ROAD TEST
Porsche Cayman GTS
Johannesburg - It was a pure coincidence, I swear. The guys from Gymkhana SA were holding their first Head2Head event of the year at Zwartkops Raceway on the very same weekend as Porsche had given us the new Cayman GTS to test. So I did what any red-blooded hobbyist racing driver would do: paid my entry fee and signed myself and the Porsche up.
This is the fastest iteration of the Cayman yet (except for the GT4 version announced at Geneva as I write this), out-powering and out-handling even the virile previous-generation Cayman R. It states in the GTS’s press material that it’s an “authentic sportscar for both race track and everyday use”. And it is.
Over a week-long evaluation I put the GTS to the same office-shuttling, grocery-getting and weekend errand-running test as I would your average B-segment budgetmobile, and it performed admirably in all areas. With its platter of adjustable parameters set at their comfiest ends this race-inspired machine comfortably pulled off everyday use with congenial poise. Even with its huge 20” rims and four elastic bands doing their best impression of a set of 35-profile Goodyear tyres, the GTS rides subtly along brushing off rough roads with placidity.
Surprisingly, it even gets some usable boot space. The Cayman and its Boxster sibling might be strict two-seaters but their mid-engine chassis arrangement means there’s a Porsche-typical stowage well under the bonnet and another under the glass tailgate at the back. This car can easily accommodate weekend trips for two, and I can think of at least three direct competitors which would struggle to squeeze more than a hairdryer and a spare pair of underpants in their almost non-existent load bays.
AWESTRUCK
So, it passes one half of its mission statement with flying colours. What about the other? Being reasonably au fait with previous Caymans and Boxsters, as well as the latest crop of 911s, I thought I knew what to expect. Good traction at the back axle, communicative steering feel, and unwavering brakes are always part of the Porsche equation, but after just one timed run around Zwartkops’ kart track at the gymkhana I was awestruck.
In the same way that Superman grips his suit’s lapels and rips them open to reveal his inner superhero, the GTS transforms between plain clothes sportscar to ultra-sharp track tool at the push of a button. The Cayman’s centre console is littered with independently selectable suspension, ESP, exhaust loudness, and extendable rear-spoiler settings, but one prod of the button labelled “Sport Plus” primes all of these for max-attack mode.
The car’s balance in corners couldn’t be better. The GTS gets specific suspension tuning which is 10mm lower, and when paired with an optional torque vectoring system which senses rear-wheel slippage and momentarily dabs the brakes only at that wheel, its ability to hold a line is almost supernatural.
But the fastest way around a track isn’t always by adhering to it, and this Porsche is willing to slip and slide when asked. Well timed throttle lifts will get the tail stepping out on the way into a corner, and the locking differential sees to it that controllable powerslides are possible on the way out.
A TRUE WINNER
Just so much as think of a Scandinavian flick and the GTS will oblige as if it’s connected subliminally to your cortex. Seldom have I driven road-going cars that handle as well as this.
The gymkhana results tell the story: first place in the street-legal category; first of all two-wheel-drive cars entered; and sixth overall out of 42 competitors. Ahead of me were four race-prepped Subaru STIs and a heavily-modified Nissan GTR.
Of course the GTS package isn’t only about added corner carving ability; it also gets some added power. Its engine is the same 3.4-litre flat-six unit as in the Cayman S, but with some exhaust cam timing adjustments to bump output by 11kW to 250 and torque by 10Nm to 380. Porsche claims a sea level 0-100km/h comes in a launch-control-assisted 4.6 seconds (when fitted with a seven-speed PDK gearbox, as all Caymans in SA are as standard), and we weren’t too far from that in our own high-altitude tests with a best result of 5.1 secs. We also achieved a very brisk quarter-mile of 13.3 secs.
VERDICT
At R998 000 the GTS comes at a hefty R128 000 premium over the next Cayman down, the S, and for most the extra components fitted here would be unnecessary. It’ll take a special customer to not only fork out the extra cash, but to also appreciate the fine tunings offered here.
But, for those able to exploit the GTS’s tweakings and maybe participate in the odd track day or gymkhana, this is one of the finest handling road-going Porsches ever made. And, you could live with it every day. Superman on wheels. - Star Motoring
FACTS
Porsche Cayman GTS
Engine: 3436cc, six-cylinder petrol
Gearbox: Seven-speed PDK
Power: 250kW @ 7400rpm
Torque: 380Nm @ 4750 - 5800rpm
0-100km/h (claimed): 5.1 seconds
Top speed (claimed): 283km/h
Consumption (claimed): 8.2 litres per 100km
Price: R998 000, including three-year DrivePlan
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