Finally, Porsche has brought an answer to what I have always referred to as the “Cayman Complex.” By putting the full-power GT3 engine into the brilliant Cayman chassis, shortening the gear ratios of the 7-speed PDK for maximum response, and working aerodynamic magic on what, at one point, was an entry-level car, Porsche has created a monster.
The GT4 RS is perfectly balanced on the track and at the limit, but that precision comes with a compromise on the road, where you never forget you’re in a true RS product. The GT4 RS may not be our choice as a grocery getter, although the RS treatment doesn’t technically violate the Cayman’s passenger or cargo space. It’s loud, harsh, and darty on the road, and the air box in the cabin resonates at low RPM.
But when you start going fast... be ready. The GT4RS communicates two ways with your body in more spectacular fashion than nearly any car on the road. You can micro-adjust through corners with your hands and feet telepathically. The brake pedal feel is perfect, and the huge, ceramic stoppers never run out of steam. And the metallic gnash firing back out of six individual throttle bodies and through that carbon air box between 6,000 and 9,000 rpm is the best sound coming from any car since the V-12 Formula One era, or the McLaren F1 itself. It’s magical.
Fortunately, in this three-lap review, we’re on a track I know well, in a car I know well, and you’re just going to see ten minutes of yours truly having the best time ever. There is no question at all why the GT4 RS is a serious contender for our Performance Car of the Year.
Matt Farah is a lifelong car enthusiast who began his automotive career at dealerships, rental agencies, and detail shops before discovering the power of YouTube in 2006, with his channel The Smoking Tire. Farah has a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Pennsylvania, with a concentration in Photography, helping not only create YouTube content but also providing his own photography for his Editor-at-Large position at Road & Track.
He has hosted and produced television series on NBC Sports, G4 Network, SPEED, and Esquire. The Smoking Tire Podcast is #1 in the category every week of the year. Now at 800+ episodes, The Smoking Tire podcast is the definitive guest stop for who’s who in the auto industry. Farah’s Westside Collector Car Storage is a game-changer in luxury, concierge parking that expanded to a second location in 2023.
