Porsche 718 Cayman Review 2024

The Porsche 718 Cayman was once seen as simply the cheaper alternative to a Porsche 911. Today, it’s the car to beat in its class, and some models make it hard to choose between this Porsche and its more famous sibling. Competition comes from the Alpine A110, all-American Ford Mustang, classy Jaguar F-Type, Lotus Emira, and even the BMW M4. Read on for our full Porsche 718 Cayman review.

When it comes to the best sports cars on sale, there’s an array of desirable contenders. But as our Porsche 718 Cayman review will demonstrate, Germany’s classy coupe is worthy of serious consideration against the very finest on the market.

For a start, it looks good, with its compact but athletic design. It’s also much sharper than previous generations and that translates into the driving experience.

Sure, the switch to four-cylinder engines for the standard and Porsche 718 Cayman S models hasn’t gone down well with everyone, but power is up and the latest version drives and handles brilliantly.

There’s a level of precision evident throughout the Porsche 718 Cayman coupe, not just in how it drives, but also the interior design and finish, the layout of the controls and even the attention to detail in the infotainment system.

The standard model delivers plenty of performance and fun, just without the sound you might expect of a Porsche. There’s a Style Edition that adds cosmetic appeal with some stickers, but it’s the Porsche 718 Cayman S that is the sweet-spot in the range for most.

The Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 with its Porsche 911-style six-cylinder engine will appeal to the true enthusiasts, and then there is the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, a ferocious, track-focused machine that is engineered to hit every apex precisely, or sideways if you are so inclined.

There is plenty of choice in this market, with the compelling Alpine A110, BMW M4 and enduring Jaguar F-Type all appealing alternatives. But few would dispute that the Porsche 718 Cayman remains very much the leader of the pack.

Fancy a second opinion? Read heycar’s Porsche 718 Cayman review.

The Porsche 718 Cayman feels perfectly balanced, and is impressively comfortable on even mundane drives where you turn up the music rather than the power.

It’s equally relaxing on the motorway, especially in PDK models with cruise control, but where it really comes alive is on rural B-roads. The steering is the best in the game, with an incredible level of precision. There’s loads of feedback from the road and you feel a real connection to both the tarmac and the mechanical systems in the car.

It constantly encourages you to push through corners, providing a high level of grip combined with the kind of ride that ensures you aren’t feeling shaken by the surface beneath you.

It is comfortable, capable and downright fun, especially the Porsche 718 Cayman S with its Porsche Active Stability Management system.

This keeps it all flat and composed, unless you decide you don’t want it to be, in which case the various settings allow you to have as much fun as you like.

Purists are still upset that Porsche switched to four-cylinder engines for the bulk of the Porsche 718 Cayman and Porsche 718 Boxster range, and in some ways they should be.

Some of the character was lost and the sound is less ‘movie soundtrack’ and more ‘TV theme tune’ than with the six-cylinder engines.

Even so, the figures tell a very different story, one in which power has increased, as has the ability to access and make the most of that power.

The regular Porsche 718 Cayman has a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine producing 300PS at 6,500rpm and 380Nm of torque from 2,150rpm.

It’s happy to rev to the high points all day long and while its torque peak isn’t as low down as some rivals, it still provides enough acceleration to do the 0-62mph sprint in 5.1 seconds with the six-speed manual, or 4.9 seconds with the PDK dual-clutch automatic. Add the Sport Chrono pack and that drops to 4.7 seconds.

The Porsche 718 Cayman S uses a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, and with that comes a jump to 350PS and 420Nm of torque. The sprint from 0-62mph is dispatched in 4.6 seconds with the six-speed manual, 4.4 seconds for the PDK, and 4.2 seconds for the PDK model equipped with a Sport Chrono package.

Order is restored somewhat in the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0, thanks to its naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine that produces 400PS at 7,000rpm and 420Nm from 5,000rpm (430Nm at 7,000rpm for the PDK version).

You need to rev this one higher to get the most out of the torque on offer, but when you do it is completely addictive. The manual version can sprint to 62mph in 4.5 seconds, with the PDK half-a-second quicker.

You would expect the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS to have even more in its arsenal, given that it costs more than twice the price of the regular model. It certainly does, including 500PS at a giddy 9,000rpm, 450Nm of torque at 6,750rpm and a 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds, plus a top speed of 196mph.

All Porsche 718 Cayman models are equipped with airbags, side impact protection, autonomous emergency braking and plenty of electronic systems.

These include Porsche Stability Management, ABS, traction control, automatic lights and automatic wipers.

The centrally mounted tailpipes of the exhaust system put paid to any hope of towing something, even in the unlikely event you wanted a Porsche 718 Cayman to haul your speedboat.

For a two-seat sports car, the Porsche 718 Cayman offers fairly decent practicality. It will easily accommodate tall adults and there’s a reasonable amount of adjustment on the seats. 

With 275 litres of space in the boot and a further 150 litres under the bonnet, there’s enough luggage room for a weekend getaway.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of storage in the cabin, with barely enough space in the door pockets for a magazine, plus a pair of cup-holders in the dashboard. There are storage spaces behind the seats, but you won’t even get a laptop bag in there.

You’d expect the finish to be good inside a Porsche – and the Porsche 718 Cayman certainly delivers on this front. The Race-Tex fabrics have a sporty feel and the leather is of a high quality.

There’s a mixture of harder and soft-touch plastic surfaces, all of which fit neatly together, showing the importance placed on manufacturing precision.

The buttons all provide good feedback, and while you might find trendier trim options in rivals, it’s clear that the focus here is very much on the driving experience.

The Porsche Communication Management (PCM) infotainment system is well laid-out and easy to use, with a few physical controls and the rest within the touchscreen.

All models offer navigation, Porsche Connect services, Apple CarPlay connectivity, DAB radio and phone pairing for calls and audio streaming.

Large and clear icons ensure you won’t be struggling to hit the right one while on the move, and it doesn’t have lots of complicated menus and sub-menus, making it a logical and straightforward system to use.

You can also control it using voice commands, but don’t expect to find buttons on the steering wheel to access the infotainment. Those are an extra-cost option.

What the Porsche 718 Cayman does have is a 4.6-inch digital display in the instrument cluster, which you can scroll through using a stalk to see a map, directions, audio choices, trip computer and more.

At the time of writing, prices start at £51,800 for the entry-level Porsche 718 Cayman, while the Style Edition models are slightly more expensive at £56,000.

An even more focused driving experience comes with the Porsche 718 Cayman S, which costs from £61,800.

Then there is the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0, with its superb six-cylinder engine, great soundtrack and serious performance. It starts from £73,300, but could well be all the sports car you’ll ever need.

If you do want more though, the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is an outright performance machine. However, you will have to shell out at least £123,000, which is very much into Porsche 911 territory. You’ll probably face a long waiting list, too.

It’s a Porsche, so running costs are commensurate with the badge and the performance of a German-engineered sports car.

The Porsche 718 Cayman has a combined fuel consumption figure of 30.4mpg for the manual, 31.7 with the PDK automatic. The manual version of the Porsche 718 Cayman S offers a combined figure of 28.0mpg, or 29.4mpg with the PDK.

The numbers change for the switch to six-cylinder power in the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0, with a figure of 25.9mpg for the manual and 28.0mpg for the PDK. The even greater performance of the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS takes the average down to 21.4mpg.

Check out our Real MPG figures to see how these figures stack up with owners’ experiences.

With CO2 emissions ranging from 201g/km to 299g/km, this car won’t be cheap to tax. We’re talking between £1,565 and £2,605 in year one, then £570 a year across the range in years two to five.

All models have a three-year warranty and servicing is needed every two years or 20,000 miles. Service and maintenance costs will vary immensely depending on where you take it, but Porsche does offer a number of service plans through its dealerships.

Gone are the days when you would have to tick a whole load of options from the Porsche price list. There are still a few, especially when it comes to more performance and comfort, but even the standard model is fairly well kitted out.

All versions of the Porsche 718 Cayman have the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay integration and Porsche Connect services. There’s keyless entry and an auto stop/start system, plus all cars have cruise control and climate control air-con.

The standard model gets 18-inch wheels, Porsche Stability Management, park assistance front and rear, and bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights. There’s a combination of Race-Tex fabric and leather in the interior, while the sports seats have two-way electrical adjustment and are heated. PDK versions get paddle shifters on the sports steering wheel.

The Porsche 718 Cayman Style Edition versions get the same equipment as the standard model, but add 20-inch Spyder wheels in gloss black, decorative Porsche decals on the sides and rear and a full leather interior.

Then there’s the Porsche 718 Cayman S which benefits from a 2.5-litre turbocharged engine and is available with a six-speed manual or a PDK dual-clutch automatic. It has 19-inch wheels and most of the same kit as the regular model, just with more power.

The Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 is very different, not least because it still has a naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine. It gets Porsche Active Suspension Management, sports suspension with a 20mm lower ride height and electronically variable active damping with the choice of Normal or Sport settings.

Add to that Porsche Torque Vectoring and a mechanical locking rear differential, bigger brakes and a sportier exhaust system. It also has the Sport Chrono package with a mode dial on the steering wheel and a shift indicator on the manual version.

Larger 20-inch 718 Sport wheels enhance the car’s look and feel, while inside it features full sports seats with the GTS logo embroidered on the headrests.

Finally, there’s the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, the ultimate Cayman. It has a 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine with 500PS available at 9,000rpm. That will be all some people need to know, but there’s also a 30mm lower ride height than on the standard model, launch control on the PDK version and an adjustable chassis with RS-specific spring rates and shock absorber tuning.

The axles are more lightweight than on other models and the brakes have been uprated even further. It also has a full ‘stability off’ mode – for serious drivers only.

There are a couple of essential options throughout the range, including the Sport Chrono package, which is standard on the GTS 4.0 and RS. It’s also worth adding the sports exhaust to the regular model and the S. It won’t give you the full aural experience of the GTS 4.0, but it will improve it significantly.