2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 (981C) Photos, engines & full specs

Porsche’s Motorsports Department took a regular Cayman, stripped it from whatever it considered was unnecessary for a road-legal race car, and created the Cayman GT4.

With enough performance to keep up with supercars, the GT4 version of the Cayman came with the right ingredients for a successful partner around a race track. Furthermore, it was powered by a detuned engine carried over from the 911, was lighter, and could pass the 180 mph mark. But then, the automaker considered that the car had to provide enough comfort to their customers and added a few options. However, there was one significant detail that attracted customers who were looking for a high-performance sports car. Porsche tuned and tested the Cayman GT4 around the famous Nurburgring Nordschleife (North Loop), where the car achieved an excellent time of 7 minutes and 40 seconds, placing it above many other coveted supercars.

Porsche didn’t want this version of the Cayman to pass unnoticed, so it added significant exterior changes to it. At the front, the car featured a fresh new lower bumper that sported three massive air intakes. Unlike the rest of its stablemates, the side scoops didn’t sport any horizontal slats but a set of LED daytime running lights mounted on their upper sides. Lower, below the apron, Porsche added a chin spoiler to increase downforce. This was extended on the sides towards the front wheel arches. A pair of bi-xenon headlights with black surroundings were also found on the car, similar to those installed on the Boxster Spyder from the same era. Furthermore, the aluminum hood featured a small slat in its forward area, which was used to release hot air from one of the car’s radiators.

From its profile, the 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 started to show more of its character. Its ground clearance was lowered by 30 mm (1.2 inches) compared to its regular stablemates. Behind the doors, the automaker installed different air intakes that helped to feed and cool the engine. A set of unique 20-inch forged light alloy wheels was fitted as standard because only these could allow the installation of massive 380 mm (15-inch) brake discs mounted in all corners. These were carried over from the 911 GT3, and customers could order a set of Porsche Composite Ceramic Brakes (PCCB) sized 410 mm (16.1-inch) at the front and 390 mm (15.3-inch) at the back. Another significant visual upgrade of the car was the adjustable rear wing mounted behind the lightweight tailgate. Under the rear bumper, the Porsche installed a sports exhaust that also delighted the ears of motorsports enthusiasts.

Inside, customers were greeted by an Alcantara-wrapped cabin, starting with the steering wheel, the dashboard, and the sports seats. Porsche offered a pair of manually adjustable seats as standard, with two other options: one with up to 18 power-adjustable ways and a fixed bucket seat with a carbon fiber shell. Furthermore, those looking for a hard-core race car could also order a factory-installed roll cage. The center stack housed a touchscreen for the PCM infotainment system, which was tuned to provide more information about the car and track times. To save weight, the Cayman GT4 also lost its regular interior door handles, which were replaced by red pull-straps.

Behind the cabin, a 3.8-liter flat-six borrowed from the 911 Carrera S. It provided 385 PS (353 hp) to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual only with a match-revving downshift function. Furthermore, a self-locking differential (22% on acceleration and 27% on engine braking) was standard. As a result, the 2016 Cayman GT4 could rocket from 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) in 4.4 seconds, and around the famous Nurburgring, it beat the times obtained by much more potent vehicles, such as the 640 PS (631 hp) Lamborghini Murcielago.