Porsche Cayman GT4 RS (718): top track speed guess

Porsche Cayman GT4: mechanical breakdown

A top-speed guess on the GT4 RS

The caption on this 30-second clip asks viewers to guess the top track speed of the 718 Cayman GT4 RS. No figure is given and no other event is named. The car itself is specific: the RS takes the 911 GT3 4.0 engine, rated at 493 hp and 450 Nm, and it revs to 9,000 rpm. It is PDK only. The long second and third gears that owners criticize on the manual GT4 are therefore not part of this car.

Bank shutoff and a filtered exhaust

Cylinder deactivation is the odd item on the GT4's 4.0-litre flat-six. Under light load one bank is switched off to save fuel. That is a road strategy, and it sits next to an engine rated at 414 hp and 8,000 rpm when it runs in full. The function is listed for the GT4 engine, not for the RS unit. Sound is shaped on the hardware side too. European cars carry a petrol particulate filter, which noticeably mutes the exhaust compared with the 981 GT4.

Filter delete, brakes and front lift

Exhaust work comes first, because the filter on European cars is what owners want gone. An aftermarket exhaust or a particulate-filter delete restores a louder, sharper flat-six note. Deletes are not road-legal in many markets and can affect warranty. Track days call for a different list: alignment changes plus brake pads and fluid give more front grip and braking that resists fade, and the price is faster tyre wear, with more noise and dust on the road. The low front splitter is easily scraped on kerbs and ramps. A front-axle lift system reduces that damage on driveways and speed bumps, and adds cost and weight.