The Porsche 718 Cayman S is light, old-school fun presented in a modern package.
I tried to be sensible after selling my Lexus RCF. To buy a car that did not consume $20-$30 worth of fuel per day, that takes me to work and back, encouraging a more placid driver from me.
I bought something I believed would be a comfortable, economical drive, with a hint of sportiness when needed; a 2019 Mercedes C300.
For reasons I will not go into here, I ended up disliking this car very quickly. It did not meet my expectations for a modern Mercedes. It had to go, and fast…
This left me with the exciting yet confronting question of what will it be next?
Well, I’d always wanted a Ferrari as my first supercar but of course, prices had appreciated considerably since Covid. But I was determined, and test drove a couple.
However, there was also another car that I had my eyes on. One a little less exciting to look at or listen to, and without as much of a wow factor than what a red Ferrari would exude. I sat in a Porsche 718 previously and noted a near perfect driving position, a beautiful interior, and great specs as far as a ‘car guy’ would be concerned.
Curiosity took the better of me and so I had to drive one, I needed to find out if there was credibility to the premise. And well, it confirmed my suspicions. I had high expectations while I feel that most modern cars lack the thrill and raw driving feel that I desire.
But here’s the thing, and I suspect it’s a Porsche distinction; it delivers the small joys of driving an older car from the 90’s, but with modern technology that somehow does not adulterate the driving experience.
I had tingles the moment the mid mounted engine roared to life behind me. You hear a satisfying ticking as its heart beats and feel at the helm when you press the exhaust button and hear a voice ready to change into a roar.
The interior feels slightly small but even at six foot three, I have enough headroom without touching the roof. It is something I would happily take compared to the more comfortable but 500kg heavier RCF.
It feels like a special place to sit with a beautifully crafted; simple, yet purposeful interior. Not a place where you become lost in technology, with everything you need within reach. The optional carbon fibre pack definitely compliments the sporty layout of the cabin.
The PDK gear shifter is a work of art as you feel a satisfying clunk whilst the solid metal slots into gear.
The exterior has a couple of factory options; tinted rear lights, and the gorgeous 20-inch 911 Turbo wheel option which just pops with the metallic Carrera White body. I purchased aftermarket Techart inspired carbon front air vent covers which in my opinion elevate the presence of the front from a slightly bland fascia to a more aggressive expression.
While indicating to join the main road, visibility is surprisingly excellent for a two-seater sports car. There is also a pleasing, almost vintage car like view of the body curvature behind the headlights.
As I set off, I am initially provided with a deep exhaust tone that has no particular personality, just a nice mechanical depth to it.
As I traverse the Rev range, there is no ignoring that this is a flat four motor with the Subaru-esq, boxer burble. I can appreciate why a lot of journalism criticises this sound being less sonorous as a naturally aspirated 911, or for my comparison, a Ferrari 360s high revving flat plane crank V8.
I get it, but I start to disagree when some dismiss the music completely. Think cafe jazz as opposed to the powerful, brilliance of a Beethoven symphony.
This model has the optional Porsche Sport Exhaust which creates just about enough sound without being obnoxious, but of course volume is a personal preference.
Take off is effortless, thanks to the engineering genius of a Variable Geometry turbo. It provides plenty of response be it at low or higher rpm. Gone are the days where one would have to choose between a small or a larger turbocharger, working out which compromise to have: low end response or high-end power. I still cherish my JDM days though!
Pushing on, the PDK is predictably excellent with next to no time at all between gear changes.
Dubbed by many high-profile reviewers as the best gearbox in the world, gear changes are immediate, even coming from my partner’s Audi TT’s DSG system which already impresses me.
One thing for the red light heroes is if you are at a standstill in Sport mode and put your foot to the floor it initiates a mini launch sequence where it revs up and engages; leaving more powerful cars behind, at least until around 60-70kmh.
I can’t imagine this being too good for the clutch if being done repeatedly but it’s good to know it’s there!
This particular car is optioned with the Sport Chrono Pack which has proper launch control. Turn the traction to its sport setting, turn the steering wheel Chrono dial to Sport plus, hold down the brake and floor the accelerator until it holds about 6k rpm and a small message pops up saying ‘launch control activated’. Let go of the brakes and you are on the way to the moon!
Great fun elevated to sheer awe once a corner arrives. I understand now why this platform has been a sports car benchmark, since the original Boxster was released during the late 90’s.
Being mid engined and Porsche nailing the dynamics of its rear engined 911 since the 60’s, they have produced a Cayman that steers to perfection.
It would have to be my favourite thing about this car. A light 4 cyl motor in the middle, no weight at the front, and rear wheel drive. Turn in is spot on with acres of feedback, and when one would approach the limit in a normal car like say an M2 or TT, the nose keeps turning, inspiring confidence that I have not had in even a Ferrari. And that is high praise for this little brother to the 911.
You can almost feel the chassis in your hips through mountain road twisties, as the car becomes an extension of you. An experience that I would have expected to purchase a more compromising Lotus for.
The engine itself is unbelievably efficient on fuel partly due to Porsche efficiency and its light 1350kg size; i regularly see 750km of range from its 64 litre tank!
Coming from a tuned manual TTRS before that, I was even considering a current shape TTRS as there was a large price difference for a quicker AWD car.
And that would be the perfect option providing better value for some.
But I cannot stress enough how much the 718 S has lured me in the opposite direction into becoming a Porsche fan. I was concerned that the experience would be a bit sterile and lack X Factor which as many know is a large part of my decision-making process.
But this thing has it and then some, anyone I have taken for a drive has been left grinning like the village idiot. It may not be competitive in the supercar league, but the 911 series has the engineering weaponry for that battle.
We live in a world where modern performance cars have become quite large due to safety laws, hybrid integration, and engineering supporting their bigger power numbers.
The 718 is one of the few cars that give the level of engagement the older sports cars did. It represents one of the last opportunities to buy a new car with such idiosyncrasies, without the reliability and other age-related issues of older cars. Whilst providing amazing fuel economy for daily driving.
Therefore, this to me is the perfect day to day, modern Sports car.
