Porsche Panamera S 970.1 vs Porsche Cayman GT4 981: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the Cayman GT4 hits 100 km/h in 3.95 s versus 5.19 s for the Panamera S. At this point, the Cayman GT4 leads by 1.24 s and sits roughly 15 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the Cayman GT4 is doing 155 km/h against 140 km/h for the Panamera S. The gap is 1.04 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the Cayman GT4 crosses the line in 11.90 s versus 13.35 s. The 1.45 s gap represents roughly 69 m of track - a gap visible to the naked eye.

Past 400 metres, the Cayman GT4 continues to build its lead. At 600 metres, it runs at 218 km/h versus 196 km/h. At 1,000 metres, the Cayman GT4 finishes in 21.59 s versus 24.06 s, with a 2.47 s lead.

Electronically capped at 282 km/h, the Panamera S never reaches its natural aerodynamic ceiling in this duel. That’s not a physical limit of the motor - it’s a deliberate manufacturer decision, typically tied to standard-fit tyre ratings or model-range positioning.

With two combustion powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (4.43 kg/hp vs 3.48 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Manual).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 7.78 seconds. The 1.24 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.