2020 Porsche 718 GT4 and 2020 Porsche 718 Spyder Quirks and Features

While quicker and more responsive than ever, the latest line of Porsche 718 cars received a mixed response from Porsche enthusiasts and owners. Integration of four-cylinder engines completely changed the nature of them, but Porsche is trying to save what it can by the introduction of the new generation Porsche 718 GT4. This one, unlike lesser models, gains an all-new 4.0-liter, flat-six with more than 400 horsepower on tap and a manual transmission. It is, by far, the most alluring 718 that ever appeared and, to some, the most appealing Porsche of the new generation. I will give you here the most essential quirks and features about it.

2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder Fast Facts

- Aiding quick shifting the gear lever is 0.39 inch shorter than in a regular 718 equipped with a manual

- both the 718 Cayman GT4 and the 718 Spyder can break the 186 mph (300 km/h) barrier

- Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder have cylinder deactivation systems for better fuel efficiency

- In Germany, prices start at €93,350 for the Spyder, and €96,206 for the Cayman GT4

- both cars can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 4.4 seconds - the same as their predecessors

The 2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Is Almost As Fast As The Porsche Carrera GT Around The Nurburgring Nordschleife

Back in 2016, a Porsche test driver managed to lap the Nurburgring in the 2017 Porsche Cayman GT4 in 7 minutes and 40 seconds. The new model, when equipped with PCCBs and with ultra-high-performance (UHP) tires, will lap the same 20.6-kilometer course in less than 7 minutes and 30 seconds. That makes the new 2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 almost as quick around the Nurburgring as the Porsche Carrera GT, and probably as fast as the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

2020 Porsche Cayman GT4 Would have been Almost 200 Pounds Lighter If It Wasn't For Emissions Regulations

The exhaust particulate filters, an automatic stop/start system, and other solutions focused on lowering the emissions of the new 4.0-liter, flat-six engine roughly attribute to 200 pounds of the 3,300-ish pounds of weight of the 2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4.

Andreas Preuninger, head of the Porsche GT division, however, says that the actual difference between the new and the old car is not big - it is only about 66 pounds. As it turns out, the homologation purposes and reporting standards forced Porsche to report on the weight as they did. I don't really know about what reporting standards are they talking about. Couldn't they just put the car on a freaking scale and find out how much does it weight? Nevertheless, the added weight is, I believe, more than rectified by the integration of the more powerful engine.

2020 Porsche Cayman GT4 Weight

According to DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung), the 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4, with a 90 percent full tank, tips the scale at 3,130 pounds.

On the other hand, according to EU measuring standards, that adds 75 kilograms for the driver plus luggage, the 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4 tips the scales at 3,296 pounds.

As we are in the U.S., let me tell you that the curb weight for the 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4 should be pretty much the same as the DIN weight - 3,130 pounds (20 pounds more or less).

2020 Porsche Cayman GT4 Produces 50 Percent More Downforce Than Before

The design of the 718 Cayman and the 718 Spyder allowed for the integration of more efficient and more effective aerodynamic surfaces. Porsche managed to increase the downforce - front and back - without increasing the drag. To do this, Porsche designers and engineers developed an all-new exhaust silencer that freed up space at the rear for the integration of the new diffusor. This alone increases the downforce to the rear axle by 30 percent. Add to this a fixed rear spoiler, and suddenly, you have a car that can do wonders on the Nurburgring. This 50 percent increase in downforce is instrumental for making the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder GT4 faster than ever.

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The 2020 Porsche 718 Spyder’s New Convertible Top

A tent-like roof of the 718 Spyder can fit under the boot lid in just a few simple steps. It is a more straightforward procedure compared to the previous Spyder and more importantly the roof does not add more weight to the already chubby 2020 Porsche 718 Spyder. It seems that the 2020 Porsche 718 Spyder touches 3,206 pounds. Add to this 165 pounds for the driver and you see that the Spyder isn't precisely lightweight. If Porsche designed the automatic roof mechanism, it would easily add 60 more pounds to the car.

Unfasten the soft top from the anchor points on the windshield and it will easily stow at the dedicated place under the bootlid — far easier process than before.

What Does the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport Bring To The Fold?

The race-ready Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport concept revealed some time ago is a fantastic racing machine with a 425 horsepower engine. The new 2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 is available with the Clubsport package too. With it, this small racer gets a rear steel roll bar, a hand-held fire extinguisher, and a six-point seatbelt on the driver's side.

The 6-speed Manual Gearbox In the 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4 and the 2020 Porsche Spyder

Believe it or not, emission regulations even affected the six-speed manual gearbox installed in the new 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4 and 2020 Porsche Spyder models. In short, gears are much longer than one would expect from a sports car that could spend a lot of time on the track. The reasons are, apparently simple. Short gear ratio transmission setup would considerably increase the fuel consumption and emissions, which is something Porsche cannot afford. Obviously, driving on higher revs is something that does that sort of thing.

It turns out that 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4 and the 2020 Porsche Spyder manual transmission is much the same as in the Porsche Cayman GTS. Porsche, of course, included an auto-blip function, but if you feel capable to heel-and-toe yourself, you can turn it off and have even more fun. I know you will ask about the fuel consumption, so I will give it to you: the Cayman GT4 and the Spyder will return around 21 mpg combined.

The Cayman GT4 and the Spyder are the Same

The previous generation of the Cayman GT4 and the Spyder differed in more than one way. The Cayman GT4 was the one to get all the juicy bits - 10 horsepower more powerful engine, better brakes, and better suspension - with the Spyder remaining cool, but not extreme.

Now, however, the 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4 and the Porsche Spyder received the same equipment. Both have a 6-speed manual transmission as standard, and both have the front suspension setup taken directly from the magnificent 911 GT3. This suspension allows for the manual adjustment of the camber, toe, ride height, and anti-roll bar stiffness which is of paramount importance for improving track experience (and lap times as well).

The other big thing that the previous Spyder lacked compared to the Cayman GT4 is the rear downforce generators. This time, with an automatically deploying rear wing (fixed on the Cayman GT4), and the diffuser, the 2020 Porsche Spyder becomes the first 718 Boxster-based car to generate downforce for the rear wheels.

718 Name Does Not Resonate Well With the Flat-six Propulsion Method, But You Should Not Care

Porsche revived the 718 names for the latest generation of the Cayman and Boxster models. Previously, the 718 appeared on the Porsches in the fifties. It was a name that sat on the back of the mid-engined, racing cars propelled exclusively by four-cylinder engines. Considering that Porsche developed new 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter turbocharged flat-fours for the 718 Cayman and the 718 Boxster, it seemed that the 718 name fits perfectly. And that is precisely why it does not fit perfectly on the cars equipped with the flat six-cylinder engine.