After dreaming about Porsche ownership for over 40 years, it has finally happened. Previous to the Cayman, I decided to try what was on offer from Europe, in the form of a Golf R Mk7.5 and then a 2018 Audi RS3. Both cars impressed me with their build quality and performance, but the Cayman really shines in the handling and overall quality built into the car.
Previous to the European experiment, I had a succession of Holdens, sedans and then Ute's, all of which were good, reliable transport.
Being a base Cayman 718, it is the entry level car of the 718 Model, and this particular car was a Dealer floor stock car, so it was not heavily optioned, which made the drive away cost slightly less eye watering than if I had ordered on with multiple options. Performance is comparable to the Golf R in a straight line, but where it really shines is in the way it handles.
Weighing in at 1365kg, it is quite a bit lighter than both the Golf and the RS3, and the power /torque is similar to the Golf and about 100HP less than the RS3, so it really has go cart like handling and feels very nimble and I certainly don't feel like I'm missing out on the performance front. Around Town it drinks 98RON at about 9.5l/100k and easily returns 7.5/100k or better on a trip, depending on how you drive it.
Creature comforts are good, with the best seats I have ever sat in ( 14 way adjustable option ) and great aircon. Storage is adequate in the Cabin, but having both a font and rear " boot " it can swallow up and amazing amount of bags...but of the soft variety to make best use of the available space.
It is not a large car, so is very easy to wash and keep looking good. Fit and finish are excellent, with no rattles or squeaks after 6 months of ownership.
The car was optioned up by the Dealer with a 20 inch wheel option, the 14 way electric seats, the GT steering wheel, smokers package ( only to get you an extra 12V socket ) and sundry other small options, but that still pushed the driveaway cost up to an attention getting cost north of $140K. Porsche option prices are legendary, and you can easily option your way right into the next model Cayman S territory by ticking boxes.
The drivers seating position is near perfect, but it is a long way down...if you have a bad back , or are carrying a few extra kilos, best try one on for size before committing !
Negatives....the cost, but it is what it is, and the tyre roar on the 20 inch wheels/tyre combo on coarse chip bitumen roads. That's about all I have on my " Cons " list so far.
Was it worth the 40 plus year wait and the cost...Yep.
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