Did you really think the Cayman would be spared? With the new 911 and Boxster both shifting from naturally aspirated engines to downsized turbo-charged ones, it was only a matter of time before the Cayman went down that road as well. Well, introducing the new 718 Cayman.
Why 718? Well, the 718 was a car that Porsche raced in the ‘50s and it won quite a few races including the Sebring 12 Hours and Targa Florio. This car used to run a flat-four engine and the 718 name is a hark back to this car.
You can probably deduce from the name that this new Cayman will be running the same engines as the new 718 Boxster. The 718 Cayman gets the same 2-litre flat-four engine that makes 296bhp and 380Nm of torque, while like the Boxster S, the 718 Cayman S gets the 2.5-litre flat-four with a VGT that makes 345bhp and 420Nm. Traditionally, the Cayman has always been more powerful than its ragtop sibling — this is the first time that both cars feature the same output.
There are plenty of other updates to the car as well. The brakes, for example. The new 718 Cayman uses the same brakes that were on the earlier Cayman S, while the Cayman S now the four-piston callipers of the 911 Carrera combined with six-millimetre thicker brake discs. The car also gets firmer springs, stiffer anti-roll bars and retuned dampers. You can also choose to equip this car with the host of optional electronics Porsche offers like the Sport Chrono Package that instantly makes the engine, chassis and transmission more sporty and responsive and PASM allows the Cayman to be lowered by 10mm while the Cayman S can be lowered by 20mm. Porsche have also said that this car’s steering is 10 per cent more direct, and the wheels are half an inch wider, all adding points to the Cayman’s already stellar handling.
The 718 Cayman features a few visual updates as well, the most prominent of them all being the black accent strip running between the tail lights. The tail lights have been completely redesigned as well. Up front, the Cayman features larger air intakes, and gets optional four-point DRLs. On the inside, the car features a steering wheel inspired by the 918 Spyder, new air vents and the Porsche’s latest media system.
Interestingly, the 718 Cayman will be priced below the 718 Boxster and so in India we can hopefully expect a price tag of under a crore rupees — considerably less than what it is at the moment. Porsche have confirmed that the more powerful 718 Boxster S will not be making it to our shores, will the 718 Cayman follow the same route? We’ll just have to wait and see.