2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS

2023 Porsche 718 Cayman Review

　　Mark Takahashi has worked in the automotive industry since 2001. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Mark has also contributed to Motor Trend, Auto Aficionado, Chevy High Performance and several motorcycle magazines in various roles. Mark is also a juror on the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards and can be seen regularly on the zzdcar YouTube channel and sometimes representing the company in media interviews.

　　The 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman is the hardtop coupe version of the 718 Boxster, and both represent the entry-level sports cars in Porsche's lineup. But don't think for a second you're getting anything less than a legitimate Porsche — the Cayman is an impressive little sport coupe that could easily be considered alongside its iconic 911 sibling.

　　The Cayman achieves this with its mid-engine layout that is more balanced than the 911's rear-mounted engine. Indeed, there was talk around the first Cayman in 2005 that it should be detuned so it wouldn't take sales away from the 911. Thankfully, both the Cayman and 911 have evolved to loftier heights over the years. For 2023, there's very little change. The top GT4 models now come with Apple CarPlay and there are two new paint colors. Unfortunately, they're both gray.

　　Not all Caymans are created equal, though. While the four-cylinder models perform on a very high level, the sounds they make are a huge letdown. In some ways, they sound more like a poorly modded Subaru than a Porsche. That's why we suggest checking out the top models with the six-cylinder engine. It's far more inspiring, which is exactly what you want from a Porsche, right?

　　The 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman is easily one of the best sport coupes you can buy today and we explain all of its advantages and its few drawbacks in our Expert Rating below. With our preferred six-cylinder engine, the Cayman is an excellent choice for your favorite road or racetrack and can keep up with some equally impressive rivals. These include the Audi RS 3, the new BMW M2 and the Chevrolet Corvette. And the winner among all of these? You.

　　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.

　　Average

　　7.4

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

Performance

　　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

　　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