2019 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4

If you believe the rumor mill, there were ongoing discussions (arguments, some say) within Porsche whether to build the latest 718 Caymans around six cylinders or four-bangers like they originally started out with. It looks like the gearheads won, because the latest variants will be packing a very impressive and powerful flat six. And that naturally-aspirated flat-six makes the 2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and Spyder the most powerful 718s to date. What Is The 2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4? The 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder are right on the cutting edge of where Porsche is going to go. From an engineering perspective, a mid-engine car is much better than one with a rear engine. Porsche is a German company. German鈥檚 are (supposedly) cold blooded and logical. But Porsche also makes the 911, a decidedly rear-engine car. Meaning that Porsche has a lot of marketing momentum and - dare I say it - sentimentality tied up in keeping the iconic 911 as the top of the heap. Ergo, the aforementioned discussions/arguments within Zuffenhausen about just how good to make the company鈥檚 mid-engine cars.

The answer, apparently, is Verdammt gut! 2020, the Cayman GT4 and Spyder are motivated down der bahn via a 4.0-liter flat-six that puts out 414 horsepower and 309 lb-ft. That is, technically speaking, 鈥渁 lot鈥?given the size of these cars and the rather healthy output from that big of an engine. 2020 Porsche 718 Spyder. That engine has an 8,000 rpm red line and that six-speed transmission, although an old style manual, has an 鈥淎uto Blip鈥?function that automatically matches gearbox and engine speeds during downshifts. Pretty trick. But if it鈥檚 too trick for you, it can be turned off. There鈥檚 a standard mechanical limited-slip differential with torque vectoring for optimum traction. This all adds up to a zero to 60 time of 4.2 seconds for either the hardtop or the convertible. Max is 188 mph for the GT4, while the Spyder can 鈥渙nly鈥?reach 187 mph. The performance (and the performance goodies) don鈥檛 stop there.

Both cars share the track-bred Porsche Active Suspension Management system with its adaptive dampers, helper springs on the rear axle, and a ride height that is 1.18 inches lower than a standard 718 Boxster or Cayman. The suspension is fully-adjustable for those of you that, say, AutoX on the weekends and really want to tweak things. So, adjustments of camber, toe, ride height, and different anti-roll bar settings are there for the asking. Developed by the Porsche Motorsport department, the 2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder are the most powerful variants of the 718 lineup. Porsche lifted the front axle from the 2018 911 GT3 and went to the same parts bin for the brakes. The standard stoppers are 380 mm cast iron rotors front and rear but, if you鈥檙e like me (and you have the money), go with the optional Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes. They will save a whopping 50 percent of the weight versus their cast iron brethren, and also stop you like you threw out an anchor.

The carbon ceramic rotors measure 410 mm in the front and 390 mm at the rear. The tires are giant-sized affairs, riding on silver or Satin Platinum wheels, clocking in at 245/35 ZR 20s at the front and 295/30 ZR 20s at the rear. Of course, there鈥檚 ABS but there is also electronic stability and traction control, specifically dialed-in for the 718s. Yes, the ESC and TC can be switched off and in two stages at that. In case lap times count for your purchase decisions, the 718 Cayman GT4 can lap the Nordschleife more than ten seconds faster than its predecessor. Related: Porsche versus the S&P: Can this classic sports car top the stock market? The 718 Cayman GT4 and Spyder are visually separated from their lesser stable-mates by the front spoiler lip, and the central air outlet ahead of the front luggage compartment lid (which helps with downforce and cooling). There are two 鈥渄ynamic streamliners鈥?on the rear lid and an automatically-extending rear spoiler found on the convertible. The rear diffuser is new and frames the sport exhaust system on both cars. The GT4 gets its own manually-adjustable rear wing and side air intakes with additional side blades.