Porsche Officially Reveals the Cayman GT4

2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 (Credit: © Porsche)

We all knew the Cayman GT4 was coming, but none of us really knew just how close it was to being unveiled. Apparently it was much closer than most of us thought, as Porsche surprised us all with a late-night reveal of the new sports car just a few days ago. Unfortunately, not all of the details are available yet, but the ones that truly matter were revealed.

Let’s start with the best part, the drivetrain. There was a lot of speculation in this area, as some were calling for a turbo four-cylinder or a retuned version of the Cayman’s existing 3.4-liter six-cylinder, but neither one ended up being true. Instead, Porsche reached into the 911 lineup and pulled the 3.8-liter flat-six from the Carrera S and stuffed it behind the Cayman’s seats. Now, Porsche didn’t just pull off a direct swap between the two, as it instead detuned the 3.8-liter by 15 horses, giving it 385 ponies to play with – a 45-horsepower boost over the Cayman GTS.

2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 (Credit: © Porsche)

Delivering the power to the rear wheels is a six-speed manual transmission – no PDK here, folks – with dynamic mounts and a dual-mass flywheel. In terms of track performance, things get a little odd. The press release claims that the Cayman GT4 will clip 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds and top out at 183 mph, whereas Porsche’s website claims a 0-to-60 sprint of 4.4 seconds and a yet-to-be-determined top speed. Depending on which sprint time is accurate, the Cayman GT4’s is either 0.1 seconds quicker or 0.1 seconds slower than the 911 Carrera S with the manual gearbox.

Handling the twist in the Cayman GT4 will likely be a pleasure, as Porsche has completely overhauled the undercarriage. Included in this overhaul are various, unspecified components borrowed from the 911 GT3. Additionally, the GT4 features a 30 mm (1.18-inch) lower ride height and a larger braking system – the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) is available as an option too.

2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 (Credit: © Porsche)

The Cayman GT4’s design is clearly to maximize the usefulness of airflow. The three large air vents up front and the large rear spoiler combine to force the two-seater toward the tarmac at higher speeds.

Inside the cabin, the occupants are treated to a sporty look and feel that is highlighted by sport seats wrapped in leather and Alcantara, and an exclusive sport steering wheel. Buyers can opt for an even sportier cabin with the carbon-fiber-composite seats.

The Cayman GT4 will make its full debut at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show in March, and it will go on sale in July 2015 at a starting price of $84,600. The Sport Chrono Package will be an available option, but pricing for that has yet to be revealed.