The Cayman is designed to be a lightweight, tossable and grin-inducing chassis with serious sports car pretensions. Even in base form, the Cayman is quite fast, but what makes it most attractive to most buyers is its perfectly balanced handling. Put simply, the Cayman handles like a dream, thanks to its lack of weight, its ideal mid-engine setup and high levels of suspension wizardry from some of the best performance engineers in the business.
There are three trim levels for the Cayman: a 'base' 718 Cayman, a 718 Cayman S and new for 2018, the 718 Cayman GTS. A 300-horsepower turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder "boxer" engine powers the base Cayman while the S trim gets a half-liter more displacement for 350 horsepower and 309 pound-feet of torque. The GTS adds an additional 15 horsepower to the S's output for a total of 365-horsepower. All three trims can be equipped with either a 6-speed manual or 7-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission. Heavier-duty components have been added to both to withstand the added torque from the turbo-charged engines.
Due to the Cayman's light weight, fuel economy is quite good, scoring an EPA estimated highway rating of 29 mpg, with the Cayman S not far behind at 28 mpg.
Standard items on the base 718 are sufficient, but not particularly luxurious. 18-inch alloy wheels, leather seats, parking sensors, remote keyless entry, cruise control and air conditioning are included. The audio system includes smart phone integration, HD Radio, 8 speakers, a CD/DVD drive, internal music storage, USB ports and Bluetooth.
The Cayman S adds with 19" wheels, heated mirrors, heated windshield washer jets and HID headlamps.
The GTS looks significantly more aggressive from the outside, thanks to blacked-out chrome trim and tinted taillights. Matte black 20-inch wheels come standard on the Cayman GTS as does an Alcantara lined interior.
Relatively restrained standard equipment means Porsche is free to offer a wide range of options with which to upgrade your Cayman. These options no fewer than 7 wheels, racing-style seats, 14-way power-adjustable with memory and 18-way adaptive seats.
Two-zone climate control, ventilated seats and a Sport Chrono package which offers a wide array of performance-oriented settings for hard-core driving enthusiasts.
Among the dizzying array of upgrades, a torque vectoring system is offered as is upgraded power steering, PASM adaptive suspension, ceramic composite brakes, sport exhaust, LED headlights, a racing-style steering wheel and the list goes on.
Convenience options include premium Bose and Burmester sound systems, LED headlights, a 2-zone climate control system, Bluetooth connectivity, a navigation system and a selection of seat upgrades with up to 18-way-power adjustability.
Turbo-charged Performance
Excellent Engineering
Gorgeous Porsche Styling
After a full redesign last year, the Cayman returns for 2018 with a new top of the line trim level. After a slight hiatus, the Cayman GTS is back; bringing with it its more powerful engine, its more aggressive exterior details and its more track focused demeanor.
The Cayman slots below the 911 and slightly above the Boxster in Porsche's lineup. It competes with other sports cars in the $60,000 range such as the BMW Z4 and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class convertible. While the Cayman may not have the absolute horsepower of some of its rivals, it can keep up just fine, thanks to a lightweight body, exceptional mid-engine chassis dynamics and plenty of Porsche's legendary engineering know-how. Unlike many of its competitors, the Cayman is also an extremely refined vehicle and as such, it's easy to live with day-to-day, even though it's an extremely capable performance coupe.
