Porsche 718 Cayman – Back to Basics

Porsche 718 Cayman, €99,983

Now, people with less purchasing power in particular are experiencing disadvantages from the general price increases in the past period, but that does not mean that inflation cannot be seen in the catalog of a brand such as Porsche. Where a 911 Carrera of the 991.2 generation – so between 2015 and 2019 – still had to raise at least €120,000, the 911 range now starts at over €164,000. The Panamera can take home from about €149,000, the 718 Boxster for just a little more (€2,100) than a 718 Cayman. The latter is ‘bald’ for €98,273 in the price lists, but that does not include the preparation costs of €1,710. Porsche still charges that, making the effective starting price €99,983.

That makes the 718 Cayman – not counting the Boxster – by some distance the cheapest Porsche with a combustion engine. The starting price without roadworthiness costs for the electric Taycan is lower at €93,600. However, you do not have to pay bpm for that car, while the bpm sum for the Cayman is €35,538. This is thanks to its 2-liter four-cylinder boxer with turbo. It produces 300 hp, good for a 0-100 of 4.9 seconds, a 0-200 of 18.1 seconds and a peak of over 270 km / h.

The Porsches 718 Cayman and Boxster are the only two models in which that engine was and will be delivered. From the S variants of the two, the block has a capacity of 2.5 liters, the versions above that get a six-cylinder. So you buy a nice and unique engine that has never been used in another model for your just-no-ton. In addition, the next Cayman will be fully electric, so we expect that the block will not come back. Anyone who is sharp will notice that the Macan also comes with a four-cylinder. That block, however, is one with the cylinders in line. Anyway.

For over €500 extra you get two round pipes instead of one larger, trapezoidal one.

What’s on and on?

Now, a choice of engine is also discussed in other editions of Back to Basics, but where this is often followed by the choice of a trim level, this is not the case with Porsche. The standard equipment is indeed related to the choice of an S, GTS or, for example, a GT4, but where those choices mainly say something about the amount of power, we can hardly characterize them as equipment levels. For all of them, there is quite a bit to be desired in terms of functionalities after opting for the motorization. Even something like heated seats or climate control is always an option – and that’s not the only thing.

What you always get in a 718 Cayman, and therefore also if the price paid is under 100,000 euros, are manual air conditioning, an infotainment system with DAB radio, Bluetooth, navigation (no Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which are not available at all) and eight (!) speakers, electrically adjustable backrests, a leather-covered steering wheel without controls, rear window heating and heated side mirrors. That’s it. There are no option packages, so everything you’re missing now is available as a separate option. That means that assembling a 718 Cayman is not something you just do.

Even the color of the logos on the hub caps can therefore be changed – at an additional cost.

Decoration

Everything costs extra. And then really everything. Automatic air conditioner? €805. Seat heating? €440. Floor mats? €113. Cruise control? €339. Adaptive cruise control? €1,635 (and only available in combination with a vending machine). So we can continue for a while. The point is that things that are easily part of the equipment in regular volume models, require an extra investment here. Even ordinary things such as an automatically dimming interior mirror only leave the showroom at an additional cost.

As far as the decoration is concerned, the same applies to almost everything, although on the other hand the possibilities – even with a ‘basic’ 718 Cayman – are almost endless. You can change the color of every element on the inside and outside via the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur programme. If you turn your nose up at that and you want the base, then your Cayman stands on 18-inch wheels and is wrapped in a unilak. There is, however, a choice available: red, yellow, white and black are all ‘free’. The interior of a 718 without extra cost is black or dark gray.

On an adventure in the configurator

So far you’ve seen and read about what a basic 718 Cayman looks like and about the usual suspects who are and who are not. However, such an extensive list of options as Porsche’s offers more things to highlight. Porsche’s options can roughly be divided into four categories: interior, exterior, equipment and technology. The latter include, among other things, a PDK automatic transmission, adaptive dampers, a limited-slip differential and an automatic double-throttle function when downshifting. Not unusual, but it is striking that they are also available on a non-S, -T or -GTS.

There are eight speakers hidden in this interior. The standard seats are partly wrapped in Alcantara.

Things are a lot more remarkable in the ‘exterior’ category. A metallic paint is not terribly expensive from €944, but if you want one in a color of your choice, you have to pay almost €10,000. Do you want the Porsche logo in color instead of black and white on the hub caps? €171 please. Window frames in glossy black or aluminum color cost €428, another exhaust piece €565, LED headlights with the characteristic four dots €1,608. The latter is not too bad, also because the standard dipped and high beams are ‘only’ bi-xenon, with simple LED daytime running lights.

Which is also not too bad (but still a special feature): the additional price for a larger petrol tank. Only €127 extra and Porsche does not hang a 54-, but 64-liter tank under your Cayman. Always do, we think. You should also pay attention to the free options when composing. For example, anti-theft wheel bolts and a cargo net in the passenger footwell are things that are not standard, but can be added free of charge. What is special is that an alarm system costs a lot extra, as does a leather folder for the instruction booklet (€403!). A leather-finished cover for the fuse box is a bit cheaper at €277, but … a what, you said?

You understand: we can go on about the gigantic list of options. But what strikes you most when diving into the Porsche configurator? Let me know in the comments.