Say Hello To The Porsche 718 Cayman And Its Turbo Four-Cylinder Heart

Here it is, the final part of the puzzle for Porsche’s largely turbocharged sports car range: the 718 Cayman. And yes, like the Boxster, it’s no longer powered by a fizzy naturally-aspirated six-cylinder engine. That’s because it’s now mechanically identical to the drop-top - no more slight increases in power to justify a price premium this time around - so mounted in the middle you’ll find the same choice of either 2.0-litre or 2.5-litre flat-fours.

The standard 718 Cayman gets the 2.0-litre, putting out 295bhp and 280lb ft of torque, while the 718 Cayman S receives the 2.5-litre unit, complete with a variable geometry blower like on the 911 Turbo. That one’s good for 345bhp and 310lb ft.

So, that’s a 25bhp and 66lb ft boost for the former making 0-62mph possible in 4.7 seconds and giving a top speed of 170mph, and a 25bhp and 37lb ft boost for the latter allowing it to do the same in 4.2 seconds and top out at 177mph. Assuming you spec the PDK automatic gearbox, of course.

All of those figures are improvements over the old N/A models, and as you’d expect for a downsized motor, efficiency is up too. The most economical - the non-S - gets an average figure of 40.9mpg, a 5mpg increase over the old one. Not enough to make up for the less interesting sound (which admittedly is better than you might expect), but nice to know.

In more Boxster deja vu we have a refreshed chassis including stiffer springs, fettled dampers, fatter anti-roll bars and tyres, plus quicker steering from the 911 Turbo. Oh, and bigger brakes, and the same exterior tweaks including a new spoiler unit and diffuser at the rear.

Where you will find a difference though, is the price. Since the Cayman and Boxster are now closer related than ever before, it makes sense for the Boxster with its complicated folding roof to be the pricier car for the first time. You’re looking at £39,878 for the 718 Cayman, and £48,834 for the Cayman S, which puts each one just under £2000 below the equivalent Boxsters. Our choice? We’ll have the Cayman, please…