718 GT4 RS
For all the base model moments we're subjected to, passion projects are given the green light at Porsche more often than at any other manufacturer. Needless to say, engineers at Weissach set about their business with relish. The current 911 GT3 is one example of such a project. Across these pages, you'll see yet another. It's the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, designed to be the most uncompromising driver's tool in the 718 range. That our star car is finished in blinding Paint to Sample Acid Green and is loaded with a noexpense-spared host of add-ons makes it all the more appealing.
As you'd expect, the GT4 RS is an evolution of the Cayman GT4, which was already a fabulous showcase of the 718’s talents. Where the GT4 turned the Cayman up to eleven, however, the GT4 RS takes it up to fifteen and then some. Out goes the GT4’s magical four-litre flat-six, but there's no need to mourn — Porsche replaced it with the 992 GT3’s four-litre boxer. Admittedly, the engine was rotated 180 degrees and given a new exhaust to help the unit squeeze into the Cayman shell, resulting in 493bhp, rather than the 503bhp you get from the GT3, but with this power and 332lb-ft of torque, it's considerably more potent than the 414bhp, 317lb-ft 718 GT4.
And, because this is a Porsche, there's more to the RS than just a power hike. Rotating the engine brought forward the need for a different gearbox, though it's still a seven-speed double-clutch PDK semi-automatic — there's no manual option, even though the design of the shifter will fool you into thinking you're able to swap cogs theintakes in place of the rear side windows. The standard rear-quarter intakes have been retained to maximise engine cooling. Additional vents sit proud at the top of the front wings.
