Porsche 718 Cayman GTS
FIRST DRIVE Top-of-the-range coupé is one of the finest sports cars on sale
THE fact every Porsche Cayman now comes with a four-cylinder engine is no longer particularly newsworthy. While enthusiasts may mourn the demise of the brand’s naturally aspirated flat six, the downsized turbos are here to stay.
That’s even true of the current 718 Cayman GTS flagship, which joins the range in 2018 with an uprated version of the standard car’s boosted flat four. It gets an extra 15bhp over the Cayman S, and commands a premium of just over £8,000. For that, you get Porsche’s Sport Chrono Package, adaptive dampers (PASM) and a limited-slip differential.
To see whether the GTS is still the Cayman of choice, we tried out an early left-hand-drive test car on UK roads. Fitted with the standard sixspeed manual gearbox, it’s a rather different proposition to the PDKequipped 718 Boxster GTS we drove in Spain last month (Issue 1,502).
While the auto might make the Porsche easier to use every day, the manual turns it into a pure, unadulterated sports car. The gearchange is precise and mechanical in its action, and with Sport mode engaged, the engine will rev-match on the downshift for smoother changes.
The manual GTS is no faster than the equivalent Cayman S (0-62mph takes 4.6 seconds), but it feels eager in every gear, pulling strongly round to its near8,000rpm red line. And although the noise it makes might not be as pleasing as the old six-cylinder’s, it’s not totally devoid of character. It burbles at idle, and growls purposefully as you gain speed. Lift off the throttle and the standard-fit sports exhaust will greet you with fiery pops and crackles on the overrun.
While few people will notice the GTS’S stiffer body in normal driving, the thing that really surprises is how comfortable the car is. Despite its driverfocused set-up, it deals with rutted roads and pitted surfaces with aplomb, even in its firmer suspension settings.
Matched to the same accomplished steering, the Cayman is even more rewarding than its drop-top Boxster
stablemate. The mid-engined set-up and perfect weight distribution mean the baby Porsche is as sharp as anything in this price bracket – and more agile than many cars costing twice as much.
The standard-fit 20-inch wheels do deliver quite a bit of road noise, but our model’s comfortable and beautifully trimmed bucket sports seats (£2,315) make it a surprisingly fine long-distance cruiser. Practicality isn’t bad, either, with a deep boot in the nose and a shallower space behind the engine. Its compact dimensions mean it’s more wieldy than the larger 911 on tight UK roads, too.
Of course, as with any Porsche, the cabin is beautifully appointed, with Alcantara covering the steering wheel, gearlever and armrests. The familiar infotainment screen is slick to operate, and comes with sat-nav and Apple Carplay as standard. The big, central rev counter is easy to read, while the digital pod to the right can show everything from trip information to G-force.
Elsewhere, the darker lights, black rims and GTS badges are subtle, but offer just enough to set this car apart from the S.