"B_dol" (bdolan40)
05/13/2014 at 19:30 • Filed to: None
1
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"B_dol" (bdolan40)
05/13/2014 at 19:30 • Filed to: None | 1
| 1 |
Scoop from Car and Driver...
What It Is: A !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! prototype wearing an aggressive front fascia and a giant rear wing. A prototype of what, you may ask? It appears to be a GT4, the long-rumored, range-topping ultra-high-performance Cayman variant that will follow in !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! 's footsteps.
Why It Matters: Porsche has long throttled the performance of the Cayman and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! twins in order to maintain a safe buffer between them and the pedestal on which the 911 sits, but a Cayman GT4 would upset that hierarchy for the first time. Until now, the Cayman's output figures have been carefully clipped to levels below those enjoyed by various 911 models, even though a mid-engine chassis as good as the Cayman's could easily handle more power. Should the GT4 pictured here come to fruition, it would give us our first look at just how far a factory Cayman can be pushed.
Platform: The Cayman GT4 will share its mid-engine bones with other Cayman models such as the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , but should see significant stiffening in its structure and suspension. The car pictured here even has a roll bar, just like its 911 GT3 sibling. But unlike its GT3 sibling, which gets carbon-ceramic brakes, the GT4 appears to be equipped merely with the Cayman GTS's big-brake kit. (In Porscheland, red brake calipers represent upsized iron rotors, while yellow calipers clamp carbon-ceramic discs; there also are black, silver, and even neon-green units that represent base cars, all-wheel-drive cars, and hybrids.) Given that Porsche's Ceramic Composite Brake package is available on the Cayman GTS (for a cool $7400), we figure it'll at least be available on the GT4, if not ultimately standard fare.
Powertrain: These spy photos suggest that Porsche is working on a fixed rear wing similar to the oversized unit it fitted to the 911 GT3. Aero tweaks to the front end include a hefty splitter. The same extractor vent worn by the 911 GT3 between its front bumper and hood is present on this Cayman tester, as is the GT3's trio of gaping front intakes. It isn't clear whether the GT4 will get the GT3's red seatbelts, but they're an option in regular Caymans. The prototype does, however, have some sweet racing-shell-type seats, though.
This is where the Cayman GT4 is holding its cards close to the vest; these photos provide us not even a hint at what engine lies beneath the pumped-up bodywork. We suspect the GT4 either will use the bigger of the 911's two naturally aspirated flat-sixes—the 400-hp 3.8-liter from the Carrera S—or a worked-over version of the 3.4-liter unit Cayman S and GTS models share with !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
The GTS makes 340 horsepower, and the same engine in the Carrera puts out 350 horsepower, so if the 3.4-liter is used, expect at least 355 ponies. Alternatively, there is speculation about the GT4's powertrain as being a turbocharged V-4 like the (non-production) one used in !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , but that seems extraordinarily unlikely and costly. Like the GT3, we suspect Porsche will keep the GT4 automatic-only. Manual fans can at least take solace in the fact that Porsche's seven-speed PDK dual-clutch auto is among the sportiest and best self-shifters around
Competition: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
Estimated Arrival and Price: Studying this Cayman GT4's bodywork, it would appear the car is quite far along in the development process—and thus nearly production-ready. We figure that the GT4 just might hit showrooms in time for the tail end of the 2015 model year, following a full reveal later this year or early next. As for pricing, the PDK-equipped Cayman GTS starts at $80,155, so figure on the top-dog GT4 version commanding at least $100,000. This is a Porsche, after all.
Somethingwittyer likes noisy
> B_dol
05/13/2014 at 19:32 |
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I'm hyped.