Why this could be the world’s best sports car

This brand is known to make some of the finest cars in the world, and its newest sports car could just be the greatest it has ever built.

Photo of the 2020 Porsche Cayman 718 GTS

This is the best new Porsche money can buy.

A bold call indeed, but the 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 is everything a true sports car should be: fast, engaging, beautiful, affordable (by sports car standards) and able to be used every day. A proper Porsche.

Yet barely anyone will buy one. In Australia, almost four out of five Porsche shoppers choose the Cayenne or Macan SUVs, massively eclipsing buyers of sporty 911s, Caymans and Boxsters.

The Porsche Cayman 718 GTS could be the ultimate driver’s car.

The ‘4.0’ badge on the Cayman — or Boxster convertible — is the important bit. A few years ago these two-door, two-seaters ditched their traditional naturally-aspirated six-cylinder engines (except for the track-honed GT4) and fitted turbocharged four-cylinders instead.

Great for performance and emissions, not so good on the acoustics front. The soul just wasn’t there, despite how brilliantly they drove.

The GTS 4.0 is made with the purist in mind. Four-litres and not a turbo in sight, plus a burbling, hairy-chested exhaust note that’s easy to mistake for a 911.

“We have to acknowledge there were a lot of 718 (Cayman and Boxster) owners of previous generations who owned the six-cylinder and wanted another,” said Porsche Australia’s Chris Jordan. “With this new 4.0 grade we’ll see a lot of existing owners upgrading to a new one now the GTS is six-cylinders, and it repositions the GTS in the range as well.”

Four out of five Porsches sold in Australia is an SUV.

The Cayman ($113,100), Cayman S ($135,500), Boxster ($115,900) and Boxster S ($138,300) still use four-cylinder turbo engines; the Cayman GTS 4.0 ($172,000) and Boxster GTS 4.0 ($174,800) a pure six-cylinder, as do the elegant 718 Spyder ($196,800) and raw Cayman GT4 ($206,600).

So the GTS 4.0 models aren’t exactly “affordable” to most, but are a darn sight cheaper than entry to the 911 Club, which these days is at least $236,300.

For many, a Cayman or Boxster is the smarter choice. A 911 has two extra seats but they’re practically useless for humans, and the mid-mounted engine in the two-seaters equates to sublime balance and driving joy.

The Cayman GT4 is a lot less expensive than a 911.

The GT4 is a bit savage for everyday life — and its rear wing far from subtle — while a GTS 4.0 is happy to cruise town or highways without jackhammering your spine, its suspension supple enough to disguise most road imperfections.

The ride may be softer, but the car itself is far from soft. The engine is a brute when opened up, at its best in the mid-range where you’re hit with a surge of torque that lasts till the screaming 7800rpm maximum. It costs a lot more than the four-cylinder but the soundtrack and analog feel is worth every penny.

The interior quality and finish is what you’d expect from a $200,000 car.

It changes direction in a delightfully nimble way, belying that full-fat engine, while the steering, brakes and feedback given to the driver make it a very easy thing to trust as you push harder. Skinnier and lighter than a 911, the 4.0 GTS feels a more approachable performance tool, on road and track.

Only six-speed manual versions are on sale now, but early next year an extra $5000 buys a twin-clutch PDK version. The latter may hit 100km/h in 4 seconds versus the three-pedal’s 4.5 seconds, but quicker doesn’t mean better. The sublime, mechanical-feeling manual is an integral part of this sportscar’s experience.

The Cayman GTS isn’t perfect though, you’ll need to tick a few options to get the full experience.

You’ll be lucky to escape with a bill under $200,000 on the road. The red paint on our Cayman 4.0 GTS was $5000, keyless entry and start $1470 and lane change assist $1220. The carbon and Alcantara cabin finish may be delightful, but is part of a near-$10,000 pack.

Compare the price to certain rivals — including the Alpine A110 (from $97,000) and BMW M2 Competition ($102,900) — and it looks dear, but the Cayman and Boxster are arguably in a class of their own in GTS 4.0 guise.

These are the two-seater Porsches the people wanted. Very few may buy them, but thank heavens they exist.

PORSCHE BOXSTER/CAYMAN GTS

Price: From about $187,500 (Cayman) or $190,500 (Boxster) drive-away

Engine: 4.0-litre flat six-cylinder, 294kW/420Nm

Warranty/servicing: 3-yr unl’td km, about $2590 for 3 years

Safety: Not rated, 2 airbags, rear camera, parking sensors front and rear

Thirst: 11L/100km

Cargo: 270L (Cayman) 120L (Boxster) plus 150L front.

Spare: Repair kit

Originally published as Why this could be the world’s best sports car