LOS ANGELES — Porsche is dialing up the performance in the 718 Cayman lineup.
The automaker introduced an RS variant of the 718 Cayman GT4 on the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show — delivering a car the brand’s track-obsessed customers have been clamoring for since the original GT4’s launch more than half a decade ago.
The 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS will start at $143,050, including shipping, when it arrives in the U.S. next summer.
The GT4 RS follows in the line of Porsche’s RS variants, providing customers with the “most capable track vehicle that is still road legal,” said Ryan Kirchner, new car manager at Porsche of the Main Line in suburban Philadelphia.
“Where the GT4 is meant to balance track and road, the GT4 RS is most at home on the track,” Kirchner said.
The RS recipe includes adding power, more aggressive aerodynamics and a motorsport-derived suspension, and decreasing weight.
At the heart of the GT4 RS beats the naturally aspirated engine of the 911 GT3. The powerplant delivers 493 hp — an additional 79 hp over the 718 Cayman GT4.
The functional demands of the more powerful engine required cosmetic changes to the car. The RS’ air intakes are behind the side windows on the driver and passenger side for improved airflow. Side intakes in the rear quarter panels were also tweaked to meet the engine’s greater cooling demands.
The GT4 RS accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds — half a second quicker than the 414-hp 718 Cayman GT4 with PDK dual-clutch transmission. The top track speed is 196 mph.
The RS’ Sport-PDK (seven-speed dual-clutch transmission) has shorter gearing than in a PDK-equipped 718 Cayman GT4, contributing to the vehicle’s improved acceleration, Porsche said.
Porsche relied on lightweight materials to cut the vehicle’s curb weight by 49 pounds compared with the 718 Cayman GT4 with PDK.
The front fenders and hood are formed out of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. The rear window is made of lightweight glass. And lightweight door panels feature fabric door opening loops and storage nets.