The art of hair-splitting
Objectively, the Cayman GTS has the fewest chinks in its armour. It’s beautifully tactile to drive, and it feels beautifully built too. You can imagine a giant picking it up, shaking it like a toddler with a toy car and putting it down again without a single piece of trim being out of place. (You might not feel quite so confident about the Lotus or the Alpine.) Unusually for a Porsche, its price feels like a good deal, as much as parting with more than £60k for a sports car can. Naturally, though, you don’t get much kit for your money: tw0-zone climate control, cruise control, parking sensors and electric folding mirrors all cost hundreds of pounds extra each.
But what you do get as standard is a spellbinding chassis. Adam makes the valid point that it’s almost too good; too easy. Within a few miles you feel you’ve learned everything there is to know about it, where the other cars have more layers to dig through and master. But to drive the Cayman is to experience a deep sense of satisfaction.
The Alpine is the same, and as such it feels wrong to put it in last place – I probably won’t sleep the night this page goes to press. It’s a gem of a car, and deserves all the praise heaped upon it. But judged purely on thrills – the car as a plaything – the Lotus is a driving experience that will stay with you longer. The Alpine is the more complete car but I’m compelled to put the GT410 ahead of it.
If this were a test between the three mid-engined sports cars, that would be that. But where to put the M2 CS? It comes at things from a completely different angle (usually sideways) and yet it achieves just as much driving pleasure and excitement. For some it’s a bit too much; a louche wrecking ball to the mid-engined precision instruments. But judged purely on grin factor, the BMW is a car to make you smile almost as much as the Porsche. It takes second place.
But if you’re going to treat yourself, half measures make no sense. And nothing here makes as much sense as the Porsche Cayman GTS.
With huge thanks to the Cadwell Park circuit – visit cadwellpark. co.uk or call 0843 453 3000 for event and trackday information