THE PORSCHE 718 CAYMAN S HITS HARDER, MOVES FASTER AND GOES FURTHER THAN EVER.
In boxing, the heavyweights, with their larger muscles, punch harder than the flyweight or middleweight contenders.
But due to their size and weight, heavyweight fighters usually aren’t as quick as their lighter counterparts.
Now, in the sports car world, the Porsche Cayman S is akin to a boxer who has moved from the heavyweight to the middleweight division.
But if you think that this means that the Porsche Cayman S has lost some of its potency, you would be quite wrong.
When Porsche turned the Cayman S into the 718 Cayman S, this mid-engine sports car emerged stronger, faster and more efficient than it had ever been.
Responsible for the Porsche 718 Cayman S’ newfound abilities is its new engine, a turbocharged 2.5-litre flat-4, which replaces the naturally aspirated 3.4-litre flat-6 in the previous Porsche Cayman S.
Despite being smaller, the flat-4 produces bigger outputs – 350bhp and 420Nm, to be exact. These figures exceed those of the preceding Porsche Cayman S by 25bhp and 50Nm.
With extra muscle and torque, the Porsche 718 Cayman S now goes from rest to 100km/h in 4.2 seconds (with SPORT PLUS button), a massive 1.2 seconds quicker than its predecessor.
The Porsche 718 Cayman S’ heightened performance, however, isn’t just down to the more powerful engine. The turbocharger, for instance, is equipped with a variable-geometry function to eliminate lag.
This is complemented by the Dynamic Boost feature, which keeps the throttle open (with the fuel injection cut off) when the accelerator pedal is released. This prevents the charge pressure from dropping too much, so that boost resumes immediately when more power is demanded.
But what really sets the Porsche 718 Cayman S apart from its rivals is its ability to adapt to Singapore’s more compact environment, which may cause other sports cars to feel hemmed in.
The Porsche 718 Cayman S driver won’t be feeling this, though. With so much torque at available at low engine speeds, driving the 718 Cayman S is easy, whether at moderate speed or in stop-and-go traffic.
And while other sports cars have small windows, the 718 Cayman S and its wider glass panels offer excellent all-round visibility, which is important when you’re driving through Singapore’s many built-up areas.
It’s also easy to run errands and do some shopping with the Porsche 718 Cayman S. Unlike other sports cars, which require their owners to drive home and swop vehicles, Porsche’s 718 Cayman S has two boots – a 150-litre compartment in front and a 275-litre boot at the rear. You could even pick up your friend from the airport in this coupe.
The Porsche 718 Cayman S is also carpark-friendly. You don’t wince as you descend carpark ramps or go over speed bumps. And the relatively compact dimensions mean the car fits in most parking spaces, often with room to spare.
Porsche’s 718 Cayman S isn’t just quick, adaptable and practical. It’s more efficient, too, with a combined consumption of 7.4L/100km, or 0.8L/100km less than previously. That sort of average is what you’d expect from a regular family saloon – not a thoroughbred sports car.
Helping harness all this performance are the improved suspension components, which include stiffer spring rates and anti-roll bars, recalibrated damping valves and larger brakes.
And because the Porsche 718 Cayman S now uses the same electric power steering system as the Porsche 911 Turbo, the helm is now sharper and more responsive than ever.
Quicker, harder-hitting and more agile than before, the Porsche 718 Cayman S isn’t just a greater prizefighter – it’s also a real heavyweight in the world of sports cars.
