Centurion
Apex Apex Predator
The Corvette has always been a great bang for a buck car but it’s not a Porsche the same way a Breitling isn’t a Rolex.
718 Boxster/Cayman (982) [Official] 718 Boxster, Cayman GTS 4.0
The Porsche 982 is the internal designation of the fourth generation Boxster/Cayman (third generation Cayman) made by Porsche. The two models have been marketed as the Porsche 718 Boxster and Porsche 718 Cayman. Production: 2016–2025
rollo
Premium
I would agree with that statement prior to the C8, different animal now. Also, the 718 simply can't compete with the new vette performance wise. Even the 911 is losing in comparisons by the automotive press that I have read. BTW, I have both watches and prefer the Breitling!
Centurion
Apex Apex Predator
I have never been a Corvette fan but the C8 is truly a top product based in the facts and impressions they I have heard in reviews. It's the best genuine Porsche alternative since the V8 R8. The only blemish, and a big one, to overlook is the ungainly rear. Other than that I cannot fault it and wish it great success *in Borat voice*.
rollo
Premium
C
I am not sure what you are basing that on regarding interior build quality, however I have been in and driven the 718 many times and the interior quality of the C8 looks much better based on photo's and videos. In fact, without the extremely expensive full leather upgrade, the 718 feels quite modest on the inside, especially considering the ask price. One of it's weakest points in fact for me, only after that stupid 4 pot they shamelessly adopted. Wonderfully balanced and a joy to drive otherwise.
I am not sure what you are basing that on regarding interior build quality, however I have been in and driven the 718 many times and the interior quality of the C8 looks much better based on photo's and videos. In fact, without the extremely expensive full leather upgrade, the 718 feels quite modest on the inside, especially considering the ask price. One of it's weakest points in fact for me, only after that stupid 4 pot they shamelessly adopted. Wonderfully balanced and a joy to drive otherwise.
martinbo
Staff member
Judging from pics of the C8 alone - I'll never see one here in SA - and some reports of C8's interior issues there appear to be issues with the interior build quality of the C8's interior.
981 and 982 interior quality is really hard to fault - the entire dash and centre console unit is really solid, button tactility is great, no rattles, no trim issues. It's definitely one of the best interiors at that price point.
rollo
Premium
We had a 981 Boxster (loaded, white over black full leather, Black wheels, manual), still kicking myself for letting it go. Great car, no doubt about it. Liked that car more than the 991 4S CAB we have now in a lot of ways. I wasn't thinking about rattles and alike, just quality of materials. Not to belabor the point, let's see how the C8 fairs over the long haul in that regard.
donkeykong
Track Technician
^A high end watch.
LaArtist
Wunderkind of Wheels
Lol there are a lot of feelings.. and frustrations in the air.
rollo
Premium
I only have had Valium once, pre-op and it was very much appreciated. That stuff could definitely become addictive. Back to the GTS 4.0. This car is starting to feel like a must have! I was thinking about a C8, but my thinking has changed and now believe that this car would be more engaging and rewarding to drive.
rollo
Premium
I think the M4 is a different class of vehicle than the GTS 4.0 and I would be surprised if a lot of cross-shopping would occur. Point taken @Centurion regarding the passive looks of the GTS. I wouldn't say soft though, maybe understated which appeals to me but I am probably in the minority.
Centurion
Apex Apex Predator
I would not be surprised if a few tuners offer slightly bulkier looking diffusers in either gloss black or carbon fiber.
Overall the GTS is an excellent sports car. Manual and PDK options give it a very wide appeal.
donkeykong
Track Technician
Side profile appreciation post.
donkeykong
Track Technician
Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 2020 review - a cut-priced GT4?
With the Cayman GT4’s engine the GTS could be all the sports car you ever need. Superb engine, sublime chassis and sensible(ish) money. What’s not to like?
Porsche’s model hierarchy for its sports cars is a straightforward structure. Or rather it once was. Top of the tree sits the RS, below this the ‘regular’ GT model, with the Turbo on a parallel axis when discussing the 911. Then there are your GTS and S and non-S models. Simple, clear, easily explainable.
Porsche being Porsche, this aforementioned order also meant a clear demarcation in terms of performance and driver engagement, although in some instances this has been narrowing over the years, certainly between S and non-S models. But it’s never been the case that a non-GT badged Porsche could get close enough to a Motorsport developed model for you to consider the more precise, faster, thrilling GT example to be an unnecessary extravagance.
Until now. And the arrival of the Cayman GTS 4.0. Because not only does it have a detuned version of the 2019 eCoty-winning Cayman GT4’s 4-litre, flat-six naturally aspirated engine, but by being installed in the 718’s sublime mid-engined chassis and despite not having the adjustable anti-roll bars of the GT4, the GTS delivers so much of the GT4’s thrills for cheaper bills it’s painfully difficult to decide between the two. It’s the equivalent of trying to pick a favourite child.
Engine, transmission and 0-60 time
Four litres and six cylinders was a combination first seen in the back of a 911 when the GT3 RS 4.0 was revealed in 2011. Back then the 911 had 500bhp at its disposal and today’s GT4 has 416bhp from the same capacity and cylinder count, but don’t let that lull you into thinking you are being short-changed by the GTS 4.0’s 394bhp. This remains a compelling powertrain despite the 20bhp shortfall over the GT4 (a small tweak to the ECU accounts for the power drop, while torque remains the same 310lb ft).
As we discovered when we first experienced this 4-litre engine in the GT4 and Boxster Spyder, it’s as close to an old-school naturally aspirated motor as we could hope for in today’s world. It adores revs and feels every bit as mechanical as you would hope, serving up a full complement of flavours as the power builds.
Of course, the six-speed manual is the icing on the GTS cake, even if the ratios are comically long. The shift action is so sweet, the torque band wide enough to catch you if you drop out of the power’s peak delivery zone, which itself is wider than you expect and a joy to operate within.
And it’s quick. A 4.5sec 0-62mph time tells one story, but it’s the punch through the gears that drives home the GTS 4.0’s performance sweet spot.
Technical highlights
There’s a mix of new and old tech underneath the Cayman GTS’s body. A mechanical limited-slip differential is blended with torque vectoring, while the PASM adaptive dampers sit with a 20mm lower chassis and offer Normal and Sport settings. Sport Chrono is standard and offers four driver modes and incorporates dynamic engine mounts. There’s a set of 20-inch wheels front and rear, with a Pirelli P Zero tyre fitted as standard. A sports exhaust is also standard.
What’s it like to drive?
In short, marvellous. If you’ve never driven a GT4 you won’t know what you’re missing, and if you have you’ll need plenty of wheel time in both to pick out the nuanced differences between them.
As a road car it leaves you wanting next to nothing and is the closest you can get to a pure driver’s car without knocking on the door of Lotus. It has balance, poise, precision and ability in abundance. It rewards, excites, entertains and thrills like the very best, every drive becoming a great journey, every journey delivering a memorable experience.
Criticisms? A smaller wheel and tyre set would add another layer of texture to the steering and let more of that chassis shine through and converse even clearer with you. And yes, the gearing is ludicrous, and I can’t think of many who wouldn’t be prepared to sacrifice being able to do 90mph in second if it meant they have more opportunities to experience the flat-six at full chat in fourth.
So while the GT4 remains our reigning eCoty champ, and if track work is high on your priority list it will suit your needs better, for £64,088 Porsche will also sell you a Cayman that’s pretty much the perfect sports car for the road. Deciding between this and an Alpine A110S is going to be nigh on impossible.
Price and Rivals
If your Porsche salesperson would allow you to do so you could assign the £64,088 it requires to buy a Cayman GTS 4.0 with not a single option and leave it at that. But we doubt buyers will. Never mind.
Alpine’s A110S is a perfect rival and what it lacks in engine cylinder count it makes up for with a chassis and less weight that the Porsche will have to work hard to match. Audi’s TT RS wouldn’t know which way the Porsche went, and while an Evora would, we’d find it hard to justify the additional £20,000 Lotus asks for its latest GT 410, even though it is really rather wonderful to drive.
Toyota Supra? Cheaper to buy, and less involving and focused to drive. You could look to BMW though – not the Z4, but the M2 Comp.
Source: evo
With the Cayman GT4’s engine the GTS could be all the sports car you ever need. Superb engine, sublime chassis and sensible(ish) money. What’s not to like?
Porsche’s model hierarchy for its sports cars is a straightforward structure. Or rather it once was. Top of the tree sits the RS, below this the ‘regular’ GT model, with the Turbo on a parallel axis when discussing the 911. Then there are your GTS and S and non-S models. Simple, clear, easily explainable.
Porsche being Porsche, this aforementioned order also meant a clear demarcation in terms of performance and driver engagement, although in some instances this has been narrowing over the years, certainly between S and non-S models. But it’s never been the case that a non-GT badged Porsche could get close enough to a Motorsport developed model for you to consider the more precise, faster, thrilling GT example to be an unnecessary extravagance.
Until now. And the arrival of the Cayman GTS 4.0. Because not only does it have a detuned version of the 2019 eCoty-winning Cayman GT4’s 4-litre, flat-six naturally aspirated engine, but by being installed in the 718’s sublime mid-engined chassis and despite not having the adjustable anti-roll bars of the GT4, the GTS delivers so much of the GT4’s thrills for cheaper bills it’s painfully difficult to decide between the two. It’s the equivalent of trying to pick a favourite child.
Engine, transmission and 0-60 time
Four litres and six cylinders was a combination first seen in the back of a 911 when the GT3 RS 4.0 was revealed in 2011. Back then the 911 had 500bhp at its disposal and today’s GT4 has 416bhp from the same capacity and cylinder count, but don’t let that lull you into thinking you are being short-changed by the GTS 4.0’s 394bhp. This remains a compelling powertrain despite the 20bhp shortfall over the GT4 (a small tweak to the ECU accounts for the power drop, while torque remains the same 310lb ft).
As we discovered when we first experienced this 4-litre engine in the GT4 and Boxster Spyder, it’s as close to an old-school naturally aspirated motor as we could hope for in today’s world. It adores revs and feels every bit as mechanical as you would hope, serving up a full complement of flavours as the power builds.
Of course, the six-speed manual is the icing on the GTS cake, even if the ratios are comically long. The shift action is so sweet, the torque band wide enough to catch you if you drop out of the power’s peak delivery zone, which itself is wider than you expect and a joy to operate within.
And it’s quick. A 4.5sec 0-62mph time tells one story, but it’s the punch through the gears that drives home the GTS 4.0’s performance sweet spot.
Technical highlights
There’s a mix of new and old tech underneath the Cayman GTS’s body. A mechanical limited-slip differential is blended with torque vectoring, while the PASM adaptive dampers sit with a 20mm lower chassis and offer Normal and Sport settings. Sport Chrono is standard and offers four driver modes and incorporates dynamic engine mounts. There’s a set of 20-inch wheels front and rear, with a Pirelli P Zero tyre fitted as standard. A sports exhaust is also standard.
What’s it like to drive?
In short, marvellous. If you’ve never driven a GT4 you won’t know what you’re missing, and if you have you’ll need plenty of wheel time in both to pick out the nuanced differences between them.
As a road car it leaves you wanting next to nothing and is the closest you can get to a pure driver’s car without knocking on the door of Lotus. It has balance, poise, precision and ability in abundance. It rewards, excites, entertains and thrills like the very best, every drive becoming a great journey, every journey delivering a memorable experience.
Criticisms? A smaller wheel and tyre set would add another layer of texture to the steering and let more of that chassis shine through and converse even clearer with you. And yes, the gearing is ludicrous, and I can’t think of many who wouldn’t be prepared to sacrifice being able to do 90mph in second if it meant they have more opportunities to experience the flat-six at full chat in fourth.
So while the GT4 remains our reigning eCoty champ, and if track work is high on your priority list it will suit your needs better, for £64,088 Porsche will also sell you a Cayman that’s pretty much the perfect sports car for the road. Deciding between this and an Alpine A110S is going to be nigh on impossible.
Price and Rivals
If your Porsche salesperson would allow you to do so you could assign the £64,088 it requires to buy a Cayman GTS 4.0 with not a single option and leave it at that. But we doubt buyers will. Never mind.
Alpine’s A110S is a perfect rival and what it lacks in engine cylinder count it makes up for with a chassis and less weight that the Porsche will have to work hard to match. Audi’s TT RS wouldn’t know which way the Porsche went, and while an Evora would, we’d find it hard to justify the additional £20,000 Lotus asks for its latest GT 410, even though it is really rather wonderful to drive.
Toyota Supra? Cheaper to buy, and less involving and focused to drive. You could look to BMW though – not the Z4, but the M2 Comp.
Source: evo
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Porsche
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, is a German automobile manufacturer
specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs, and sedans,
headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Owned by
Volkswagen AG, it was founded in 1931 by Ferdinand Porsche.
In its early days, Porsche was contracted by the German government
to create a vehicle for the masses, which later became the Volkswagen
Beetle. In the late 1940s, Ferdinand's son Ferry Porsche began
building his car, which would result in the Porsche 356.
Official website: Porsche
Official website: Porsche
