It’s been 18 months since I last drove a manual car, a Renault Megane RS, but if I have to give my left leg* a work out in Auckland stop-start traffic there’s one vehicle I’m prepared to do it for: the Porsche Cayman GT4.

Developed by the Porsche Motorsport department, the new 718 Cayman GT4 has a naturally aspirated, six-cylinder horizontally-opposed engine borrowed from the 911 (minus turbos), a six-speed manual transmission plus a new lightweight spring-strut suspension.

The rear-wheel-drive Cayman GT4 produces 309kW of power and 420Nm of torque from that 4-litre engine. 

It is happy to rev up to 8,000 rpm (200 rpm higher than before) and reaches peak power at 7,600 rpm. 

The Cayman GT4 starts from $217,000.00 with our press model at $229,090 thanks to such options as BOSE sound system and Adaptive Sport Seat Plus.

Our model was in GT Silver Metallic, and had the gnarly fixed rear wing to add a “I mean business” appeal.

Due to that rear wing and front apron, plus fully-panelled underbody and a working rear diffuser, downforce is increased 50 per cent over the previous Cayman making it feel suitably planted. 

The manually adjustable fixed rear wing is also characterized by its greater efficiency: it produces around 20 percent more downforce compared to the 2016 Cayman GT4. 

Plus Porsche says that this model is 12 seconds faster around the Nürburgring than the old one, three seconds of which are down to the new aero package. 

The two-seater has the same chassis as the 2015 model and it still features some GT3 bits on the front end, and sits 30mm lower than the standard Cayman. 

Inside, it has the now often seen layout of the 911 but to add a racing touch, the door handles are straps.

Driving around Auckland city makes no sense for this vehicle, it is meant for the race track in manual form.

It struggles in lower gears and at low speed, and tackling the ramp into the new Westfield Newmarket took a toll on my knee as you need to keep the revs up in first and second or you’re likely to stall. 

But on the motorway, the things smooth out as you slip through to sixth gear and enjoy the torque from the engine and the responsive handling of the Cayman. 

On more winding country roads, the suspension can feel stiff and you get a lot of noise in the cabin.

The ultimate destination for this vehicle is a race track. So what is it like driving it at speed? Unfortunately Covid meant no track day, instead Car Magazine UK’s Adam Binnie took it for some laps at Scotland’s Knockhill Circuit.

“After barely a lap it felt like an old friend – managing to make you feel like a massive hero, while feeding back ways to find more grip and speed. An uncanny combination,” said Binnie in  his review

“Even more curious is the fact that this deep well of capability doesn’t take away from the drama or the ability to thrill – the enjoyment coming not from the challenge of taming an unwilling machine but from being able to pick your line and take it time after time, knowing exactly how the car will react to your inputs. Something so predictable and well-honed should feel benign, but it doesn’t.”

Darn it, I knew it would be stunning on a race track.

*After a motor bike accident 11 years ago, I tore my ACL in my left knee so even post-op a decade later I have twinges.