Porsche Cayman GT4 Race Car Replaced By New 911 GT4 Race Car Based On The 911 GT3, Which Won't Be Confusing
Porsche has unveiled a new customer race car based on the 911. It's called the 911 GT4 R and will replace the 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport despite being mechanically based on the 911 Cup, which itself has roots in the 911 GT3 street car. Got all that? Good. Porsche racing aficionados will note that, believe it or not, this is the first time Porsche has built a GT4 car out of the 911, as the class has previously been the domain of the Cayman.
Hanging out back (way back this time) is the 4.0-liter flat-6 from that Cup car pumping out 520 horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque, but of course, actual output when these things hit the track for the 2027 racing season will be subject to Balance of Performance regs. More importantly for those who admittedly enjoy the aural aspects of racing more than the actual competition, this engine revs to 8,750 rpm.
The R stands for racing, I'm pretty sure
Power flows through a sequential six-speed dog-type transmission using a four-plate sintered metal racing clutch, and then a mechanical limited-slip diff. More powerful than the Clubsport Cayman it replaces, the GT4 R gets wider tracks, but its wheels were made an inch narrower than those of the 911 Cup to comply with GT4 class requirements. The Cup's centerlock wheels are replaced by a five-bolt pattern, while dual-adjustable dampers and three selectable spring rates let racers dial in how firm they want their single-seat Porsche race car to ride. The control arms and top mounts are forged for optimal stiffness.
Porsche
The rear wing has 11 different positions, and the car uses a bunch of natural-fiber-reinforced plastic and epoxy resin inside and out to keep weight low — the whole thing weighs about 3,340 pounds. Inside, there's a 10.3-inch color display that lets the driver monitor and alter all sorts of race car stuff. Porsche says the 911 GT4 R will cost $375,500, including delivery. In North America, look for the GT4 R to appear in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and SRO Pirelli GT4 America next year.
Stay tuned next week when Porsche reveals the new "Cayman GT5," which will officially serve as the new VW Golf R while actually just being a Cayman GTS 4.0 in disguise.
Porsche