In recent years, Porsche has announced the impending demise of the Cayman and Boxster mid-engine combustion engine sports cars in favor of an as-yet-unnamed electric vehicle replacement. While there is little doubt that this successor will deliver impressive performance, the switch from gasoline to electric brings with it a number of foregone conclusions about the car’s design.
Lightness and engagement have been hallmarks of Porsche sports cars since the first 356 rolled into Gmünd, and the loss of a conventional combustion engine powertrain in favor of a beefy battery and synthetic noise is the kind of paradigm shift that strikes fear into traditionalists. And with the introduction of the range-topping Cayman GT4RS and Spyder RS ​​in recent years, there was still a feeling that the internal combustion 718 had reached its final form and would soon disappear from this mortal coil. But Porsche recently changed its mind about its aggressive push into electric vehicles, and so the 718 will stick with some form of internal combustion engine for the foreseeable future.
This stay of execution may seem like a step backwards at first glance, but after spending a few days driving the 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 on the streets of Los Angeles and the canyon roads around the Angeles National Forest, I wouldn’t mind being labeled a Luddite. It’s as nearly flawless as any sports car I’ve ever driven, and although the 718 is starting to show its age almost a decade later, it’s hard to see reinvention as the most logical path forward.
The GTS 4.0 itself reflects Porsche’s willingness to adapt its product development strategies to the needs of its customers. Despite measurable improvements in performance and efficiency, Porsche fans bristled when the 718 launched in 2017 with turbocharged four-cylinder boxer engines instead of the naturally aspirated flat-six engines that had powered its predecessors. A flat-six returned to the market in 2019 with the introduction of the Cayman GT4, but the model’s limited availability and track-focused tuning aimed it squarely at a niche audience.
To remedy the situation, Porsche introduced the Cayman GTS 4.0 for 2021. Powered by a slightly detuned version of the 718 GT4’s naturally aspirated four-liter six-cylinder engine, the GTS 4.0 produces 394 horsepower and 309 pound-feet of torque when equipped with the six-speed manual transmission. PDK-equipped models gain 8 additional lb-ft. Compared to the GT4, this meant a deficit of just 20 horsepower while maintaining torque output, and the GTS 4.0 tips the scales at a nearly identical curb weight of about 3,200 pounds. The key difference between the two iterations is that Porsche’s GTS models have always been serious performers tuned more for the road than the track, and that ethos extends to the 718 Cayman GTS 4.0.
In a place like Los Angeles, this is a sports car that you could realistically drive every day. The suspension is firm but not intrusive, the clutch is perfectly balanced, and while the active exhaust system lets the boxer engine sing proudly up to its redline of 7,800 rpm, it’s also ready to fade into the background on longer highway journeys.
And while the 911 continues to take on an increasingly tech-savvy character, the 718 has become something of a refreshing step backwards. Unlike the latest 911, the 718 still features a large analog tachometer in the center of the instrument cluster, and while all 992.2 911 Carrera models have eschewed the signature turn-to-start faux-key arrangement in favor of a traditional start/stop button, the 718 retains this tactile nod to Porsche’s heritage.
Speaking of haptics, extra points are awarded for the 718’s cabin. Physical switchgear may not have the visual elegance of capacitive buttons and touchscreen controls, but in practice they tend to be much easier to use, and virtually every commonly used function in the 718 has a knob, rocker switch, or actual pressable button associated with it. And that means you don’t have to take your eyes off the road ahead to browse a submenu of the infotainment system or check if something has registered correctly – if you want to lower the air conditioning temperature, stiffen the dampers or turn down the exhaust volume, it’s all just a simple button press away.
The GTS 4.0 also features a steering wheel-mounted rotary knob that allows you to switch between the different driving modes. However, this is largely unnecessary as most of the settings that change these modes have dedicated buttons on the center console anyway. The fact that automatic rev matching cannot be activated or deactivated independently of powertrain mode is one of the few shortcomings of this control scheme, while the lack of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality means that the relatively basic infotainment system feels a bit dated by today’s standards.
However, these trivial compromises immediately lose their meaning when you steer the nose of the 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 over a winding stretch of asphalt. Lacking the seriousness inherent in models from Porsche’s GT division, the GTS 4.0 feels more playful than intimidating near its dynamic limits. While a more aggressive transmission and grippier tires might get you through a technical stretch of road a little quicker, there’s something to be said about the impeccable balance of the GTS 4.0’s tuning. Simultaneously communicative and seemingly unfazed by neck pressure, its lightweight construction, linear power delivery and road-tuned spring rates ensure that the outer reaches of its impressive performance capabilities feel eminently accessible, even on less than ideal road surfaces.
To be honest, I feel like I could drive this thing for the rest of my life and not want for anything. This is the kind of car that makes you make up excuses to drive. While continued progress will likely give us faster and more powerful machines over time, in the case of the 718 Cayman GTS 4.0, I’m not really sure we need more of anything. We may not be able to stop time, but we can enjoy the moment when the opportunity arises, and it’s worth appreciating that opportunity while it lasts.
Images: Bradley Iger
