Porsche 718 Cayman S
Entry-level Porsche has a sporting pedigree like Alpine. We put it through its paces
THERE are plenty of options when you’re picking a 718 Cayman. First, you can choose between the standard car and this 2.5-litre 345bhp S model. Then there’s the manual or PDK auto boxes; it’s the latter we have to match its rivals, at £53,853.
Design & engineering
LIKE the Alpine, the Porsche 718 Cayman S’s engine is situated behind the driver and within the wheelbase of the car. While the Porsche’s unit also has four cylinders, it’s a flatfour, with the pistons moving in and out in a ‘boxer’ motion rather than up and down in a traditional in-line four. With the aid of turbocharging, the 718 produces a healthy 345bhp, though, and a whole 100Nm more torque than the A110 (420Nm in total). The Audi’s 480Nm is punchier still, however.
Where its mid-engined rival uses double-wishbone suspension, the Porsche combines struts at the front and rear with a multi-link set-up for greater control. Also, where the lightweight Alpine rides on 18-inch rims, the Porsche features larger 19-inch alloys as standard, and 20-inch wheels were fitted to our test car. The Audi uses either 19 or 20-inch items as well.
Our Cayman S was also fitted with the optional £1,010 Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and Porsche Torque Vectoring including a limited-slip differential (£926). The former allows you to change suspension settings, either by switching to Sport or Sport Plus modes using a dial on the steering wheel, or via a dedicated button on the centre console. The latter adds a system that can selectively brake each wheel individually to boost agility, while the limitedslip diff also helps improve drive out of bends.
Inside there are lots of high-quality materials, and both the Porsche and Audi are ahead of the A110 here. The 718’s trump card is its superb driving position, which few cars in any class can match. All the key touch points feel top notch. There are a lot of buttons on the dash, which means it’s starting to look a bit old-fashioned, but they aid usability and are sorely missed on the Alpine, which has very few buttons.
Driving
THE Cayman’s ride is a bit stiffer than its rivals’, but not by a huge margin. It means the Porsche shines on twisting tarmac. The PASM adaptive dampers allow a range of settings, although the 718 is always composed and offers enough compliance to balance its firm set-up.
Despite the 20-inch wheels, our car was comfy over rough B-roads, and wasn’t short on traction. Body roll is tightly managed and the Cayman’s control weights are heavier and more satisfying than its rivals’, which combine with the sublime driving position to create one of the best enthusiast’s cars you can buy.
There’s a lovely level of feel through the steering that gives you a sense of the 718’s balance. There’s much more feedback than in either of its rivals, particularly the numb TT RS, and the Cayman comes alive when you push it hard, sweeping through bends with incredible composure. It’s a very satisfying car to drive and you can feel – and, importantly exploit – the Porsche’s agility.
The PDK automatic transmission is smooth when you need it to be and shifts quickly when you’re driving hard; it’s one of the best gearboxes around. Unfortunately, however, the flat-four engine is disappointing. It has plenty of power, and the low-down torque results in some pretty serious performance figures. But it sounds genuinely unpleasant, and the exhaust ‘enhancer’ button on the centre console just makes this drone even louder.
Still, the Porsche managed a very impressive 3.9-second 0-60mph sprint time, despite being rear-wheel drive only. It also took a blistering 3.6 seconds to go from 30-70mph through the gears, well ahead of the A110’s 3.9 seconds thanks to the superior, faster-shifting box. The TT RS posted a time of 2.1 seconds in that test, though. The Porsche’s rsche’s 3.0-second time from 50-70mph in fifth gear is also particularly impressive, beating the Audi by a whole hole second and the Alpine by a second and a half.
Practicality
WHILE the Audi TT RS has rear seats, neither the Porsche nor the Alpine offer space for more than one passenger.
However, because the Porsche has a hatch at the rear, there’s a lot more room for luggage than in the Alpine: 275 litres back there, plus 150 litres in the nose, which makes the 718 surprisingly practical.
It’s much more usable than the A110, helped by superior rearward visibility, too, but the Audi trumps both cars with its useful rear seats and 305-litre boot.
Ownership
PORSCHE is a long-established brand with a strong reputation, but it didn’t appear in our Driver Power 2018 survey.
Safety kit includes six airbags and a side-impact protection system, but tech such as a reversing camera (£1,086) and blind spot monitoring (£413) is optional. Like the Alpine, which features large Brembo brakes for extra stopping power, the 718’s set-up gives great retardation and feel, plus can be upgraded to ceramic composite discs for £5,177.
Running costs
STRONG residual values are a Porsche staple and the Cayman S is no exception. After three years it’ll hold on to 56.7 per cent of its list price, according to our experts.
That means it’ll lose £23,318, a little less than the £24,403 it’ll cost to own an Audi TT RS for the same period. This represents depreciation of 53.5 per cent.
The Alpine is so new that our experts didn’t have all the information they needed to predict its residual values, but they did suggest it is likely to sit in the range of the Cayman S and TT RS.