The 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman is the latest hard-top Porsche to sport a downsized four-cylinder turbocharged engine. Including a few aesthetic changes, Porsche has made substantial upgrades to the new 718 Cayman and if you’re still feeling skeptical about the performance, we advise you to stick around and read further.
With the new generation Boxster and Cayman, Porsche has brought back the historic ‘718’ badge. Yes, the old six-cylinder engines are no more available and the sound of the naturally aspirated flat-six will be sorely missed. However, turbocharging brings a whole new set of advantages as well.
Two flat-4 engines are available starting with a 2.0-liter 300 hp 4-cylinder turbocharged unit on base Cayman and 2.5-liter 350 hp engine on the Cayman S. The Cayman being lighter than its soft-top cousin is quicker too. 0-60 mph in a Cayman S is over in 4.0 sec, while the base Cayman does it in 4.5 sec. That’s 0.4 sec quicker than the Boxster.
Much to the respite of purists, the Cayman is available with a six-speed manual. You can also order your Cayman with a PDK dual-clutch transmission.
Underneath, Porsche has made a host of changes to the suspension. The complete chassis setup has been reworked, resulting in firmer springs and sway bards, new shocks as well as a revised steering rack that’s 10 percent quicker.
The 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman goes on sale in the US in November with prices starting at $53,900 and $66,300 for the Cayman S.
2017 Porsche 718 Cayman image gallery:
