The 2018 Porsche Cayman 718 GTS

It is always a pleasure for us at Ohlala to be offered the opportunity to test drive the latest Porsche has to offer. A truly iconic brand, Porsche’s are famous for their exciting drivability and sense of style. Being handed the keys for the new 2018 Porsche Cayman 718 GTS, we knew we were in for a treat and were most keen to flex our driving muscles.

The Porsche Cayman originally went on the market late in 2005 and the brand has made countless improvements over the last 12 to 13 years. But are these improvements enough to stand up to the likes of the Jaguar F-Type or the Audi TTS? Upon initial inspection, the love and attention put into the design and construction of the vehicle was immediately obvious and we could not wait to see all she had to offer.

The front end of the 718 features the new Sport Design apron that emphasises the vehicle’s sporty character. As is customary for GTS models, the front light clusters with the Bi-Xenon headlights are black-tinted and pleasing to the eye. The side profile is characterised by black GTS logos at the base of the doors and 20-inch wheels in a black satin finish. At the rear of the vehicle, the dark-tinted taillights, black logos, black rear apron and centrally positioned black tailpipes from the standard sports exhaust system, further intensify the sporty appearance and makes one want to reach for their camera. For a sports car of this size, it has a decent cargo capacity with storage spaces both under the hood and hatch. This makes the vehicle more plausible for everyday use.

Sliding into the cabin area, class and comfort is what greeted us. The full leather sports seats are stock shaped and come complete with GTS logos on the headrests. They offer great support and comfortability at all speeds. The three spoke design steering wheel is wrapped in high quality leather and gives one a sense of full control. The centre console and armrests share the high quality leather finish and the overall look and feel of the cabin is what one would expect of a Porsche.

The display consists of an analogue speedometer as well as another display on the right. Here one can change the display to navigation, music, smartphone integration and more. Enthusiasts with a passion for dynamic driving are assisted by the Porsche Track Precision App (PTPA), which enables one to automatically record, display and analyse driving data on a smartphone. A standard 7” touchscreen display is present on the centre console. We found the operating system to be extremely intuitive and responsive with clear graphics. When it comes to sports cars however, the truth is always told on the tarmac.

As we put foot to pedal, the raspy sounding engine was music to our ears. The power output has been increased to 365 hp (269 kW) thanks to a newly developed air intake-duct and an optimised turbocharger for the 2.5-litre, four-cylinder boxer engine and believe us when we say, you can feel it! This GTS model has a maximum torque of 430 Nm, and when equipped with the PDK and Sport Chrono Package, can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in just 4.1 seconds, achieving a top speed of 290 km/h!

We were most relieved to feel how much control we had driving this car. The grip on the corners gave us a sense of driving freedom as the vehicle hugged the road, never showing any signs of strain. The ride was smooth and powerful, just as one would expect from a Porsche.

This new mid-engine Cayman is available with a manual six-speed transmission or optional Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK). A range of features also come as standard, including the Sport Chrono Package, Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) with a mechanical rear differential lock and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), which lowers the ride height by ten millimetres, adding to the cornering control.

Our conclusion: Porsche have once again produced a high quality, visually beautiful and exciting vehicle that can compete with all rivals in the segment. In fact, it may be the most fun of all to drive.