Each week our team of experienced senior road testers pick out a new model from the world of innovative, premium and performance badges, and put it through its paces.
OCT 03rd 2016
The Goodwood Test – Porsche 718 Cayman S
Heritage
Which heritage do you want to concentrate on? Porsche would rather it was the mid-engined racing Spyders and coupes of the late '50s and early '60s that evolved from the original 550 and into the 718. Variants of the latter took three Targa Florio victories, among many other giant-killing victories. Drawing a direct line from the flat-four engines that powered the 718 RSK and RS60 to its new generation of similarly configured four-cylinder motors for the new 718 Boxster and Cayman is obvious enough. More recent heritage is a thornier topic, given these new turbo engines replace the charismatic naturally-aspirated flat sixes that have traditionally defined the Boxster and Cayman's appeal.
Design
Again, there are nods to the coupe versions of the original 718. But the more obvious ones are to the six-cylinder car it replaces. At first glance it's little more than a mild update but in fact Porsche will tell you the only shared panelwork is A-pillars and roof. At the front you'll notice a reprofiled bumper, at the sides much bigger intakes to feed the turbocharged engine and at the rear Porsche's new signature strip running between the rear lights and creating a fixed ducktail from which an additional spoiler raises at speed. Inside there are incremental upgrades to infotainment and a rotary driving mode switch on the steering wheel; otherwise it's business as usual and no worse for it.
Performance
Here's where it gets interesting. The 718 loses two cylinders and 900cc to the outgoing 3.4-litre Cayman S but power increases from 325hp/321bhp to 350hp/345bhp and torque from 273lb ft to 310lb ft. Significantly this now comes from just 1,950rpm, not the 4,500rpm of the naturally-aspirated car. It's faster and more flexible across the board, by significant margins. In-gear acceleration is night-and-day better, with no need to rev it out to the 4,000rpm cam shift for the real excitement. But purists will argue that was exactly the joy of the six-cylinder car and say the increase in performance is not worth the sacrifice in charisma. A fear rather confirmed by the rough, somewhat uncultured engine note.
Passion
Porsche has a difficult task here; the heritage to the original 718 cars is tangible and the 2.5-litre four in the Cayman S has some seriously trick engineering, including variable vane turbocharger technology pioneered on the 911 Turbo and unique to Porsche. For a forced induction engine it also has fabulously sharp response and a keenness to rev rare among its type. And the foundations of the Cayman remain as fundamentally balanced, sharp and rewarding as ever. At any speed it's a spectacularly focused machine. And with the six-speed manual in particular a richly rewarding driver's car. But heart and soul is as important in a sports car as speed. And for many that four-cylinder drone will inspire as much mourning about what's been lost as it will celebration of what's been gained.
Price tag of our car
£67,656
(£48,834 list plus £18,822 extras)
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