Porsche has been a staple of global motorsport for much of its storied 100-year history, the German marque offering products all the way from GTP/Hypercar class down to entry-level GT cars.
This article will shine a light on Assetto Corsa Competizione’s translation of their 718 Cayman GT4 that, in the real world, has dominated the GT4 class of racing series all over the world.
Introduction to the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4
Making its debut for the 2019 motorsport season, the 718 Cayman GT4 is Porsche’s latest evolution of the Cayman model, replacing the GT4 Clubsport MR. The newer machine has gone on to taste success in championships such as the European GT4 Series, British GT and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Series.
It features a rear-wheel drive, rear-engined layout, though unlike its GT3-based 992 big brother, the GT4 regulations clamp down hard on more extreme aerodynamic solutions meaning the 718 acts similarly to its road-based counterpart as its emphasis is on maximising mechanical grip.
The 718 GT4 is eligible for any events that feature the GT4 class within Assetto Corsa Competizione, though the best way to find events in which to compete in the 718 is by visiting The SimGrid, where you can use the search bar to find GT4 races based on single-class or multi-class formats.
The Basic Car Setup
The common trend of rear-engined Porsche race cars having inherent understeer as a result of the heavy rear end that takes away grip from the front is alive and well here with the 718 GT4, though the problem is exacerbated further due to the lack of large aerodynamic surfaces on the car.
In terms of helping to tune out this characteristic, dialing the brake bias back to the rear by a couple of percent from default is a good starting point as this will help the rear of the vehicle to turn in better by taking pressure away from the front tyres.
You can also play with the toe setting of the front wheels, generally with the 718 setting more toe-out can help with inducing more oversteer so that you can then brake later and carry more speed through each corner.
The most efficient solution to getting the 718 Cayman GT4 up to pace from the moment you jump behind the wheel is of course to use one of Coach Dave Academy’s carefully crafted setups, just recently upgraded to CDA4.
Need Setups for the Series?
Our ACC Setup Subscription allows you to focus purely on your on-track performance. And, with access to our free Coach Dave Delta app, installing them couldn’t be any easier.
- Race setups
- Qualifying setups
- Onboard laps
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- All crafted by professionals
Aerodynamics and Bodywork
Unlike its 992 GT3 R brother, the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 features a significantly simpler aerodynamic package that doesn’t have a large rear diffuser and only has a fixed front splitter, meaning the only aero surface you can change is the rear wing and its angle.
Due to the overall lack of downforce the car produces though, changing the rear wing does little to affect the balance of the vehicle – the rear wing setting instead mainly affects the car’s drag, so a lower setting will be beneficial at tracks with long straights like Monza, while the higher setting is better at twisty venues such as Oulton Park where all available downforce should be utilised.
Steering and Cornering
The 718 GT4 demands more of a stop-and-go driving style in order to extract the maximum from it, mainly due to the aforementioned characteristics the car has as a result of its rear-engine configuration.
- Focus on arresting car speed on corner entry in order to meet apexes cleanly
- It’s easy to overdrive on corner entry when used to cars with a front or mid-engine layout, but with the Cayman GT4 this will cause severe understeer which significantly reduces corner speed
- From there, make sure that you get on the power smoothly in order to take profit of the strong traction of the vehicle to achieve good speed on corner exit.
If you want to learn more about how to fine-tune the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, make sure to check out Coach Dave Academy’s Live Setup Sessions, such as this one at Watkins Glen with one of its GT4 competitors, the BMW M4 GT4.
Power Delivery and Braking
The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 features electronically adjustable traction control and ABS, two settings that can prove handy depending on the level of grip faced on the track and whether you’re driving in either dry or wet conditions.
As a general rule, the gripper the track surface, the lower the setting you can run, while the less grippy the surface, the higher the setting you’ll likely want in order to achieve optimal results while braking and accelerating.
- The naturally-aspirated 3.8-litre flat-six engine found in the Cayman GT4 provides a good, stable base to work with on traction due to the balance between effective TC and the car’s rear-engine layout that pushes the rear tyres firmly into the ground.
- Traction is therefore one of the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4’s greatest strengths
- A lower TC setting can be used due to the inherent high traction provided by the vehicle
Final Thoughts
The Porsche 718 GT4 firmly stands its ground away from the rest of the GT4 pack in ACC, with its unique design – and therefore characteristics – providing a stern challenge should you want to extract its maximum potential.
The potential rewards of taming this particular beast can be large though, especially on traction-limited circuits where its vastly superior traction could prove a game changer compared to the other cars in the GT4 class you may be more familiar with.
If the Porsche doesn’t float your boat, why not refer to Coach Dave Academy’s guide to how each GT4 vehicle stacks up against each other in order to find you next main vehicle for your future GT4 exploits.
Should you want to make the switch and learn the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, why not sign up for a Coach Dave Academy ACC subscription today in order to get access to the many setups available for the car across a range of tracks and conditions in order to give you the best possible chance to conquer ACC’s lightweight category.
