My FM Log: The ultimate 718

The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is the ultimate 718 that knows no bounds when it comes to its serious performance and dynamics, and having won this car from the Ringer Tour until the final Thursday of March, Forza Motorsport allowed me to drive one.

So, what's it all about the ultimate 718? Unveiled at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show, the 718 Cayman GT4 RS is the ultimate version of Porsche's mid-engined sports car that pushes beyond its limits on the road and the track.

Using the same 4.0L flat-six naturally aspirated engine from the 992 911 GT3, the 718 GT4 RS produces 500PS of power output, and while mated exclusively with a 7-speed PDK, it does 0-100kph in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 315km/h, faster than the normal 718 Cayman GT4.

Performance aside, the 718 GT4 RS features numerous chassis upgrades such as 30mm lower ride height, ball-jointed suspension mountings, stiffer springs, and anti-roll balls, as well as adaptive Bilstein dampers, 20-inch forged aluminum centre-locking wheels, and the available Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake carbon-ceramic discs.

Thanks to such improvements, it lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 7:04.511, faster than the base 718 Cayman GT4, with river Jörg Bergmeister behind the wheel.

Because the Nordschleife made its appearance in Forza Motorsport, I decided to take on a merciless punishment with this car as I tried to match the real-world lap time set by this car on this track.

SPOILER ALERT: I failed.

Although I didn't beat the real-world lap time, I had fun trying out the ultimate 718 in the Green Hell. I am extremely grateful to experience the ultimate expression of Porsche's mid-engined masterpiece that tries hard to be the 911's anti-thesis.

Although nearly as good as a 911 GT3, the 718 Cayman GT4 RS is unique and spartan as every Porsche should be. The more you know.

Enjoy your new ride.

My FH5 Log: Glänzende Nova & Frischer Himmel

Although they both share the same four-liter vessel, the 911 GT3, and the 718 Cayman GT4 RS are two different sides of the same coin. Differences aside, these two are born to make bold statements on the road and the track.

Both the 911 GT3 and the 718 Cayman GT4 RS share the same 4.0L flat-six naturally aspirated engine as well as the seven-speed PDK but what separates them is the power output as the 718 Cayman GT4 RS is 10PS less compared to the 911 GT3. 500PS for the 718's vs. 510PS for the 911's. However, despite being less powerful than the 911 GT3, the 718 GT4 RS is 20kg lighter than the 911 GT3, 1415kg vs. 1435kg.

Both the 911 GT3 and the 718 GT4 RS lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife with the former at 6:59.927 and the latter at 7:04.511, meaning for Porsche fanatics, being RR is the way to go for a Porsche, not MR.

Since this is Forza Horizon 5, the 911 GT3 and the 718 Cayman GT4 RS deserved some quiet time on party grounds because, despite their sibling strife, they sure know how to entertain the festival goers with their unique race-inspired aerodynamics and performance that will keep them longing for more. 

There are too many variables between them but it's time to find out which is the best. In genuine Porsche fashion, I went to the streets of Guanajuato to give the 911 GT3 and the 718 GT4 RS their every day "need for speed "they deserve while figuring out which of these hardcore versions is pure alpha. Let's roll the tape.

And now, the results...

992 911 GT3 - 1m33.994s

718 GT4 RS - 1m34.361s

It may be a one-sided brawl but in the end, the 911 GT3 is still Code Alpha compared to its mid-engined sibling by nearly half a second. Close shave but touche.

No doubt about it, the 911 GT3, and the 718 Cayman GT4 RS are two different sides of the same coin but when you experience them both, their unique race-inspired aerodynamics and performance make you drive faster and harder for longer. It's the new taste for peanuts, the Porsche way.

EPILOGUE

Having grown my interest in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, which is one of the DLC cars in Forza Horizon 5, it's time for me to give this hardcore 718 a much-needed makeover before setting off for its one-car showtime.

Yes, I know. If Dorothy gets my 911 GT3 like last time, my 718 GT4 RS gets Reona. Get it? It's the new meaning for Fortune Party, and good things happen when you light up their fortunes.

Anyway, it's showtime for our Reona-chan as my 718 GT4 RS takes on a re-enactment of the famous Sydney Opera House by a certain FH5 player named China4567690. Shoutout to the master of this creation. Anyway, let's get the show rolling.

Man, the race-tuned suspension wasn't built for this but at least it had fun exploring the underbelly of the Sydney Opera House re-enactment.

On the road and track, you will forever be thankful that the GT4 RS is the ultimate version of the 718 that knows all asphalt. With its 4.0L naturally-aspirated engine, 7-speed PDK, and race-inspired aerodynamics, the 718 Cayman GT4 RS is "perfectly irrational" in every way. When you pair this car with the 911 GT3, this is what the Glänzende Nova & Frischer Himmel looks like to you, the speedo boy.

The legend will never die...

Forza Horizon 4: The new 718

The last new Porsche that I won on the Winter Horizon Playlist is, like the facelifted Macan I drove a while back, another minor change Porsche but this time, it's a mid-engined sportscar that was known to be one of the best handling European sportscar in ages. Can you guess what that is?



If your answer is the 718 Cayman, then you are right because it is the 718 Cayman, in the mid-range GTS variant.



The 718 Cayman is the hardtop version of the 718 Boxster and this mid-range GTS variant which slots above the S pushes the 718 Cayman further to satisfy serious sportscar drivers. The 2.5L 4-cylinder turbocharged engine derived from the S variant has been uprooted to 365hp of power and 430Nm of torque. Mated to an available PDK and the standard Sport Chrono Package, it is capable of going 0-100kph in 4.1 seconds and onwards to 290kph. The GTS features a sportier and firmer chassis, Porsche Active Suspension Management, Porsche Torque Vectoring with mechanical rear differential lock, and an optional Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake. Such made the 718 Cayman GTS capable of lapping the Nurburgring in 7:40, 2 seconds less than the 718 Cayman S.



Like the normal 718 Cayman, the GTS variant is a serious sportscar that prefers substance over style. Yes, the turbocharged four-pot sounds a bit muted and won't wake the neighborhood in the dead of the night but despite its quietness, the handling is something you may call accessible and you can really get through corners like what a serious sportscar should. It feels like a Lotus Elise in so many ways and you can really feel just how corner-happy the GTS is. It's precise, smart, and downright fun when used wisely.



To test the 718 Cayman GTS's handling charm, I went to the circuit section of LEGO Valley where a squadron of modern sports cars awaited to give this 718 Cayman GTS a run for their money. Doesn't say much but challenge accepted for the 718 GTS. Roll the tape.

That should do the trick.



Indeed, the 718 Cayman GTS is not a sportscar made for the show-offs because it wants to be a serious car for serious drivers only who value performance and handling rather than style. Although a good-looking car full-stop, its dynamics are the true beauty of this machine and with that, you can't put that with a heated argument.

Enjoy your new ride.

Porsche 718 Cayman

Not too long ago, Porsche resurrected the 718 name as a minor change for both the open-top Boxster and hardtop equivalent Cayman. On the Boxster's minor change with the new name, the 718 Boxster, despite the low volume caused by its choice of its 2.0L and 2.5L turbocharged engine, which is not a winner for speedo boys many, its handling attributes are still as sharp as ever. Now, what about the hardtop equivalent?

2017 Porsche 718 Cayman

2017 Porsche 718 Cayman

This is the new 718 Cayman. It's a minor change derivative of the second-generation Cayman, which served as the Boxster's hardtop equivalent, and even with a new name for a familiar car, it still comes with the similar bits and bobs from the 718 Boxster, now with a roof and better dynamics that can be somewhat called "accessible".

Even though this is the hardtop equivalent of the 718 Boxster, the all-new 718 Cayman is a much trigger-happy choice for discerning car enthusiasts who prefer substance over style, even though it wasn't a key factor for this sportscar. For a closed roof variant of the 718, it still features similar weight and performance figures as the Boxster variant. In the S version, the one with the 2.5L turbo engine in the middle, it produces 350PS of power and 420Nm of torque, and when mated to a 7-speed PDK, it's a similar story. 0 to 100kph in less than 4.2 seconds and onwards to 285kph. Yes, a seven-speed double-clutch gearbox mated on this car sounds very nice if you're gunning for quickness but if you want to enjoy it to the fullest, best to pick with the 6-speed manual gearbox. Be warned though that if you're on city streets, you may find that the 718 Cayman's not a practical car to drive around town and park.

Thanks to its new chassis, the 718 Cayman, although not a quick car to take on a drag race against any car powerful than this, it's a track-honed sportscar that enjoys making a mark through the corners and because this is a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sportscar, it feels well poised and well-balanced like an exotic car but with some manners of a daily driver's car full-stop. It may be smaller than the other guys but its opposition can feel its unpredictability when it comes to handling like every sportscar in the world should be. That's subtlety for you.

Price? The new 718 Cayman starts at 51,623 Euros, which is two grand less than the open-top 718 Boxster, making it a smart buy for a mid-engined sportscar that likes to be a cut among the rest and with the new 718 Cayman, that lack of style makes up with its subtlety as a driver's car that likes to be taken seriously.

Porsche 718 Boxster vs. Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class

The Porsche 718 was once known to be a legend in its motorsport heritage and in 2016, the legendary name was been resurrected as the minor change for Porsche's open-top midship roadster, the Boxster.

2017 Porsche 718 Boxster

So, is this the Porsche fans are looking for? It can be a yes or a no because apart from its similar styling to the previous Boxster 981, the new 718 Boxster had its old naturally-aspirated engines thrown away and in place, this open-top sportscar had this; a choice of four-cylinder turbocharged engines that doesn't sound like what enthusiasts hoped for.

Let's start with the two-litre version, which replaced the old Boxster's 2.7-litre boxer engine. It produces 300PS of power and 380Nm of torque. Equipped with the PDK and the Sport Chrono package, it can do 0-100lph in 4.7 seconds and onwards to 275kph. So, if you need to compare the base 718 with that kind of performance, perhaps, let's pick a decent target for the purpose.

2017 Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class

Perhaps, let's go for this. The all-new SLC-Class, the replacement for the twenty-year-old SLK. Specifically, let's try the range-topping SLC 300 for a while because I have something in store later on. This model comes with a 2.0L 4-cylinder turbocharged engine, just like the base 718 Boxster, but it produces 55PS less power and 10Nm less torque, but unlike the 718's 7-speed double-clutch transmission, the new SLC comes with the brand new 9G-TRONIC gearbox, which sounds too much for an automatic gearbox but at least it's not as jerky as the 718's double-clutch gearbox, which shifts fasts but less enjoyable than the 718's manual gearbox.

Okay, enough about the lesser ones, what about the range-toppers? This is where the conversation gets super spicy, indeed. In the range-topping 718 Boxster S, it has the new 2.5L 4-cylinder turbo engine, which produces 350PS of power and 420Nm of torque. With that jerky PDK equipped, it can get through 100kph in less than 4.2 seconds and onwards to 285kph.

2017 Mercedes-AMG SLC43

Onto the brand new Mercedes-AMG SLC43, probably not the best AMG to keep in your garage, it comes with AMG's first ever 3.0L V6 twin-turbo engine which produces a more powerful 367PS of power and 520Nm of torque. With the 9G-Tronic mated, it can do 0-100kph in 4.7 seconds and top speed is normally limited to 250kph.

First and foremost, why 43? We get used to the 65s, the 63s, and the 45s of the AMG lineup but with the 43 naming on the hot SLC, which replaces the once graceful SLK55 AMG in the range, looks like the road for an all-turbocharged AMG lineup is complete but at what cost you may ask? Nope, not the downsizing stuff like I saw with the AMG GT and today's C63, it's this 43er that will soon cause misery for the AMG fans everywhere, and with the SLC43 AMG, feels like the AMG we all know is gone, and went into something hard water rather than faith in science.

Switch the engine on and what do you hear on its new 3.0L V6 twin turbo engine? Well, unless you get the roof open, it sounds like any other car rather than a mighty roar that harkens back to naturally aspirated V8s from the past. It's the same thing with the 2.5L version of the new 718 Boxster S because even when you engage in its sportiest setting while driving through the tunnels, nope. You hear nothing but a commoner's engine noise with no roar and no bite at all. Turbocharging for sportscars isn't as what the speedo boys hoped for, perhaps next time, they should learn from the speedo boys who are better at turbocharging cars than the manufacturers so they can get a better noise for their sportscars.

While settling down the noise issue, are these new roadsters cloaked in silence when it comes to dynamics? In the 718 Boxster, its dynamics are what you call "cloaked in silence" because, despite its volume lowered in the engine noise, its handling attributes are still as sharp as ever. It may have a name derived from the legendary 718 RS in the last century but the way it behaves, courtesy of its improved chassis and suspension, is something you can't deny.

What about the SLC43? Just like the old SLK55, the new V6-powered entry to the AMG clan is going to have a hard time mastering its handling capabilities. Underestimate with this car and you'll pay a very painful price when it spins off or goes off-course. It's going to remind you of the great V6-powered Jaguar F-Type convertible it sets its sights on. Although beautiful to look at, its dynamic character will prove too dangerous for the freshmen, unless they know how to use it.

Should you buy it? The Porsche 718 Boxster starts at 53,646 Euros for the base model while the S model starts at 66,141 Euros. The SLC, in its base SLC 180 meanwhile, starts at 34,927 Euros while the AMG SLC43 starts at 59,887 Euros. Yes, the V6-powered AMG is less expensive to own than the slightly less enjoyable 718 Boxster S, but truth be told, neither is enjoyable unless these two open-top machines know how to set things right to keep the drivers happy and want to drive one of them as long as they please.