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Old 10th October 2016, 17:13   #1
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Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman

The Porsche 718 Cayman will be available later in 2016 at a price of Rs. 80.13 lakhs.

What you'll like:

• An agile mid-engine sports car. Sharp handling is very enjoyable
• Porsche styling evolved over its predecessor, without losing the classic touch
• Fast performance! More power, despite the engine losing 2 cylinders
• A very usable sports car. Can double up as your daily drive
• The Cayman's reliability is generally better than most other sports cars

What you won't:

• Porsche's legendary flat-six engine is gone. New turbo-4 motor sounds nowhere as good
• Styling remains very similar to the outgoing 981; not a distinctly different model
• For now, India won't get the Cayman S (will surely follow later)
• Base model is stripped naked. Optional extras are terribly expensive
• Manual transmission isn't coming to India

Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-gfp_21170854-custom.jpg

Last edited by Aditya : 10th October 2016 at 17:15.
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Old 10th October 2016, 17:13   #2
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Exterior

Brand Porsche has always been synonymous with sporty designs and fast cars. Their racing heritage and signature design lines have been kept intact in over eight decades of existence. Despite venturing into performance family sedans with the Panamera or their SUV range with the Cayenne & Macan, the designers have more or less retained their core styling philosophy across multiple model ranges. In essence, the design still carries impressions of the iconic Volkswagen Beetle.

The Boxster has been in existence for a little over two decades since it made its debut in 1996. It remained Porsche's largest seller until the Cayenne was introduced. After the success of the Boxster range, the Cayman S was derived from it a decade later in 2006, to add a coupé variant to the mid-engined compact sports car range. The first generation 987 Cayman S was revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show and brought out a world of success for what was Porsche's forte; powerful mid-engined sports cars combined with superb balance and handling. A year later, Porsche unveiled a lower variant of the Cayman by dropping the 'S' badge.

2009 saw a facelift on the Cayman with the introduction of new engines boosting power by 25 BHP for the Cayman S, and a 20 horse bump with 200cc additional displacement on the Cayman. Come 2014 and the Cayman is completely reskinned with the introduction of the 981 model series. The Cayman - for the first time since inception - is reskinned from bumper to bumper. The 981 had a distinct resemblance to the outgoing 987, although the new version was 40 mm wider and had a 60 mm longer wheelbase than the 987. Despite the resultant additional metal, generous use of aluminum helped keep the weight in check.

Rumour mills were strife when news broke out in 2015 that Porsche was working on downsizing their legendary flat six motors with flat four cylinder engines employing forced induction to keep the performance figures high. Porsche purists had their worst nightmare come true when the 981 Boxster made way for model number 718 featuring 2.0L and 2.5L turbocharged engines losing 2 cylinders in the bargain!! The coupe was launched 4 months later featuring the same engines as its cousin. 718 models have been rekindled from the '50s 718 Porsches that succeeded the legendary 550 Spyders featuring 4-cylinder engines. The original 718s proved their mettle by winning accolades like three 1st place finishes at the Italian Targa Florio race in Sicily from 1959-60. The 2017 718s also flipped the pricing charts by placing the Cayman lower than the Boxster (similar to the pricing adopted on their flagship 911s). We surely don't agree with dropping the 6-cylinders - even family sedans today have them under the hood. Power aside, you simply can't match the silky smooth nature or exhaust note of a 6-cylinder.

The 718 Cayman carries a ghosting impression of the outgoing 981 model. However, the design bears minor tweaks and turns that are subtly altered. The front bumper is redesigned with a wider centre grill in a trapezoidal layout. The air-dams that feed hidden radiators are sharper with an additional slat in the grill. The front is visibly sharper than the 981. Just like the front airdam slats, the side scoops that feed air into the mid engine bear a multi levelled scoop. A sharp hip-line crest encompasses the doors all the way to the airdams. The rear is more or less carried over with new all-LED tail lamps and a moderately altered bumper with slick lines along the low stuck reflector strips. The diffuser is cut short to expose a larger painted area on the bumper.

A thick Piano Black strip adorns the Porsche moniker. The decals are one of the only ways to tell a Cayman from a Cayman S. Overall, the design remains sporty and fluid, dictating Porsche's design philosophy quite well. The Cayman does have street cred expected out of a sports car. The presence isn't loud and in your face, but soothing and composed. Bling seekers may not be satisfied with the design but for purists, the car remains a decent successor to the 981.

Clean, sharp and subtle from the front three quarters, Porsches have a stance of their own:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-1.jpg

A well-proportioned side profile carrying subtle changes over the 981. Inverted C crest on the side, for example. Look at the rear with the spoiler down and you'll see an impression of the new Beetle there:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-2.jpg

Raised hip lines add to the bulge in the rear three quarters:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-3.jpg

From the rear, the Cayman remains more or less identical to the 981. Pictured here with the rear wing deployed:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-4.jpg

All LED tail-lamps with blackened housings are a welcome change:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-5.jpg

A shot of them illuminated:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-26.jpg

Front housing is similar in shape to the 981, but with a new option of LED or Xenon lights. Four DRLs sticking around the main beams are an optional extra. Notice the headlamp washer stubs sticking out like a sore thumb. It doesn't retract, but can be had in body colour as an optional extra!!
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-6.jpg

Smart 20" rims shod with 235/35 R20 Pirelli PZero rubber. Check out the bright red calipers. The base variant comes with 18" wheels however:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-7.jpg

The rears have wider 265/35 R20 Pirellis - better grip to the driving wheels:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-8.jpg

Reworked bumper vents. The front bumper also houses 4 parking / proximity sensors that are useful when maneuvering the car through tight spots:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-9.jpg

Our test cars came with the sport exhaust option that has twin black / chrome tailpipes in the center:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-10.jpg

Front turn signal neatly housed between the fender and bumper:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-11.jpg

Slick aerodynamic ORVMs:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-12.jpg

They have an 80:20 split and offer decent rearward visibility:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-13.jpg

New air vent design with an additional slat feeds volumes of air to the mid-mounted engine:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-15.jpg

Monograms now move to a thick piano black strip, and along the rear bumper:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-16.jpg

The rear wing at rest:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-17.jpg

Fuel lid is placed on the front right fender. Why? Because the fuel tank is at the front:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-18.jpg

Two boots, one at the rear (shown here) and one under the bonnet. You can push in a small stroller and park a sleek laptop bag in here. Observe the floating parcel tray on the hatch lid. It sits flush over the storage space:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-19.jpg

Doors open fairly wide and feature frameless windows. Shut the door and the window will rise up by an inch automatically:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-20.jpg

Low ground clearance means you have to be prepared to tackle speed breakers in a criss-cross manner:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-21.jpg

Adequate glass area lets in enough light to keep the cabin airy:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-22.jpg

Cayman S with a different set of wheels:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-23.jpg

Both my colour picks for the Cayman :
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08462-custom.jpg

A look at the standard non-LED headlamp cluster. This one gets a single DRL:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08335-custom.jpg

Hatch opens up only on the Cayman. Boxster owners don't get any storage space in the back:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-25.jpg

Last edited by Aditya : 10th October 2016 at 17:15.
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Old 10th October 2016, 17:13   #3
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Interior

Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-high_718_cayman_s_2016_porsche_ag.jpg

The interiors remain more or less untouched when compared to the 981. The entire dashboard and some sections of the doorpad area are covered with soft touch material. Just as it is with Porsches, a variety of interior combinations are available. Our test car wore a nice all-black. Quality of leather is top notch. If you are looking at capacious interior space though, you'll be left disappointed. The cabin is tight on space, yet well laid-out. The seats have 16-way adjustments for reach, height, bolstering, extendable under-thigh support etc. For a rookie, it won't take much effort to find the right driving position. You sit quite low in the seats and frontward visibility is hampered by the relatively high dashboard + low front end. The raised front wings do aid to judge the dimensions of the car, while the proximity sensors come to the rescue in gauging the actual distance from an obstacle. For a newbie, it takes some time to get accustomed to the dimensions.

Two obvious differences in the 718 are an all new steering (similar to the one in the Macan), as also redesigned air vents that have gone circular in shape. Other than that, most of the interior layout is a direct carryover from the outgoing 981. The steering is nice to hold and offers ample adjustments to get the right driving position. Go over the customization options and you can add steering mounted controls, paddle shifters etc to it. However, I loved the plain Jane look of the steering without any clutter on it. The paddle shifters are neatly finished in high quality brushed metal. The instrument cluster shape is again classic Porsche-like. A very useful LCD screen occupies the rightmost corner and helps greatly in keeping your eyes on the road.

Storage spaces are conspicuous by their absence. Typically German on that front; small bits like the door pockets are over engineered. For example, what do you do if you ended up making the door pockets too slim? You make a retracting door for it! A pair of over-engineered bottle holders pop out from the passenger side dashboard. Over-engineering because getting them out and pushing a bottle inside, thereafter securing them with an adjustable strap is an art in itself! The quality without a doubt is topnotch in every nook and corner of the cabin. Even the smallest bits like the console buttons & door handles ooze quality in their appearance and form.

Optional Bose or Burmester audio systems are available on top of the base 8-speaker ICE. A Porsche purist would have enjoyed the whir of the 6 cylinder motor, but in absence of that, you'll love what the 12 speaker Burmester system has on offer. A 12 channel amplifier powers 12 speakers, along with a 300W active subwoofer integrated in the car's body shell (powered by a class D amp). The music system sounds perfect with tight bass and toned highs doled out from ribbon tweeters. Even the finicky audio nut will be happy.

Dashboard is laid out neatly. Look at my favorite steering wheel - no buttons, no clutter. Just the way I like it:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-0-custom.jpg

Speedo on the left and tacho marked to 7400 rpm redline in the center:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-1-custom.jpg

The rightmost section is an LCD screen that displays a variety of information. Maps, trip computer, engine stats & more. G forces too !
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-odo-custom.jpg

The steering wheel is sweet to hold. Well contoured thumb grip adds to the feel. Paddle shifters & integrated buttons are optional (I preferred it without them):
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-2-custom.jpg

A close look at the hornpad. Finishing reeks of quality touches to the minutest of details:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-horn_button-custom.jpg

Steering-mounted controls house a spherical jog dial that is quite intuitive to use:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-switches_merged-custom-custom.jpg

Sport chrono package adds this nifty knob for drive selection (with Sport and Sport+) on the steering wheel:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08575-custom.jpg

Center console has a logical layout:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-center_console-custom.jpg

Tiptronic provided, but no sport mode on the gear lever. Internationally, the Cayman is available with a 6-speed manual; sadly, we won't get that gearbox:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08488-custom.jpg

Traditional Euro lighting switch. While many will complain about the absence of an engine start button, the classic car aficionado in me loved turning the key:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-3-custom.jpg

Electric parking brake makes a racket as it engages the hydraulic brake actuators at the rear:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-4-custom.jpg

Both buttons are for the trunk - one at the front, another at the back!
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-5-custom.jpg

One of the 5 seat options on the Cayman. Fit me like a glove, but too snug for healthier drivers:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-6-custom.jpg

16-way adjustment includes under-thigh support, lumbar, bolstering, reach, rake and height:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-7-custom.jpg

Airbag, neatly packed in the seat. One of 6 in the cabin:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08469-custom.jpg

Memory seats also program individual settings in the key fob:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08473-custom.jpg

Reasonably wide footwell:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08251-custom.jpg

Shallow glovebox holds a document pouch and the USB / AUX ports:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08275-custom.jpg

Over-engineered bottle holders. Procedure to use them:

- Open lid in dashboard
- Unlock cupholders one after the other
- Central portion of the lid unlocks to stow it back in place
- Push bottle into the holder and tighten the brace to secure
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08285-custom.jpg

Smartphone holder with USB port in the center console:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08291-custom.jpg

A small light illuminates here (at the base of the A-pillar) when a car is approaching for an overtake from either side. Very useful if he's in your blind spot:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08580-custom.jpg

Owing to cold German weather, the A/C was barely used. With the gear lever in P, these buttons are hard to reach. Don't miss the SIM card slot:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08501-custom.jpg

The refreshed A/C vents:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08299-custom.jpg

Sexy clock, far ahead on the dashboard:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08303-custom.jpg

ICE interface is easy to operate. A few screengrabs:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-ice_merged-custom.jpg

Parking sensors + camera in action. Front only gets parking sensors:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08507-custom.jpg

Last edited by Aditya : 10th October 2016 at 17:17.
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Old 10th October 2016, 17:13   #4
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Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-porschezoom.jpg

When Porsche drew curtains on the 968 to make way for the Boxster in 1995, they also marked an end to their 4-cylinder motors in production cars. Exactly two decades later, think tanks at Porsche decide to take a step back into history. First, they revived their 718 model series and in the gamble, bring back 4-cylinder motors with forced induction. We call it a gamble because a sports car has seldom been synonymous with 4 cylinders (just like an economy hatchback doesn't sport a 6 cylinder). Stringent emission norms are rattling many premium manufacturers.

The bug hasn't spared the epitome of automotive racing either. Formula 1 has seen a steady decline in cubic capacity since 1987, eventually landing up with 1.6L forced induction engines that probably sound akin to a vacuum cleaner. The only place one can hear the real deal cacophony of F1 engines at 19,000 rpm is on YouTube.

The Boxster and Cayman follow suit in the downsizing game and are now powered by not only smaller displacement engines, but lesser cylinders as well. 718s get 2.0L and 2.5L 4-cylinder Turbo motors. Gone are the 2.7 and 3.4 liter flat-six engines. The displacement is shared with 3-box family sedans now!! The lifesaver however is that there's a turbo strapped onto the exhaust and it does all the heavy lifting to retain and even beat the performance output of the erstwhile 981. Sad reality but small displacement + FI is here to stay. The Cayman gets the smaller 2.0 liter engine, while the Cayman S gets the 2.5.

Driving the 2.0L, turbocharged petrol

Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-engine_2_0.jpg

On paper, the smaller 2.0 engine delivers 300 BHP at 6500 rpm and max torque of 380 Nm between 1950 and 4500 rpm. A significant bump of 25 horses and a massive ~90 Nm torque! What's impressive is that the torque delivery starts off at 1900 rpm, thanks to turbo-charging & direct injection. On normal highway commutes or enthusiastic driving, you'll barely notice the turbo lag. However, drive with a light foot in-city and you can distinctly observe a bit of a hesitation from the engine as the turbo spools up before generating boost.

Power is transmitted down to the wheels with a 6-speed manual or 7 speed dual clutch gearbox called Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK). We did not get a hand at the manual tranny as it won't be coming to India (unfortunately). All our test cars came loaded with the PDK + Sport chrono package. Engineers at Porsche have made a commendable effort to derive every last bit of power from the 4 cylinder motors. The bump up in power sees the 718 reach 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds on the PDK box; add the Sport chrono package and you further shave another 0.2 seconds off your earlier time. Quite remarkable for a smaller engine to take 0.7 seconds off the earlier Cayman 2.7L. Interestingly, the PDK gearbox outshines the manual tranny in all performance aspects. Loaded with launch control and Sport chrono, the gearbox offers lightning quick shifts, with its dual clutch mechanicals working in tandem as you bury the pedal to the floor and 1.4 bars of boost push through the intake. It is highly recommended that you pick the Sport chrono package with the PDK box.

In normal mode, the gearbox is eager to upshift to keep up fuel efficiency figures. As you let go of the throttle, the gearbox is disconnected from the wheels to coast the car in order to chew up miles without burning fuel.

Once I engaged sport mode, it was hard to drive in normal, as the character of the car changes completely with a sharp throttle response and instant power delivery. The gearbox holds onto gears much longer across the rev range. The car packs a powerful mid-range punch....a punch that continues all the way to 6,500 rpm. Fast overtaking manoeuvres are a cake walk. But redlining isn't as much fun as in the straight-6; there is a distinct dip in response past 6,000 rpm. The claimed top speed sees a jump from 264 kmph to 275.

It must have been tough to keep the trademark engine sound similar to bigger motors from erstwhile cars. Our test cars featured an optional Sport exhaust that is distinctly louder than the stock unit. A clear identification to spot a Cayman with a sports exhaust is to find twin tail pipes at the rear. A button on the center console makes the exhaust much louder, but the note isn't 'trademark Porsche-like'. It is more bassy and the crackle pops after you let go of the throttle at high rpm are distinctly louder. That 6-cylinder sweetness at high revvs is sorely missed.

Driving the 2.5L, turbocharged petrol

Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-engine_2_5.jpg

The big brother Cayman S gets the impressive 2.5L motor that is more suited to the dynamics offered by the car. The S motor delivers 350 BHP at 6500 rpm and a massive 450 Nm of torque between 1900 to 4500 rpm. A 25 BHP and ~80 Nm jump from the 981! Extra horses see 100 km/h 0.5 seconds quicker than the standard Cayman @ 4.4 seconds. Add the sport chrono package and you'll see 4.2 seconds!! Top speed is 10 km/h higher at 285. If you are spending big bucks, the Cayman S is the version to get. Porsche isn't getting the S variant to India right now, although we're sure it will follow soon as there is no investment cost in a CBU. It's a simple procedure.

The S - like it's younger brother - has oodles of torque lower down the revv range. Turbo lag isn't prominent and boost kicks in early. As the turbo kicks in, enough thrust is generated to dart the car down freeways - the needle climbs sharply on the speedometer and you'll do silly speeds without even realising it. Mid-range is again power packed and responsive, facilitating fast acceleration as you eat up highway miles.

In both the engine variants, Sport plus mode makes the acceleration aggressive. Plus mode is quite uncomfortable in city speeds and best suited for occasional short bursts on empty motorways or for those weekend track days. There's a fourth mode as well on the dial for individual settings of the driver.

Sport mode stiffens up the suspension (can be done in normal mode too). In non-sport mode, the suspension remains slightly softer and offers a much more comfortable ride on uneven roads. Engage sport mode and the suspension stiffens up to offer razor sharp handling and controlled dynamics. The electro-mechanical steering gives adequate feedback and stiffens up as you go faster. At parking speeds or within town, it is user-friendly & light. A mid-engine placement has always been associated with superior handling and the Cayman is right up there if you'd like a perfect balance between comfort and dynamics. Grip levels are enormous and the chassis shows impeccable poise. It's very easy to drive fast too. This is especially important in India. You can really enjoy a Cayman on highways - that isn't necessarily the case with say, a 600 BHP Lamborghini which is too much for our roads.

The Cayman gets brakes from the 981 Cayman S to bring adequate stopping power. Four piston aluminum calipers bite into 330 mm cross-drilled rotors in the front and 299 mm at the rear. Braking response is sharp and the pedal provides adequate feedback to the driver. The travel on the pedal is nice and sharp. The brakes are confidence inspiring, with enough bite to bring the car to a dead halt. They can shed some serious speed.

The Drive:

Our drive was impeccably planned. The end destination was a quaint little village named Tonbach, close to a town named Baiersbronn. But it wasn't a simple drive from point A to point B. We went crisscrossing the German countryside with a brilliant mix of wide Autobahn roads & medium-width interstate highways. We drove through outbacks with uber-narrow roads to fast corners on German 'ghats' . The Cayman has always had the USP of being an excellent handler and the 718 retains excellence in this area. On hard cornering, you'll be hard-pressed to spot any misbehaviour from the chassis. The direct steering and well-mannered chassis are just the right combo for enthusiastic driving. Crucially, you don't need to do 200 km/h to smile - the Cayman is a car that'll delight you even through 100 km/h corners.

We were split in two groups of 4 and 3 cars respectively. Our group was led by a thoroughbred German motor racing enthusiast who has honed his skills across various motor racing circuits in Europe. The other group was led by a Finnish rally driver who also conducts rally schools back in Finland. We were always on radio with our instructor who would keep us apprised of traffic conditions as well as safety norms. Every instruction 1 mile ahead of us was relayed over the radio to have us enjoy the Cayman to the max. On wide open roads, we were given a go ahead to push the car & truly throw it around. What's commendable is the instructor's dual eye approach - of the road ahead as well as on our convoy. In fast corners, he could instruct a specific car to follow the right lines if he thought it was way off. Quite a feat when you are cornering on narrow mountainous terrains at triple digit speeds.

Even on the limit, the Cayman feels poised and composed, and nothing that you'll be surprised about. High speeds are decently masked. Only signs of enthusiastic driving would show up on the instrument cluster! Throw the car around corners at triple digit speeds and the Cayman makes it look like child's play....just what she was built for. The gearbox gets super active and remains responsive to your right foot. All in all, the car strikes just the right balance between being super fast + controllable (unlike hyper supercars that would scare the wits out of a regular driver). The Cayman makes its power & dynamics very accessible.

Our instructors from the "Porsche Experience Group":
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-14.jpg

A glimpse of the roads that led to our hotel. Not a single stretch was straight:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-1.jpg

Comfort halt at a dam where we also swapped cars to experience the various customizations on each Cayman:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-2.jpg

Quaint little villages dotted our drive:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-3.jpg

The German countryside. Just look at the road quality:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-4.jpg

Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-5.jpg

Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-6.jpg

Our lunch halt was at a castle converted to a hotel:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-8.jpg

Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-9.jpg

Huge grapevines in this scenic location:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-10.jpg

The Caymans were driven right into the castle:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-11.jpg

Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-12.jpg

Last edited by Aditya : 10th October 2016 at 17:22.
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Old 10th October 2016, 17:13   #5
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The Smaller yet Significant Things

See the body-coloured headlamp washer? That's again a customization option for additional $$$. Standard washer is in chrome (pictured earlier):
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08190-custom.jpg

Attention-to-detail - Smartkey is Cayman shaped!
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08342-custom.jpg

The simple kind of steering I prefer (v/s all the cluttered multi-function ones):
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08628-custom.jpg

Burmester speakers:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08222-custom.jpg

And the other Bose option:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08476-custom.jpg

Uniquely, the door pocket opens up to accommodate stuff:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08475-custom.jpg

Two small covers on the hatch first appear to be strut caps, but they are actually for periodic maintenance. Oil filler on the LHS and water cap on the RHS:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08527-custom.jpg

Obviously no damping under the hood as there's no engine here! Still, we wish there was some kind of cover as this looks rather crude & unfinished:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08265-custom.jpg

Very useful boot at the front. It can easily accommodate a 158 cm suitcase for those airport runs (although we don't see a Cayman ever being used to go to the airport in India):
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08262-custom.jpg

A pair of safety vests are provided, in line with Euro regulations:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08278-custom.jpg

Only in Germany! "Disco dial" (parking clock) which you use to show what time you parked (more details in 14000rpm's post below):
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08282-custom.jpg

Tyre repair kit and tow hook. No spare wheel in the Cayman makes it impractical for highway runs in India. Better you get a space saver:
Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-dsc08635-custom.jpg

Disclaimer: Porsche invited Team-BHP for the Cayman test-drive. They covered all the travel expenses for this driving event.

Last edited by GTO : 11th October 2016 at 10:47.
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Old 10th October 2016, 17:28   #6
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Re: Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Test-Drives Section. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 10th October 2016, 19:59   #7
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Re: Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman

Very well written review and the photographs and the country side is just amazing.
OFF Topic:
I dont want to hijack this thread. But in one of the snaps, I see an immaculately maintained W124. It gives an amazing company to 718. Love that shot.
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Old 10th October 2016, 20:04   #8
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Re: Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman

Very nice review moralfibre. Rating it 5*

Quote:
Originally Posted by moralfibre View Post
See the body-coloured headlamp washer? That's again a customization option for additional $$$.
Knowing out obsession with chrome, isn't better to do the opposite?
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Old 10th October 2016, 20:05   #9
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Re: Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman

Wasn't expecting this here so soon. Well done with the review and you got that right. The best steering is one with no buttons whatsoever. Keep it clean, keep it classy. Though the volume button is a help, but driving a monster on wheels id rather keep it clean.

Again the biggest problem here with Porsche is the optional extra. The 718 at 80 lakhs sounds rather tempting but once you start looking at them extras and choose what you want, that price reaches new heights. I honestly feel they need to start spacing the base models much better. How can one expect an 80 lakh car without memory seats or other such features?

PS, that headlamp washer is absolutely ugly once again. Dint they receive enough criticism already for this?
Also, do you, moralfibre, by any chance have a list of what's offered on the base model being sold here in India in terms of equipment? Or does anyone else have this for that matter?

Last edited by mijnoirhammer67 : 10th October 2016 at 20:20.
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Old 10th October 2016, 20:06   #10
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Re: Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman

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Originally Posted by vasanthjn View Post
OFF Topic:
I dont want to hijack this thread. But in one of the snaps, I see an immaculately maintained W124. It gives an amazing company to 718. Love that shot.
That's actually a W202 C-class . Thanks!
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Old 10th October 2016, 20:22   #11
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Re: Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman

Superb review! Fantastic car and beautiful German B-roads to play with. Oh how I envy you!
The Cayman is one of my favourites as it strikes the perfect balance between power and handling, with that sublime chassis. A mid-engined 911, if you will, albeit without the big brother's tail-happy shenanigans.
It's great to see global automotive giants like Jaguar, Porsche, Skoda,etc. take note of TBHP, and invite for their global launches. Way to go!
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Old 10th October 2016, 21:22   #12
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Re: Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman

Quote:
The Porsche 718 Cayman will be available later in 2016 at a price of Rs. 80.13 lakhs.
These prices look competitive, considering it's a CBU. With reasonable loadings, it should be around 1 Cr ex-showroom. Any idea when will Porsche India dealers start taking orders?
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Old 11th October 2016, 01:22   #13
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Re: Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman

A crisp, well-written report, Mr. Fibre.

Everything about the new Cayman is fantastic, nearly.

It looks great, the interiors are superb and it packs quite a punch. It's the quintessential drivers' car. And now that it's turbocharged, the drivability has improved a great deal, thereby making it an even more practical option than before.

The only real complaint, and it's one that's unanimous, is that it simply doesn't sound good at all. It's a nice, industrial exhaust note that's similar to the Impreza, by the virtue of it being a boxer-4, but it's no where near as sweet as the naturally aspirated flat-six. IMO, the NA Boxer-6 makes one of the best engine-exhaust notes as far as internal combustion engines are concerned. And Porsche sapped some of its soul by lobbing off those two cylinders.

Even if they absolutely had to go down the forced-induction route, I wonder why they couldn't use the 991.2 Carrera's twin-turbo flat-six? Even though it's muted and does not howl like the pre-facelift 991-911 / 981 Cayman, it still retains some of that characteristic exhaust-note.

They say that the extra plumbing for the turbos just wouldn't fit and that they had to reduce the engine's size for packaging purposes. I say boo-hoo. 4-cylinders is for hatchbacks and only milk / juice comes in 2-liters.
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Old 11th October 2016, 01:23   #14
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Re: Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman

Quote:
Originally Posted by moralfibre View Post

Only in Germany! Parking timers can be placed in the car to notify other road users about your tentative arrival time. Such a sweet thing to have:
Attachment 1564709
Actually this is called a 'Disco Dial' for parking timer. this is not to indicate what time you arrive but to note what time you started parking. Most parking spots in cities in Europe have a time limit on parking. if it is a 1 Hr only spot, one has to mark the time of parking on this dial. when the parking inspector comes, he/she sees the time on the dial & checks with current time. If the difference exceeds limit, said car attracts a fine.

Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman-stockphotoparkingsignwithtimelimitonehourisolatedonwhite229474213.jpg

Above pic should make it clear.

it is not uncommon to find people being conscious and change the time on dial when they reach upper limit. By people, I mean Europeans included and not just us Indians.
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Old 11th October 2016, 02:20   #15
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Excellent review there @Moralfibre. Would it be possible to reveal the dates when the drive was conducted? The reason I ask is I too was driving in the Freudenstadt region, driving on the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse from Freudenstadt to Baden Baden yesterday and did come across a fleet of about 4-5 Porsches on the same route. I'm just wondering if it was you guys
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