You may already driven the Cayman GT4 from the Porsche Car Pack on Forza Horizon 3 but do you really miss the mid-ranged Porsche Cayman GTS from past installments? Fear not because this weekend's Forzathon event grants you a chance to win the Porsche Cayman GTS for yourself.
For a quick refresher, the Cayman GTS adds 15HP of additional power to its 3.4L boxer-six engine mounted in the middle, delivering 340HP of power output as well as power-to-weight ratio under the 4kg/hp mark. With the Sport Chrono package as well as the available PDK and active Sport Plus button, the Cayman GTS results to a top speed of 285kph. Aside from the PASM adaptive damping control system, it even comes with Porsche Torque Vectoring system for better traction and better dynamics compared to the base model.
Anyway, let's not talk more about this because while in a middle of our Thrilltopia adventure, the Porsche Cayman GTS is ready to take on an emotional rollercoaster ride through the orange-tracked Hot Wheels fantasy world while dealing with the hardened opposition trying to snarl their way through the back.
Prepare for some camber carnage in our latest Thrilltopia adventure using the Porsche Cayman GTS. Ready? Let's go!
Even though you got your hands on this latest Porsche Forzathon prize car, don't stop here because more Porsches are coming throughout the coming weeks, whether you like it or not and when that opportunity comes, act fast while you still can!
The 991 Porsche 911 GT3 RS isn't the only Porsche you can enjoy on the Forza Horizon 3 Porsche Car Pack because in this pack lies another enjoyable Porsche that delivers the same track-proven performance as experienced from the 911 GT3 but this time in a sportscar that isn't a 911, but rather its mid-engined relative, the Cayman.
This is called the Cayman GT4 and with that name rings a bell, this is like a baby 911 GT3 for people who are not interested in Porsche 911s. So, what's it all about a 911 GT3 for people who are not interested in 911s at all? Good question, though, because when it made its appearance at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, the Cayman GT4 promises to be a track-capable Cayman ever built while drawing inspirations from the 911 GT3 and engineered to tackle the most demanding race tracks in the world, including the dreaded Nurburgring.
For starters, the 3.8L flat-six engine was now boosted to 385HP of power output while mated exclusively with the 6-speed manual gearbox. Apart from the added power from its six-cylinder boxer engine, the GT4 is lowered by 1.2 inches with dynamic transmission mounts while being armed with aggressive aerodynamic upgrades, race-bred suspension, and Porsche's torque-vectoring system, making the GT4 one of the most enjoyable Caymans ever built from the ground up while delivering the same thrills inspired by the 911 GT3.
The Cayman GT4 may look stodgy, old, and it went out of production, but this car sure knows how to keep up with the enthusiasts with its 911 GT3-inspired dynamics that will make their driving feel so alive again. It's good on the racetracks but not brilliant on normal roads because being a track-focused sportscar engineered from the Nurburgring, usability as a weekday car is bad as it gets but for being one of the most enjoyable Porsches ever built, I could spend a lot of time driving the GT4 as much as I want. Speaking of which...
Time to give the Cayman GT4 one last try by meeting up with the other Porsche drivers across Horizon but first, some over-the-counter stimulants I made for this and when you say stimulants, I mean, of course, some bedwetting design I made to reflect the Cayman's sexy styling fit for a sports coupe. Without giving in to such a bedwetting design bedwetting enough to snog the heck out of men, the Cayman GT4 is ready to show its true colors as the ultimate Cayman ever made.
Job well done for the Cayman GT4. Although gone, it's still not out until it gives a fair good fight to deliver 911 GT3-like thrills for the drivers who demand more. It maybe challenging at the first try but as you get used to it, you'll get used to its dynamics that makes the Cayman GT4 very unique for a non-RR Porsche and if you got the choice between this and the 911 GT3 RS, which remains the king by the way, which hardcore Porsche would you choose?
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.
As I'm sure you know, this is the seventh-generation Chevrolet Corvette, a car that I never really liked. I never really liked the exterior, the interior, the mechanics, and the notoriety it gained when it first launched. I disliked this kind of Corvette so much, back in earlier times, I went into considerable lengths to threaten everyone not to like this car. But over the years, my attitude is softened and I'm starting to respect its performance, its motorsport pedigree, the awards, and the accolades it gained. I tried the Corvette...and I liked it.
This particular Corvette is no ordinary Corvette. This is the brand new Z06 and for this generation, the new model has transformed into a half-decent supercar in a not-so-supercar pricing the top brass can afford one. Z06? It's a good thing they didn't call it the Z07 (even though this car comes with the Z07 package) because if they did, they'll be facing a hairy situation that they took the name from the once defunct shampoo product every Filipino heard of. What is it again? It sounds like "guard" or something.
Anyway, under the bonnet, the LT1 supercharged 6.2L V8 engine produces 650HP of power and same amount for torques, while mated with an 8-speed automatic gearbox. This V8 engine is the most powerful engine ever made by General Motors and this car can really succeed where my favorite Corvette, the C6 ZR1, left off.
The Z06 was heavily inspired by the Le Mans-winning C7.R racecar and as a matter of fact, some of the track-honed components from the C7.R can also be seen on the Z06 as well such as carbon fiber roof and hood which reduced weight and lowering the car's center of gravity, a dry sump oiling system that protects the supercharged engine during high-g turns, a hydroformed aluminum frame which keeps the new Z06 lightweight and strong, adjustable rear spoiler wickerbill, composite floor panels, and titanium intake valves and connecting rods.
I had a blast upon driving the C7 Z06 during my days at Southern Europe but here, when used on the track, I can really feel the motorsport DNA that the C7.R employed on it and the more I kept driving this car, the more I can forget about how I feel about the latest-generation model since my first encounter.
The Z06 is the trump card of the latest Corvette and with supercar-like performance it delivers, the best sportscar made in the USA has gotten even better and despite being trained at being a lawless cowboy in the Wild West, it's still got the heart and soul of a classy equestrian taking things very seriously. Speaking of equestrians, I had a couple of equestrians this cowboy will face.
I have been joined here by two equestrians on the road and track; the Alfa Romeo 4C and the Porsche Cayman GTS. Both are European, mid-engined, and well-trained for track duty. Sure, both the 4C and the Cayman were beaten by the normal Corvette Stingray years ago, but with the C7 Z06 in possession, let's see how good this cowboy is while facing against two familiar equestrians at the Top Gear Track.
The Alfa 4C did it in 1:24.751, the Cayman GTS in 1:22.673, and the Z06 in 1:19.167, meaning that the Z06 did better in beating the other two Europeans just like what the normal Stingray did in real-life.
I was amazed that the Z06 is a major improvement to the seventh-generation Corvette and with a lap time like this, it's starting to feel like this car is 10% hypercar material even though it has a motorsport pedigree that was inspired from the racecar that raked numerous class wins at Le Mans. I had a lot of beef jerky to chew while getting to know this car but with the Z06 is starting to lose its jerky breath in favor for a more garlic breath to terrify the Europeans, I knew this car had nothing to hold back.
Perhaps no wonder it beaten every single car in last year's World's Greatest Drag Race. Even a more hardcore Cayman couldn't keep up against it! Now, would you excuse me, I have a date to keep.
EA's popular racing app game, Real Racing 3, gives Porsche fans their first taste on Porsche's brand new and track-focused Cayman GT4 on a special time-limited event running for a week only.
Like most of the time-limited special events, within the 7-day period, new challenges will take place per day and if they can complete this day's special challenges will receive cash or gold prizes and if they can complete all challenges in seven days can keep the new Porsche Cayman GT4 for use in-game.
To all Porsche fans, good luck.
Real Racing 3 is available to download for free at the App Store or Google Play.
When you think about the Porsche Cayman, the first thought of you that this is just a ragtag hardtop version of the Porsche Cayman with the design that is not quite exciting to look at. Although, the design is rather bland, this is rather known to be one of the best handling cars in the history because like the Boxster cousin, the Cayman is the more agile car that gets you away from anyone before they discovered you're not. For this new version, the Cayman tries to become more tail-happy and more athletic than the previous model it replaces.
2014 Porsche Cayman
There's more to like about the new Porsche Cayman (Typ 981c) rather than noticing it has the same design as the latest Porsche Boxster 981 because being one of the most athletic and the most agile cars ever made for the market, the new Cayman really tries to open up some curves and grooves you like some New York jazz music with a hint of engine revving, a taste of Georges St. Pierre's flying punch on your face, and a bullet to the head that really ends all boring conversations you are facing with.
On the manifesto, the Cayman starts at 51,385 Euros and that pricing sure knows that it's cheaper than the latest Porsche 911 Carrera (Typ 991), that makes it good value for the Porsche fans around here. What you get on this standard model is a 2.7-litre engine mounted in the middle which produces 275PS of power and 290Nm of torque. Also, this is the first time this Porsche broke the magic 100 hp per litre displacement barrier for sports car engines because its specific power is 101.6 hp/litre. Sounds tempting to us but for those who want more power, the Cayman S model is offered with the improved 3.4L boxer-6 engine which comes with added 5HP more to the previous power output, therefore it's 325PS of power and 370Nm of torque.
In the S model, 0-100kph takes about five seconds and top speed of 283 km/h. in a 6-speed manual configuration. Sounds quick and if you're opting for the optional 7-speed double clutch transmission, the 0-100kph time is improved but the top speed with suffer. Still, who would want the double clutch as an alternative to the manual transmission because the digest shows that double-clutches shift faster than manual tranny? Neither do care about this mumbo-jumbo. He he he...
2014 Porsche Cayman interior
On the track, the new Cayman loves to eat corners more than Pac-Man munching a million dots. Every time when the new Cayman is ready on the track, it always goes "Eat em up! Yum yum!" every time when its overall enthusiasm is all fired up but what about on a normal day-to-day basis? Well don't get all "OVERALL ENTHUSIASM, OVERALL ENTHUSIASM, OVERALL ENTHUSIASM, YEE-HAW" on us because as a driver's car, the Cayman's not that desperately impractical because it has a boot on the front which is big enough to fit yourself of telling your friends that you've got a picture of yourself being bitten by Pac-Man.
Sadly though, like any other Porsches, the dashboard of the new Cayman is extremely confusing and it takes a man with an IT Qualification to operate the Cayman's features such as the ignition, the traction control, the parking brake, the optional Sport Chrono, or any other stuff you can find on the dashboard. This is a bit more complicating that operating a DSLR camera on the first try or a challenge from a Minute to Win It game.
Although despite a couple of drawbacks, the new Cayman is a reasonable machine that sure knows that OVERALL ENTHUSIASM really flows through your veins when its ready and thanks to some numerous track-munching enhancements and the comfort for day-to-day driving, the new Cayman sure knows how to balance it out. It's all work, all play, for this baby Porsche and I have to say, this car is more than welcome to become every man's dream car if they can't afford on the 911.
This is the first time Porsche made a model that has the letter R on it. R for responsive and refined - but most especially for racy. Introduced at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, the Cayman R comes with the new body kit, new 19 inch lightweight wheels, lighter aluminium doors, lighter bucket seats, and with the removal of the radio, storage compartments, air-conditioners and door handles, it weighs 54.8 kilograms lighter than a Cayman S. Of course, a radio or aircon maybe considered options.
If it's colored lime, it feels like playing Fruit Ninja
Powered by a 3.4L B6 Direct Fuel Injection engine, this produces 330 hp (246 kW) of power and it can do 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds, and with the optional 7-speed PDK dual clutch transmission and the Sport Chrono package, it can achieve 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds. Cayman R 6MT's top speed is 175mph while Cayman R PDK's top speed is 174mph.
Fruit Ninja-like reflexes
This car showed up in a drag race part of Top Gear's BMW 1M Coupe review alongside the Lotus Evora S and sadly, both the Cayman and the Evora lost the race against the 1M.
Getting shot by the goons?
It was also appeared on Top Gear's 2011 DVD, Top Gear at the Movies, where Richard Hammond drives the Cayman R alongside the BMW 1M in a challenge where these cars must avoid gunfire at all places. Due to spinning, the Porsche Cayman R sustained more damage than the BMW 1M.
Sure, this stripped-out version of the Cayman R may not have the luxury features from the standard Cayman but it handles brilliantly. Not too mild, not too dynamic, just a standard handling even though this is a midship Porsche, making it a decent weapon of choice for Forza players who want a better handling lightweight car but it takes skill to master this curve-cutting knife on the edge. I can't deny that even though it not as good as the BMW 1M, the Porsche Cayman R loves to slice various corners like a fruit ninja.
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