Blog

Launching globally in the next couple of months is the new Porsche 718 Cayman. “What is 718?” you might be asking. It’s Porsche’s new number designation for the product family that will include all variations of the Boxster and Cayman. So now you’ll say “Porsche 718 Cayman S” in the same way you’d say “Porsche 911 Targa S”. So, what’s new about the 718 Cayman? Join me as I introduce you to some of the features that makes this automobile earn the description ‘the road master’.

Exterior

The exterior styling has obviously undergone a complete revamp. Prominent air scoops front and sides and a lower side profile give the new 718 more athletic feel, and the sharper profile of the front end makes for a more aggressive appearance. The new front end also boasts revamped bi-xenon headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights, and there is the option of LED headlights with four-point daytime running lights as well.

Interior

Inside, the biggest change over the outgoing models is the introduction of the new rotary ring drive mode selector with the Sports Chrono Package, as opposed to the buttons on the center console as with the previous models. From this you can select the ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Sport Plus’ settings we know from previous models, but a new addition is the ‘Sport Response Button’.

Once pushed, this button instantly adjusts the drive train for maximum acceleration for 20 seconds, for overtaking and general tomfoolery. When you push it, the car instantly shifts down and throttle response is maximized, turning it into a much meaner machine for a few seconds.

New Engine Line Up

Perhaps the biggest change, however, is in the engine line up. The 718 moniker isn’t random – it was deliberately selected in reference to the original Porsche 718, a famous racer from the 50s and 60s with a flat-four engine that Porsche want us to remember for a very good reason.

This reason is the departure of the much-lauded flat-six engines in favor of 2.0 and 2.5-liter turbocharged flat-four-cylinder engines that will feature in the entire range. As with any major shift in a popular line-up, this has had enthusiasts of the naturally aspirated flat-six howling with rage, but they needn’t bother. If you know Porsche at all, you know that they never take a step backward, so they had to make this new engine family better than the outgoing one. Having experienced it on the 718 Boxster we can tell you that it is a superb engine – high-revving with lots of grunt and no discernible turbo lag. And, of course, they are faster and more powerful than the outgoing engines.

Engine Specs

The 718 Cayman’s 2.0-liter engine puts out 300hp and 380Nm of torque, compared to the outgoing model’s 261hp and 280Nm of torque. This means a 0-100km/h time of 4.7 seconds with the PDK Sport Chrono package, 0.8 seconds faster than its predecessor.

For the 718 Cayman S, the 2.5 liter engine puts out an impressive 350hp and 420Nm of torque, making for a 0-100km/h sprint of just 4.2 seconds, 0.6 seconds faster than before.

Fuel Consumption

Both engines boast an NEDC fuel consumption of 8.1 to 5.7 liters per 100 kilometers.

Price and Release Date

The 718 Cayman will start hitting markets at the end of September, and cost around $60-70,000, depending on options.