Envisioned as a race car

After rendering a track-only Ferrari 488 GTBX, Yasid has shared with us his vision of a race-spec Porsche Cayman GT4R.

The attached renders show a circuit variant of the new Porsche Cayman GT4 featuring a wider body with flared wheel arches, carbon fiber front splitter, additional vents in the front bumper and race-spec wheels wrapped around in racing slick tires. Also noticeable are the extra vents in the hood along with yellow-tinted headlights and aerodynamically-optimized side mirrors.

The Cayman GT4's stock rear wing has been replaced by a significantly bigger version which creates more downforce on the rear axle while the body has received a suitable race car livery. If such a version would ever be developed, it would come with a stripped out interior featuring a roll cage as illustrated in the attached renders.

To answer the question we posed last week, the Porsche Boxster spied in South Africa is indeed the 981 Spyder, and not only that, but we also learned some interesting details about the powertrain.

A source told Carscoops that this Boxster Spyder tester was running the same 3.8-liter flat-six engine paired up to a six-speed manual transmission as the recently revealed Cayman GT4 sports coupe in which it churns out 380bhp or 385PS.

That would make for an intriguing combination since the Spyder will surely be lighter than the regular Boxster as well as the Cayman GT4.

However, at this point, it's not clear whether Porsche will keep the 3.8-liter unit or if it will end up using the Boxster GTS' softer and smaller displacement 3.4-liter flat-six with 326hp (330PS) on the production model, as some reports from Germany claim.

In one of these two exclusive photos of the South African prototype, we see that the car has the classic and simple Spyder-model canvas top hooked on a redesigned engine lid. We're not sure though if the spyder top has been positioned over the standard Boxster's conventional top or if Porsche just left the rear section in place to keep the prototype's cabin enclosed. Whatever the case, the second picture of the car's seat with the "Spyder" logo embossed on the headrest leaves no doubt about what model this is.

If it keeps true to the spirit of the previous Boxster Spyder, then it will benefit from other weight saving measures, including the elimination of comfort features, while riding on a lowered and tweaked chassis.

Has 385 HP under the hood

The new Porsche Cayman GT4 has been snapped on a parking lot in Germany.

Seen here is a red example of the latest and most powerful version of the Cayman with a license plate from the city of Boblingen in the Baden-Wurttemberg state in Germany.

The Cayman GT was revealed at the beginning of the month after several teasers and leaks. The machine is powered by a 3.8-liter flat-six motor, generating 385 HP (283 kW) that is connected to a six-speed manual transmission. This enables the car to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.4 seconds and hit a top speed of 295 km/h (183 mph).

In Germany the model is priced from €85,779 (including VAT), while U.S. pricing starts at $84,600, excluding a $995 destination charge.

More powerful and lighter than the Boxster GTS

A WCF reader has sent us a batch of spy images depicting what appears to be the Porsche Boxster Spyder.

Porsche has already confirmed its mainstream operation division is cooking up a more powerful Boxster to sit above the GTS and chances are the model in question is depicted in the attached images. It won't be as hardcore as the 385 HP Cayman GT4 but nevertheless we should expect a seriously fast car taking into account it will be lighter the aforementioned GTS.

It will likely be called the Boxster Spyder as a connection to the namesake model launched back in 2010 which came with more power in a lighter package. However, the latest gossip says there isn't going to be a bump in output so expect the flat-six 3.4-liter boxer engine to pack the same 330 HP & 370 Nm as in the GTS.

Lighter than the 1,345 kg Boxster GTS, the new Spyder version will also boast a different soft top, a slightly more aggressive body with an additional air intake at the base of the hood. Chassis tweaks, beefier brakes and a lowered ride height are probably part of the package for the range-topping Boxster likely coming out together with the facelifted regular model due later this year.

In motorsport, good looks don’t win prizes. And they certainly don’t win races. Here, there are more to things than appearance alone. Here, every form has a function. The result is a crucial plus for performance.