Porsche 911 GT3 RS Defends Its Bragging Rights Against the Cayman GT4 RS at COTA
A modified Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS takes on a 992 911 GT3 RS at the Circuit of the Americas.
It’s Track Time focuses on one thing, and you can likely figure out what after a glimpse at the name. Getting faster has been on this YouTuber’s mind since he first tackled COTA in a Subaru BRZ 13 years ago. Today, he drives a modified Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, and he has a 992 911 GT3 RS in his sights.
The YouTuber freely admits that the GT3 RS outshines the Cayman GT4 RS on paper. Four times the downforce, five percent more power, and three percent more torque. But the 992 911 GT3 RS is around two percent heavier than the smaller Cayman-based model.
Suspension in the 911 GT3 RS also seems to win the day compared to the GT4 RS. There’s a double wishbone up front and multilink rear. That’s in comparison to the GT4 RS’s MacPherson strut setup.
More power. 525 horsepower and 342 lb-ft of torque. As a result, the It’s Track Time GT4 RS has a superior power-to-weight ratio compared to the 992 GT3 RS. And with dive planes, a massive wing, and a different front splitter, the custom trackday Porsche produces downforce comparable to the GT3 RS. “On paper now, I look very similar to a 992 GT3 RS. So now it’s a question of whether I can keep up with a well-driven one.”
Custom GT4 RS Gives Porsche’s ‘Ultimate Track Weapon’ a Run for its Money
COTA is a dynamic track. 20 turns and over 130 feet of elevation change make it an interesting venue for a track battle. Make no mention of the circuit’s world-famous first corner entry climb.
But, and it’s a big but, tires make a significant difference. The GT3 RS and GT4 RS are on different rubber. One of the GT3 RSs in the Cayman’s sights was riding on Michelin slick tires. Old Michelin slicks. The GT4 RS, on the other hand, rode on third-day Hoosier RS7 track tires. To make things even more interesting, one of the track-prepped Porsches ahead wore new Michelin Pilot Cup 2 rubber.
The narrator, in his Cayman GT4 RS, admits that he has more mechanical grip with the RS7 tires, although he acknowledged that the tires were on their last track day. “I can usually close him down through the S’s.”
Still, Grayson, the pilot in the GT3 RS, had a different advantage altogether. His DRS system, like that of an F1 car, would open up as he exploded out of the corners and onto the straights. And just like that, the 992 GT3 RS would walk away. But those wounded Michelins hit their limit close to the end; the GT3 RS “threw in the towel” and slowed down enough to let the GT4 RS pass by.
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