Being second best in the 2024 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0

Base models. A ploy to get you into the dealership doors. Yea, you walk in to talk about a basic Cayman for $73,000. Such a deal. But then the salesman points over to the other corner, where this Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 sits. 94 more horsepower from a proper flat-six. A second faster to sixty. You could squeeze the payments, right? Sure you can buddy, have a seat.

And after all that, you’ll still be second best.

The 2024 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 Overview

The Cayman has always been a a serious car to me, or at least it feels serious – leave the top down posing for the Boxster crowd. A mid-engine layout means the chassis is always better-balanced than the 911, no matter what dark magic Porsche throws at that car. And to me, that makes it more fun. You can still opt for a manual (though the PDK here is also excellent), and the engine is pure without a turbocharger bolted to it. Sounds like a recipe for soul.

Yes, if the GTS were the Cayman, you would be very happy.

But uhh, remember the GT4? It’s honestly so good, I can’t imagine not saving enough in the piggy bank to walk right past the GTS and sit inside one of those. Too bad then, that Porsche has stopped producing the GT4 for 2025. You’ve snoozed, and now you lose.

That means the GTS really is the Cayman. Is it enough to make you want one?

Performance Score: 9. I’m PDK-enough

It might be customary to peak at the spec sheet and mumble something about “only” being 394 horsepower, but this car is so light and nimble (and direct), that I doubt you’d miss the extra 100 from a Boxster Spyder RS. But I don’t think I’d mind a few extra like the GT4 had…

Engine

This might surprise you, but I’m not a huge fan of a Porsche flat-six engine, and it’s one area where I think BMW simply does it better with their inline motors.

The GTS gets a big (by six-cylinder standards) four-liter motor donated from the 992 911 that has the aforementioned 394 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque (a bit more than the GT4, actually), and it encourages you to beat on it in the all the best ways. Peak torque isn’t until 5,000 RPM, so it can feel a bit lifeless down low. Just rev it to its 7,800-RPM redline, you know you want to.

As you do, a primal scream fills the cabin, as do tiny little vibrations. It’s really good, but if you’ve turned the wheel in a Corvette Z06, it might feel a little short on theatrics. Driving the Cayman for an extended period of time can be tiresome, with its power delivery and buzzy sensations, but I do love getting out of a car from a drive feeling a bit exhausted by it all. Like I put in work.

I want to love this motor, truly. I just feel as if its lacking a bit of refinement. Don’t feel bad, GTS, I’ve said that about a Porsche before.

Transmission

Considering the year we’re in and the fact that you can still buy a new Porsche with a manual transmission at a reasonable (in Porsche terms) price, the row-your-own option is hard to pass up. It made driving the GT4 a really special experience.

But if you do skip it, I understand. This PDK is really good. It’s a bit clunky off the line, but like the motor, it’s a mostly fun experience. Once you get on it, my God does it fire upshifts like the minigun from Predator. Each pull of the aluminum paddles offers a crisp, delicious bite of the 4.0’s power.

Porsche’s PDK transmission remains the best DCT on the market, and it’s one of the things I’ll miss most in an electric version.

Steering and Chassis

The chassis is why you buy this car – it’s perhaps the best I’ve ever experienced.

First the steering, and as is typical of Porsche, it’s direct, offers wonderful feedback, and is actually pretty heavy. Power assist feels minimal – you gotta work for it. Good. It’s easy to forget just how integral the steering feel is to the driving experience after dozens of turns in BMWs and Volvos.

Due to its mid-engine layout and low center of gravity, the Cayman offers a superbly-balanced chassis. Both ends of the car feel as if they have equal grip, and it never overwhelms you. Combined with the steering, you always know exactly what the car is going to do. I wouldn’t call it the grippiest, most G-inducing sports car, but it’s perfect for what you’ll be doing with it.

Even without PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management), the GTS maintains a really well-balanced ride. It never beats you up for being too firm, yet never pulls a dead fish maneuver like your ex when she wasn’t in the mood. Add to the fact that this is among the lightest cars I’ve driven, and the soul-o-meter goes through the roof.

You’ve probably always wanted a 911. But the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 is a better-handling sports car. Sorry, not sorry.

Brakes

Red calipers poking through 20-inch wheels are about the only visual excitement the GTS provides, but the brakes work just as well as the rest of the package.

Six-pot front clamps and four-pot rears bite down on vented discs (carbon ceramics are not an option), and they offer the perfect level of feedback to ensure you’re comfortable going fast within minutes of first driving the car.

The performance of the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 is all about balance. Fast, but not supersonic. Grippy, but won’t pull your face off. It offers more feedback in its chassis than 99% of cars made today, and that 1% costs a lot more. In some ways, it’s a terrific deal, and in others not so much.

Bottom line here is, you won’t be sad when you get in this car. Just avoid the GT4 RS in your neighbor’s driveway. It’s a ten for a reason.

Lifestyle Score: 6. Who you calling tiny?

In order to get inside a Toyota Supra, I must contort my neck in a fashion not really suitable for a soon-to-be 41 year-old man. If you don’t, you learn the hard way by knocking your brain against the roof pillar. Ow. That makes me mad.

And when I sit inside this Porsche, I get even more mad – at everyone else. It’s easy to get into, there’s plenty of room inside for me with a helmet on. Seats fit me perfectly. Why the hell is it so hard for everyone else to make a car that fits? Speaking of seats, Porsche’s carbon fiber buckets are a $6,000 option that look beautiful but are just okay for comfort. Better than BMW M’s seats for sure.

The trunk is on the smaller side, but you also get a frunk in this thing, so there’s no excuse for not taking it to run errands or use it as a getaway car when you rob the bank. And fun fact – if you and your robber friend were both former NFL linemen, you’ll likely exceed the Cayman’s 573-pound weight limit.

Before I end this part, I must mention one thing – the dials behind the steering wheel. No matter how I adjust the seat or the steering wheel, the tachometer is mostly blocked to the point of being unusable. Nissan fixed this nearly 30 years ago on its Z with dials that were attached to the steering column, so when you moved the wheel, everything adjusted at once. Might annoy you if you’re tall like me.

Fuel Economy: 7. Wait, what are you saying?

I’m saying that this sports car gets better mileage without the use of a turbocharger, than most do with.

You might not think it fair to compare a light sports car with say, a BMW M4 that tips the scales with 1,000 extra pounds. And it’s not, but this is my blog so I don’t care. The key here is less weight – if cars weighed less, they would need less power, less complexity and thus less fuel.

As it stands, the GTS 4.0 gets a 21 combined MPG – you will suffer slightly with a manual. Sounds good to me.

Features and Comfort: 4. No substitute. No pretense either.

You know that tagline. And when it comes to driving, it’s quite true. But if you’re looking for even just a smidge of luxury, you’re in for some disappointment.

This. Is. Spartan.

The interior of any Porsche is sort of like building Legos. You can have gauges. Buttons. Seats – pretty much any piece fits inside any car. It’s true that most auto makers work the same way, but aside from a little GTS badge on the shifter, you really have no idea what Porsche you’re in.

We start with some good things. How about that perfectly-sized steering wheel with carbon fiber trim? Actually, maybe not – it’s a bit slippery. Soft-touch leather is everywhere you look, and an Alcantara headliner gives a high-quality feel. It’s much more precise in here than the Chevrolet. A Bose sound system, adaptive sport seats and the Premium Package (folding mirrors and other odds and ends) round out the core essentials.

There is no sunroof, or heated seats. No Apple CarPlay integration, and though I don’t mind the small screen (less distraction), Porsche’s nav system is difficult to use and makes the GTS feel like it was built in 2006. They call the leather “Graphite Blue”, but it’s so dark it might as well be black. Everything else in the cabin certainly is. Blank buttons are everywhere to remind you of what you did not get.

Pathetic.

To be fair, you absolutely can brighten the cabin up – peak the GT4 review to see it dressed in date night clothes. But you should bring money to the Porsche store to achieve the look. Actually, bring even more. It doesn’t feel like $112,000 in here.

Can I say best-looking?

Porsche applies the same logic to the exterior. When everything from a 911 to a Cayenne and Macan share bits, it starts to get silly.

But those bits actually belong on the Cayman, and it has the best proportions of the family. Our example is painted in classic Carrera GT Silver Metallic, and considering paint-to-sample can be $30,000, $650 feels like a steal. The wheels are also painted in silver, which I prefer over black any day.

Not to repeat myself, but as you can see, there’s just not much else to rev the spirit as you walk up to your Cayman, and without the 4.0 badges, only the most eagle-eyed fans would know this is a GTS compared to the base four-cylinder. The GT4 had that spoiler and more aggressive bumpers – enough to give it a special visual appeal. On the GTS there’s lots of unpainted bits, but this isn’t a WRX.

Others sport cars to consider

• BMW Z4 M40i
• BMW M2 Coupe
• Chevrolet Corvette Z06
• Toyota GR Supra
• Nissan Z NISMO

The 2024 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0, and the merits of not giving a damn

Porsche says that at the end of the year, they will stop making the Cayman and Boxster with dinosaur-powered engines. The entire point of this car is that visceral experience, so I’m curious as to how the future will unfold. 2025 seems like a good time to get a Cayman if you’re on the fence.

This car feels impossible to rate. It’s fast, provides one of the best sports car experiences on sale, and will make all your Porsche dreams come true. But to get one you really want, you’re probably going to be spending $120,000, and at that point I’m going to be asking Chevy for a sweetheart deal on a Z06. That’s also base 911 money, a car you might not enjoy driving as much but won’t need to make excuses for.

But if you’re the sort that could care less about Sunday morning huzzahs, about likes and hearts on social media, or about needing the Porsche instead of just a Porsche, the 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 could be for you. It’s a car selfishly meant to  be enjoyed on a back road with no on else around. Clear your head. City lights in the distance. Romantic stuff.

Did I convince you to get a GTS instead of that base model? @Porsche, send royalty checks.

Maybe being the second best Cayman isn’t so bad after all.