Cayman GT4: Where are we up to now?

[flat6]

ORIGINAL: MrDemon what would the GT4 RS do with PDK and the GT3 engine ?

"What if, what if". Will they? Won't they? It will be great if they do. If they don't then it is not available because Porsche made it so, not because it wouldn't be good. Of course it would be good. I think we both finally agree, not that I quite understood what the disagreement was in the first place[&:]. I will move on now. You can have the last word. Go ahead

 

[Motorhead]

Unfortunately, I don't have a crystal ball which is able to predict the future for the 911 but it seems to me that Porsche have driven the car into a proverbial cul-de-sac. There's no doubt that it's their iconic vehicle and it would be extremely difficult to let it wither on the vine, so they have no option but to keep it in the line-up in one form or another, not least because the profit magins are significantly higher than for the Boxster/Cayman which share a large proportion of 911 components. This of course is very advantageous in spreading development costs and is a very good reason for continuing the 911 range since it keeps the Boxster/Cayman more affordable. The 911 has always been portrayed as a 2+2, although those tiny rear seats have only really been suitable for very small children [or legless dwarfs?] and the Panamera offers a much more practical performance car alternative for the family man, chipping away at the 911's raison d'etre. There's no doubt that, should Porsche choose to do it, the GT4 could be developed into a very successful race car but as long as the GT3 is successful I can't see that happening in the short term [the new DFI engine for the 991 GT3 RS will have to prove itself in this respect]. However, no-one knows what the future holds. Just my tuppence worth really. Jeff

 

[flat6]

Jeff, you said it a lot better than me.

 

[Motorhead]

Ha! As a previous Cayman owner and current 911 owner, I take that as a real compliment 6. Jeff

 

[flat6]

[] My comments on the last few pages were always about what Porsche is doing with the 911, artificial preservation or differentiation or otherwise, not what I think of the 911.

 

[Motorhead]

ORIGINAL: MrDemon Glad I did not sell my R seems we might not see any GT4 till 1/4 4 !!!

For anyone who's interested, there's a lengthy debate on P-9 entitled "GT4: WHY isn't Porsche making all the GT4 cars it can sell?". D: Has your PC given you a reason yet for the lengthy delay both in notifying you that you've secured a car and why delivery has slipped from June to October? Jeff

 

[MrDemon]

I was told I had secured a car on day one, just waiting for a real build date, no reason why this big delay.

 

[Chris_in_the_UK]

Do you have it in writing?

ORIGINAL: MrDemon I was told I had secured a car on day one, just waiting for a real build date, no reason why this big delay.

 

[MrDemon]

I have a signed Porsche order dated from 4th Feb. but until the factory take real full orders I guess any thing could happen NO one seems to have a full spec locked order and build date in the UK yet. No more the OPC's can do till they can put the orders on the system. I am in a happy place though, so will keep these and maybe just sit on the GT4 till the RS arrives and swap it in.

 

[Motorhead]

Here's an excellent article on the GT4 with plenty of technical input from Andreas Preuninger: http://www.9tro.com/features/new-cars/porsche-cayman-gt4-a-question-of-balance Some nice pics of a blue GT4 as a bonus too..! Jeff

 

[MrDemon]

best write up to date, every one else just spouted the same spec sheet. I so want to drive it round donnington asap.

 

[Motorhead]

Agreed - and good to get some vehicle development insights from Hr. Preuninger. “This [2000 units] is the natural cap for the model due to the whole process of ordering parts, and having those orders fulfilled according to a well calculated production plan. The ratio of GT4s to other Cayman models, and the time left before the base car is replaced all count towards that final number.” A telling statement..! Jeff

 

[MrDemon]

a Ltd non Ltd car

 

[Motorhead]

Ha, yes! Very mixed messages from Porsche on the subject. Here's something else I've filched from our American cousins: This month's Panorama has an interview with the head of the GT program, Dr Walliser. While referring to GT3 cars he clearly says there is no supply chain problem and Zuffenhausen could build more GT3 cars if they wanted to. I got from it that instead they purposely hold the cars back despite the demand and if a customer doesn't get one this generation, then get your name on the queue for the next generation. They want to keep the numbers small. He sort of summarizes things by saying the 918 is a dream car. The 911 and GT3 is also a dream but not to far away. And finally, the GT4 an affordable dream. I think the answer is buried in that article. It's not about supply chains, or tooling, or production. It is about profit (indirect profit). GT3 cars are not to sit on dealer lots. HALO CAR. Said and done. So there you have it. You want a 981.2 GT4, get in the queue now or you will need to wait for the next generation Cayman. Jeff

 

[MrDemon]

I am still hoping for a June build date, what's it take to build a car 3 days

 

[tscaptain]

If you ask an air cooled owner I think the answer to the above question is about 20 minutes......[]

 

[MrDemon]

told slots open a month before the build date, hence why no one has slots yet, if they start getting built in june books might not open till May.

 

[Motorhead]

Doesn't it usually take around 2-3 months from order to delivery? It sounds to me D that Porsche could be "reorganising" all Cayman builds around GT4 production to give them priority. As I understand it, 997 GT3s weren't built on the regular production line but that's no longer the case with the 991 versions, and I presume the same applies to to the GT4. Although nearly all Caymans are built at Osnabruck, I suppose it's possible that some extra cars could be built on the Stuttgart line if there's capacity there. Whatever, we'll be able to identify the build location from the VIN numbers. Jeff

 

[MrDemon]

less colours and big delays it seems !!!! 1ST car's if speced with buckets might not be here till NOV ! and if dealers only get "1" yes "1" build slot per month it's a crazy wait. I have a Sept build slot as I was 2nd in line and then we are told 8 weeks delay on that slot if you spec buckets ! so I get my car Dec !!!! and that's an early order !

 

[Motorhead]

Less colours D - how come? Are Porsche running out of paint now..?? As far as I know, the BIWs go through the same paint shop as any other Cayman and I'm not aware of colour restrictions being applied to other cars in the range. It sounds as though the bucket seats could be in short supply [probably a supplier issue] but if the dealers are only due to get one slot per month - presumably starting in August for your PC - it sounds to me that Porsche have screwed up seriously with their suppliers, having underestimated demand. What are they doing in the period before now and August - is that four months of inactivity or are some GT4s getting out of the factory? I've no experience with the Cup 2 tyres but if your GT4 is to be a daily driver you'll probably need to get it fitted with winter tyres when it arrives. Which reminds me, how suitable are Cup 2s for everyday driving? Sorry to hear that you're having to wait so long to get your hands on the car. I'm sure that it'll be worth it, but very frustrating all the same. Jeff