Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder: the corner-carving machines

With the new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder, Porsche completes its two-seater sports car range from the top with two variants for enthusiasts of driving in its purest form.

If the technical configuration of the Porsche 718 is already an invitation to enjoy driving on your favourite mountain road or your preferred circuit, the new 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder variants take this aspect to a whole new level.

For the first time, Porsche has decided that both the 718 Cayman GT4 and the 718 Spyder share the same technical base. To start with, this means that both use the same naturally aspirated six-cylinder boxer engine with 4 litres, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Yes, you read that right: a manual gearbox! We were talking about driving in its purest form, weren’t we?

Naturally aspirated boxer engine with 420 CV

The power of the boxer engine, from the same family used in the current Porsche 911 Carrera, is 420 CV, with a maximum torque of 420 Nm, available between 5,000 and 6,800 rpm. Just as a point of comparison, this represents a gain of 35 CV over the previous generation GT4, one of the most effective and fun cars that have passed through my hands.

The direct-injection engine is capable of revving with an incredible sound up to 8,000 rpm, where the fuel cut-off occurs. Among its most notable technical features are the piezoelectric injectors, capable of performing up to five individual injections per cycle.

It also features variable intake, and an adaptive control system that deactivates one of the cylinder banks under partial load, to favour fuel economy.

Image gallery Porsche 718 Cayman GT4

Performance is assured: more than 300 km/h top speed for both the Spyder, which reaches 301 km/h, and the Cayman, which reaches 304 km/h. To accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h, either of the two stops the clock in 4.4 seconds. The official combined-cycle average consumption figure is 10.9 l/100 km.

A chassis adapted for high performance

And if Porsche has decided to fit the Cayman GT4’s engine in the Spyder, it’s logical that it would do the same when adapting the high-performance chassis, with a setup designed for both the road and the circuit.

In addition to the specific tuning for the Porsche Active Suspension Management dampers, the body height is lowered by 30 mm. The Porsche Stability Management (PSM) stability control has been recalibrated and can be deactivated in two stages. And the Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) system with a mechanical rear limited-slip differential puts the finishing touch when it comes to achieving maximum lateral and longitudinal dynamics.

Image gallery Porsche 718 Spyder

For those who aren’t satisfied with the braking power of the high-performance braking system fitted as standard on the 718 Spyder and Cayman GT4, the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) ceramic brakes are available as an option. Exclusive to the GT4 is the Clubsport package, with a rear reinforcement bar, fire extinguisher and six-point harness for the driver.

The aerodynamic modifications have more effect than might appear at first glance. On the 718 Cayman GT4, for example, a 50% increase in downforce is achieved without affecting the drag coefficient.

30% can be attributed to the rear design, which allows for an additional diffuser. The remaining 20% comes from the new fixed rear wing. On the 718 Spyder, the rear spoiler deploys automatically above 120 km/h.

According to Porsche, all of this, together with ultra-high-performance tyres, allows the new Porsche Cayman GT4 to cut lap time at the Nürburgring circuit by no less than 10 seconds compared to the previous GT4.

The price of the Porsche 718 Spyder for the Spanish market is 107,612 euros, while the 718 Cayman GT4 reaches 110,870 euros.