Video: Is The Cayman GT4 A 911 Beater?

This video from Motor Trend is interesting for a couple of reasons. The first thing you’ll notice if you’re a long time viewer is that “Ignition” has a new host. With Carlos Lago having moved on to Edmunds, Motor Trend has been floating episodes hosted by Jonny Lieberman, Randy Pobst, and Angus MacKenzie until a more permanent host could be found. They found Jason Cammisa to do their dirty work, and it seems to have been a good hire. Between the “Hi there!” Jonny mocking and the “You’re not Carlos” ribbing from Pobst, the transition was fluid and Jason marks a good replacement. Here’s to a long run of Ignition by Cammisa.

Now on to the actual subject of the video. The Cayman GT4

We all know just how amazing this Porsche actually is. It’s a Cayman with some GT3 bits and a Carrera’s 3.8 liter engine. What’s not to like? More power, more downforce, better handling, and a nice meaty wheel and tire package with sticky Michelins.

Motor Trend begins the video by theorizing that the Cayman GT4 is better than a 911, and then spends 18 raucous, exciting, sonorous minutes telling us why that’s not exactly the case. As Cammisa rightly points out, the GT4 is hindered a bit with typically un-Porsche long gearing and typically un-Porsche levels of understeer. Is it insanely quick, absolutely. Is it being slightly crippled as to not directly take on Porsche’s rear engine cars? Let the conspiracy theories begin.

The GT4 isn’t quite a GT3 beater, but it’s certainly quicker around a track than a lot of cars costing twice as much. A V10 mid-engine supercar? Trounced. Ferrari’s 458? Not a chance. So the GT4 is a world beater, then, so long as that world doesn’t include Porsche’s other stupid-fast cars.