Porsche 718 Cayman – Now Leaner and Meaner, Coming to Malaysia End 2016

The Porsche 718 Cayman follows in the footsteps of its 718 Boxster sibling by leaning out on the cylinder count and lacing up with more power. Just weeks after the debut of the new 718 Boxster, the Cayman now joins the fray with the introduction of the 718 Cayman and Cayman S models.

The 718 Cayman in powered the same new four-cylinder flat engines with turbocharging as found in the 718 Boxster. As a result, both coupé and roadster have identical engine outputs for the first time.

The 718 Cayman gets the ball rolling with 2.0-litre flat-four, turbocharged to produce 300bhp and a torque rating of up to 380Nm available between 1,950rpm and 4,500rpm. The figures are up 25bhp and 90Nm up over the previous 981–series Porsche Cayman while the claimed (combined) NEDC fuel consumption figures now read 7.4 – 6.9 l/100 km.

The Cayman S draws power from a 2.5-litre flat-four utilising variable turbine geometry (VTG) technology (previously only available in the Porsche 911 Turbo) to produce a whopping 350bhp and  up to 420 Nm to the crankshaft anywhere between 1,900 and 4,500 rpm. Additionally a wastegate is used for the first time to manage steady turbo boost pressures. The 718 Cayman S’ combined fuel consumption are claimed at 8.1 – 7.3 l/100 km

When equipped with the PDK gearbox and optional Sport Chrono Package the 718 Cayman sprints from zero to 100km/h in 4.7 seconds, all the way to a top speed of 275kph. The 718 Cayman S completes the century sprint in just 4.2 seconds, finally topping out at 285kph.

Further improvements have been honed in the chassis setup of the 718 Cayman, lateral rigidity and wheel tracking have been improved in the completely retuned chassis of the 718 Cayman. The springs and stabilisers have been designed to be firmer and the tuning of the shock absorbers has been revised. The rear wheels are 12.7mm wider than the predecessor and the redeveloped tyres is said to increase lateral force potential and improve dynamic cornering stability.

Driving dynamics options such as the Sport Chrono Package and Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) allow for further customisation of the 718 Cayman’s driving characteristics. Add on the optional Porsche Active Stability Management (PASM) which allows for a 10mm lowering of the ride height and in the Cayman S; a 20mm lowering of the ride height for the first time. The Sport Chrono Package is controlled via a switch on the steering wheel and calls up four-different drive modes now namely “Normal”, “Sport”, “Sport Plus” and the “Individual” setting.

The braking systems in both variants have been uprated. The 718 Cayman will utilise 330mm anchors in the front and 299mm discs at the rear such as the units found on the previous (981-series) Cayman S model, while the 718 Cayman S pinches the brakes right off the Porsche 911 Carrera catalogue. Four-piston callipers now reside in the Cayman S clamping on 6mm thicker brake discs.

The appearance of the 718 Cayman has been updated with a sleeker profile all round. At the front, a sharper front fascia accentuated by slim front lights positioned above the significantly larger air intakes, now contain the parking lights and indicators. Bi-xenon headlights are integrated with LED daytime running lights while LED headlights with four-point daytime running lights are available as a new option.

Round the sides, striking wings and side sills now compliment the prominent air intake ducts leading up to the rear haunches. An accent strip that runs the length between the redesigned tail-lamps form a prominent focal point round the back. The tail-lights themselves boasts ‘3D’ technology where four brake spots seemingly appear to float freely.

Inside the cabin, the upper regions of the dash panel including the air vents are new. The new sport steering wheel echoes 918 Spyder’s design while connectivity options are better than ever with the inclusion of the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) as a standard feature.

The 718 Cayman and 718 Cayman S is scheduled to be launched in Malaysia by the end of 2016.