There’s no question that enthusiasts have been waiting for the new Cayman GT4 to drop for some time. Well, it’s finally here and Chris Harris managed to get his paws on one to test at Portimao Circuit.

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To those that thought the Cayman GTS couldn’t get any better, think again. The Cayman GT4 features a slew of new upgrades, but the most fascinating to Harris is the fact that it will come in manual only.

“That thing in the middle of the seats is a gear lever, and I’m told that the pedal on the far left operates something called a clutch. I cannot wait to explore this new gear-shifting technology,” quipped Harris. It’s easy to see his excitement about this car retaining driver involvement. Although the Porsche’s PDK gearbox is awesome and works great, enthusiasts want more driver involvement than clicking paddles in cars like this. The new GT3 RS, however, will be PDK only.

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The upgrades to the Cayman GT4 include a front suspension system out of a GT3, three-way adjustable sway bars front and rear, revised Bilstein suspension with helper springs in the rear, and carbon-ceramic brakes at all four corners. To add to all of the adjustability, there are diffuser channels under the front of the car that can be removed and a quick adjustment of the rear wing will balance out the aerodynamics. The engine is a 3.8-liter unit taken from the Carrera S and produces a more-than-adequate 385 hp, which helps the car scoot along quite nicely.

Porsche has done so much to make the Cayman GTS better, and with the GT4 those goals are met without bringing the car too close to GT3 or GT3 RS territory. After hearing what Harris had to say about the GT4, we really want to get our hands on one. That might not be for a while, though, so we’ll live vicariously through Harris for now. Technology is great, but kudos to Porsche for keeping driver involvement alive!