What's the news?
So this was always on the cards, what with the Porsche Boxster already making the shift to four-cylinder power and 718 badging, but here's confirmation of Stuttgart's 718 Cayman. Revised exterior looks and updated cabin architecture are almost footnotes alongside the Cayman's move to smaller, turbocharged engines and that nameplate harking back to Porsche's 1950s and '60s race cars.
Exterior
The same but different here. Taking the 981-generation Cayman shape and tweaking it is the order of the day to create the 718, which has a sharper profile nose, subtly altered bi-Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lamps (DRLs) incorporated (four-point LED DRLs are an option) and larger air intakes at the edges of the bumper. The side sills and wheel arches have been reshaped, while at the rear the lamp clusters are redesigned and feature a three-dimensional look, while also boasting four individual brake lights 'that appear to float freely'. The main detail here is the high-gloss black strip emblazoned with the Porsche badge that now sits between the taillights.
Interior
A new upper dash panel incorporating air vents and a 918 Spyder-inspired steering wheel mark the bigger visual changes in here, although good news on the infotainment front is the addition of Porsche Communication Management (PCM) as standard on the 718 Cayman. Further options can boost the connectivity of this in-car system.
Mechanicals
So, here we go, then. Goodbye, charismatic flat-six engines, hello, turbocharged boxer fours. Like the 718 Boxster, the Cayman features a 2.0-litre, 300hp/380Nm unit and the Cayman S gets a larger 2.5-litre motor delivering 350hp and 420Nm. Not only does that increase the 718 Cayman's fuel economy returns to the range of 34.9- to 40.9mpg (8.1- to 7.0 litres/100km), but it improves the performance too. The 718 Cayman can do 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds if equipped with Porsche's twin-clutch PDK gearbox and the optional Sport Chrono Package, while the S model does the same sprint in 4.2 seconds. Top speeds are 272km/h and 283km/h respectively.
However, Porsche is serious about keeping the 718 Cayman at the top of its dynamic game and so the chassis has come in for some interesting work. The springs and anti-roll bars are firmer, while the damper tuning has been revised.
Porsche says the steering is 10 per cent more direct than it was on the old six-cylinder cars and the rear wheels are now half an inch wider with redeveloped rubber, making for more lateral grip. Options such as Sport Chrono Package (now possessing an additional 'Individual' configurable mode in its settings) and the electronically-controlled Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) limited-slip differential can be fitted, as can Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) with a 10mm lower ride height. On the S model, PASM Sport drops the car by 20mm and is offered on the Cayman for the first time. To stop it when charging hard, the 718 Cayman gets the old Cayman S braking system, with 330mm front discs and 299mm rear, while the 718 Cayman S sports the four-piston callipers with 6mm thicker brake discs of the 911 Carrera.
Anything else?
You can order the 718 Cayman and 718 Cayman S models in Porsche Centres across Ireland now, with prices starting at €64,932 for the 300hp car and €82,898 for the 350hp variant - that, for the first time, makes the Cayman cheaper than its equivalent Boxster model. First deliveries will begin in the autumn.