RE: Porsche 718 Cayman S: Review
Discussion
Ozzie Osmond said:
The sceptics will be excited to learn that Boxster/Cayman really ARE built at a VW factory, NOT at the sanctified Porsche factory in Zuffenhausen. 
Of the 225,000 cars produced by Porsche last year very roughly,
Lotus builds about 2,000 cars a year and Morgan about 500.
Moving/moved back?Of the 225,000 cars produced by Porsche last year very roughly,
- 80,000 Macans
- 75,000 Cayennes
- 10,000 Panameras
- 30,000 911s
- 30,000 Boxster/Cayman
Lotus builds about 2,000 cars a year and Morgan about 500.
http://www.autoblog.com/2015/07/17/porsche-boxster...
Dan Trent said:
Why do I get the impression I'm not going to win this one?! In response though I guess the reality is Porsche has little to prove and is, in this context, the establishment while Lotus is the challenger. As such it's inevitable the pressure is on Lotus to come up with a product that meets the expectations of customers who are, probably, considering the dominant force in the market. Porsche doesn't have that pressure against Lotus.
Each story we write has a hook too and in the case of the Evora one the Porsche comparison was that. In the case of this 718 Cayman I thought there was sufficient interest in isolation to just drill down on the car and go into some detail about how it compares with its biggest rival - namely the car it replaces. Lotus is always the challenger in comparisons with Porsche so, I guess, the scrutiny will be more intense. Certainly the likes of Preuninger seem to respect Lotus and I get the impression the Cayman GT4 was, in part, a response by Porsche to prove it could still do the kind of purist cars many of us have accused it of abandoning. Without Lotus in the market I don't think you'd have them doing that.
As and when the opportunity presents itself and a fair intersection of price and performance presents itself I'd love to do a comparison. Given the flaying we got for daring to pitch an Exige Cup against the GT4 despite their comparable briefs, price and performance I may be struggling there but we'll keep trying!
Cheers,
Dan
In response though I guess the reality is Porsche has little to prove and is, in this context, the establishment while Lotus is the challenger. As such it's inevitable the pressure is on Lotus to come up with a product that meets the expectations of customers who are, probably, considering the dominant force in the market. Porsche doesn't have that pressure against Lotus. Each story we write has a hook too and in the case of the Evora one the Porsche comparison was that. In the case of this 718 Cayman I thought there was sufficient interest in isolation to just drill down on the car and go into some detail about how it compares with its biggest rival - namely the car it replaces. Lotus is always the challenger in comparisons with Porsche so, I guess, the scrutiny will be more intense. Certainly the likes of Preuninger seem to respect Lotus and I get the impression the Cayman GT4 was, in part, a response by Porsche to prove it could still do the kind of purist cars many of us have accused it of abandoning. Without Lotus in the market I don't think you'd have them doing that.
As and when the opportunity presents itself and a fair intersection of price and performance presents itself I'd love to do a comparison. Given the flaying we got for daring to pitch an Exige Cup against the GT4 despite their comparable briefs, price and performance I may be struggling there but we'll keep trying!
Cheers,
Dan
Hope to see a Cayman/400 comparison some time soon, maybe chuck a base 991 into the mix also?
edo said:
Interesting stuff - thanks. 
swimd said:
CedricN said:
Its just so sterilized today, barely different from a golf if you aren't pushing it to the maximum..
Not surprising as they're made of the same parts. Porsche is the most profitable car manufacturer for a reason.
k are you lot actually drinking? The stuff some people on here come up with is insane.
Loved reading all the posts. I came out of an M135i and went into a 718S Boxster about a month ago.
I love cars and love to read everyone's thoughts. My POV is that a Lotus anything isn't a day-to-day proposition, a Porsche is if you only have one car. The new engine is better lower down when you need it to overtake, the old one needs to be taking close to the red line on a decent country road. So horses for courses once again. Sonically they are different, not really as much an issue as I keep reading about. The main issue I have is the millisecond of turbo lag that grates before the power kicks in. When it does it's pretty rapid. Hope this helps anyone thinking about the new 718S Boxster or Cayman.
I love cars and love to read everyone's thoughts. My POV is that a Lotus anything isn't a day-to-day proposition, a Porsche is if you only have one car. The new engine is better lower down when you need it to overtake, the old one needs to be taking close to the red line on a decent country road. So horses for courses once again. Sonically they are different, not really as much an issue as I keep reading about. The main issue I have is the millisecond of turbo lag that grates before the power kicks in. When it does it's pretty rapid. Hope this helps anyone thinking about the new 718S Boxster or Cayman.
Sam,
The 718 Cayman S PDK is a true Supercar. It's slot-car handling, 0-60 mph acceleration of 3.6 seconds and quarter mile time of 12 seconds flat (as documented by Car & Driver Magazine in their instrumentation testing) speak volumes to the capability of the car. Frankly, reviewers have to do much better in their digs against the new Porsche than to say there is a sound issue. The new engine sound is sharp, aggressive, and unapologetic. The car has much more to offer than the flat six. It is a remarkable
Iece of engineering.
So, folks, log a 1,000 miles before you pass judgment on what has become in many regards the best Porsche in the line for around $100,000 US.
The 718 Cayman S PDK is a true Supercar. It's slot-car handling, 0-60 mph acceleration of 3.6 seconds and quarter mile time of 12 seconds flat (as documented by Car & Driver Magazine in their instrumentation testing) speak volumes to the capability of the car. Frankly, reviewers have to do much better in their digs against the new Porsche than to say there is a sound issue. The new engine sound is sharp, aggressive, and unapologetic. The car has much more to offer than the flat six. It is a remarkable
Iece of engineering.
So, folks, log a 1,000 miles before you pass judgment on what has become in many regards the best Porsche in the line for around $100,000 US.
718STurboDriver said:
Sam,
The 718 Cayman S PDK is a true Supercar. It's slot-car handling, 0-60 mph acceleration of 3.6 seconds and quarter mile time of 12 seconds flat (as documented by Car & Driver Magazine in their instrumentation testing) speak volumes to the capability of the car. Frankly, reviewers have to do much better in their digs against the new Porsche than to say there is a sound issue. The new engine sound is sharp, aggressive, and unapologetic. The car has much more to offer than the flat six. It is a remarkable
Iece of engineering.
So, folks, log a 1,000 miles before you pass judgment on what has become in many regards the best Porsche in the line for around $100,000 US.
Whilst buying my 997 Turbo S, I entered into a debate with the supplying dealer, as he, like yourself, described it as a "true supercar".The 718 Cayman S PDK is a true Supercar. It's slot-car handling, 0-60 mph acceleration of 3.6 seconds and quarter mile time of 12 seconds flat (as documented by Car & Driver Magazine in their instrumentation testing) speak volumes to the capability of the car. Frankly, reviewers have to do much better in their digs against the new Porsche than to say there is a sound issue. The new engine sound is sharp, aggressive, and unapologetic. The car has much more to offer than the flat six. It is a remarkable
Iece of engineering.
So, folks, log a 1,000 miles before you pass judgment on what has become in many regards the best Porsche in the line for around $100,000 US.
Personally I didn't, and still don't think it is, for many reasons I'll not get into here, but you are attempting to move the goalposts so far, I suspect you you'll not find too much support here.
It's a fine car make no mistake, but a supercar?
NO!
I'm a Cayman fan and can appreciate both the flat-6 and turbo four engines but the 718 S is no more a supercar than my 944 Turbo was when it was new. In the context of their respective eras, both cars had near supercar performance, but performance statistics do not make a supercar. The 718 S is a highly competent sports car with significantly stronger acceleration than its predecessor, and that's a perfectly honourable thing to be, but no supercar. Porsche's only recent genuine supercar is the 918. The full-fat 911 Turbo is perhaps in junior supercar territory but against that is its sharing of components with the rest of the 911 sports car range. In this respect I entirely support FeelingLucky.
A TTRS is another blindingly fast coupe today, but no-one would say that its acceleration makes it a supercar.
A TTRS is another blindingly fast coupe today, but no-one would say that its acceleration makes it a supercar.
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