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The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and the BMW M4 have been compared a lot. The argument has been made that the Porsche GT4 isn’t exactly “practical,” but is that really what potential buyers are looking for? If you want practical, the M4 is more practical in a few ways.

How fast is a Porsche Cayman GT4?

Porsche 718 Cayman GT4
Is the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 sports car more practical than the BMW M4? | Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images

The 718 Cayman GT4 has been dubbed “Perfectly irrational” by Porsche itself, which is a good sign. “No mild breath of air. No gentle breeze. The signs show a storm is brewing. A glance at 718 Cayman GT4 is enough to see: air resistance is not an issue,” the brand said about the GT4.

The GT4 has a top speed of 189 mph with a manual transmission and a 0-60 mph time of 4.2 seconds. For the automatic, the top speed is 188 mph, and the 0-60 mph time is 3.7 seconds. The max power came in at 414 hp, and the price starts at $101,200. The engine is a naturally aspirated boxer-six engine. The curb weight for the manual GT4 is 3,208 pounds, and for the automatic, it came in at 3,276 pounds.

The Porsche only has two seats, which is two less than the BMW M4. It is definitely more of an uncomfortable but exciting ride due to the race car nature of the Porsche. It is louder, both inside and outside of the cabin. But if you are looking for something along the lines of a street-legal race car, do these features matter?

Is the BMW M4 a good car?

The BMW M4 comes in two options, the M4 Coupe and the M4 Competition Coupe. The M4 has 473 hp and a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds. For the M4 Competition Coupe, the car has 503 hp and a 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds. “Drive the new embodiment of style, performance, and high-powered excitement,” BMW said about the M4.

The M4 Coupe has a 3.0-liter BMW M TwinPower Turbo inline 6-cylinder and gets from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds. The six-speed manual transmission option weighs in at 3,830 pounds. For the Competition Coupe, the eight-speed automatic transmission has a 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds. This one weighs 3,880 pounds. That’s a 600-pound difference, give or take. The M4 starts at $71,800, while the Competition Coupe starts at $74,700.

But the BMW can do a lot that you might not want to do in the Cayman. Groceries, children, pets, long road trips would all be more comfortable in the BMW. However, if you have another car for that, who cares?

Is being practical that important?

In a press release put out by Porsche, the 718 Cayman GT4 set a new fastest lap time on the Nordschleife at the Nürburgring. The time of 7:28 minutes was 12 seconds faster than the previous record made by the Carrera GT supercar. It doesn’t appear the M4 has any official lap times on the Nürburgring yet.

In the video above, the cars went around the Castle Combe circuit. The Porsche time came in at 1:12.6, while the BMW CC came in at 1:13.3. A full second behind. The driver did note that the BMW was a bit softer and easier to drive, plus if you would be driving it daily.

Unfortunately for the BMW fans, the styling of the M4 grille is a deterrent to some potential buyers. Sure, it has two extra seats, but at what cost? Well, about $25,000 less than the Porsche, but still.

The M4 is more of a fun daily driver than the GT4, while the GT4 is a pretty exciting weekend car. Practicality might go out the window on this one, depending on your needs.

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Amanda Cline

Amanda Cline is an avid fan of Formula 1 and joined MotorBiscuit in 2021. A Southwest Floridian, she easily and often finds automotive events to attend in the Tampa, Orlando, and Miami areas.
Amanda is a graduate of the University of Central Florida, where she earned a Bachelor’s in English Literature and a Master’s in Technical Communication. Combining her editorial and digital media expertise, Amanda served as a content creator for FanSided and now provides our readers with a variety of automotive subject matter like pickup trucks and SUVs, including valuable consumer advice.

Amanda closely follows many F1 drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. Her all-time favorite author is Shel Silverstein.