Hotly anticipated 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS 982 and RS Clubsport revealed
Presenting serious questions to anyone currently thinking about buying a new 911, the Cayman GT4 RS is the new flagship of the 718 family and was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show shortly before this. The model’s naturally aspirated flat-six, familiar from the 911 GT3 Cup race car and the GT3 production model, forms the centrepiece of a mid-engined Porsche designed for maximum driving pleasure. Three grand cheaper than a 992 Carrera GTS, the 718 Cayman GT4 RS is yours for £108,370.
The engine revs as high as 9,000rpm. Compared to the 718 Cayman GT4 (note: no RS badge), the GT4 RS boasts almost eighty extra horsepower, resulting in 493bhp from a lowslung Porsche tipping scales at 1,415kg with a full fuel tank, weight amounting to a full thirty-five kilos less than a 718 Cayman GT4 with PDK. Ah, yes. PDK. Like every modern RS, the new GT4 RS is exclusively available with the Porsche dual-clutch transmission. This gearbox shifts through its seven gears at lightning speed, with gearshift paddles allowing the driver to keep their hands on the steering wheel when taking over the controls. Alternatively, if they want to evoke some of the feel of a manual, they can use the re-designed selector lever on the centre console when attempting to test Porsche’s claim of the GT4 RS despatching the sprint from rest to 62mph in just 3.4 seconds, a full half-second quicker than the GT4 PDK. Top speed is 196mph (8mph quicker than a GT4 without an RS badge).
LIGHT FANTASTIC
Weight reduction is achieved thanks to the use of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) for key body components, including the bonnet and front wings. Lightweight carpets also save weight, as does a reduction in the amount of insulation material used. The rear glass is thinner than standard, while lightweight door panels with textile opening loops and nets on the storage pockets complete the quest to eliminate every superfluous gram.
The new fixed rear wing — plus its swan-neck attachment and aluminium wing supports — is derived from the RSR GT race car and was first adopted in a Porsche series production model with the 992 GT3. In combination with a ride height dropped by thirty millimetres over a regular 718, the eye-catching vents on the front wheel arches, the optimised underbody panelling (with connected rear diffuser), the multi-adjustable front diffuser, the new front spoiler lip and striking flow-around side blades generate approximately twenty-five percent more downforce over the 718 GT4. Model-specific springs, dampers and anti-roll bars bolster the GT4 RS’s optimised chassis.
The optional Weissach performance package takes the dynamic design of the GT4 RS even further: the ‘frunk’, process air intakes, cooling air intakes, airbox cover, exterior mirror cases and rear wing all boast a carbon-weave finish, while titanium tailpipes owe more than a passing nod to the exhaust system of the modern 935. The Weissach kit also includes a fitted roll cage made from lightweight titanium. The upper section of the dashboard is upholstered in Race-Tex material and a large Porsche logo is integrated into the rear window. Twenty-inch forged magnesium wheels can be ordered at additional cost, replacing the standard GT4 RS twenty-inch forged alloys.
UK deliveries will begin this spring. Needless to say, we’re gagging to get behind the wheel of both the 718 GT4 RS and the just-announced 718 GT4 RS Clubsport, which is due to hit national and international race series in 2022. We’ll bring you our reviews of both Caymans in a forthcoming.