Don't worry, you're not going mad - this is a 718 Cayman GT4 RS again, as seen back in May and detailed below. And, yes, it's another racy Porsche with a silly spoiler on PH this week. But you're intrigued too, right?
Having both RS mules together on a page makes it easier to compare and contrast the two. Notable with this new car are centre-lock wheels very similar to those seen on the GT2 RS, as opposed to the regular GT4 rims seen before. There are carbon ceramics on this one, too. If you peer really closely there's some additional disguise over the front wings as well, suggesting the Cayman might mimic the 911 equivalent in having those distinctive vents above the wheels.
Then, of course, there's the rear spoiler; not quite as wild as the GT3 RS, though still a good deal more dramatic than we've seen previously. Neither is confirmed for production just yet, though the very serious Porsches have established a reputation for some mad aero in recent years. And with AMG having now revealed the GT Black Series, it seems that all bets are off - the bigger the better, as far as wings are concerned.
It'll surprise precisely nobody to learn that there's already a healthy GT4 RS thread running on PH, with plenty of speculation about engine, gearbox, chassis, price and so on. For what it's worth, it would be an enormous surprise if a Cayman, even an RS, trod too firmly on the toes of what Porsche Motorsport is planning for a 911. So expect an evolution of the GT4's 4.0-litre with somewhere in the region of 450hp (because the RS cars never have much more power than the standard GT), a little less weight, the PDK gearbox as standard and some influence from the Clubsport race car. Although given that a 718 GT4 RS was never even expected, there might still be one or two surprises to come yet. There shouldn't be long to wait to find out about though; this car is expected to launch for the 2021 model year. Suffice it to say, expectations are pretty high.
ORIGINAL STORY - 04.05.20
Even now, the mention of an 'RS' badge is enough to send a Porsche fan all giddy. Because while there's the history there with the 2.7, 964 and that fabled 997 4.0, fact is the RS Porsche - the 991.II GT3 - remains a thing of wonderment. Quite what the 992 will do to surpass it, nobody knows.
Before then, however, it looks like another Renn Sport Porsche might be joining the range, in the form of a Cayman GT4. There's been much speculation about a Cayman RS for a while, way back to the original 981 GT4 if memory serves, though this is the clearest indicator yet that it really is going to happen.
Of course, the rear spoiler here is the most obvious giveaway, towering above the boot and looking like three different spoilers smashed together into one. Interestingly it doesn't seem to bear much resemblance to the Clubsport racer, which would be the most obvious link for an RS road car, this one seeming even wilder again. Look closely and it appears a lot like the wing seen on GT3 mules.
Furthermore, note a GT3 RS-style bonnet with NACA ducts, what look like seriously slick tyres and, potentially, an even lower ride height than a standard GT4. Look at those vents at the rear quarter windows, too, implying the mid-mounted flat-six needs more cooling. And surely it would only need more cooling if it were making more power...
Typically, RS 911s don't have an awful lot more power than a GT3 - usually in the region of 20hp - so it could well be the same here. That would give a GT4 RS 440hp, maybe 450hp if we're feeling optimistic. It could be that Porsche wishes to show off the potential of this new 4.0-litre, but it also needs to protect the GT3 when that arrives as well. Whatever the power, though, expect a 718 RS to have a PDK transmission, like the equivalent 911, and to indulge in a modest round of weight shedding compared to the standard GT4.
With that spec potential, the inherent ability of the standard GT4 and these pics of a car three-wheeling around the Nordschleife, the 718 RS is patently a very exciting prospect. The PH thread that's been running since September suggests that that the vents are there for a new intake, which would make some sense as it's been seen on a race car as well. Ultimately we're all still making educated (and uneducated) guesses on this Cayman at the moment, because nobody really knows. When we do know, however, it'll likely be some story - expect more soon.
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