Porsche is defined by the 911; without the 911, Porsche wouldn’t be the brand it is today. Every sportscar, supercar maker uses the 911 as the benchmark by which all pure driving cars are measured. Try as they may, Porsche has managed to, over the decades, remain the top choice for driving purists the world over, each generation pushing the envelope further, while still retaining what makes a 911 the gold standard.
As you can probably surmise by now, I’m a huge fan, and one of my grail cars would be a 911 Targa 4S, but I’ve also been a massive fan of another Porsche, the smaller coupe brother—the 718 Cayman. I remember when the Cayman was first introduced back in the late 2000s; I was perplexed: why launch a smaller 911? The Boxster was doing just fine as the entry-level Porsche; was there a need to cram another one in?
Apparently so, because here we are more than a decade later, still graced by the presence of the Cayman. As I’ve grown older, my fandom of the 911 still persists, but so has my admiration for the Cayman. It seems to me that it represents the uncomplicated side of Porsche sporting heritage because, let’s face it, the 911 range is now getting varied and complex. I used to be able to mouth off the full range of 911s; now, I’m not sure anymore. The Cayman, though, is simple; it comes in the base 718, the 718 S, and the higher-tier GT models, headlined by the extreme GT4 RS.
Luckily for me, I was able to borrow the base 718 Cayman, a car that I’ve long admired from a distance, while still quietly admitting that I prefer it to a 911. I needed to find out for myself if my feelings are sound or unfounded.
When you first lay your eyes on the Cayman, you’d really think it was a shrunken 911 as it has the same overall design language. However, with the 911 receiving updates so often, the Cayman’s looks are now much more conservative compared to its bigger sibling. I actually like the Cayman’s reserved Porsche looks. It has the classic recognizable silhouette and zero drama. It is the epitome of sculpted, with 99 percent of its appeal coming from the curves and lines blended into the body. It has the right amount of presence too—being a little small, it still sits wide and low, and the Racing Yellow color it came in lent to the car’s overall appeal. You get your fair share of craning necks and wide eyes from people as you drive by.
The Interior is also a driver’s dream. It has zero pretentions, dominated by black soft-touch panels, with just a few aluminum touches here and there. The layout is straightforward, almost classical in today’s context. I love the analogue speedometer and tachometer, only flanked on the right side by a small digital display that shows your various vehicle readouts. The infotainment screen is small and controlled by physical buttons, as well as the climate control system. It’s old school, but in a good way; and the layout is easy to get used to. I particularly love how the steering wheel is basically empty; no controls are mounted on it except for the drive mode toggle and the paddle shifters. It reminds you to be focused on the task of driving what is one of the best sports cars on sale.
When it was first launched, the Cayman featured a smaller, detuned flat-six motor, a Porsche calling card. However, for this generation, the entry-level 718 has a 2.0-liter turbocharged horizontally-opposed or boxer 4-cylinder. Still, it makes 300 horsepower and 380 Nm of torque with power being sent to the rear wheels via Porsche’s 7-speed PDK transmission. Its party piece is, of course, a low weight. Tipping the scales at only 1,365 kilograms, it is a lightweight in today’s world of heavy sports cars. All of this combines to a 0-100 km/h time of 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 275 km/h. While 300 horsepower seems pedestrian in today’s horsepower wars, in the Cayman, it’s more than enough. It’s the way about how the power is delivered and, a bit part of it, has to do with the PDK. Although I would have loved a manual, the PDK is responsive and sharp with no lags whatsoever.
When I first set off in the 718 Cayman, I was surprised at how small it felt. It wasn’t difficult to get used to the size, while the visibility was also above average. The driving position is also easy to adjust for. The bucket seats are supportive and comfortable too. Each time you put the key into the iconic left-hand side slot and twisted it, the 2.0-liter would send chills down my spine. Very rarely do you hear a 4-cylinder sound this good. And angry.
What also surprised me was how stiff the ride was. Make no mistake: it rides like a true sports car. Riding over the bumps of Manila was at times bumpy, but at least it was far from uncomfortable. In normal driving conditions, the Cayman is actually easy to use as its size is perfect for Metro Manila’s roads and traffic conditions. It’s easy to slip in and out of lanes and the ride height is more than enough as not to cause any “sayad.” It doesn’t feel impatient. Fuel economy is also good, averaging 9 km/L in the city and easily cruising up to 12 km/L on the highway.
Once the road opens and you get eager with the throttle, the Cayman shows what it’s capable of. Since it’s a mid-engined layout, you are almost bolted to the engine behind you—you hear it snarl and growl as the revs build. The fact that you’re sitting in the car and not on it gives you a sense of being an actual part of the whole chassis. An important distinction. You feel everything: the road surface on the steering wheel, and whether or not the rear tires are about to break traction; it really involves you in the whole process of driving.
Pushing on a twisty road is where it shines the most: that compact package, coupled with the Porsche driving DNA we love. Steering is absolutely precise, with inch-perfect inputs, as well as the traction you get from the mid-rear layout, and thick, sticky tires. Tt doesn’t feel diluted or filtered. It’s a very visceral car on the limit, but remains approachable. I’m normally a reserved driver, but the Cayman gave me so much confidence to push it with no hint of danger. Honestly, you’d have to be really driving irresponsibly to upset its balance.
I spoke to a good friend of mine who has a 911, and I asked him what the difference is between the two cars. He told me that for pure fun, the Cayman is your choice; it’s a real sports car with the right amount of “Porsche-ness.” He even admitted that he and most 911 owners lust over a Cayman GT4 over the 911 GT3s.
I couldn’t agree more; it’s not about which is better, but more about what you want in a sports car. The 911 is an all-rounder, a track monster, a highway cruiser, and a comfortable city car all rolled into one. While the Cayman represents the purity of driving—no compromise, just great engineering in terms of chassis, engine, and handling. It’s more than enough for those who want a compact sports car and deserves more attention as a great Porsche.
Words and Photos by Pablo Salapantan
Your friend must have really been a good and close friend as most 911S owners would dismiss the Cayman S as a poor man's 911S.
ReplyDeleteNote that only the S models are considered as those are the much better choice having more power, better tuning and are better appointed/featured.
S models also have better overall resale value.
Yes the Cayman S should be more fun to drive as it's a true Mid-Engine
design, which makes it better balanced allowing most drivers a much better and quicker "seat of the pants'" feel which they use to more accurately place the vehicle on the faster portions of the road or track.
Note that the 911 series has a lot of "electronic nannies" to tame the rear engined Porsche from letting the back get ahead of the front (rear lateral rotation). Also every so often Porsche is quietly moving the 991's engine forward by mm's so that the engine's weight moves closer to the center of the vehicle.
Also, only a few people know that for the longest time since the Cayman S was introduced, the Tiptronic transmission of the Cayman S when left to its own actually started itself on 2nd gear.
If one manually shifted the Tiptronic to 1st gear in the Cayman S, Porsche gave the Cayman such a short 1st gear that one immediately had to shift to an intentionally designed long 2nd gear, the required shift and long 2nd gear extending the 0-100Kph acceleration time such that it would not out-accelerate the Iconic 911.
Also all manually shifted gearbox ratios of the Cayman were "designed"
such that they could not out accelerate it's big brother
A lot of performance car journalists and professional race drivers like Randy Pobst and Chris Harris readily admit that the Cayman was and is more fun to drive as it's more balanced and easier to place on the road or track with exceptional predictability and feel. If one listens to them carefully when they discuss the Cayman they mention or insinuate that the Cayman is purposely being held back by Porsche as Porsche wants the to keep the Iconic 911 as its fastest and most profitable model as it has such a huge following.
Note that the Cayman Lineup costs only half of the 911 Lineup with relevant model to model comparison.
There may be some mistakes on what was stated above. In such case please feel free to correct those, and or provide your perspective.
Note also that there is no intention to degrade the iconic 911 series or its owners. The 911S remains as Porsche's most refined sportscar and for many "there is no substitute".