Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 to get naturally aspirated flat-six

The forthcoming successor to the original Cayman GT4 will stick with a naturally aspirated flat-six engine despite the arrival of a turbocharged flat-four in the Porsche 718 Cayman. The engine is expected to be a detuned version of the new 911 GT3’s 4.0-litre flat-six, although power is expected to increase over the previous generation's 385hp. 405hp-plus is expected.

“Natural aspiration is one of our main USPs,” said Andreas Preuninger, head of GT car development at Porsche. “At Motorsport, we think we can achieve throttle response and immediacy a little bit better with an atmospheric high-revving engine than any kind of turbo.” He also confirmed there are no plans to create any four-cylinder GT cars.

The bolstered performance means the car's 0-62mph time will be cut from the previous-gen car's 4.4sec while its 295kph top speed is also likely to rise, slightly. Just like the previous car, the 2019 GT4 isn't expected to weigh any more than the Cayman GTS, so Porsche will likely keep the car's weight below 1,450kg.

2015's Cayman GT4 raided Porsche GT's parts bin for components to make the car more focused – and it'll be no different for the 2019 model, since Porsche seeks to increase the focus of its sportscar line-up with variants like the 911 Carrera T and the 911 GT3 Touring Package.

Autocar has speculated that the next Cayman GT4 will be powerful enough to wear the RS badge, which is reserved for Porsche’s most hardcore models. Preuninger dropped a broad hint that it will come with both manual and PDK gearbox options.

Preuninger also said Porsche will crack down on speculators who buy GT cars to flip for a profit rather than to drive.