The Porsche Cayman GT4 is one of the finest sports cars on the market, and it’s really hard to flaw.
Pretty much the only complaint you will hear leveled against the Cayman GT4 is the long gearing of its six-speed manual transmission. Indeed, second gear will take you to 83 mph (133 km/h) while third pulls through to an extraordinary 114 mph (183 km/h). Does opting for the newly-available seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission solve this issue?
Read More: Porsche Cayman GT4, Boxster Spyder, And GTS 4.0 Models Land With A PDK
To find out, Matt Farah recently put a PDK-equipped Cayman GT4 through its paces in the canyons near Los Angeles. The short answer is no, the PDK doesn’t solve the issue of long gearing. This is because second gear in the PDK can hit 79 mph (127 km/h) and third redlines at 108 mph (173 km/h). While those speeds are slightly slower than the manual, they are still higher than one would like to when it comes to enjoying a sports car as special as the Cayman GT4 to its fullest.
Fortunately, the GT4 has a lot going for it. Key to the thrilling package is a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six that delivers 414 hp and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm), figures that are perfect for a compact sports car like this.
Then there’s the handling. The mid-engined layout of the Cayman remains one of its strong suits and in GT4 guise it dances through the corners in an impressive way. Farah also comments positively on the brakes and is a huge fan of the overall package.