Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS 2023 Review
The delicious GT4 RS has finally touched down in Australia as the crowning jewel in Porsche’s 718 Cayman range, with a big 911 GT3-derived powerplant and a $312K price tagJust when you thought sports car manufacturers were too busy working on new ways to make zero-emissions machines more exciting and palatable for purists, Porsche has been in the lab concocting its most insane fossil-fuelled Cayman yet. Powered by its bigger 911 GT3 sibling’s 4.0-litre flat-six and equipped with enough aero to rival a light aircraft, the raw and raucous Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is the cream of the crop when it comes to the German brand’s ‘entry-level’ sports car. But there’s nothing ‘entry-level’ about this track-focused weapon, which comes with a roll cage and a fire extinguisher, for good measure.
How much does the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS cost?
The fire-breathing 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is now on sale in Australia, with the first batch of customer deliveries landing late last year.
Sitting atop the two-door 718 Cayman line-up and based on the GT4, the all-new GT4 RS brings an eye-watering price tag that starts at $311,900 plus on-road costs, a whopping $90K more than the regular GT4.
But far from regular is the RS, and not only because it borrows its powerplant from the 911 GT3. No, this coupe is proper track-ready, even before you add the optional Weissach Package, as is the case with our tester (more on that later).
By the time you tick a few more option boxes – at least $40,000 worth in the case of our test car – you could very quickly be edging towards Porsche 911 GT3 money.
What equipment comes with the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS?
The list of options on our 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is long, but we’ll start with the standard stuff first.
All cars come equipped with dynamic LED headlights with cornering function, LED tail-lights, a carbon-fibre rear spoiler, a GT4 RS-specific front bar with extra air ducting and unique lip, larger front brake discs (408mm up front, 380mm rear) and centre-locking 20-inch Dark Silver wheels with RS centre caps.
The GT4 RS also gets its own stainless-steel sports exhaust, an RS sports steering wheel with a yellow centre marker, and carbon-fibre bucket seats.
Dual-zone climate control is standard, along with a 4.6-inch digital instrument cluster and a central touch-screen with Apple CarPlay, navigation and digital radio.
So, all the equipment you’d expect from a $300,000-plus car, really.
Heated seats are a no-cost option, as is a premium Bose audio system, however metallic paint will cost an extra $6070, thanks.
Elsewhere, Porsche fits a Club Sport Package to every GT4 RS, which adds track-ready gear like a bolt-in steel roll cage, six-point harness for the driver, a hand-held fire extinguisher and preparation for a battery disconnection switch.
If you tick the box for the $33,210 Weissach Package, you’re in for a whole lot more visual flare, with a carbon weave finish for the bonnet, rear wing, side mirrors and side window air intakes, a big Porsche banner atop the rear window, and titanium exhaust tips.
The Club Sport Package’s roll cage is switched out for a titanium version that shaves off 6kg, a second six-point harness is added for the passenger, Weissach Package logos are splashed around the cabin and the dash is coated in a glare-reducing Race-Tex upholstery to match the bucket seats, door trims and headliner.
Our test car is also fitted with weight-saving door pull loops ($290) in place of regular door handles, a front-axle lift system ($4900), illuminated door sill guards ($790) and a Chrono Package ($520) to record lap times on track.
Porsche covers the 718 Cayman with a three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, with servicing due every 12 months or 20,000km.
How safe is the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the German sports car-maker hasn’t offered up a spare 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS to crash test, so it doesn’t come with an official safety rating from ANCAP.
On that note, the GT4 RS doesn’t come with much more than a reverse camera and rear parking sensors, either.
Non-adaptive cruise control is standard, as are airbags for the driver and passenger, but you can forget about lane assist or even smart entry.
What technology does the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS feature?
But the lack of tech and driver aids in the 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is what makes it all the more endearing.
You can still blast your favourite Spotify tunes through outstanding Bose speakers and the intense LED headlights are fantastic at night, but the GT4 RS forgoes a lot of luxuries to ensure your attention is right where it needs to be.
Heck, you even have to stick the key in the ignition to get going.
But it all adds to the mechanical feel and that’s where Porsche has put the emphasis.
If the huge 911 GT3-inspired rear wing and side window air intakes don’t give it away, a peek underneath reveals just how far Porsche has taken the flagship Cayman’s aero, with underbody cladding tip to tail.
You can tinker with manual adjustments on both the front splitter and rear wing, should you desire, but there’s little else – aside from exhaust, PDK and damper settings – to customise.
Specially-tuned adjustable dampers, more air intakes planted around the front-end and even a front axle borrowed from the 911 GT3 all feature, along with a 6mm-wider front track and 8mm-wider rear track compared to the regular GT4.
The RS also sits 30mm closer to the ground, making that front-axle lift system a must-have. You can raise or lower it at speeds of up to 60km/h, too, which comes in handy when approaching speed bumps or car parks.
What powers the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS?
Wedged deep in the middle of the 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, the deeply impressive powerplant is arguably the car’s best asset.
Instead of borrowing the regular Cayman GT4’s 4.0-litre flat-six, the German car-maker decided more power could be had from pinching the 911 GT3’s 4.0-litre six and rotating it to fit in the Cayman’s mid-engine set-up.
In this application, the naturally-aspirated six-cylinder produces a whopping 368kW of power and 450Nm of torque, just a little less than the 375kW/470Nm on offer in the GT3.
There’s more than enough power to play with, but unless you’re employing launch control – in which case you might need to lie down shortly after – the GT4 RS doesn’t feel blindingly quick off the line.
But, boy, does it like to rev. Anything less than 5000rpm feels like a waste of time for both parties. The six-cylinder needs to be worked hard and when you do, it pulls like a freight train, pummelling through gears and up to warp speed in no time.
For reference, Porsche says the GT4 RS will hit 100km/h in 3.4 seconds. Sounds about right.
Although purists might be turned off by the lack of a manual transmission – Porsche insists it tried hard to make one fit – the seven-speed PDK automatic is just sublime.
When you let it do its thing, gear shifts are perfectly timed, sharp, and yet eerily smooth. Choose your own poison by cycling through the shift paddles, and somewhere between 6000 and 9000rpm out on the open road you extract one of the most beautiful orchestras in the automotive world.
It’s ear-piercing in the best way possible, particularly with the sports exhaust dialled up. Dial it back and it somehow packs up all the commotion and goes about its business almost – dare I say – inconspicuously.
How fuel efficient is the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS?
It’s unlikely the vast majority of people willing and able to buy a 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS are going to worry about how often they’ll have to visit the bowser.
But mileage still matters to many, and so here’s what we found…
We averaged a commendable 12.2L/100km across our test, which is well under Porsche’s claim of 12.7L/100km and doesn’t seem quite right given the beating we gave the tacho.
Either way, if you’re keen on conserving fuel, just keep the engine stop-start system activated.
What is the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS like to drive?
It’s surprisingly malleable. If you thought the 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS was a tightly-wound one-trick pony, you’d be mistaken. Well, only slightly mistaken.
Sure, the track-ready coupe’s suspension can feel relentless on the wrong tarmac, of which we have plenty here in Oz, but get it on the smooth stuff and it’s glorious.
The GT4 RS surpasses dynamic expectations and gives the old ‘handles like it’s on rails’ cliche a new meaning. You can tip it into bends with full confidence you’re coming out the other side, and even when it starts to get wiggly, the ESC makes just enough featherweight adjustments to keep you going.
Steering is crisp and the turning circle is surprisingly tight.
Sticky Pirelli P Zero tyres are a perfect match on-road, but a freshly-surfaced racetrack is truly where the RS belongs – it’s difficult to (legally) make the most of its potential in the real world.
Tipping the scales at 1415kg and undercutting the regular GT4 by 35kg, the GT4 RS makes good use of its motorsport-inspired gear – stuff like lightweight glass for the rear window and lightweight carpet in the interior, among other things.
What is the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS like inside?
If you can comfortably manage ingress and egress without straining yourself too much, living with the 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS should be a breeze.
It’s a long way down and a bit awkward manoeuvring your rear end in and around the hard-edged bucket seats – not to mention the crotch strap buckle on the harness – but the pay-off is a figure-hugging seat that holds you firmly in place.
There’s little to no lower back support, which you’ll notice on a longer drive, but the GT4 RS is no grand tourer, so we’ll cut it some slack.
Its low stance and long bonnet can make it difficult to see your surroundings, particularly your blind spots. But, again, it’s a driver’s car and in that spirit Porsche has minimised silly distractions such as volume controls on the steering wheel.
Both the driver and passenger get electric up/down seat adjustment, so even taller folk shouldn’t feel too cramped. However, it’s a manual adjustment for front-to-back movements.
One disadvantage of opting for the fire extinguisher is where it must be mounted on the passenger floor. It obstructs the passenger’s seat-adjust handle, meaning the seat can only be positioned far back in the cabin.
That’s great for taller people with long legs, but less so for short passengers that might like to brace themselves.
Should I buy a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS?
It’s probably more a question of can you buy a 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, because the answer to whether you should buy one is unequivocally yes!
It might even have you considering putting your hand up for weird medical experiments or searching for other illicit methods of procuring a $350,000 sum, such is the allure of this coupe.
It’s crisp, delightful and utterly majestic. And yes. Yes, I will sell you one of my kidneys.
2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS at a glance:
Price: $311,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 4.0-litre flat six-cylinder petrol
Output: 368kW/450Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 12.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 289g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested
- Delicious engine with a raucous exhaust
- Incredibly glued to the road
- You will never fly under the radar
- Difficult to enjoy its full potential on public roads
- Ride is uncompromising on imperfect roads
- You will never fly under the radar
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