2024 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS

　　

2024 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Review

byChristian WardlawCorrespondent

　　Christian Wardlaw has worked in the automotive industry since 1994. He has written nearly 10,000 car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 2,000 vehicles over the course of his career. Chris is a correspondent at zzdcar and was the first editor-in-chief of zzdcar.com in the 1990s. He has also contributed to Autotrader, CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, NADAguides, New York Daily News Autos and WardsAuto. His mom claims that his first word was “car,” and Chris believes that Miata is always the answer.

　　, rating written byChristian WardlawSenior Vehicle Test Editor

　　Kurt Niebuhr has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. A automotive photographer by trade, Kurt is now one of zzdcar' high-performance test drivers. He's driven and photographed hundreds, if not thousands, of vehicles all over the world, so Kurt's library of automotive experiences would certainly make for a good book. When not dreaming about getting his racing license or trying to buy out-of-date film for his cameras, Kurt can usually be found cursing at his 1966 Mustang.

　　Serving as Porsche's entry-level sports car, the 718 Cayman is a two-seat coupe equipped with a mid-mounted turbocharged four-cylinder or naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine. However, the four-cylinder strikes the wrong chords in an otherwise symphonic mechanical soundtrack, so you may wish to increase your budget and step up to the GTS 4.0 or GT4 RS, where the song of the flat-six makes you go weak in the knees. Nevertheless, if you can dismiss the turbo-four's bleating, the 718 Cayman supplies the performance and razor-sharp reflexes you expect in a mid-engine sports car. Learn more in the zzdcar Expert Rating.

　　

zzdcar spotlight: Changes for 2024

The name tells you what you need to know about the new-for-2024 718 Cayman Style Edition. Parked within the lineup between the base model and the Cayman S, the Style Edition has black or white stripes and 20-inch wheels to match. Inside, you'll find leather on the seats and selected parts of the cabin, with light gray stitching throughout. If that's not exciting enough, Porsche is planning a Manthey Kit for the high-performance 718 Cayman GT4 RS. Optimized for track driving, the aerodynamic and chassis upgrades shaved more than 6 seconds on a run around Germany's Nürburgring Nordschleife, according to Porsche.

　　

Competitors to consider

Arguably, the 718 Cayman is in a class of its own. But that doesn't mean there aren't alternatives. For example, the BMW M2 costs less, offers more practicality, and supplies greater performance. Or you could get a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, which brings a lot more power and personality to the party. If the Vette is too big and brash, you could try the tailored Jaguar F-Type on for size. Or increase your budget and get the 911 Carrera that you really want.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Great

　　8.1

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

9.0/10

　　How does the 718 Cayman GT4 drive? Equipped with the PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission, our test 718 Cayman GT4 ripped from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds and howled past the quarter mile in 12 seconds flat at over 115 mph. For comparison, this is a little slower than the new Corvette (0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds and 11.6 seconds in the quarter) but still plenty quick.

　　Braking is even better, with a firm and easy-to-control pedal and tremendous stopping power. We measured an impressively short stopping distance of 98 feet from 60 mph — that's several feet shorter than both the Corvette and the BMW M4. Our test car had the optional carbon-ceramic brakes. They were fade-free in our performance tests and proved to be easy to modulate for smooth stops around town.

　　Handling is everything you want from a sports car. It's really that good. Steering feel is excellent, and the GT4 displays beautiful balance at all speeds. We pulled 1.14 g on our skidpad, which is pretty much higher than anything else in the class. A six-speed manual or Porsche's slick-shifting PDK automatic is available, but both have gearing that's a little too tall, which fails to make the most of the engine's power output. It's our only, and relatively minor, complaint in this category.

　　

Comfort

8.0/10

　　How comfortable is the 718 Cayman GT4? Modern performance cars don't sacrifice much comfort in the pursuit of speed. The Cayman GT4's main drawback is its climate control system. It cools and heats the cabin fine, but its combination of very small buttons and rocker switches is far from ideal. The other downside is interior noise. The 4.0-liter flat-six engine dominates the cabin's ambiance at speed and is rivaled by tire and road noise around town.

　　Ride comfort in such a high-performance car is often a concern. The GT4 is stiff but offers a fair bit of compliance on most roads. The stiffer of the two selectable suspension settings offers better body control for faster canyon and track driving yet maintains some decorum. Our test car was fitted with the one-piece carbon bucket seats. They're relatively comfortable for a few hours of driving, but the Cayman's other available seat designs offer heating and far better breathability.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below