Porsche Cayman GT4 (2015): hottest Cayman yet spied...
(2 July 2014)
The new, be-winged 2015 Porsche Cayman GT4 coupe has been caught testing near the Nurburgring in Germany by CAR magazine's spy photographers.
It's a major change for the Porsche Cayman sports car: the GT4 is due to become the first factory-finished turbocharged Cayman in the model's eight-year history and it's the first roadgoing Porsche expected to deploy the GT4 badge.
Following in the footsteps of the Cayman R - and then some - the forced-induction Cayman GT4 is bound to raise questions with enthusiasts, who are already fretting over the revvy nature of its turbocharged flat-six in forums such as Pistonheads.
CAR understands the engine powering the GT4 is the company's 3.8-litre twin-turbo boxer six, tuned to develop around 450bhp.
Our new scoop pictures of next year's GT4 reveal a surprisingly beefed-up coupe, with aero addenda to make a Cayman R's modest rear spoiler look positively weedy.
A massive track-spec rear wing sits on the Cayman's bootlid to squash the rear of the car into the road at speed, while the front-end spoiler is the most aggressive yet seen on a Cayman.
But the visible changes only scratch the surface of the upgrades going on under the skin to keep the 450bhp Cayman GT4 on the road. Huge extra cooling vents channel more air to the flat six engine and the beefed-up brakes, visible through the new lightweight, five-spoke alloy wheels.
This prototype Porsche Cayman GT4 is fitted with a pretty beefy rollcage and there's a functional diffuser wrapped around the centre-exit twin exhaust pipes.
Porsche is developing the GT4 brand for its junior sports cars, leaving the GT3 and GT2 badging for the more senior 911s.
Porsche 981 Cayman: a growing family
The 981-spec Porsche Cayman has had its product cycle extended, according to CAR's Zuffenhausen sources, meaning that we can expect a stream of derivatives.
While the previous 987-era coupe had only Cayman, Cayman S and Cayman R versions - give or take a Black Edition special or two - the new model is due to get a raft of spin-offs.
Porsche has already shown the Cayman GTS, which we've driven this summer, and the new GT4 is destined to become the most extreme Cayman yet.
Will it encroach too far into 911 territory? The clue is in the name: the GT4 is designed to be hardcore, but different in character to the more focused 911s.