It's tough being the younger sibling. The Porsche Cayman is - always has been - a benchmark sports car, yet it seems no review is complete without mentioning how good it would be with a 911 engine in it. Well, with the arrival of the new Cayman GT4 we can now find out. The result is 283kW at 7400rpm and 420Nm from 4750-6000rpm, 33kW/40Nm more than the 3.4-litre Cayman GTS. Attached exclusively to a six-speed manual gearbox, this propels the GT4 to 100km/h in a claimed 4.4sec and on to a 295km/h top speed. Unsurprisingly, the engine itself is sensational, with a broad spread of power, great throttle response and a crisp howl as it winds out to its 7800rpm cutout. Our first taste of the GT4 took place exclusively at the Island, but even on its wide, flowing nature the larger engine's edge was blunted somewhat by extraordinarily long gearing. Second gear stretches to 133km/h and third gear 184km/h and the car actually struggles to pull in third on the uphill stretch out of Siberia.
Shorter gearing would allow both more frequent access to the engine's howling top end and more opportunity to use the superb six-speed 'box. The shift is nigh-on perfect and now incorporates a throttle-blip function on downshifts - purists will hate the idea of it, but it works brilliantly and allows you to really lean on the enormous brakes. With 380mm discs front and rear (six-piston calipers front, four-piston calipers rear) the brakes are a direct lift from the heavier GT3 and endow the GT4 with mind-bending stopping power. Even larger PCCB carbon-ceramic brakes are an option, but it's difficult to imagine the standard system ever showing signs of duress. Making the most of the extra stopping power are Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres - the same rubber used on the likes of the Ferrari 458 Speciale - measuring 245/35 front and 295/30 rear. Such a massive rubber footprint in a relatively light (1340kg) package means frankly unbelievable levels of grip.
The GT4 is one of the few road cars in which you can commit harder and harder and have the car go faster each time; it would take more than our handful of laps to truly reach its ultimate limits. This is not to say the GT4 is in any way difficult to drive. Its more conventional weight distribution makes it easier to drive fast than the 911 GT3, however should you lift or brake at the wrong point the rear will still try and overtake the front. Overall, though, it sets a dynamic benchmark - on circuit at least - that few other production cars could hope to achieve. Whether this on-track excellence translates to the road remains to be seen, though it's difficult to imagine anything other than perhaps ride quality tripping it up. Gearing aside, the only real issue with the Cayman GT4 is a very heavy clutch; not a problem on track, but it might prove wearing for those planning on using their new toy on a daily basis. 29,400 price gap suggests.
It is much easier to get a drift going but it is harder work to stay in control. One little mistake and you soon find yourself with the nose pointing in the wrong direction. In my third lap I got a bit carried away and after drifting through three nice S-corner combinations I clearly over did it and found myself stuck in the snow wall for the first and luckily last time this day. Adjacent to our Cayman GTS track was another track with a little surprise for us. This track called the GT3 Cup track had a Porsche GT3 Cup and Porsche 918 Spyder on spikes waiting for us. Seeing the 918 Spyder there on snow and ice was a surreal sight. With its low ride height and wing extended up it looked like it was ready to eat the ice. We drove back to base with the 918 Spyder and took a short break for lunch. After lunch the 918 Spyder was available for a few photos and after that we had to return to our 鈥榥ormal鈥?program. The next chapter in our Porsche Finland story was the Porsche Cayenne Turbo.
Warned about the car鈥檚 weight and poor drift capabilities, we weren鈥檛 sure what to expect. But as soon as we left the paddock and turned in to drift around the first corner we knew this is going to be fun! The Cayenne is by far the hardest Porsche we have been trying to drift in Finland. You really have to trick it into a drift. Before setting out on the icy tracks we always switched to Sport Plus mode and disabled ESP. In the Cayman and the Turbo we switched back to the soft suspension setting to make the car a bit more forgiving. In the Cayenne however we chose to keep the suspension in sport to reduce body roll. With the Cayman and the 911 Turbo I tried to drift as clean as possible as going off the cleared track did not only bring a high risk of getting stuck but also of damaging the car. For our last sessions of the day we returned to the majestic Turbo S. With plenty of practice behind us our last track was a combination of two smaller tracks with wide long sweeping corners ideal for long drifts. Coming from the Cayenne, the Turbo was easy to drift. On this track cones helped initiate the perfect Scandinavian flick around three tighter corners. Along with two dedicated instructors it was just one of the examples where the Porsche Driving Experience is not just about fun but also helps improve your driving skill.
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