2016 Porsche 718 Cayman review
What is it?
Porsche’s new entry-level sports car. With the 718 Cayman now priced and positioned beneath its Boxster sister, the standard Cayman is the cheapest way into a new Porsche. Indeed, it’s currently the only Porsche with an un-optioned price of less than £40,000, although you'll tip over that by ticking a single option box. This pricing makes the 718 Cayman dangerously attractive when you consider the performance on offer.
As in the 718 Boxster, power comes from the smaller 2.0-litre version of Porsche’s new turbocharged flat-four engine. This 718 Cayman doesn’t have the Cayman S’s variable geometry turbocharger, yet it actually runs bigger boost pressures – a peak of 19psi compared with 16psi in the Cayman S.
The 718 Cayman gets 296bhp, which is 20bhp more than the old 2.7-litre engined Cayman. The biggest difference is torque, though: the 718 Cayman's turbocharged engine delivers a peak 280lb ft all the way from 1950rpm to 4500rpm.
The basic Cayman is far quicker than the car it replaces. Porsche claims a 0-62mph time of 5.1sec for the manual Cayman and a 4.7sec time for the twin-clutch PDK version, which has launch control as part of the optional Sport Chrono pack.
Video review