Though the hierarchy at Porsche is supposed to be unshakable, it appears there’s a little wiggle room in the small spaces between the heavy hitters.
The implication has always been that the Cayman should sit firmly underneath the Carrera in Porsche’s pecking order. However, install the 4.0-liter engine in the Cayman, and very soon it’s threatening the rear-engine sibling with a little more cachet. But more than powerful, the Cayman GTS 4.0 is an agile thing. When it’s given to a top-tier driver, we can see just what a wonderfully responsive and controllable vehicle this is.
This torquey engine enables the GTS 4.0 to sprint from 0-62 mph in 4.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 182 mph. With 394 horsepower and 308 lb-ft of torque, it has enough to launch off of Hockenheim’s slower corners and it continues to pull along the straights. True, its acceleration is not anywhere near as violent a GT2 RS MR’s, but the straights here aren’t so long that Uwe Senner can check his watch and gather much data from the passing scenery.
A decent tire stagger (235F/256R) helps give the Cayman GTS 4.0 a friendly balance.
As Uwe Senner applies the throttle, we don’t hear the revs spike as the rear tires lose grip. The car is planted in the rear—it looks like a car that’s exceptionally forgiving out of the box. Perhaps the 235-section tires up front are what cause a significant amount of understeer through the faster corners, and if it were made more neutral, there would be a significant gain in time.
But its agility and layout help it rotate nicely through slower corners, and its traction rivals some rear-engined cars in its price range. Its combination of qualities are enough to match the 991 GTS around this very track. It’s also quicker than a 992 Carrera, which lapped Hockenheim in 1:57.60. Half a second faster than the newest Carrera—that’s quite a feat, especially considering how the Cayman GTS 4.0 is $12,000 cheaper.
View Comments (4)
With a Stick no less!
Watching the clip, Uwe shifted the gear stick 20 times take away 1 shift just before the finish line which would not make much difference to the time so say 19 shifts.
I stopped watched the shift time from start to next gear and it was .77 of a second, no pulling power or slowing down the car with engine deceleration. That time depends on how quick you are pressing the start stop button so lets be generous lets make that time .25 of a second.
So .25 of a second x 19 shifts equals 4.75 seconds the time the Cayman theoretically would be nearly 5 seconds quicker with a PDK gearbox around that track. every lap
You would also have factor in the heavier PDK gearbox so let us be generous lets split that time in half to 2.375 seconds faster than the manual gearbox something to think about and that is every lap theoretically.
Lap times are not everything, pdk is boring. Or we can all race Teslas I guess!
Patrick, yes lap times are good if you are going for the "world champion ship", i don't find PDK boring , i find slow speeds boring on a race track the faster the better.
I also like manual gearbox's and that depends on the day when i am feeling relaxed PDK or when i feel like shifting gears i drive a manual all good on the road, but on the track PDK, besides what ever makes you put a smile on your face i like.