Porsche fanatics have long said the Cayman can upset the flagship 911 sports car given the right set of tools. Whether Porsche intentionally kept the Cayman in the 911’s shadow is up for debate, but the German automaker is silencing critics with the 2022 718 Cayman GT4 RS. Yes, this Crocodilian has a new heart and a speedier set of legs to conquer the racetrack, and it’s everything we expect from what Porsche claims is “the most thrilling and focused 718 yet.”

2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS: Racing Heart

Porsche couldn’t have chosen a better engine for the job. It went straight for the beating heart of the brand’s 911 GT3 Cup racing car. Incidentally, it’s the same naturally-aspirated engine from a production 911 GT3. Immediately, naysayers are biting their tongues. The mere fact Porsche shoehorned a 911 engine into the Cayman suggests the automaker doesn?t mind if the GT4 RS steals a bit of the 911 GT3?s thunder (and the 911 in general).
Oh, and that engine is a rose-tinted ode to naturally-aspirated goodness. We?re talking about a 4.0-liter flat-six devoid of forced induction, pumping out 79 more horsepower than a 718 Cayman GT4. Capable of spinning to a heady 9,000 rpm, you have 493 horsepower and 331 lb-ft. of torque at your disposal, aching to unleash a sonorous orchestra of mechanical wizardry behind your ears.

The motor sends power exclusively to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox with...