Porsche has pulled the proverbial cover off the 718 Cayman and 718 Cayman S, the latest members of the Porsche sports car clan to make the once-controversial-now-commonplace move to turbocharged motors. Yes, the cars now come only with four-cylinder engines, but once you swallow that pill, the rest of the news is all pretty sweet.
If you remember the brief for the 718 Boxster that debuted earlier this year, you’re already ahead of the game when it comes to 718 Cayman trivia. For the first time, the Boxster and Cayman crank out the same amount of power: 300 hp in base models, 350 ponies for the S versions. (That’s a 25-horsepower boost over the outgoing, naturally-aspirated models.) It’s the changes to the torque curves that should really redefine the Cayman driving experiences, though. Not only is twist up to 280 lb.-ft. in the base 718 Cayman and 310 torques in the 718 Cayman S—increases of 66 and 37 lb.-ft.m, respectively—but all that grunt can be found on a broad plateau from roughly 1,900 rpm to 4,500 rpm.
Porsche didn’t just monkey around under the hood and call it a day, though. The 718 Cayman models also scored firmer springs and stabilizers, a faster steering ratio, and wider rear wheels to help it grip the road like a Velcro-footed cheetah. The stoppers are a clear example of trickle-down stop-o-nomics at work; the base 718 wears the brakes from the old Cayman S, while the 718 Cayman S now uses the ones from the 911 Carrera. And if all the standard performance goodies aren’t enough, the optional PASM adjustable suspension can sink the 718 Cayman 0.4 inches, and the 718 Cayman S 0.8 inches, closer to the tarmac.
Put it all together and the 718 Cayman should zip from 0-60 mph in just under 4.7 seconds on the way to a 171 mph top speed—when outfitted with the fast-actin’ optional PDK gearbox and the performance-enhancing Sport Chrono Package. A similarly-equipped 718 Cayman S should do the same sprint in 4.2 seconds, eventually running out of juice at 177 mph.
Design-wise, the 718 Cayman picks up many of the same visual flourishes as its soft-top sibling. The front fascia has been sharpened to look a bit more like the 911, with more aggressive headlights, a revised air intake layout, and LED running lights surrounded by painted body work. Out back are new tail lamps with seemingly free-floating brake lamps, while the chrome P-O-R-S-C-H-E logo now sits within a strip of gloss black trim designed to give the ass end some extra panache. Think of it as the world’s classiest tramp stamp.
Also, if the Porsche-released photos are anything to go by, the 718 Cayman will be available in the tropical sea-like shade called Miami Blue, which debuted on the 991.2-generation 911 last year. It’s the perfect shade for anyone who plans on packing both of the Cayman’s trunks with Colombian dancing dust.
