2020 Porsche 718 Cayman | Review & Road Test

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2020 Porsche 718 Cayman – Review & Road Test

The Porsche Cayman comes standard with a 2.0-liter turbocharged flat 4 Boxer engine (2.0L turbo flat-four; 300hp 280 lb ft torque; 0-60 4.9 seconds).

If the Cayman S (2.5L turbo flat-four; 350 hp 309 lb ft torque, 0-60 4.4 seconds) is a bold smoked Gouda, and the GTS 4.0 (4.0L naturally aspirated flat-six; 394 hp 309 lb ft torque, 0-60 4.3 seconds) a Stilton potent enough to make your eyes water, then the base Cayman is an aged cheddar. Hey, ain’t nothing wrong with a snappy little cheddar.

This 2.0L engine feels super eager. This is the kid in school leaving apples on the teacher’s desk. It really wants to impress, and it does. This particular Cayman comes equipped with the Chrono Sport package, which comes with a $2,600 price tag, and it nicely demonstrates how much this engine is capable of.

In addition to throttle response, the Chrono adjusts settings for chassis and suspension stiffness, amplifies the exhaust sound giving it a snorting crackle, the PDK gets shorter shifts and longer ratios, as well as making adjustments to the steering to help the driver conduct it all. Have fun, maestro.

Porsche’s manual 6-speed transmission and gearbox should really be the standard by which all other manuals are judged. No, I don’t have a stick on this car, but if anyone out there is trying to transmission-shame you for getting Porsche’s world class PDK, yes, even the Cayman’s 7-speed automatic instead of the 911’s 8-speed, well, then their karma in eternity is a droning CVT.

Thanks to the mid-engine placement this car’s got great balance. Turns in the Cayman make you feel as smooth as Lindsey Vonn in the Super G. The upgraded 235/40 Pirelli PZeros up front and 265s in the rear adhere to the road in white-on-rice fashion.

This thing absolutely wants you to flog it though canyons, and it will be gracious and without ego with you as you figure out what it can do, and what you can do with it, even if you’re not Hurley Haywood behind the wheel, or even if you think you are and you’re probably not.

Standard Porsche brakes provide plentiful stopping power paired with this engine, and while you can upgrade to Porsche’s ceramic options, I’d venture to say you don’t need them here.

In Sport+ the suspension settings don’t feel spine compressing. The ride feels stiff enough for firm control, but compliant enough without needing Dr. Feelgood after a drive.

Even driving in normal mode allures. I enjoy driving the Cayman on the freeway as much as I do in the canyons. The only thing that’s inelegant is the auto stop/start function, and that I can blessedly turn off.

If you are looking at the Cayman as a daily then EPA numbers should interest you. (Graphic: 2.0L PDK 22 city/29 hwy, 2.0L Manual 21 city/28 hwy; 2.5L S PDK 21 city/28 hwy, Manual 20 city/26 hwy. GTS 4.0 numbers not currently available.)

With the Cayman, you get a lot of everyday creature comforts. Standard features include filtered climate control, 18-wheels, LED daytime running lights, and your first standard maintenance check at 10,000.

If you’re worried about utility, (5.3-cubic ft front and 9.7-cubic ft in the rear) the Cayman has more storage than you might expect.

Porsche’s option sheet reads like the Cheesecake Factory’s menu, full of yummy things that may or may not be good for you. There are myriad wheel options, a Skittles bag worth of paint colors, and upgrades to things you didn’t even know were upgradable. You can have the climate control panel painted ($780) to match the outside of your car.

Standard interiors in the Cayman aren’t chintzy, but they’re not exactly bespoke either. If plastic isn’t your finish of choice, however, head back to the option sheet. They can cover pretty much everything in leather, including the steering wheel column and sun visors. Trim bits can be had in wood, carbon fiber or brushed aluminum if you prefer.

Apple CarPlay ($360) is available, but sadly no Android Auto that’s what the minus is for. The navigation system on the Cayman costs extra, too ($2,320) and even though Porsche’s system is one of the most intuitive in my opinion, for the huge discount, I’d stick to Apple CarPlay.

The Cayman doesn’t come with much in the way of standard dynamic safety features but does have front and rear parking assist and the rear camera. You can upgrade and get adaptive cruise control that’s only available on the PDK not the manual. It does have stop start, but only to 19 mpg.

Pricing on the 718 Cayman starts at $58,900 and the S will pry almost $72,000 before using the build-a-Porsche website. While pricing on the GTS isn’t available yet, we at KBB think it will come in near the high 80s. As you know if you’ve just made your perfect German fun machine, those base numbers skyrocket quickly.

[johncortes]

I'm 6'3 and drive a 2014 Cayman S as my daily driver. 300-ish miles per week to and from work. I grocery shop with it, take it on road trips, etc. It's a perfectly livable daily driver for tall dudes!

[peterfritzphoto]

This is far and away the best car review I’ve seen in years. So full of substance, goodness and humour. Loved it!

[MatthewGaither]

I picked up a CPO 2018 base Cayman last year for $58k with only 4300 miles on it. PDK, Sport Chrono, Premium Pckg, Carplay and a few other options. I absolutely love it. I've gotten over 34 mpg on longer highway trips and it's extremely comfortable for such a purposeful sports car. Thanks for the great review!

[kevrenshaw]

I owned a Cayman a few years ago. The one thing about these little beasts is that it makes you smile. I didnt get it to be flashy. I wanted a drivers car and nothing else came close for me. Some people complain the Boxters and Caymans do not have much personality. Tish and Pish. No car has made me physically grin more than my old Porsche. Great review BTW. Thank you.

[mirceacostache]

Finally a review about a car that is closer to reality. It’s not everyone who needs a 4L or so engine. I’m so glad I’ve watched this video. Appreciate it a lot <3

[kkp]

I like Lyn's energy and commentary. Refreshing amid boring car reviewers from other channels

[alliejr]

Yes. Golf clubs fit perfectly in the rear trunk (placed width-wise there is a pocket to accommodate longer clubs). The frunk will even hold a folding golf push cart. It’s an excellent daily driver.

[barsaf]

People complain about the sound so much. I personally like the sound! It's not bad. Sure it's not a screaming flat 6, but for a Cayman, it's awesome. And it has so much torque. I would love to daily drive this if I had the money haha

[rboddington]

I own this exact car, the base has more than enough power, can't imagine someone needing more.

[The_Notorious_CRG]

happy for KBB being here for those of us with not too much to do nowadays!

[Akashpagol]

How come I never found this channel before? I love the presentation.. its so lively and just the right dose of humor. Also love the background scores.

[rembo]

You need to go very slow with options or you’ll have a $90k base car!

[menacevk]

This video pushed me over the edge and I bought a 2017 GT Silver Cayman. Original sticker price was $69K. My CPO ‘17 was $51K, with 3 years of warranty left. An absolute bargain!

[nilsbuer]

Very nice video, especially not a boring German presenter.

[coasternut]

No matter the trim level, Porsches still drive like Porsches. They can be faster and slower, but they still handle better than just about any other car on the road

[raulvaldivieso]

I was waiting for Mika to say the full name of the PDK... I’m spoiled LOL

[adithyaramachandran]

This is more of a Supra competitor, not the C8. The C8 was built by GM to take on the 911 performance wise, even though it costs the same as a Cayman.

[josephtortorici]

Nice to see a Positive review on the Cayman.

[xxlonewolfxx]

Does the base model have that spoiler that comes up

[itguru]

I own a 2021 similarly equipped. It sounds great to my ears. Such a value proposition.