Fans of Porsche's longstanding motorsport heritage can rest assured that their beloved company listens to the community's wants and needs. After a misstep for the 991 generation, case in point comes as Porsche just revealed the new 992-gen 911 GT3 equipped with a good-old-fashioned six-speed stick shift. With race-inspired technology and the most powerful naturally aspirated flat-six ever in a GT3, the new offering helps usher in a new era for Porsche's traditional rear-engined flagship. But anyone who really wants to lay down solid lap times probably has their eyes set on the mid-engined 718 Cayman GT4, which features a more balanced chassis to make it right at home on the Road Atlanta circuit in Porsche's newest video uploaded to YouTube.
Leh Keen Pushes The 718 Cayman To The Limit
The two-minute clip features Porsche factory driver and influencer Leh Keen as he pushes the six-speed-equipped Cayman GT4 through its paces at Road Atlanta. Finished in classic Speed Yellow, the car's hood is the only exterior bit visible in the video—this is all about watching the driving line and checking out Keen's shift points in the lower right corner cutout.
Up To 1.2 G Of Lateral Acceleration
Unfortunately, Porsche always ensures the Cayman and its Boxster sibling remain underpowered compared to the higher-end 911 variants. In this case, the 718 Cayman GT4 employs a 4.0-liter flat-six (just like the GT3), albeit one that "only" produces 414 horsepower and 309 lb-ft of torque (compared to the new GT3's 502 horses).
Part of that difference can, no doubt, be attributed to the Cayman's lower 8,000-RPM redline, a full thousand below the GT3's screaming limit. And yet, as Keen demonstrates while cornering at Road Atlanta, the Cayman's balance shines through with up to 1.2 g of lateral acceleration showing on the VBOX display.
Impressive Top Speeds And Lap Times
Despite the power gap, Porsche fans who intend to track their cars may want to watch this whole video—towards the end, Keen gets the Cayman up to 153 miles per hour in the straightaway, a bit shy of the car's 189-mph top speed, while also demonstrating the Cayman's hard braking abilities.
Keen finishes the hot lap at Road Atlanta with a time of 1:32.24 or about six seconds behind the previous best time for a 991-gen 911 GT3 RS around the 2.54-mile circuit. Whether that time differential can make up for a difference in driver engagement remains the difficult decision potential buyers will have to make.
Sources: youtube.com, porsche.com, and fastestlaps.com.