Porsche718 Cayman

　　

2024 Porsche 718 Cayman Review

byChristian WardlawCorrespondent

　　Christian Wardlaw has worked in the automotive industry since 1994. He has written nearly 10,000 car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 2,000 vehicles over the course of his career. Chris is a correspondent at zzdcar and was the first editor-in-chief of zzdcar.com in the 1990s. He has also contributed to Autotrader, CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, NADAguides, New York Daily News Autos and WardsAuto. His mom claims that his first word was “car,” and Chris believes that Miata is always the answer.

　　, rating written byChristian WardlawSenior Vehicle Test Editor

　　Kurt Niebuhr has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. A automotive photographer by trade, Kurt is now one of zzdcar' high-performance test drivers. He's driven and photographed hundreds, if not thousands, of vehicles all over the world, so Kurt's library of automotive experiences would certainly make for a good book. When not dreaming about getting his racing license or trying to buy out-of-date film for his cameras, Kurt can usually be found cursing at his 1966 Mustang.

　　Serving as Porsche's entry-level sports car, the 718 Cayman is a two-seat coupe equipped with a mid-mounted turbocharged four-cylinder or naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine. However, the four-cylinder strikes the wrong chords in an otherwise symphonic mechanical soundtrack, so you may wish to increase your budget and step up to the GTS 4.0 or GT4 RS, where the song of the flat-six makes you go weak in the knees. Nevertheless, if you can dismiss the turbo-four's bleating, the 718 Cayman supplies the performance and razor-sharp reflexes you expect in a mid-engine sports car. Learn more in the zzdcar Expert Rating.

　　

zzdcar spotlight: Changes for 2024

The name tells you what you need to know about the new-for-2024 718 Cayman Style Edition. Parked within the lineup between the base model and the Cayman S, the Style Edition has black or white stripes and 20-inch wheels to match. Inside, you'll find leather on the seats and selected parts of the cabin, with light gray stitching throughout. If that's not exciting enough, Porsche is planning a Manthey Kit for the high-performance 718 Cayman GT4 RS. Optimized for track driving, the aerodynamic and chassis upgrades shaved more than 6 seconds on a run around Germany's Nürburgring Nordschleife, according to Porsche.

　　

Competitors to consider

Arguably, the 718 Cayman is in a class of its own. But that doesn't mean there aren't alternatives. For example, the BMW M2 costs less, offers more practicality, and supplies greater performance. Or you could get a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, which brings a lot more power and personality to the party. If the Vette is too big and brash, you could try the tailored Jaguar F-Type on for size. Or increase your budget and get the 911 Carrera that you really want.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Below Average

　　7.1

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.5/10

　　How does the 718 Cayman drive? There are certain situations in which driving the Cayman feels like absolute bliss. It is not mind-bendingly fast but it wants to be driven hard. If you do that — especially on a winding road where the genius of the perfectly weighted steering and world-class handling are on full display — the Cayman is worth its weight in gold. The brakes have incredible stopping power and good durability.

　　Our test 718 Cayman S with a manual transmission accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. That's not great, though the PDK automatic-equipped car is noticeably quicker. We're not fond of the base 2.0-liter engine. It provides ample passing power, but full acceleration leaves something to be desired due to tall gearing. The shifts of the dual-clutch automatic transmission can also be jarring at low speeds, though it smooths out once you build speed.

　　

Comfort

7.0/10

　　How comfortable is the 718 Cayman? Even though the optional sport seats have only a few adjustments, they're well shaped and adequately cushioned for long-distance comfort. The ventilated seat option is also a welcome addition on hot days. Our test Cayman S had the optional PASM sport suspension. With it, smaller bumps are nicely smoothed out, but driving over larger bumps can launch you out of your seat for a moment.

　　Engine and exhaust noises are loud enough to be considered deal-breakers. With the sport exhaust, the four-cylinder engine is coarse and unrefined, sounding like a poorly tuned Subaru. The base Cayman is worse. Wind noise is nonexistent by comparison, but road noise is intrusive on coarse asphalt.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below