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Porsche announces Cayman GT4 with 911 GT3 components

For years, there's been a debate among Porsche fans about which of its products is a better sports car, the 911 or the Cayman. It would only take a few sentences before those in the Cayman corner said that Porsche wouldn't make the Cayman as good as it could be for fear of overshadowing The Number One Son. We have a feeling these conversations are going to get a lot livelier with the introduction of the Cayman GT4, which pilfers lightly from the 911 Carrera S and heavily from the 911 GT3. On the outside, you can look to its front fascia, wheels, and fixed rear wing, and 30-millimmeter lower ride height for GT3 inspirations. Underneath, there's a 385-horsepower, 3.8-liter flat-six engine amidships, credited as being derived from the Carrera S. While there are those out there still lamenting the fact that the GT3 can only be had with a dual-clutch transmission, the Cayman GT4 "transmits its power solely through a six-speed manual transmission with dynamic gearbox mounts." Yeah. So take that. The extra power reduces the Cayman GT4's 0-to-60 mile per hour sprint to 4.2 seconds, a half second quicker than the 340-hp Cayman GTS, and bumps top speed up to 183 mph. An interesting nugget: Porsche says the Cayman GT4 runs the Nurburgring in seven minutes and 40 seconds, which it credits as the same time run by the 2011 911 GT3. Porsche has never offered a precise time for the current 911 GT3, saying only that it's "under 7:30," and Internet rumor (grab your salt lick) is that the not-yet-introduced GT3 RS has done a 7:20. We don't have all of its details yet – those will come closer to its introduction at the Geneva Motor Show next month – but we're told of a lot more 911 GT3 parts underneath, like the chassis that "consists almost entirely of components from the 911 GT3" and that all of its "technical aspects are based on the 911 GT3." If you want to take it further, the options sheet will include ceramic brakes and carbon fiber bucket seats. This new top-shelf Cayman gets to dealerships in the US in July with a starting price of $84,600 before a $995 destination charge. You'll find a few more bits of info in the press release below. A New Member of Porsche's GT Family The benchmark in its class: the Porsche Cayman GT4 Atlanta, Feb. 3, 2015 - Porsche's GT family is proud to announce the addition of an exciting new member: the Cayman GT4. This is the first Porsche GT sports car based on the Cayman and features components of the 911 GT3.

Porsche engine wizard Wolfgang Hatz resigns

Wolfganag Hatz has resigned from his position as Member of the Porsche Executive Board with responsibility for Research and Development. He has held that title since 2011. Hatz's storied career came to an abrupt end in September when he was suspended pending investigation into the Volkswagen diesel scandal. Before the Porsche job, Hatz was the head of engine and powertrain development for the Volkswagen Group. It has been alleged that he is at the center of the investigation into the company cheating on emissions testing, but so far there has been no direct link made to him, according to Porsche's announcement today. Hatz has worked at a variety of European automakers, including Audi, BMW, Opel, and Fiat. He is considered the father of the BMW S14 engine, which powered the E30 M3, and also developed the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.8. He was also very involved in Porsche's motorsports efforts, including the recent return to the prototype class and a short-lived F1 V12 engine project. Ulrich Hackenberg, most recently VW's lead engineer and a board member at Audi, was also suspended at the same time as Hatz and resigned shortly thereafter. It's not clear why Hatz waited so long to do the same, but Porsche claims his resignation was voluntary. Michael Steiner has been named Hatz's replacement as head of Porsche R&D. Steiner has been with Porsche since 2002 and seems like a forward-thinking sort, having headed the innovation and concepts division, lead Panamera development, and, most recently, been in charge of complete vehicle engineering. Prior to his time at Porsche, Steiner held positions at Daimler. The change in leadership is effective immediately. Related Video:

Porsche confirms four-cylinder Macan for New York

There aren't a lot of problems with the Porsche Macan. It's clean, handsome, and very, very nice to drive. But it's expensive, starting at $55,450, and thirsty, at 17 miles per gallon in the city and 23 on the highway. To improve on both of these, Porsche is adding a 2.0-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder Macan to the lineup. The new engine moves the compact CUV downmarket on both power and price fronts. In the Macan, the 2.0-liter pumps out 252 horsepower, 273 pound-feet of torque, and compared to old base model, cuts the curb weight from 4,112 pounds to 3,902 pounds. Combined with a seven-speed PDK and a standard all-wheel-drive system, the new base level CUV will hit 60 miles per hour in just 6.1 seconds. You still have to suspend logic when buying a Macan, though. At just 20 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway, it's scarcely more efficient than the 340-hp S model. Admittedly, the Macan's competitors all eke out substantially better fuel economy, but each of these vehicles does so with less power than Porsche's new base Macan – the BMW X3 has 240 ponies, the Mercedes GLC has 241, and the Audi Q5 just 220. But they also do it for a lot less money. The new Macan starts at $48,550, including a $1,050 destination charge. That's $6,900 less than the Macan S, but it's still around $7,000 more than the all-wheel-drive versions of the aforementioned cars. And yes, that chasm is almost certainly going to widen after digging into Porsche's options catalog. Still, this is an intelligent and overdue move for Porsche here in the US (the four-pot Macan has been on sale in Europe for years). It opens up the Macan to a far wider swath of customers, not unlike what the V6 model does for the Cayenne. Look for more on Stuttgart's new entry level CUV in a few weeks, when it makes its big debut in the Big Apple. Related Video: PORSCHE ANNOUNCES NEW YORK AUTO SHOW LINE-UP North American debut of Porsche 911 R, 718 Boxster, and Macan Atlanta, Georgia. The New York International Auto Show will be host to three North American debuts for Porsche this year. The 911 R and the 718 Boxster both represent the latest interpretation of driving pleasure and dynamics in their respective segments. The 911 R is a pure, uncompromised driving machine with a naturally-aspirated, 500 horsepower engine mounted in the rear. The 718 Boxster features extensive chassis enhancements and an all-new turbocharged, mid-mounted flat-four cylinder engine.