2021 718 Cayman T owner here. First Porsche and first brand new car purchase of my life. Base price was $68,700, with carbon ceramics and other light-weight go fast options and the 7year/75K miles factory warranty…it was $86K out the door. I would do it all over again. What a car!!
The test drive overall was a great experience. But I was honestly disappointed with the power. Felt very sluggish in my opinion, but the drive was still truly amazing. Everything was smooth and well refined.
@@Koopa33 It’s not sluggish in the right gear. You’ll hear people talk about ‘turbo lag’. There isn’t any. What there IS is a boost threshold. That is, you really need to be above 2-2500 RPM. Which I always am as I’m choosing my own gears. I don’t find that sluggish at all. It’s the perfect amount of power for the road. Power you can really exploit. You might want more on the track or if you just like to drag race.
I have had my 718 CS 2017 since new. I configurated mine for the most genuine lightweight Porsche sportscar experience. Manual, PTV, PASM with sport chassis. No shit like parking sensors, cameras, lane assist and 2017 is the year without particle filter. It is tuned to ~400hp... an amazing little rocket that can keep up with the big boys. 😀 Consistently 0-100kph in 3,6-3,8s Measured with GPS.
@@christmasisawesome9348 When i confugurated my 718 CS 2017 in 2016 the Porsche dealer had just received one base Boxster (300) and one Boxster S (350). I tested both back to back and my experience is that the 300hp was held back in comparison to the 350hp. Both cars give excellent driver experience. The S is of course faster and the difference are more noticeable at higher speeds. Original HP 100 - 200 kph --- 10,2 vs Base 13,1s. You can compare cars on "fastestlaps" & co... Look for a car with Sport chassis with PASM (-20mm) and PTV.
I am always amazed when a reviewer does such a detailed review but doesn't spend any time talking about ride quality. How hard is the suspension? How does it feel on rough roads? How comfortable would you be on a long trip? How are these not important questions to discuss in a review?
Well, it's a sportscar, not a grand tourer. You wouldn't really want to take it on long roadtrips or regularly drive on rough roads. You can, but it's not what this car is for.
@Dragobrath It will most likely be the case that any commute will have roads in imperfect condition. Thus, how it rides on such roads is important, especially since he was making the daily driver argument.
@@coolaa7 It's fine in most of the cities. I just ride in sport setting (the stiffest one), you can set it to normal mode if you're driving on gravel and it does not fell terrible. It's not 90's sportscar stiff, but it's stiffer than BMW M4.
@@Dragobrath -Yes. It’s a firm ride and fairly comfortable for a true roadster type sports car. Indeed I owned one and it was better than my Miata a it was bigger, heavier with more room. But still stiffer than ordinary street cars. Not enough room for your passengers to stretch out and relax. Feels the road beneath your butt!
The new engine is great and I loved it until I drove a 981 with the 3.4 flat 6. The sound and way it builds power with revs more than compensates for the lessor performance model for model from my point of view. Had I not driven the flat 6, I would have bought a 718 Boxter S and loved it. Sadly I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that Porsche wanted to differentiate the Boxter / Cayman from the much more expensive 911 rather than make the Boxter Cayman more desirable. It appears many agreed which is why the GTS with the 4.0l flat 6 was introduced.
Nice review and as a 718 owner, very accurate. I have to admit that I’m tired of every reviewer saying “it doesn’t have the sonorous howl of its 6-cylinder predecessor”. With rare exception, these are the exact words that almost every reviewer says. It must’ve been sent out from reviewer school. Especially the word sonorous. I think that they all listen to each other and say the same damn things. In any case, the four-cylinder sounds great. Even without the “sonorous howl”. And, what’s wrong with the sound of a Subaru WRX STi sound anyway? I think they sound great. 😎
I absolutely LOVE the sound of the Subaru WRX, if the 4 cylinder Turbo Cayman sound like that I think it is even better then the 6 cylinder boxer lol :)
I have one and love it. Not the soundtrack of the flat 6 but NO issue with performance or handling. A step forward in sharpness and handling over the previous model - regardless, whatever puts a smile on your face. Much easier to tune and get another 100 bhp if you are that way inclined. Just find a good specialist.
The words “poor man’s” are ill advised. The fact it is a $40k discount from the 911 does not in any way whatsoever make it for “poor men”. I have to say though, I really admire what Porsche is doing with this car, and that is, finding a platform to use different styling. The 911 platform is ridiculously resistant to change. So, here we go with a new look for Porsche. That’s a great idea.
The 911 is still a much better car overall. For straight handling and grip, the 718 wins for sure, it is better balanced and lighter too. But at this point it is a pretty old design and has not gone through refinement of the 911. The 992.1 911 is much more refined, larger inside, much nicer, has much better engines, etc... I would certianly take a base 992.1 911 over a 718 GTS 4.0 anyday. The base 911 is still more expensive than the GTS 4.0, but not by that much.
I wish it was "poor man`s" ;) But it is for slightly less super rich.... I think it is way to much money when you can buy a house for the same lol :) (here it is insane tax on cars...). I plan to buy a used Porsche Cayman and now with all new cars having build in tracking and automatic speed limiters baying a new car is not an option at all anymore anyway.
@@nafnaf0 Only with the latest 992 the 911 moved away from the still current Cayman/Boxster.. Before that the Cayman/Boxtser were basically a 911 in disguise with better engine layout and balance, for *a lot* less money.. Porsche wants you to believe the 911 is a much better car so you pay the huge premium.. This video explains it pretty well: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-z8RDTsr9POA.html Arguably the 718 GT4RS is still the best driving Porsche sportscar on sale today, and that's still based on the older 9*1 platform.. The latest 992 911 is more modern and more digital for sure, but is it really better as a sportscar?!? Depends on what you want from a sportscar I guess.. Personally the 9*1 platform was the sweetspot for me between analog and digital, the 992 is to digital for me.. Before you know it the whole dash is just one big touchscreen tablet and you're driving a 2+ ton "sportscar", like modern BMW's and Tesla's, no thanks..
Let’s be honest. The Boxster/Cayman is a better car than the 911 if you don’t care about back seats you can’t really use other than to throw stuff into. The 981/982 chassis use mostly the same parts from the 911 and are built on the same assembly line. I have a 981 Boxster S and the yes the flat six is amazing, also as much power as you can safely use on the street. It’s a bulletproof car and Porsches are designed for ease of maintenance and repair unlike almost all other manufacturers. I do all my own maintenance and there reallly isn’t that much for 40,000 mile intervals. I’d recommend Pasm or the X73 suspension upgrades as the handling is phenomenal! I love top down driving and wouldn’t trade it for a Cayman. Top up driving is nearly identical to the Cayman and a cat back exhaust and tune will net you 350hp.
You’re going to spend about $80,000 in USA for the entry level base Cayman with one or two options after taxes maybe more. This is NOT A CAR FOR THE AVERAGE WORKER! That’s a Mustang, Miata or BRZ/ GR86, Nissan Z or Supra; Not a Porsche which is priced us out!
It’s the same in europe don’t worry. I was hesitating between a supra and a cayman, the Porsche was 10k € more expensive, for less performance, and somewhat similar driving experience.
Everyone mentions the sound of the 6 cylinder when high revving being so much better than the 4 cylinder, but with a PDK and normal driving, the engine does not get to rev high. I have had my base 718 Cayman for over 3 years, coming from a 560hp 4.8 litre v8 twin turbo (M5 F10) and I find the Cayman wants for nothing in both sound and power. I almost didn't want to look at a 718 as so many people were complaining about the sound, but I am glad I did! I just thought to write this in case anyone is put off in even looking at a 178 due to the complains about the sound ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-w8VQg4tNe78.html
Ha ha ha !!!! The Cayman and boxster might started out as a poor man's Porsche BUT it quickly became EXPENSIVE!!!! By the time you had enough to put a down payment on a Cayman; its price was already in the stratosphere!!!!
I'm looking to buy a 987.1 for my 16yr old daughter here soon....shopping every site, and listing....definitely want a pre-2010...i think the market is way down on these models...i believe purchasing one at or around 22k...for a mud milage, clean title, and in great mechanical shape...the price could rise 10k in 3-5yr time period....the popularity of these models are ramping up...and aftermarket parts for body, and engine are thick.....the GT3 kit for the 987.1 is amazing....and transforms the body to a mean looking modern GT3 RS body styling...i haven't looked into turbo upgrades but not opposed as long as the engine is pristine...which i won't settle for anything less as far as engine health...I'm studying all the pros, and cons of the 987.1...and any final selections will be taken to local Porsche dealer to check bore scoring....and if all works...BBS 18×8 CO Titanium wheels...or if i can score some Bilstein, KW coil overs, or even Yellow Speed Racing air ride, all around the same cost..would alow to raise the car and slam it as low as possible...but don't want to take away from performance....it's not going to be tracked....just a first car for my 16yr old daughter...lol
There term "Pòor mans Porsche" is a bit silly. When I was in my early twenties the Dino 246 was the "poor mans Ferrari". You could get one for about 15k about 10 years old. Second hand prices are just about supply and demand. Thety are not directly related to beauty , quality , reliability, handling or anything useful or ornamental. Personally I would rather have a Cayman than anything else, except for a 904 and I cant afford one of those.
I have the 718 GT4. The BIGGEST negative with this platform is that is has struts in the rear as opposed to a multi-link. Struts are fine up front , but it makes for a car that moves around more than it should because of the toe changes in the rear as the suspension articulates
Nice review. You can also argue the best drivers model is the poor man’s underpowered 911 Carrera T. Not sure why Porsche does this after all the Cayman seems to be made up of much more 911 parts underneath than we all thought. Anyway must be good news for drivers and can only mean Cayman values should be solid
My favourite car is the Audi R8 (V10). Small footprint, with all four corners visible from the driver's seat. Best of all, it can be driven like a common sedan, but runs with the 911s when you decide to go hooligan, with that glorious V10 sound! So, anything wrong with it? Yes - it's not involving like a 911. 😊
@@Mark-rt6fy I have both an R8 as well as a 997 (OK, a Ruf Rt12). I feel that I'm in a bulkier car in 997. I'll have to measure the two cars to be properly informed. Thanks for alerting me of a probable error!
@@folagNever seen a ruf in person (apparently selling for more than gt2rs in the US) but stock 997 has slow steering ratio, which probably makes you feel the car being big
Loads of people who watch this wont be able to get one on the drive due to other "priorities" - don't despair theres the 987 etc out there for sub £10k that will provide the thrills and Porsche kudos - out in mine yesterday it was so much fun trying to catch an M3 - made his day 😂
You can fit a single golf club bag if you lay it under the back window in the Cayman. In the US models never came with a wireless charger with the smartphone compartment, it's a cell phone booster only.
A Cayman started at 56k usd back in 2019, and now starts at 73k for essentially the same car. Used 2018s used to hover around low 30k and now you almost can't escape 48k+. Porsche pricing got jacked up so much in the last couple years...they werent "poor men's" cars before, and even less so nowadays. 80k usd for a base 4cyl Cayman after tax, title and registration is highway robbery!
Nice enough but all the extras will add a ton of cash to the base price, and quite a lot of them appear to be for pretty standard stuff, like heated seats .I didn't think the standard interior trim had a wow factor and the design of the seats looked pretty dull.I love the exterior look , it would definitely get lots of appreciative looks ,but on balance i'll stick with my MX5RF .
I totally agree with you. I have a 23 MX-5 RF GT and love it. I would love a Cayman or Boxster but I don’t want to spend $80k for a new one and I don’t want a 10 yr old Cayman with no warranty for more $$$ than my Miata! It’s a 2 seater after all and the RF in Soul Red looks spectacular and is easily as much fun as the Cayman. So I’ll keep my $35k fun roadster!
The 718 is a facelift of the 981. Its not as different as you imply. The architecture of the 981 was designed from the outset to house 4 cylinder motors (even initially the Audi TT straight 4). The overall shape is the same and one of the longest lived Porsches of recent times, having been introduced (as a Boxster) in 2012.
Never understood the poor mans Porsche thing, is the Fiesta known as the poor mans ford, or the Audi A3 the poor mans Audi? Not at all, just different models within the range. A 3 litre Audi is called a big Audi, but a 3.4 litre Porsche is considered small 🤔 😅. Porsche Boxsters/ Cayman/ Spyders are fantastic fun cars, never claiming to be the fastest, just an all round great sports car with enough variations to suit most.
The notion about it being a poor man's Porsche is humorous. If you spec the 718 like a Porsche should be, you will easily break the 6 figures. Sport Chrono, Porsche Active Suspension Management, Porsche Torque Vectoring, with other must haves, youll be at 115k before taxes. This is the best Porsche built. Fast, nimble, light, and easily tuned with the turbo. How many poor people can afford a $2k a month car payment? 🤣 love my 2024 982 CS.
2:40 History of 4 cylinders 4:30 How it sounds 9:40 Drive modes 13:25 981/2 > 911 16:40 Cabin space (dated) 27:00 Options 37:00 No weight loss going from 6 to 4 cylinders 39:50 Resale value; insurance 41:53 The one with the downsized engine
Pretty car but you convinced me to keep my Golf R as it is just as quick to accelerate and has 5 seats and a hatchback. Oh and 4 wheel drive. Very nearly as quick as a 911 down the straights on track but loses out on the bends, I’ve never seen a cayman on track to compare.
I also have a Golf R (Wagon) with stage 1 gearbox and engine. I've had it going on 6 years now, since new. Im looking at upgrading to the 718 Cayman GTS 4.0. If you havn't driven one, i suggest you give it a try as you simply cant compare the Cayman to the Golf. It may not be much quicker in a straight line but you just feel so much more connected to the car, it really is a fantastic car to drive and makes the Golf feel rather boring in comparison, and even though my Golf has a Milltek cat back exhaust, the sound of that flat 6 engine is far better.
@@romulus_ but it’s still a poor man’s Porsche. Cheaper Porsche sports car to get into the brand than a base 911. Not that the individual buying isn’t wealthy.
Its a nice looking car, and I'm sure its well made, and your delivery of the specification details is commendable. But for a 'sports' car its almost comical that over the course of three quarters of an hour you've barely mentioned the handling, and tellingly only mentioned the Alpine A110 once or twice in the most brief fashion and didn't even count it as a real alternative, instead suggesting the BMW M2 and the Audi TTRS would be the most likely. Almost every single review of cars in this segment concludes that the Alpine is the better handling car, yet you've side-stepped this. So I can only conclude that you have been sponsored in some way by Porsche as its clearly not a truly objective review. You've concentrated so much on power statistics, straight-line speed and the myriad of options, but barely went into its steering and handling characteristics :- how the car makes you feel. But this makes sense, as many German car buyers want the badge first, the capabilities second
"Poor man's Porsche", that's funny! A poor mans Porsche would bae a Kia! There is a snobbery among 911 owners against all other Porsche owners! I have a 718 Cayman and a 2000 Boxster! I'm not poor! I love these great cars! BTW I'd take my 718 over a 911 any day! It's all bout balance!
Kind of a vw sound at idle but better once it gets going. I tell my kids a Cayman will make me look like I am successful but failed to make it to the top. My S4 is a monster at 455hp low end torque of 390 while a 911 has to be pushed harder with much more throttle to get the revs up before it comes alive.
The two Caymans to have are the 981 GTS 3.4L NA with PTV and PSE its a sublime drive with a sublime sound track and 718 GTS 4L NA (excluding GT products) - slightly more power and torque than the 981 GTS with less sound track.
As much as I love the 718, there is no such thing as a "poor man's Porsche." That's a ridiculous claim. People who want to have fun behind the wheel at an affordable price should start their search with the Mazda Miata.
@@donkeyshot8472 I disagree. Of course, most people want to justify the choice they made, but it's just their opinion, nothing more. In my opinion, the Miata is every bit as 'fun' as a base 718, but badge snobbery is a powerful thing. I desperately wanted a Porsche for decades and I test drove several used examples, but I ultimately decided I didn't want to deal with the absurd maint costs that come with owning a Porsche, especially preowned with no warranty, which is what I can afford. I brand new Miata is FAR more appealing to me.
bit of snobbery can exist with porsche -- whatever you have somebody will have a better one /// interested start with a good history 5 6 year old boxster // then work your way up // they in reality are all good - certainly some better but all better than most cars // drove everyhting subaru audi bmw merc - once you get used to porsche difficult to change and you will find what suits --- top end turbo 911s fast like daft but seriously if you want to keep your license - start sensible gradually trade up // if later you want a new one and you drive one dealers will take you more seriously - if away would drop in and test models oh you drive porsche no problem ... this is good etc // when arriving on foot oh another tire kicker guy if you want to call back bit busy etc ... !!! also you learn there is a network for parts advice servicing clubs with a starter car ... you learn a lot .. and its a great deal cheaper ... for mere mortals ..
Oh come on, Audi and BMW just don't get close in terms of kerb appeal or drive. I can't get my head round the appeal of a Cayman, as a boxster driver why wouldn't you want the option to go topless when the sun's out, that's what it's all about surely? Still not sure about the sound of the 718's, the raspy growl of the aspirated 6 is so much sweeter.
The poor man’s Porsche is a non-turbo Cayenne from twenty years ago or maybe a Boxster. The idiots’ choice is anything made in the last decade or so, anything on finance deals and anything that at any stage was sold over the list price. Give me a 996 or 997 instead or even better, a classic 911 or 928!
sounds like a leaf blower with a rock stuck in it now , all that $$$$$$ for 4, lots of engineering magic to take out the sole & character, IMO its now a bean counters car, sad...
Tough sell for a four cylinder. If it’s going to sound like a Subaru had a baby with a GTI, it better not cost as much as a street MX-5 *and* an MX-5 Cup car
the porsche 718 series was the moment that both cayman and boxster took a turn for the worse: less appealing looks, less appealing sound. sales of the 718 series have also been comparatively low. finally, current preparations for the introduction of an exclusively all-electric (!) boxster and cayman platform in 2025 will sound the death knell for both models.
That's the real shame about the 718 - it looks so dated compared to the 992. But yeah, I agree that Porsche likely did that move to keep the Cayman/Boxster going, while internally focusing on the next EV generation of the series.
@@everpuremusicI prefer to compare boxster/cayman models to other boxster caymans: whether the 911/992 looks dated or ages well will only become apparent in a few years time. meanwhile, we can safely say that both the 987, as well as the 981 series cars are aging well, with timeless design...while the 718 design modifications were largely changes "for changes` sake", with singularly ugly, angular front air intakes, more sharp edges, a silly "porsche" badge along the rear, etc. historically, cars probably age best with more rounded bodywork, later regarded as "classic design"...but maybe that`s just me. fact is, I enjoy the design of the 987 series more as the the cars get older. as for the boxster/cayman move to EV-exclusivity, it`s all about making porsche an exclusively premier- segment car manufacturer: a production strategy that porsche had already increasingly reverted to with the introduction of the 718 series. BTW for some fun facts about how the 986/996 and 987/997 porsches all shared almost 90% of parts, while prices for the 911 were almost double for a largely identical car - with even better mid-engined handling, I suggest watching the excellent youtube video by jeff richardson entitled "Porsche DO NOT want you to know this!!!".
@@donkeyshot8472 Yeah, I watched that video - and it's very interesting! I would certainly feel bad if I had bought a 911 for double the price of a Cayman knowing that it's 90% the same car... But that's not the case with the latest 911 and the 718. Anyway, I don't think that the 718 looks bad from the outside. Quite the contrary - I really like the 718 most of all Caymans. But the interiour is still the same since 2016 - and that's what I really don't like, and I don't think it has aged well. But as mentioned - I am quite sure that Porsche did that on purpose, knowing that they're coming with an EV Cayman in the foreseeable future. And personally, I am extremely looking forward to that one! :)
The 718 is like the annoying little brother that wants to be like the older brother. It's loud, and under-powered. The more 'affordable' sibling, an entry point for your first Porsche without putting yourself into bankruptcy attempting to play with the big boys. Later, after growing up a bit, you'll go in 1 of two directions (both if your wealthy) the Panamera, or the 911, not looking back at the Cayman
Under powered ? On regular streets it feels faster then the 4 liter that do not wake up until you are over 5000rpm which make it feel slow on normal roads. Also if you want more you just turn up the turbo pressure...
I own a base Cayman 987.2, it is marginally cheaper to service by a bees dick margin at Porsche Indy, one still need a slush fund to keep it going, still work every penny when that flat six BoxEngine sings above 4k rpm propelling you to license losing territory. I paid £23,000 two years ago more expensive than many Porsche 997 on sale at the time. I have no regrets on my choice and I enjoy meeting 911 on the twisty.
You know when you have a turbo it is a easy fix to get more power... 400 - 450 - 500hp, easy fix, no problem ;) But If you love that 6 cylinder boxer scream there is no substitute... I on the other hand like the growl of a 4 cylinder boxer.
