This is the first time in Cayman's life wherein Porsche has made an 'RS' version out of it - and it's taken them serious man jewels to do it. Imagine taking a bigger, naturally-aspirated engine from the all-new 911 GT3, and plonking it into the middle of a smaller, lighter sports car. The idea in itself reflects how crazy Porsche is about making sports cars - or in the 718 Cayman GT4 RS' case - the most extreme compact sports car yet.

The 911 GT3 has been around for decades now - and with the GT4 RS, Porsche wants the spirit of its larger supercar to be taken forward in another form. Something even more wicked, for the track and the road. It's no regular Cayman; there's plenty more to the GT4 RS that separates it from the other 718 models, but with the 911 GT3's engine in it, it's going to be an iconic sports car - and one that value will go through the roof.

Honestly, as much as we dreamed of a bigger engine in the Cayman, nobody imagined they'd go ahead and do it, but someone at Porsche decided to finally sign the check to make it happen. The GT4 RS also gets bits from the previous-generation 911 GT3 and GT3 RS, like the limited slip-differential from the 991.2 GT3 manual, its 7-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission, and the shorter gear ratios from the 991.2 GT3 RS PDK.

There's a lot more to this car, the Cayman GT4 RS, and we're here to tell you what makes it a mid-engine sports car like none other.

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Serious Aero Bits For The 718 Cayman GT4 RS

Gray 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS
Porsche

The moment you walk into a Porsche dealership to inquire about the new GT4 RS, you're going to see it sitting there, squatting on its haunches, like an American Staffordshire Terrier, waiting to be petted. The GT4 RS looks lethal, but is an easy sport cars to tame; it's not like driving an unforgiving Porsche 550 Spyder from many moons ago. But we'll come to that later.

Now the goal with the Cayman GT4 RS is clear: to majorly focus on lightweight construction. It weighs 3,227 pounds; that's 49 pounds lighter than the Cayman GT4 with a PDK. The front fenders and hood are made out of cabin fiber reinforced plastic; the rear glass is lightweight too, so are the door panels, with fabric door opening loops (signature RS detailing, slurp!) and storage nets.

Gray 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS
Via: Porsche

The big, fixed wing at the back is the most intimidating part of the GT4 RS; it features swan-neck mounts and aluminum supports. It's designed to be highly efficient, and is a design first seen on the Porsche 911 RSR race car. The ride height is 30mm lower than that of the standard Cayman; it gets front wheel ventilation, an adjustable front diffuser, a new front spoiler lip with flow-around side-blades, and a rear diffuser.

All of these bits help the 718 Cayman GT4 RS generate 25% more downforce than the GT4, specifically in the racetrack-only Performance mode. Another point to note is, that this is the first time ever, a Cayman features 20-inch forged aluminum wheels with center locks.

Weissach Package Adds More Spice

Gray 2022 Porsche Cayman GT4 RS
Via: Porsche

Customers who opt for this, get the car finished in lots of carbon fiber. This includes the cooling air intakes, front luggage compartment lid, air box lid, the exterior mirror caps, the process air intakes and the rear wing. The exhaust tips are made of titanium, the upper half of the dashboard is upholstered in Race-Tex and the wheels are made of magnesium.

Porsche 718 GT4 RS Packs Intense Performance

Gray 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS
Via: Porsche

The GT4 RS is powered by a naturally-aspirated flat-six engine that revs all the way up to 9,000rpm. It pushes out 493hp (79hp more than the GT4) and 331 lb-ft of torque. No manual option; all you get is the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission that offers rapid shifts.

Drivers familiar using paddle-shifters can take control manually, plus there's a new shift lever on the center console as well. The GT4 RS can accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 3.2 seconds, and can be pushed to a top speed of 196mph!

Related: A Detailed Look At The Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25

Cayman GT4 RS: The Ultimate Mid-Engine Sportscar

Gray 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS
Via: Porsche

Getting into this car must feel like an event, because after having watched a few first drive video reviews of the car, we're convinced we want not one, but two. The driver seems perfectly well seated, and the seats are the ones from the 918 Spyder hypercar.

Initial acceleration is reported to be similar to that of the GT4, and watching the car turn into corners is a much better view than looking out your window at Mount Fuji. Where more powerful cars gain speed on the straights, the GT4 RS makes up for it around the corners.

Gray 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS
Via: Porsche

From what we see in the videos, the drivers seem to put in very less effort when pushing it into corners, only for us lesser fortunate ones to see it exit perfectly. We can't think of too many cars that handle like this one.

Oversteer is evident only if the driver applies too much of throttle while exiting the corner. The Cayman GT4 RS is one of those cars that makes you smile throughout the drive after you've stepped out, and hopped into bed as well!

Source: Porsche