What’s that sound? That four-cylinder lub-lub-lub? Oh, that’s the sound of Porsche flushing Boxster and Cayman sales down the toilet.
It’s a Sunday afternoon, and I’m sitting astonished in an idling $85k Porsche 718 Cayman GTS. Long-forgotten memories of my grandmother’s Kubota tractor are stirred by the 718’s four-pot putt-putt-putt exhaust note. I love my grandmother, and I love the similar-sounding Subaru STI, but this is not a noise that should come out of a slinkily sexy Cayman! Damn it, Porsche! How could you have replaced the Grammy-worthy flat-six from the 981 Cayman with this four-cylinder? Is this some ploy to force me up-market and into a Cayman GT4 or 911?
Breathe in, breathe out, calm down. It’s no surprise that the four-cylinder spoils the party. We all make mistakes. Let’s take this test drive as a chance to explore the merits of the 718’s chassis.
(Speaking of mistakes, I’m in the process of making one right now. I just wrapped up a 2019 911 Carrera S test drive, and now I’m getting into the little-sibling 718 GTS. Moving from the fancier 911 to the more basic 718 casts the 718 in a harsher light.)
The gear shift slots into Drive, and the gas pedal is lightly depressed; I’m out of the dealership lot and headed straight for the highway.
I’m immediately pleased with the steering feel in the 718 GTS. Impacts from bumps and lane-line reflectors are clearly communicated in the wheel, as is the changing load at the front tires. Yes, this steering is definitely more lively than the 991.2 Carrera S’s and more in line with what I remember from the 991.2 C2 and 992 C2S. Tires could be a factor: the 718 GTS rides on Michelin Pilot Sport 4Ss while the 991.2 S wore Pirelli’s.
Upon reaching the highway entrance, I squeeze the gas, and the 718 GTS thrums down the ramp. The 718 GTS engine is good for 365 hp and 309 lb-ft, but it doesn’t feel urgent after the 420 hp and 389 lb-ft of the 991.2 S. Furthermore, the little turbo-four from the 718 GTS lacks the 991.2 S’s tight throttle response and exciting rise to redline. Regardless, a glance down at the speedometer reveals that I’m unintentionally doing 90 mph. The 718 GTS is faster than it feels!
With the engine turning at 3k rpm and the loud exhaust activated, there’s the threat of engine drone in the cabin. Normal mode graciously gags the exhaust, erasing the engine noise and just leaving wind and tire whir. Now I can cruise comfortably, enjoying the sublime steering and covering ground.
But not for long. In a few short minutes, I’m back at Flynn Road, the little country squiggle where I can saw at the 718’s wheel. The undulating—and slumping—road traces the banks of the dry creek bed. The steering resistance ebbs and flows as the front tires are loaded and unloaded by frequent heaves and camber changes. This might be the only praise I have for the 718 GTS, so I’ll pile it on in heaps: I love the EPAS steering feel in this car! It communicates tire forces with the clarity of a light-nosed 911. (Just not the 991.2 S; that 911 was tight-lipped on this same tarmac.)
I pick up the pace as we exit the ravine and meander over the hills. Black cattle stand in stark contrast to the blond grass. Enormous windmills whirl around in the distance; their slender white blades are pushed by the wind’s invisible hand.
As hard as Flynn kicks at the tires, the 718 GTS is never disturbed by the bumps. The ride quality is exceptional, even in the firmest suspension mode! (I softened the 991.2 S’s suspension for Flynn.)
Whipping through the corners, I am feeling body roll in the 718 GTS that was absent in the 991.2 S. It’s a subtle difference—and one that is mostly intellectual, like comparing the flatness of Kansas and Florida—but the 718 does tip where the 991.2 did not.
After sampling Flynn Road, it’s time to return to the dealership. I glide back down the highway, then attack the final cloverleaf exit. The 718 GTS’s turn-in is very good but no match for the sport-package 991.2 S’s Rottweiler bite. Both cars can be tucked down to the apex with a throttle lift, but the 718 GTS has a more natural (familiar?) balance through the center of the corner. Adding throttle makes the 718 GTS flirt with oversteer; gassing the 991.2 S, with its indefatigable rear grip, is more likely to push the car into understeer.
Why did I drive the 991.2 S first?!! In any other context, the 718 GTS’s handling would be exemplary.
Back at the dealership, the friendly salesman asks me what I think of the 718 GTS. Unfortunately, it’s not for me, and the four-cylinder is to blame. No wonder this 718 GTS sat on the lot for a year and has been marked down $10k from its $95k MSRP.
To build a dream car from today’s drives, I’d mate the 718 GTS’s steering to the 991.2 S’s engine and suspension. That could put me in a six-cylinder 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 or GT4, but the most literal way to grant my wish would be to hand me the keys to a 992 Carrera S.
Mike's Steering Column 