Porsche 718 Cayman S Manual - One Take 

Ugh. It's too late now, but I just saw the "click analyze to begin now." Sorry kids, That's what I get for editing in a rush.

Finally, a rational review of the 718 S turbo. Matt is a true car guy who doesn't suffer from cylinder envy. This car bests its predecessor in every way, which any true car enthusiast should appreciate, but the 'purists' will still crap on it because they need those extra cylinders to compensate for...something.

I wonder how many people who are complaining about how Porsche ruined it with the 4 cylinder have actually driven the car. I've driven one and I honestly like how it sounds, and the performance is still way more than you would ever need, even in the base 718 cayman like I drove (I've never driven the S). Exhaust note quality is purely subjective, and from experience I can tell you it sounds better in person than it does on video.

Matt thanks for all your reviews of Caymans. Just got a 2008 Cayman S and I love that thing. It's not pinned-to-your-seat acceleration but for 30grand I got a car that is fast and that corners at speed like an absolute champ. I think its one of the great sports cars.

I love how every car you pass by in this video is another Porsche lol

what's its like driving with Mr Anderson.

I own a 981 Boxster S and recently tried the 718 Boxster S on the track. Differences? The torque from the turbo 4 is great. But that's about it. The rest, I would take my 981 S all day. The sound of the 3.4L flat 6 engine at high RPM and the instantaneous throttle response make up for the joy of driving. Yes, the turbo 4 is faster, no doubt. But if you're looking for a car that has personality and makes you smile when you drive it, in my opinion go with the old naturally aspirated flat 6. After all, it's a fun car.

Its super cool to hear one of the engineers talking about the car. I know you'd mentioned worrying what the audience would think about that but I'm all for it in this case. Thanks for the great content.

I clicked analyze but the video paused. lmao

I love the turning radius demo, it's always a product of how much stuff is crammed between the front wheels. In this case, an empty trunk that doesn't impede steering angle.

Agent Smith works for Porsche.

87 k for four cylinders? No way in hell. The flat six was one of the main reasons why the Boxter/Cayman were successful. A lot of previous owners won't get the new model after this engine update.

I can't drive mine enough. Amazing ride. Pure joy to drive.

Matt absolutely nailed it and showed his insight when it comes to cars when he said Porsche has a platform that builds from the "ground up"...not like you're making a Mustang into a Shelby...

Matt: feel free to contribute *proceeds to cut him off with a drive by edit

Matt, Well done! Makes me really want it for a daily driver! I know you did this review 6yrs ago, I'd love to find a decent series on 5yrs/50k miles later kind of review on Cayman S... and other cars like 911 S,... Cheers, Eric

I don't know why I find it so cool to see these One Takes on the roads I drive on all the time. I'd imagine Lime Creek is a great road for a car like this!

I agree with the commentary around the 12 minute mark about the power band. I have a 13 base Boxster and my only complaint is that the power doesn't really come on unless you're in the upper revs. I really want a LOT more torque down low in the range, so I think the 718 may be my next car, even if it doesn't sound as good.

If you ask me this car is the perfect amount of performance for the road. You can push it and have fun, where a lot of the super car stuff when you push it you go to jail. Its light, agile, and fun rather than extreme. More car makers need to pay attention.

What an amazing car, a great value and still very exotic in looks and performance.

The interior color is drop dead gorgeous!

I love how the recent manual gearbox Porsche cars have the center console sloping up towards the dash, which puts the shifter closer to the steering wheel. I hate how my car's shifter is almost down near my knee.

"Feel free to contribute Frank. You don't need to stay silent". Lol

"Feel free to contribute to this frank, you don't have to be silent".

"Feel free to contribute"... Camera cut 😂😂haha

Tells him to contribute in the video then cuts him off @ 2:34 lol

I look forward to watching this when I get home from work. Love the videos Matt, great content that's superbly entertaining AND informative. Cheers dude.

You CANNOT BEAT a flat 6 Porsche manual in every aspect....feel, sound, force !!!!!

love waking up to any porsche video

"Feel free to contribute to this Frank. You don't have to be silent" ROASTED.

Thanks for the honest review, looking to switch from my M4 to a 718 cayman I think PASM and Sports Chrono are the must have options, even then it's hard keeping the sticker of this car under 80k

i absoloutely love the noise it makes

I own a 2017 Cayman S and find it to be a wonderfully precise car to drive. Probably the finest automobile I've ever driven, owned many different brands, from Corvettes, BMW's and Mercedes, this a brilliant machine well worth the asking price.

Yeah I made a mistake test driving A 718 cayman S recently. Holy Cow is it fast! I daily a 2013 base 911 and that cayman is way faster. So now the dilemma....keep my car which I still love or drop another 20-30K difference all said and done for the cayman.

I think with the Flat-4 the Boxster/Cayman has finally became its own car, i love it and i will have 1, curently i have to say this is my favorite new car....

always cool to see you back in Austin in my back yard on limecreek. Were you down just for this or was this back from the le mans race weekend?

Nice review. Could be an fun commuter. Thanks Matt

Wait, you CAN'T turn off the auto-blip in Sport? Software revision NEEDED please.

This is like a glitch in GTA. You got that rare car you were looking for and now it is everywhere!

You got carried away and forgot to shake the man's hand! 😜

I have an allocation for one coming next year but I agree with 99% of the people here when they say it sounds like a 'Rex and coming from a V8 M3 that's gonna be a tough pill to swallow, however after driving a 718 Boxter S and a 981 Cayman S back to back the difference in performance is crazy! I am considering buying a slightly use 991.2 Carrera or a 991.1 Carrera S instead since my build is close to 80k (Options are expensive in Porsches!) I was never ever a Porsche fan I always believed they were overpriced old peoples cars but you just have to drive one to realize how damn good these cars are.

Wide tire on narrow rim means less contact patch and less sidewall integrity. Widening the rim maximizes contact patch and angle up to a point.

Awesome review, I'm getting a 718 Boxster next year.... can't wait=)

I really do like the rear of the Cayman over the 911. Love the subtle spoiler, the tail lights. It's just a nice booty. 1:30 This is honestly my first time hearing a Porsche sound like this lol. I only remember hearing the Flat 6 sound.

I confirm the residents in Texas are nice. I drove my first manual car back from Texas. Not only was every interaction with a gas station clerk, restaurant staff easy going, when I inevitable stalled my car a few times and stop lights people did not honk, they just waited for me patiently to get going. One day I think I wll make the drive back and go for a little nostalgic adventure.

Yeah, but does it have on center steering and a stock shifter? And most importantly, can you fit in it and it does it drone?

Loved that very first exhaust crackle around the corner when the camera changed

I don't know.. for 87k. That's Z06 money. Hard for me to pick the Cayman

I was waiting the whole video for that guy to say "we've been expecting you Mr Anderson"

A car like this deserves more than a four cylinder engine. I really like the old generation much more! If this is where we are heading, I don't want to be a part of it.

the sound of boxers is one of the best parts! that slight dumptruck sound is what i crave lol

My 1990 mustang 5.0 had the same interior! #AheadOfItsTime

So many crackles and pops in the exhaust on modern cars. I'm not complaining !

That sti sounds amazing 😉

definitely a well engineered design. plus so practical that porches are so much fun to drive even when commuting.

Thanks, Matt, for confirming my purchase of a 718S. Torque and drivability are everything.

Ceramics for the track is such bullshit. Have you ever been to a track? I´ve never seen a Porsche with ceramics at the track. Many owners who bought ceramics switch to steel before going on track and leave the ceramics in their garages for resale value. If you´re lucky ceramics might hold up twice as long as steel brakes. But one ceramic disc is around 5000 Dollars while a steel disc is about 500 dollars. If you`re not searching for the last millisecond you really don`t need them. Just run a cool down lap with the steels and they will not fade.

Porsche is my dream car, a small porsche, manual, the 718 looks incredible, in my eyes the best looking curent Porsche.

They killed it with this subie motor I don't care about having to rev a sports car out.... That's what I want to do. And the sound of a car is so important. 😓

I see you get to shift more in this car than the GTS. Does that add to the fun? Having a tough time deciding between the S, GTS or GT4! I will be doing primarily street driving as opposed to a lot of track/autocross. Oh yeah, I love your videos..:)

Porsche makes the Cayman worse with each new iteration. The 987.1 is the best looking, with the classic bug eye headlights (albeit with tear ducts) and two of the sexiest rear fenders ever fitted to any car. It's also smaller, almost as small as an original 911, making it more nimble and fun. The 987 also had Porsche's absolutely perfect hydraulic steering. Electronic steering may have come a long way, but it will never capture the magic of the old system. Magic can't be digitized perfectly. On Matt and Bill the nice guy's indirect advice, I bought a manual 2007 Cayman S with a 3.8L swap (IPD plenum, Borla exhaust). I haven't run it on a dyno yet, but it sings and pushes beautifully and should produce around 375hp. It's amazing in every way and much prettier and better sounding than this 718, at a third the cost. I drive it daily and it makes commuting something that I actually look forward to everyday, twice a day. I love it. Purists have it right on this one. The 718 may have great torque and be able to beat the old Cayman around the Nurburgring, but that doesn't negate the fact that it has a Subaru-sounding engine and it looks more like a bland Ferrari kitcar than a Porsche should look. Compare a picture of a first gen Cayman to the new 911 Turbo. The similarities are amazing. Porsche made the new Cayman uglier because they couldn't make it prettier without stealing 911 sales. The Cayman handles better than a 911 already. Prettier too? Can't let that happen!

Dam, quit talking shit about the engine sound! I freaking love it!

Nice car! That red interior should be stripped, burned in the street, and never spoken of again.

Look at the interviews with Andreas, the 7:40 for the GT4 was computer projected. The Ring was closed at the time of the release. He even states that he think they could get a bit under 7:40. I wouldn't be surprised that they didn't release a faster time because they didn't want to overshadow the carrera S laptime of 7:37. Guess we will just have to see how the 718 does when motortrend tests it at Laguna.

Another option is to wait 3 or 4 years and get it from CarMax at about half the price or less. :-)

Thanks for the vid, especially comparing to other cars in a similar price range.

go get yourself 2015 Cayman GTS (or an S) and you have a 99% of this car with great sound. 718 is like an mid-life cycle update, i don't think of it as an generation upgrade.

"when you're going down the road at your own personal risk pace", says the Porsche guy, after Matt gives it the beans. Hahahahahaha. Slowest one take ever???? Matt bossed the Porsche guy with facts and figures, the man does his homework as ever. Great video with a very German Porsche rep.

Hey Matt - nice video review. .. As a lifetime Porsche owner - Fan - Ambassador I'll accept PAG's 4cyl direction.. .. But I ain't gone-a-like-it !! .. My '98 993 C2S coupe with a simple DIY "LMPP" muffler mod sings the traditional 911 chain-saw-esq music all day long. .. Its the bomb. .. An exhaust signature ya never grow tired of ..."Hey ... did ya hear that? A WRX or Cayman?" ... Man I don't like the sound of that.... that is until I'm at altitude in the Colorado mountains and the forced induction 2.5 4cyl earns a big commercial... I reserve the right to bitch, bitch, bitch regarding the 4cyl exhaust note. LoL ... Great drive, informative Cayman S video.

the conversation between you and the PR guy (i feel like a dick for not remembering his name) is actually really informative and entertaining. once again great job, very good review. PDK don't be a hero haha jk

YOU click analyze to begin. ;)

I don't remember seeing any other One Take's on Lime Creek Road. I try to drive it at least once a week. Cool to see you made it out here to Austin!

The GT4 doesn't need a turbo Matt, it needs different gearing! Plus it would be sacrilegious to mess with it's sound and throttle response. Great review of a controversial car, and thanks for the dyno chart, really shows what a premium vehicle the new car is.

Nice to see Porsche using engine technology Subaru STI has been using for 10 years.

Awesome video! Saw all the journalists, and the cars at the four seasons during the press event. What road are you guys on? Moved here from Los Angeles and sure miss the canyons in Malibu.

you realize what you could build for $87k.. damn.

I have the chance to buy a 2017 base model at a great price and I might pull the trigger on it - great review!

1 important mistake from the guy: a car does NOT go faster uphill because it has more torque. 2 equal chassis with equal aceleration on flat terrain, will have the exact same aceleration uphill even when one has more torque.

I think part of the issue with comparing the GT4 is that the gearing on it is so wide. If it had better ratios, I think it would have minimized the difference in acceleration feel.

God I hate those manufactured crackles to try and make it sound as interesting as the 6 cylinder

Hi Matt, How do you compare this cayman s with GT4? Is there a big gap? Thanks.

I was going to buy this car but in the end spent 20k more to buy a new 2015 Cayman GTS instead for the flat 6 howl(it got even more expensive than before cos low supply and high demand in my area..T.T poor wallet). But damn. This 718 is a good car INCLUDING its engine. Maybe I shoulda saved that 20k..but then I'd want to spend it on a FRS but then it's another 4 cyl car so no point..I guess this way I can justify buying an FRS or BRZ in a few years

That interior though! And what an awesome road that is.

I love all cars and Porsche it at the top,but at this price I think a brz /86 could do damage on the same road for what 1/2 the price add a turbo and could very well be a better car. Matt how about a back to back type of test and then dollar for dollar comparison ie: you can go 1/10 quicker at willow for xxx amount more,maybe a used caymen stock vs a moded brz or stock to stock. I thin it would be a good show most of us don't drive to loose our licence on the street and save it for the track these 2 cars are both mid mount flat 4 similar teck. Would a good set of struts put the brz in the same ball park lap times ?

i think it actually sounds pretty good. Not as musical as the previous 6 cylinder, but still good.

87 k for a four cylinder engine ,GTFOH

Loving this car hope I could own one in the near future. I just don't get why ppl hating on the 4 cylinder this car is inspired by the 718 racecar which is a Boxer-4.

I am not into the sound of this engine. I for sure prefer the flat 6 tone.

I was never thinking of Porsche until I saw these smoking tire one takes.....the boxster s with PDK is more to my liking but the costs are so close to and often above the z06 I can't bring myself to do it. I admire the new 718s especially with PDK pasm, sport chrono and sport exhaust but man those options cost is brutal. I'm sure it's worth the coin but the calling of z06 s stronger for me. Thanks for the great review on the Porsche

it seem like there are so many types of Porsche..#Confusing

Nicely done Matt. I have the Cayman S with PDK. Love it. Been clocked at 3.5 seconds to 60 in Launch mode.

the pops are soo irritating,,,pops are not the solution to turbo 4 cylinder.

I KNEW you drove one of these when you were in Austin! Lime Creek Road? Got to drive on it some time.

no, no, NO! Porsche, WTF are you doing? Over $90k (with ceramic brakes) for a four pot sports car, you gotta be kidding right? I don't care how good the new boxer engine is, the Cayman & Boxter 718 will no longer deliver the ubiquitous flat six howl to those who can't stretch to a 911, and I reckon that is going to hit sales.

That steering wheel is absolutely beautiful.

Porsche is ruined without the flat 6. I have never been a fan, but that flat 6 was iconic. The 718 4-turbo sounds like a 'Rex that is running way too rich. Does have a proper gearbox though, that is a big plus. This certainly does not do it for me. Yawn. Would take an Alfa 4C any day over this, which also sounds much better.

Those roads looks lovely 😍

It's pretty much a mid-engined BRZ at this point.

I'm Rallly starting to fall in love with the Caymen.

Need better audio...please invest in a lav set-up.