There’s no shortage of hype surrounding the release of the Porsche Cayman GT4 RS. It’s been a long time coming. Furthermore, from the critical acclaim it’s already receiving, there is no doubt that Porsche met the expectations of the automotive world. The spiciest version of the mid-engine Porsche coupe to date is no joke

Is the Cayman GT4 RS Fast?

According to The Drive, the Cayman GT4 RS is no-holds-barred. Since its release, automotive enthusiasts have been convinced that Porsche intentionally held the Cayman back a bit as not to deter potential 911 buyers. It makes a bit of sense, too. Why make the cheaper car just as good?

Whether or not that was true in earlier models is virtually impossible to prove. You’re free to think what you’d like in that regard. However, there’s nothing left up to interpretation with the Cayman GT4 RS. It has the same naturally-aspirated 4.0-liter boxer six-cylinder engine that the current generation 911 GT3. It makes a whopping 493 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque. According to The Drive, the 10 horsepower difference between it and the GT3 comes solely from the difference in exhaust systems. Given that the 911 is a rear-engine layout and the Cayman is mid-engine, that makes a good bit of sense. The 911 offers a bit less restriction with a shorter exhaust system.

The Cayman GT4 RS isn’t just a game of horsepower, though. The GT4 RS uses its own chassis that Porsche developed specifically for this car. Though some tout that it has the suspension from a GT3, it doesn’t. Instead, it has its own proprietary damper system and uses its own ball joints for both front and rear suspension. It does borrow front-end components from a 991 911, though. Thus, Porsche fitted the GT4 RS with the GT3’s front-axle lift system.

All of this engineering and development crafted a car unlike any other

The result is an on-track weapon that The Drive’s Robb Holland, a professional racecar driver, found driving aspects that he had never experienced before.

“I personally have never been in a car that was so incredibly easy to get up to speed in. The more comfortable a driver is in a car, the easier it is to push that car to the limit, and more importantly, the easier it is to keep it there…You know what the car is going to do before it does it because it’s doing exactly what you’ve asked it to do,” wrote Holland.

Holland gave the GT4 RS such high praise that he didn’t stop at saying that it’s a car that makes the driver feel like a hero. Instead, he equated it to being the epitome of that concept. He even stated that he pushed the GT4 RS in a section of track that has a bit of run-off room to allow for mistakes to be made. Instead of understeering or electronic safety systems kicking in, Holland states that the Cayman gripped the road and kept on going as if he had entered the corner perfectly.

Ultimately, it seems Porsche did exactly what they set out to do with the GT4 RS. They created an even more potent version of the already beloved Cayman GT4. The result is a vehicle that can put down a performance at a race track that even shocks professional racing drivers.