Redlining the Porsche Cayman GTS

Redlining the Porsche Cayman GTS

Even the stripped-out, diamond-hard 2011 Cayman R made do with 11bhp and 7lb ft less than this, and took four tenths longer to hit 62mph. None of which really helps classify this wonderful introduction, because despite all that, the Cayman GTS isn’t a replacement for the old ‘R

Over and above ‘S’ specification, the GTS adds 20in alloy wheels, a retuned PASM adaptively damped suspension setup with 10mm taken out of the normal ride height, Porsche’s Sport Chrono package with dynamic engine mounts, sports seats ‘plus’, bi-xenon cornering headlights, a sports exhaust, special bumper styling, a new rear spoiler and a sportier-looking steering wheel.

For that, as well as the revisions to the cylinder head that produces the additional 15bhp and 7lb ft of torque, Porsche charges a premium of just under 10 grand. But add as much of that as possible as optional kit on a Cayman S and you’ll end up within just $1200 of the Cayman GTS’ price anyway.

You’ll value quality over quantity of performance to justify spending 81k on a Cayman – but that’s all part of the appeal. This is, after all,BMW M4 money – and the BMW is half-a-second quicker to 62mph, and probably quicker still in real-world conditions thanks to all that twin-turbocharged torque.

The car isn’t breathtakingly quick, but every bit as fast as a sports car intended to be driven on the road in 2016 needs to be – and rowing your way up and down the box for sharper corners and overtakes only makes the driving experience more vivid.