Lightning Lap 2016: Porsche Cayman GT4

Class: LL3
Lap time: 2:54.0
Base price: $97,780
As-tested price: $104,870
385 hp • 3058 lb • 7.9 lb/hp
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
F: 245/35ZR-20 (91Y), R: 295/30ZR-20 (101Y)

Two years ago, we called the Porsche Cayman S the perfect track-learning tool, but we also said it needed more power. Enter the 385-hp GT4. Porsche didn’t just add 60 horsepower to the Cayman S and call it a day, though; the Cayman GT4 is a thorough chassis retune, developed around its big wing and wider and stickier Cup 2 rubber.

Adding horsepower is good, but grip is what gets the GT4 around the track 8.6 seconds quicker than the S. Going through Hog Pen, the GT4 drops to 70.6 mph, whereas the Cayman S dipped to 64.4. Superior grip and the stabilizing effect of its big wing allow the GT4 to maintain more of that speed.

The GT4’s 120.6-mph average through the Climbing Esses is 6 mph faster than the ­Cayman S’s. And through the high-speed corners of the infield, the GT4 matches the all-wheel-drive Acura NSX’s time.

At 3058 pounds, the GT4 is the lightest street car at this year’s event. Low mass allows it to suffer your foolishness: Go too fast or hit the throttle too early and it’s a mere instant before the chassis recovers traction. Behind the wheels are carbon-ceramic rotors that seem completely unfazed by the Cayman’s mass. A firm brake pedal brings forth the right amount of deceleration time after time.

When you’re tucked into the single-­piece seat, all is calm and serene. The sightlines are panoramic. An Alcantara-­skinned steering wheel transmits faithful feedback about impending slides, and the shifter finds the right gear every time. In sport mode, the engine automatically matches revs on downshifts, making it easy to concentrate on braking points. Nimble and confident, the GT4 is about as relaxing as a car can be on a track. That’s the magic of this thing: Porsche kept everything we love about the Cayman S but played it at a higher speed. The GT4 treatment doesn’t change the goodness, ease, and steadiness of the Cayman. It’s still the perfect learning tool, but now it can teach you how to drive a supercar.

104 dBA:

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The sound level of a passing GT350R at full tilt from 50 feet away. The turbo M4 GTS registered 96 dBA and the Cayman GT4, 99 dBA.