The good old rumour mill proposed all kinds of scenarios as to how Porsche was going achieve this, many convinced that it would just slot in VW’s ubiquitous 2-litre, 4-cylinder turbo unit as found in… well everything really.
Oh, ye of little faith! The solution that remained true to Porsche’s heritage, was, of course a flat-four. A chopped down flat-six then? No! Porsche pretty much developed an all new flat-four engine in 2-litre and 2.5-litre capacities and turbocharged to produce 300bhp and 350bhp respectively.
In a nod to the four-cylinder racers of the early late 50s and early 60s, Porsche revived the 718 name. Of course, plenty were very cynical (us included), but also like us at the time, they had probably never driven a 718 Cayman (or Boxster). Truth is, both engines have had a transformative on road effect to both models, no they’re not as soulful or sonorous as the outgoing flat sixes in the 981, however, they do make a much better job of propelling the eco and emissions mandated, ultra tall gear ratios, that all Porsches are saddled with these days, especially in manual gearbox spec. The turbo charging brings a massive dollop of mid-range torque to the party in both the 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre, and the numbers don’t lie. As it’s the 718 Cayman S we have here, let’s compare and contrast between the outgoing 981 S and 718 S. Taking former with 321bhp@7400rpm and 273lbs/ft torque @ 4750rpm – 6000rpm v the latter with 350bhp@6500rpm and 310lbs/ft torque @ 1900rpm-5500rpm, you can see the 4 cylinder car could be considerably quicker, and it is! 0-60mph comes up in 4.1secs, which six tenths quicker, than the outgoing 6 cylinder model. Its also the same time as a 997 GT3 fitted with the holy grail Mezger engine in its rump. And wait for it…. mid range torque is identical to a 718 Cayman fitted with the latest 4.0 flat six before going onto to nearly 180mph flat out! There are more geeky number too, as it achieved a 7 minute 46.7 second lap time at the Nurburgring, which puts it on level pegging with a Jaguar XJ220, Lamborghini Gallardo Superlegarra or Ferrari 599GTB Fiorano! Even the most cynical of us, cant argue with those impressive numbers.
So the 4 cylinder 718 Cayman, particularly in S form really does have the power to give the sublime mid-engined chassis a proper workout.
Silver Dream Machine Which brings us rather neatly to this highly specified 718 S finished in Rhodium Silver Metallic.
First registered in 2016 via Porsche Centre Kendal, it is currently showing just 20,000-miles, with two previous owners and the first not holding back on the options, either, as you can see, below. Servicing has been taken care of by Porsche Centre and Porsche Specialists, most recently by our friends at Reason Porsche, Ipswich. Clearly with such low mileage, this has been entirely routine.
The highlights? Well aesthetically it’s a fantastic colour, complimented by contrasting anthracite 20in Carrera S wheels and a black leather interior with aluminium detailing to lighten the mood.
But, of course, we’re more interested in the performance enhancements. 350bhp from the 2.5-litre flat-four is a given, but also we have PASM and Sports Chrono Plus, with all the benefits to suspension and throttle mapping. Dynamic engine mounts (PADM) too. Sure some might pine for a manual, but Porsche’s seven-speed PDK really suits the turbo flat-four and say it quietly, but quicker through the gears than a manual too!
Anything else of note? Cruise control is handy, the18 way electrically adjustable heated sports seats are supremely comfortable and the Bose premium sound system a very welcome option together with whilst Bi-Xenon and dynamic cornering lighting, will surely light your way on the darkest of nights. An extensive list of options is detailed below.
On the road Just lovely, thanks! Not only is the 718 mid-engined, but the boxer engine drops the centre of gravity too, which you can really feel in the handling. One of the best mid-engined chassis at any price? Yes, absolutely.
In Summary Be in no doubt, this is a serious performance car, and with just under 20,000 careful miles from new, effectively presents in a condition very close to when it left the factory. The gutsy flat-four might not be as sonorous as a six, but it has genuine real world grunt, that when combined with the excellent chassis and compact dimensions, makes it probably one of the quicker A-B road cars the company has produced, and its certainly more inspiring to pedal hard, for more of the time than a current 911, when used on our typical UK roads.
A genuine drivers car and a proper Porsche then? after our initial reservations all those years ago, we think so.
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