2015 Turbo Cayman spied. Keeping an orderly power hierarchy throughout its model ranges looks like becoming an even trickier task for Porsche, given reports that a turbocharged Cayman is being worked on, possibly with a correspondingly hardcore badge, “GT4”.
The powerful flagship version of the mid-engined coupe may be unveiled in the first half of 2015, ahead of a facelift across the Cayman range the following year.
The flat-six engine is likely to be the larger of the two turbo units that will be seen in the revised 991 (see “Carrera power boost”), a 3.8-litre flat-six that could pump out 450bhp and thus exceed the present Carrera S’s output. Pictured undergoing testing at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany, the prototype has a fixed rear spoiler, bigger wheels and brakes, much enlarged air scoops in the front bumper, and modified daytime running lights.
Speculation is also building over the specification of Porsche’s new downsized engines for the next generation Boxster and Cayman. These are expected to be turbocharged flat-four cylinder units in 2.0- and 2.5-litre form, with outputs of around 280bhp/300lb ft torque and 355bhp/350lb ft torque. The word is that a 1.6-litre version also exists, good for 185bhp, but which hasn’t yet been signed off by Porsche’s top management. The engines’ designs may be derived from the current sixcylinder unit.
The idea of a smaller engined Porsche might not be attractive to some, but from a marketing point of view a four-pot Boxster or Cayman ought to sell well. Porsche will no doubt ensure these models’ CO2 outputs are sufficiently low to avoid heavy company car and road tax penalties – although small engined is unlikely to mean cheap to buy.
While developments on the road-going Cayman will be significant, the car may also have a new racing career ahead of it, Porsche Motorsport has revealed to Autosport magazine. The division’s outgoing boss, Hartmut Kristen, was quoted as saying that Porsche wants to add a less expensive customer race car to its line-up, which would be eligible to run in the GT4 series. A concept car has already been built, and ‘it has to be more affordable, less sophisticated and probably more fun,’ Kristen said.
