Porsche Cayman GT4 2019 Review – International

Punching out of the final uphill hairpin of the Knockhill racetrack in Scotland, the mid-engine sports car's tail wagging briefly round the tight right-hander, I can't stop grinning.

The new Porsche Cayman GT4 is a sublime car to drive fast.

A day after two personal firsts – eating haggis and driving the Cayman GT4's convertible cousin (the Porsche Spyder) on the road – I'm beginning to understand the significance of the responsive flat atmo six and suspension componentry donated from the Porsche 911 GT3.

The test track for the global launch of the muscled-up Cayman GT4 is the Knockhill circuit, a 2km rollercoaster that weaves in 60 metres of helter-skelter elevation change, making it a challenging tarmac tapestry for even the most gifted charioteer.

In some ways, the circuit is the hero of this story. But let's face it, a track without a vehicle is like a canvas without paint – an empty, austere void.

Pinning the throttle up the main straight, I stretch the Porsche's free-spinning naturally-aspirated 4.0-litre boxer engine to 7900rpm and a red light flashes on the dash. My eyes are locked on the impending right-hand corner (Duffus Dip) but my peripheral vision picks up the almost subliminal signal: "Change gear now. Danke schön".

The Porsche Cayman GT4 is fitted exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox (for now), so a short but euphoric spurt of endorphins infuse my nervous system as feet and hands instinctively work the clutch, gear stick and throttle, all in one smooth, satisfying motion.

It's like eating a carefully crafted meal whose blend of flavours is so complementary you feel compelled to start a YouTube channel about it. Only there's more noise in this instance. And serious g-forces.

Stomping vigorously on the brake pedal, the six-pot aluminium monobloc callipers biting hard into upgraded 380mm front and rear brake discs, the Cayman GT4 washes off speed rapidly as my eyes triangulate the apex, the track dropping downhill.

Right about now I should interject this stream of consciousness with an important detail – this was lap two at a demanding, undulating racetrack on which I’ve never laid rubber before. It is, therefore, a testament to the Porsche Cayman GT4's fundamental ease of use that such feats are possible.

This is a car that isn't intimidating or scary to thrash at 8/10ths (or more) and in my experience the same cannot be said of some high-end 300kW-plus sports cars.

At times it feels as though the engineering work undertaken on the Porsche Cayman GT4 car is so tuned in to human control, and so predictable, that it puts the amygdala – the part of the brain that processes fear – at ease.

I don't mind admitting I'm one of the slower guys in the Aussie car journo world, but I felt implausibly confident in this car and couldn’t resist pushing harder on the straights and diving deeper into corners on each consecutive lap of the Knockhill circuit.

By lap 10 later braking and turn-in was coming naturally and higher mid-corner speeds and earlier throttle application out of corners was occurring easily. On one lap the inside wheels lofted up over the left-right (Arnold Clark chicane) blind crest before a brief four-wheel slide, but the car always felt in complete control.

Even the hairiest moments are clearly telegraphed through the Alcantara-covered GT steering wheel and (optional) fixed racing seat. This is quite possibly the most informative sports car I’ve ever driven. It's superb. Sublime. Heavenly.

Although weight balance is not split 50:50, the Cayman GT4's 44/56 front/rear distribution of mass works in its favour, adding more grip to the rear-end, which features torque vectoring by brakes and a mechanical limited-slip diff to ensure the car rotates keenly into and out of corners.

By starting with a mid-engine sports car concept and adding not only the engine performance it deserves but motorsport-derived suspension componentry from the Porsche 911 GT chassis, the GT4 is utterly approachable for all skill levels.

Indeed a lot of the car's dynamic prowess comes down to its spring/strut suspension rig, including transverse and longitudinal control arms, upside-down shock absorbers and special ball-joints. Unlike the Porsche Spyder, the Cayman GT4 gets manually adjustable suspension too, via tweakable toe, camber and anti-roll bars.

Adaptive dampers also offer road (firm) and track (very firm) settings, while active transmission mounts improve rigidity and keep the powertrain vibrations to a minimum when it matters.

All this chassis goodness connects to the road/track via super-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres (245/35 ZR20 fore, 295/30 ZR20 aft), making the Cayman GT4 one of the most level-headed machines you'll ever punt on a racetrack.

The motorsport-derived aero didn’t get a proper workout on the Knockhill circuit given the track's short nature, but for the record the GT4 gets a full-panelled flat underbody, NACA inlets and a new diffuser inspired by the Porsche 911 RSR wide-body endurance race car.

Together with the adjustable rear wing, Porsche claims its new mid-engined hero car generates 122kg of downforce – the equivalent of a considerably rotund person sitting on the roof of the car – and a maximum velocity of 304km/h.

Spending time inside the GT4 feels special thanks to the acres of Alcantara that cover almost everything, from the seats to the GT steering wheel, gear shifter and even the centre armrest.

Small touches like the yellow needle (a fixture of all Porsche GT cars) on the centrally-mount tachometer and door-pulls instead of handles are a nod towards the weight-saving measures of motorsport.

There are three seats options available: standard sports seats, upgraded 18-way power-adjustable sports seats ($5150) and fixed racing buckets seats ($11,250). The cars on test were fitted with the latter, which provide excellent levels of lateral support and decent comfort.

The cabin of the GT4 is covered in Alcantara – from the seats to the GT steering wheel, gear lever and even central armrest, creating a cabin that screams "go faster!"

Porsche offers a 'Clubsport' package ($8250) not available on its twin sibling, the Boxster Spyder. It’s aimed at track-day enthusiasts and brings a half-cage (upgradable to a full roll cage), fire extinguisher and six-point safety harnesses. Adding ceramic brakes ($16,620) is another expensive track-savvy option.

Tracking the Porsche Cayman GT4 is an incredibly memorable experience but when the opportunity arises to go for a few fast laps with former F1 driver and Le Mans 24 Hours champion Mark Webber, things get very interesting.

It's the sort of thing that most people could only dream of but taking off my fanboy cap and donning my car evaluation hat, riding shotgun with one of Australia's most talented drivers validated my initial opinion of "Can it really be this good?"

Yes it can.

The biggest difference I notice with Webber at wheel are braking distances – and how much stopping power this Porsche truly has. He hit the brakes so much later me, the six-piston callipers tearing into the 380mm brake discs with incredible effectiveness. And the way he coaxed the GT4 with finesse through Scotsman, a tight right-hander, beggared belief.

As we discuss the finer points of Australian road rules and the enforcement of speed limits, Webber nonchalantly pops the car up onto two wheels through the blind-crest apex of Arnold Clark Chicane and I reflect on the modern-day sports car and what's it's capable of.

Consider that the Cayman GT4 laps the world's most notorious road circuit, the 20.6km Nurburgring Nordschleife, in 7min28sec. That's slightly quicker than the 2004 Porsche Carrera GT – another mid-engined sports car, although it’s slightly more intense with its 5.7-litre V10 and it was priced five times higher.

The question of price is perhaps the only sticking point with this car, which at $218,800 – and a lot more once you factor in options – makes it roughly the same price as an entry-level Porsche 911, which was priced at around $226,000 in 2018.

Owning a Porsche 911 carries more kudos but those who take the plunge with a Cayman GT4 will not be disappointed. They’ll not only be able to access its considerable performance more easily, but can also argue they have a purer Porsche in terms of a luscious nat-atmo flat six.

I finished this car review as I started, grinning from ear to ear. And I'll continue the theme of repeating myself because there's no better way to put it: Porsche's new mid-engine hero car is an unmitigated success.

Long live the naturally-aspirated six-cylinder boxer engine!

How much does the 2019 Porsche Cayman GT4 cost?
Price: $218,800 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 4.0-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 309kW/420Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 10.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 249g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: N/A