When one of the best sports cars in the world is further improved with better performance and handling, you get the Porsche Cayman Grand GTS. The Cayman was awarded the World Performance Car of the Year and also the Car India Performance Car of the Year. We drove the GTS version in Mallorca, Spain, recently.
Story: Aspi Bhathena
Photography: Porsche
The GTS initials originate from the 904 Carrera GTS, a race car dating back to 1963 that could also be registered for use on public roads. In the 1980s and ’90s, the 924 and 928 GTS cultivated this principle. It was re-introduced in 2007 in the form of the Cayenne GTS and was later implemented in the 911 series and the Panamera.
A GTS from Porsche is easy to identify, for the new car continues the line of the Panamera and Cayenne GTS with individual traits. The most prominent difference is the entirely new front end with a modified spoiler lip. The new nose is responsible for the 30-mm increase in the body length. It highlights the extended lines of the two-seater even more.
The three large, black air intakes along with the smoked bi-xenon Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS) add to the dynamic look of the front end. The dynamic cornering light swivels the headlights while cornering, depending upon the steering angle and driving speed, to illuminate tight bends. Speed-dependent running light control is also integrated into the system. This adjusts the light cone and light intensity according to the vehicle speed for better visibility. The black element is carried through to the side air-intake, roof-rails and on to the rear with smoked tail-lights, black-finish tailpipes and the diffuser. The performance package is completed with the 20-inch Carrera S design wheels.
The interior of the GTS complements the exterior design with black leather upholstery. There is extensive use of Alcantara, starting with the outer rim of the sports steering, gear-shift lever, lower part of the dashboard, A-pillars, roof lining and middle panels of the sports seats, all of which are upholstered in Alcantara. The sports plus seats are fully adjustable and very comfortable with a good amount of side support. The quality of the interior is top-class as expected of a Porsche.
The mid-engine Cayman GTS is powered by a flat-six all-alloy DOHC four-valves-per-cylinder water-cooled engine. The boxer engine architecture is something that Porsche pride themselves on since it gives the car a low centre of gravity and it also boasts of a distinctive torque delivery and exhaust note. The boxer engine produces 340 PS at 7,400 revolutions per minute and 380 Nm of torque at 4,750 RPM. It is mated to a quick-shifting seven-speed PDK automatic gearbox.
The GTS uses a MacPherson strut with multi-link suspension set-up both at the front and the rear with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) electronically controlled dampers. The driver can select from among three modes: Normal, Sport and Sport Plus. In the Sport Plus mode the suspension stiffens, the car gets lowered by 10 millimetres to enhance its handling and dynamic characteristics. The PASM system is further aided by the Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) system. PTV is an intelligent interaction of the rear differential lock with selective braking interventions at individual wheels, which is a supplemental function of the Porsche Stability Management (PSM) system. Essentially PTV improves the car’s steering response, precision and agility by specific brake interventions at the rear wheel located at the inside of the corner.
The stopping power is provided by a dual-circuit brake system with separate circuits for the front and the rear. The GTS is equipped with four-piston monobloc callipers with 330-mm ventilated disc rotors at the front, and the rear also has four-piston monobloc callipers with 299-mm ventilated disc rotors.
