It sounds so fantastical, it may as well have been a day dream.
Like most other weekends, I was cruising around my favorite backroad when I spied a car coming up at an intersection. Often, I get stuck behind drivers who are not interested in exploring their vehicle’s dynamics on a winding road, much less use the numerous turnouts to let more enthusiastic drivers by. Rather than risk getting stuck behind some spoilsport through the next few curves, I quickly turned through the intersection and made a run for the next corner.
As if baited, the car picked up the pace and applied itself to my bumper. With the frunk vent, the noise echoing off the canyon walls, and the peek I got of its spoiler through the rearview mirror, I had no doubt what was now behind me.
The Cayman GT4
I’d actually seen this car around these parts a few times. Milling about, stuck behind the various Subaru Outbacks and the dullards more willing to cross the double yellow at or below the speed limit than let faster traffic by.
But this time I was the one holding it up. I leaned on my car a bit more, taking the next few corners at a slightly freer clip. Keeping it sane but braking deeper, shifting later, turning in cleaner. And the Porsche stayed right on me.
It’s easier at track days, but on back roads when you’re out enjoying yourself, it’s hard to know if the driver behind you just wants to play or is nearing an aneurysm waiting for you to let them by. Not wanting to be grouped with the ranks of battered Corollas and lost Odysseys I’m so often stuck behind, I made room and let the GT4 pull in front.
A quick thumbs up from the driver as he passed by, and the rest of the road becomes a blur. I hadn’t had that much fun following someone in quite a while. No cyclists, no cars to get stuck behind, and no surprises brought the end of the road on the double.
Initially I was content having followed a Cayman GT4, being able to enjoy its existence and the fact that someone out there was having fun with theirs as opposed to locking it in a vault until the next round of auctions. But the elation emboldened me to flip around to where the Porsche had turned off.
The driver had parked in the corner of a lot along the road. I pulled up and we exchanged pleasantries. I complemented his taste in cars, receiving a compliment for not driving like a moron behind him. Quick chit chat regarding local track day organizations passed before he dropped the question:
“Do you want to drive it?”
Well, crap.
I’m certain I failed, but I did my best to maintain composure. My politely incredulous, “Really?” was quickly followed by a, “Sure!” after he confirmed that I had somehow earned his trust to slip into the driver’s seat of one of today’s most sought after sports cars.
We swapped keys, and I attempted to get acquainted with the Porsche as efficiently as I could. Like the drive moments before, the road was a bit of a blur. Not for the sheer speed of the experience, but the sensory overload of driving such a modern car that seemed to have been made just for drivers like myself.
Seats? Perfect. Sight line over the bonnet? Perfect. Steering wheel? Perfect. Pedal Placement? Perfect. Shifter? Damn Good. Loud Exhaust Mode? Hell Yes. Power? Certainly.
Is the steering assist electric in feel? Unfortunately, yes. How’s the gearing? Too damn long. But what truly stood out to me was the first corner I took at speed. Coming up to a hairpin, the car began to push on initial turn in. With immediate results, I unwound the steering a tick and lifted off the throttle. Straightaway, I was back on the throttle as the car settled into a beautiful neutrality then shot out of the corner, engine symphony filling the cabin as I climbed the ever tall second gear to the next corner.
It’s mid-engined, rear wheel drive, and nearly 400 horsepower. And yet there’s a total accessibility to the performance. At one corner, I needlessly downshifted to second-gear and ladled on throttle until the rear began to slip. The chassis allowed control of the angle as if by rheostat, nevermind losing command of my face to the contorted smile that overtook it.
I’m not the first to gush about this car. But it’s not an effect of being star struck. It’s that despite its exclusivity and all the unavoidable hype and hate that surrounded its release, in the real world the Porsche Cayman GT4 is simply a wonderful car to drive. You really need a track to wind it out, as its abilities are much more than any backroad jaunt could satisfy. But on road it does not disappoint in the way many current cars do, and the accessibility of the performance feels like the manufacturer’s secret handshake that tells enthusiasts like myself that we have not been forsaken.
Perhaps this is an odd muse to finish with, but I wonder what we’d find if we did a back to back comparison of the Cayman GT4 and the Ford Mustang GT350R. As is necessary with Porsche comparisons, we’ll ignore the $20k difference in base price, and nevermind dealer markup while we’re at it. At their core these are similar cars with similar goals approached from different angles.
Perhaps Motor Trend will put a Head 2 Head together?
Or a couple of you could reach out and we’ll do it ourselves. Ha!