This isn’t quite the last days of Rome, but you get the sense some car companies have kicked off their sandals and downed a flagon of wine.
As the 2030 ban on traditional combustion cars looms (extended to 2035 for plug-in hybrids), the likes of Ferrari, Aston Martin and Porsche are gorging on petrol-powered profligacy while they still can. Frankly, as a car enthusiast, I’m all for it.
The Ferrari Daytona SP3 is the most hedonistic of them all: a targa-topped two-seater with an 840hp naturally aspirated V12. Then there’s the forthcoming Aston Martin V12 Vantage, successor to perhaps the greatest Aston of the modern era.
A question of Rennsport
And the Porsche Cayman GT4 RS, of course: the first non-911 to get the ‘Rennsport’ treatment and the car I’m most excited about for 2022.
At its heart, the Cayman has the same howling 4.0-litre flat-six as the latest 911 GT3, albeit detuned a token 10hp to 500hp. It rides 30mm lower and bristles with angular aero – including an adjustable front splitter and GT3-style swan neck wing.
Also, while not devoid of luxuries, the RS has been on a diet. The Porsche crest on the bonnet, for example, is now a sticker.
‘A real action hero’
The results are a modest kerb weight of 1,415kg, 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 195mph. More significantly, the RS can lap the Nurburgring in 7 minutes, 4.5 seconds: some 23.6 seconds quicker than a standard GT4.
If you want even more track pace, order your RS in race-ready Clubsport spec. Frank-Steffen Walliser, former head of Porsche Motorsport, describes it as “a real action hero”.
At £108,370, the GT4 RS won’t be cheap – and that’s before you add options such as the Weissach package (£11,186) or 20-inch forged magnesium wheels (£10,521). You can also expect a long waiting list to buy one.
Still, future classic status is assured, particularly as this Porsche, like many sports cars of late, may be the last of a dying breed.
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