach (named after Porsche’s engineering centre) package fitted to this Cayman takes the dynamic design of the GT4 RS even further. With the front luggage-compartment lid, process air intakes, cooling air intakes, airbox cover, exterior mirror upper trims and rear wing having an exposed carbon-weave finish. The package also adds a titanium exhaust system and forged magnesium wheels for further weight reduction.
Then comes the main event, the 4.0 litre, flat 6-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine, a true masterpiece if ever I heard one. To start it you will need to flex, inserting the key shaped like the silhouette of the Cayman and turning it, there’s no quick push to start button here. The result is not so much whispering sweet nothings in your ear, but more like screaming at you during a rock concert as the engine pitch peaks at the 9,000rpm redline. Because there is nothing but air between you and the raspy noise from the mid-mounted flat six coming from under that carbon fibre engine cover.
At cruising speeds, the noise in the cabin is such that you can still carry on a conversation with your passenger and there is a button on the centre console to adjust the exhaust sound if desired. It is a different story above 4,000rpm though, when you will only be able to communicate through the smile on your faces. The exhaust is throaty under hard acceleration and the pitch increases the higher up the rev range you go and it becomes very harsh at high revs. If you suffer from headaches or migraines as a result of loud noises then the GT4 RS may not be for you.
The effortless performance of the GT4 RS is thanks to the 368kW of power and 450Nm torque from the flat six and when it unleashes the rear-wheel drive Cayman will go from 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds and on to a top speed 315km/h. An athletic vehicle called for a coupling with an equally exquisite watch and I chose the Special Edition TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Orange Racing automatic chronograph ($10,250) to shoot with the Cayman for this performance.
Launch control is an easy two step, simply put your left foot on the brake and right foot on the accelerator at the same time and release brake to go fast in a straight line. The official combined fuel consumption is 12.7L/100km and for my waltz with the Cayman I used 14.5L/100km. To top off my day with this Terpsichore was the aroma emitted from the GT4 RS in my garage, Race Car Eau de Toilette.
The exceptional engine is paired with a seven-speed PDK transmission, PDK stands for ‘Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe’ and translated to English the second word means ‘double clutch’. The gearbox can be operated in auto mode, or your can take control using the small wheel mounted metal gear selectors for ‘manually’ changing gears on the PDK. If you want to stay in ‘manual’ mode just tap the Race-Tex covered gear selector to the left so it doesn’t revert back to auto, press the button on centre console marked ‘PDK-Sport’ for extra sharp gear changes and watch the performance-oriented shift indicator on the instrument cluster to help you hit your mark.
Grace, fluidity, and harmony of body are also frequently desired in the dancer, and behind the scenes there is a lot going on in the Cayman to achieve this. With the Porsche Stability Management keeping the movement from the backend to just a bit of a waggle under hard acceleration in a straight line and out of some corners. But the GT4 RS is as stable, as you would expect driving at road speeds in a vehicle as shore footed and set up for track work as this. The ride is hard, but you can make it even stiffer for the race track by pressing the ‘Firm damper’ button on the centre console. The ABS also has two switchable stages ‘ESC OFF’ and ‘ESC+TC OFF’, but I didn’t explore these.
The Porsche Active Suspension Management has a variable damper system with a sports setup so the ride height of the Cayman is lowered by 30mm meaning its ground clearance is just 103mm. Thankfully this Cayman was fitted with the optional ($4,900) lift system on front axle to help you step over obstacles in the road. But I noted that the bottom half of the front splitter is plastic, so maybe it has been deliberately designed so that it can be replaced easily?
The GT4 RS also has an adjustable chassis for race track use (toe, camber, anti-roll bars) and the tyre pressure monitoring comes with a track mode. This Cayman also comes with the Clubsport package that includes a factory-fitted roll bar, a six-point SCHROTH FIA Standard harness that really locks you into the seat, and a fire extinguisher. Standard three-point seat belts are also fitted so you don’t have to use the harness for everyday driving thankfully. However, it’s not a great view from the rear-view mirror as a result of the roll cage, but the Cayman does have a standard rear-view camera with rear sensors to help when reversing. Also, the fire extinguisher hinders access the passenger seat lever for moving back or forward and the floor mat doesn’t fit properly so maybe it should be stored have an alternative storage location in the boot and only put in cabin on track days, if possible?
Steering is precise and the GT4 RS dutifully goes where you point it using the unadorned RS sports steering wheel trimmed in black Race-Tex. I also really liked the analogue speedo and large taco front and centre to the driver. The digital display on the right-hand side of the cluster is navigated using the stalk on right behind the steering wheel. It can display the map, tyre temps and pressures, trip info, stop watch, gear change assist and performance and power graph. Put simply the GT4 RS is a race car with air conditioning that you can actually rumba with every day should the mood take you.
The lightweight full bucket seats have heaps of head and leg room so the GT4 RS is a sport scar that taller people can enjoy. The seats firmly embrace and hold you in tight, but after about two hours of driving my bottom did get a little numb from them. The seats have no recline adjustment and only manual forward/back movement. They do have powered height adjustment, but this raises up the whole seat, which I didn’t like. The $33,210 Weissach Package also includes extensive use of leather and Race-Tex in the cabin with special embroidery on the headrest to designate it.
The upper section of the dashboard is upholstered in Race-Tex material and I admired the dashboard trim strips and centre console trim in satin and the engineering involved with the two cup holders that come out from behind the carbon fibre trim on the dash. The door trims have also been given the lightweight treatment with the handles replaced with door opening loops and on my Cayman the door sill guards were illuminated and carbon fibre, a $790 optional extra.
For playing your favourite dancing tunes the GT4 RS has a surprisingly good Bose stereo with Apple Car Play and digital radio as standard. Users of Android smartphones must rely on Bluetooth connection to the infotainment system. Voice control can be used for accessing this and is activated by pressing the button on the top of the stalks behind the steering with the non-descript silhouette on it. The voice control worked well for me for making phone calls and setting a destination on the sat nav, but was a bit hit and miss for changing the radio station.
For such a track focused car the GT4 RS does have enough storage in the cabin with a netted pocket and an open pocket in the doors for your sunglasses or wallet. Under the arm rest there is one USB-A port and a phone storage cubby and the decent sized glove box has another USB-A port located in it and both connect to the infotainment system. The front boot is a good size for the weekly shop, but it does get hot so don’t put your ice cream in there. The release for the two boots are located on the key fob and the door sill in cabin.
Other real-world touches that you will like to have in the GT4 RS include dual zone climate control with nice simple switches and standard cruise control that is operated by a button on one of the stalks behind the steering wheel. The Cayman also has auto lights and high beam and auto wipers.
The Porsche Cayman GT4 RS comes with a three years/unlimited kilometre warranty and the service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first. An up-front servicing plan can be purchased for $2,995 (3 years), $4,495 (4 years), or $5,495 (5 years).
Driving the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS was akin to what I think taking part in a classical ballet would be like thanks to its precision and strength. You can experience it for yourself from $311,900 excluding on-road costs and as tested this Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS was $352,330 plus on-roads. Configure your own 718 Cayman GT4 RS online or visit your preferred Porsche dealer for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| The noise from the flat six engine | Fire extinguisher should be stored in the rear boot |
| The athletic performance | The way the seat height adjusts |
| The engineering details | Items in the front boot get hot |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.