Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0
A return to a traditional naturally aspirated flat-six engine has pleased Porsche fans, but will it win over our testers as well?
MODEL TESTED: Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0
PRICE: £65,993 ENGINE: 4.0-litre flat-six, 395bhp
PORSCHE’S 718 Cayman GTS returns with a new naturally aspirated engine, but is it a better driver’s car than the BMW M2 CS?
Design & engineering
WHEN Porsche launched its revised
718 Cayman, some enthusiasts were disappointed with the choice of a turbocharged flat-four engine in place of the old naturally aspirated flat six. Even the GTS featured a beefed-up 2.5-litre four-cylinder unit.
But following the hardcore range-topping 718 Cayman GT4, which used a non-turbo flat-six motor once again, the big news for this GTS 4.0 model is that a more regular production 718 Cayman now uses an engine layout Porsche is famous for. It’s a detuned version of the 4.0-litre flat-six motor in the GT4, producing 395bhp and 420Nm of torque.
While those figures are some way down on the BMW ’s output, remember that the GTS 4.0 shuns turbocharging in the pursuit of driver involvement, sound, response and other factors enthusiasts love. That’s why the only gearbox option currently available is a six-speed manual, too.
It’s also worth pointing out that the GTS 4.0 is 220kg lighter than the M2 CS, at 1,405kg, which will go some way to offsetting the power and torque deficit. Otherwise, there is a similar focus to the drivetrain and chassis, with power being sent to the rear wheels only through a mechanically locking differential with Porsche Torque Vectoring.
Adaptive damping for the multi-link front and rear suspension is standard, and the ride height is lowered by 20mm compared with lesser Caymans; there are dynamic gearbox mounts, plus 20-inch alloy wheels, and a sports braking system with six-piston calipers at the front. As with the M2 CS, you can upgrade these to carbon-ceramic items for £5,177. A sports exhaust system is fitted as standard.
But despite the £11,462 price saving over the M2 CS (£9,362 compared with the manual CS) the Porsche lacks a lot of the BMW ’s kit, so you’ll have to option it up with extras including, but not limited to, LED lights (£1,397), front and rear parking sensors (£623), cruise control (£228), keyless operation (£497), an ISOFIX point (£126) and dual-zone climate control (£539) to match the CS’s spec. Our test car came in at £74,343.
Driving
IT ’S amazing how much a change of engine can alter the character of a car. The 718 GTS’s chassis is as good as it ever was, but now that it has naturally aspirated flatsix power it feels so much purer, like the sports car we always hoped the GTS would be.
The 4.0-litre unit’s throttle response is razor sharp and despite the long gearing it still feels like there’s more than enough torque for easy overtakes, even if the M2 outguns it in the mid-range – and over the 0-62mph sprint by half a second. Although that’s not bad given the GTS 4.0 is manual-only at the minute.
This Cayman is less about the raw numbers and more about the subjective elements it offers anyway. The engine loves to be worked hard; its power delivery is beautifully linear and the accompanying soundtrack means you’ll keep pushing it, every successive
1,000rpm revealing a new bark and rasp from the exhaust. It’s far from a one-trick pony, though; the chassis is as beautifully balanced, reassuringly composed in its responses to bumps, and the steering as detailed as pretty much any electrically assisted set-up on sale today. The weight and speed perfectly match the chassis’ agility and the grip on offer.
The dampers deftly soak up imperfections without the harshness of the M2. Body control is better, too, so it’s more comfortable more of the time, yet even more capable. The final masterstroke is the GTS’s six-speed gearbox. When manuals are this good and the shift this involving, it’s worth savouring. The engine and box are matched perfectly.
Practicality
YOU might think the mid-engined
Cayman is less practical than the front-engined M2, but despite the CS’s relatively usable 390-litre boot, the Porsche actually offers more luggage space, at 420 litres. This is split between a 150-litre load area at the front that’s a uniform shape, and a 270-litre rear compartment, packaged around the engine. This space is a little more compromised in its shape, but towards the rear of the car it’s deep and wide enough for overnight bags.
You don’t get the rear seats of the BMW because, like the Alpine, the Porsche is a two-seater. Storage isn’t as good as in the M2, either. There are fewer trays and the door bins aren’t as easy to access, but this is a minor point in a trio that are all about driving.
Ownership
THESE cars do need to be usable every day, though, and safety equipment therefore be important. Most of the
Porsche’s protective kit is optional, including blindspot assist (£413). There’s no adaptive cruise or AEB. Even parking sensors and a rear-view camera are optional, but they could be useful given rear visibility is a little more limited than in the BMW.
It’s still significantly better than the Alpine, though.
Running costs
ONE of the GTS’s original-equipment rear tyres costs £244 fitted, but these aren’t quite as hardcore as those on the CS.
The Porsche image seems to carry the most weight out of these three brands, according to our experts; the GTS is expected to retain 63.5 per cent of its list price after three years/36,000 miles. It means a residual value of £41,925 for cash buyers, compared with £46,326 for the M2 CS (59.8 per cent).
The Alpine just edges the BMW and although its predicted £34,547 RV is much lower than the other two, it’s much cheaper, so the percentage rating of 60.5 per cent is very strong. Bear in mind these predicted RVs have an impact on finance deals.