Think the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 isn’t hardcore enough? Andreas Preuninger and his team of engineers in Weissach are working on something just for you.
Although it’s given us a GT4, and offered a pared-back Cayman R in the car’s first generation, Porsche has never cut the Cayman loose and developed a proper RS.
Why? The brand would never confirm it outright, but if we had to guess we’d suggest the mid-engined Cayman could cause the rear-engined 911 GT3 RS some serious headaches if given the tools.
And the little brother beating the big brother is just… not on.
Except, maybe it is this time around. The Cayman GT4 RS has been spied again during testing, wearing an aggressive rear wing and deep, angry front splitter.
That swan-neck rear spoiler actually mimics the one fitted to the 911 GT3 prototypes spied recently, and the centre lock wheels are similar to those fitted to the previous GT3 RS Weissach. Whether they’re production units or just for development remains to be seen, but expect the RS to wear lighter rolling stock than the regular GT4.
Up front, the GT4 RS has more aggressive fenders with what could be vents slashed out of their tops, and the bonnet has NACA ducts cut out of then, also in keeping with the outgoing 911 GT3 RS.
Porsche has been careful to camouflage the outer edges of the front splitter and the door sills, suggesting there could be some aero cleverness going on there.
Even the rear side windows have been blanked out to house more cooling for the engine at the heart of the Cayman.
Speaking of which, the GT4 RS is likely to pack a more powerful version of the 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated flat six from the regular GT4, where it makes 309kW and 420Nm.
The rumour mill has suggested the GT4 RS could output between 335kW and 370kW, but Porsche hasn’t confirmed it yet.
Based on the 911 GT3 RS, it’s likely the Cayman GT4 RS will not be offered with a manual transmission. Expect to see a quick-shifting dual-clutch transmission instead, as Porsche chases outright lap times.
