2019 Porsche 718 Cayman S
With a sports car you need a few things: looks, speed, relative comfort and noise. Fuel economy, while important, isn't really a concern for most Porsche buyers -- and if it is, a Prius will do just fine. With the 718 Cayman S, Porsche's managed to get nearly all of the key points right, with one glaring misstep. Let's start with the good bits, shall we? With every new iteration of a car there's always going to be a fresh look. It can be minor or quite significant. The 718 Cayman's facelift is somewhere between the two. It's still recognizably a Cayman, keeping a familiar silhouette, but it's more refined than its curvy predecessor. Most noticeably, its front end now has a sharper nose that announces the car rather nicely. Its sides and rear have been firmed up as well, with the rear being given some smoothing cream. The only part of the exterior that may cause people to recoil is the needless black strip with "Porsche" emblazoned along it. It looks a bit aftermarket. In fact, only bits of roof and hood are shared with the outgoing car.
The rest is all new. The cockpit has been given a gentle going-over as well. The biggest change is the infotainment system -- where once there was a clunky interface, there's now a shiny 7-inch touchscreen with a fresh UI. You can control the inputs with traditional button presses from the center console, but the screen itself is a joy to prod. It's fast, intuitive and responds well. It comes with Apple CarPlay, so if you're an iPhone type, you're in luck. Both the trunk and frunk have enough space for hefty (if squishy) bags, and there are a few cubbyholes in the cabin for phones and the like. Porsche says the 718 Cayman (I'm going to stop writing the '718' bit now for reasons that'll become apparent later) is a usable sports car for every day duty. In this respect, it is. So far, so pretty. What about the comfort? Well, depending on what you spec, there are a number of settings.
Flip the switch to Sport mode and the car gets a little angry -- the steering gets heavier, the tailpipes sing a little louder, and the throttle response sharpens up. However, the real fun happens in Sport Plus. Take all you get with Sport, throw in a more sport-oriented ride, and it feels like a proper sports car, the kind of car you thought cars felt like when you were a kid. Direct, tight, fast, fun. Porsche. You can even knock the stability control down a notch to get some lateral movement out of it if you're feeling brave. The Cayman's steering is phenomenal. No, it's not as sharp as the good ol' days before electrical assistance, but it works well. You get fantastic feedback through the wheel, more so than most. To stop the thing, the Cayman S gets the brakes from the 911. They're huge for such a small car and work beautifully.
Oil helps to keep the engine lubricated and protected. It draws out harmful heat and keeps the engine in working order. Aside from the engine, the braking system is another one of the most important parts of your car. After all, the condition of your brakes can be the difference between life and death! It鈥檚 important to pay close attention to the condition of your vehicle鈥檚 brakes, take care of brake maintenance on time, and pay attention to brake fluid levels. Brake fluid transfers the force created by pressing on the brake pedal to the wheel hub; during that action, heat gets generated, which can affect the brake fluid. For 718 Cayman owners, be sure to change the brake fluid every two years. Spark plugs are another important element. They鈥檙e responsible for creating the spark that鈥檚 emitted to create the ignition for the combustion that starts the engine. To ensure that you don鈥檛 end up stranded on the side of the road, replace your spark plugs every four years. Of course, if you want help taking care of any of these maintenance needs, our Los Angeles Porsche service center is here! We鈥檙e proud to be considered one of the top destinations for quality Porsche service in the area. Please give us a call to schedule an appointment with us.
If you鈥檙e reading this website, chances are you鈥檙e a bit of a gearhead. And, for whatever reason, gearheads tend to like manual transmissions. We鈥檝e limited our list to new vehicles on sale in Canada bearing a model year of 2019 or newer since, y鈥檏now, that鈥檚 when and where we live. Where possible, specific trims are mentioned if they are required to unlock that car鈥檚 chamber of manual transmission secrets. Some notable omissions from our list are the Fiat 500, whose return to the Canadian market is uncertain for 2019, and the Jaguar F-Type, which sadly loses its manual transmission for the 2020 model year. Stick around. This list is longer than you think. Purists will surely howl that we have packed both of these tasty convertibles together into a single entry. It is true they have different engines and disparate personalities but they share a platform and are born from the same ideals - not to mention the same assembly line. In a Birdbox-style twist, the 124 uses the MX-5鈥檚 old manual gearbox but both are a pleasure to drive.