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For a lot of the time that it has existed, most people have seen the Porsche Cayman as a great sports vehicle that requires an engine that matches its caliber. Till now, the final product has left many fans wanting more. This may be because of an absence of engine power or the absence of the roar that is usually heard from such sports cars. But things changed a lot when the brand stepped up and addressed these issues by giving a strong engine with more than 400 horsepower in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS. The brand is not finished either. The present car has the same engine that was present in the 911 GT3. But it has been detuned to a little under 500 horsepower. It comes with a lot of goodies that make a car a complete beast on the tracks. Compared to the standard GT4, this version is present only with the dual-clutch auto transmission. The car also gets some performance add-ons that include weight-decreasing interior materials, special tuning of the suspension, a big rear spoiler, and aerodynamic bodywork.

All the trims of this line-up have a light curb weight and a mid-engine design. This gives great driver engagement, steering, and wonderful handling. But they are quite costly compared to what you get from the features. This is more so when you can get a faster Chevrolet Corvette at about an equal cost for the base vehicle. Even its closest rivals start looking attractive when you put the features you would like on the car. But it is not easy to put a price on the experience and exhilaration you get when you start to drive this car. In our review, you will find out why the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is one of the best cars you can drive today.

Overview

Very few vehicles out there give the same focus to their core goals as this car. The specially tuned suspensions and the mid-engine arrangement give the car a vibrant driving style that is quite addictive for any driver. These features take the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS to the top of many reviews. The buyers can opt for a couple of horizontally opposed cylinder engines. One of the engines gives a very soft hum that helps you to be quite aggressive with your driving. The fans of open-air driving will find the Boxster gives a similar kind of feel. But these models have been reviewed separately. The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is quite premium in its pricing compared to rivals such as Toyota Supra and the Chevy Corvette. The brand image of the car and the focused persona of the line-up are enough to justify the hike in the price. Of course, the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS also has great driving traits that make it right to our list of the best cars we have reviewed.

Interior

The car's interior has well-placed controls, comfy seats, and easy-to-understand gauges that give the cabin a very form-fitting feeling. It is quite like the costume of a superhero. But the collection of cheap plastic pieces and the hard buttons keep the overall interior from outstanding in this segment. But the brand has covered just any surface in leather. But it will come at an increased cost. The car also has a compact front trunk that complements the rear cargo area of the car. It gives this small sports car a good amount of space in the cargo, giving tough competition to its rivals in the segment. You can easily fit a couple of carry-on suitcases in the trunk and the front storage. However, there is a steep rear-hatch angle. This means that the owners will need to utilize soft duffel bags to make the most of the space that is present.

Engine

The brand gives a mix of very powerful engines on the line-up. The entry-level trim is a turbocharged engine. The S Variant has been created with a turbocharged engine with more than 340 horsepower. The cylinders on the engine provide the car with swift acceleration. But there are some problems with the hard sounds that they produce. But the other engine is naturally aspirated and fixes the sound issues of the car. The noise sounds great after it has been fixed. The overall horsepower generated also gets a boost to nearly 500 with the new engine. But no matter which engine you opt to go with, each of the trims comes default with a six-speed manual transmission. This can be termed as among the best in the market. You may be a person that is not into that. Then you can use a quick-shifting dual-clutch automatic transmission with shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel. The steering of the car and the obedient chassis make it feel that you are driving the car through telepathy, and it exceeds driving perfection.

This can be credited to the sticky summer tires and the car's mid-engine layout. These work well together to give the sports coupe great stability and balance on turning and twisting streets. The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is a great mix of a relaxed ride and incredible handling.

Tech Features

Tech is not the strong suit of the car. There is a big learning curve to making use of the infotainment system. This is because of the huge number of buttons that are present. There is no integration of Android Auto in the car. The lane-keeping assist and the adaptive cruise control are also optional. The stability control system is quite effective when it is required. Many drivers will not notice its guiding hand when they are driving. But the standard parking sensors are not so peaceful. They are easily activated in heavy traffic. The default touchscreen infotainment system of the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is quite simple. It gives swift response times to the inputs of the passengers. Indeed, the brand squeezes out every penny from the user by charging more for some extra features. This includes a wireless hotspot and built-in navigation. But all models are now compatible with Apple CarPlay. But as we said, the lovers of Android are in for some hard luck. The audio system can also be updated to a high-end Burmester or Bose stereo unit with more than eleven speakers and an output of more than 800 watts.

Driving

There are a lot of situations in which driving the car feels like being in complete heaven. It is not shockingly fast as you would expect. But it likes to be driven in a hard manner. The car is worth the price you pay for it if you are able to do that. This is more so on a winding road where the overall genius of the world-class and perfectly weighted steering is on complete display. The brakes have good durability and great stopping power. The test car had a manual transmission from zero to sixty miles per hour in just over four and a half seconds. These are not remarkable figures when it comes to a sports car. But the car with the dual-clutch transmission is quicker than this. We were not overly impressed with the base engine. It gives good passing power. But the full acceleration of the car leaves something to be desired because of the tall gearing. The shifts of the dual-clutch auto transmission can also be a little jarring at low speeds. But it does smoothen out when good speed is built up.

Comfort

The optional sports seats have many adjustments to be made. But they are quite cushiony and well-shaped for long-distance travel. The ventilated seats are also a great addition to hot days. You can also opt for the optional sports suspension. With the suspension installed, the smaller bumps are completely wiped out. But going over the bigger bumps can cause you to jump from your seats for a second. The exhaust and engine noises are loud enough to be seen as deal-breakers. When it comes to the sports exhaust, the engine is unrefined and rough. It sounds like a lower-priced car that has been poorly tuned. The base engine of the car gives an even worse sound. The road noise is quite loud when driven on rough asphalt, but wind noise is nearly non-existent.

Maintenance

There is an almost vertical trunk in the rear for all types of duffel bags. There is also another option for storage in the front. It is nearly half the size of the space provided in the trunk. But you can store a few bags there as well. The overall capacity is quite good. But the split prevents the user from loading any bigger items that might fit on a single trunk of the same total size. In the interiors, there are only a few pockets and bins to hold your personal items, which are quite shallow and small. The standard cupholders found in the car are effective but a little fidgety. They are a little out of reach for the person driving the car. The build quality present in the interiors is quite high. We really like the premium materials and the tight assembly that has been done. But the cost of the car here is the major issue.

Adding only some options to the car can take the price upwards to astronomical levels. You can get a lot more utility and performance from cars that are much less expensive in this segment. The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS can give you a mileage of 18 to 25 in combined driving on the highways in the city. But it depends on the overall transmission and the model. The car with the manual transmission can go to more than 27. Usually, the car is one of the more fuel-efficient cars in this segment.

Conclusion

The present line-up of the vehicle is great in almost any way you choose to stretch it. It is applicable to the base model also. The car is very driver-centric, giving importance to luxurious cabin materials and sharp handling. But there is a lot of outside noise. Apart from one, the other engines are also lackluster, and the pricing of the car is just too high. This somewhat diminishes the greatness of the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS.