2019 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS
Per Porsche tradition, the 718 Cayman GTS looks only marginally different next to non-GTS iterations. The basics are completely unchanged - you still get a two-door coupe that鈥檚 low, wide, and rounded. The 911-inspired front end gets teardrop-shaped headlight housings, each with a set of quad lighting elements. The profile leads the eye rearwards, with a swept-back, streamlined shape, plus a prominent intake added just ahead of the rear wheels. The tail is curvy and short, bulging at the sides with sizable hips that give the whole thing a forward-leaning, raked stance. Basically, it鈥檚 a two-door coupe version of the two-door Boxster roadster. We think it looks good, albeit a bit predictable. To help the GTS variant stand out, Porsche added a series of subtle, yet effective upgrades. The Cayman GTS looks wider than the standard Cayman thanks to a new front fascia. The complement the new front fascia, Porsche also added a few updates to the tail, although differences here are a bit more difficult to pick out. Finally, a slew of black accents were added front to back, and include black badging and insignia, as well as a tint added to the front turn signals and taillights.
Finishing it off are matte-black wheels, sized at 20 inches in diameter at each of the four corners. Step into the Cayman GTS鈥檚 interior, and you鈥檒l find the traditional two-seat layout, just as you鈥檇 expect. The space is tight, hugging the passengers in the typical sports car fashion, while drivers grip a three-spoke multifunction steering wheel. Prominent handles can be found on the doors, while rounded air vents are on the dash. Adorning the center console is a digital infotainment screen, plus a plethora of buttons and switches to adjust the various onboard systems. All pretty standard stuff, if we鈥檙e honest. However, much like the exterior, the GTS stands out thanks to a few choice upgrades. For starters, you鈥檒l notice the Porsche chronometer placed high on the dash, a feature you鈥檒l find on every Cayman GTS thanks to the standard Sport Chrono Package (more on that in the next section).
Cayman鈥檚 lofty cornering abilities. High on the seats, you鈥檒l find the GTS logo embroidered into the seat headrest, while Alcantara adorns the seats鈥?center sections. Further Alcantara was added to the steering wheel, center console, and door armrest. Options include the Navigation Module Package and Connect Plus Package, as well as the Porsche Track Precision App, which basically relays pertinent track data to your smartphone as part of the Sport Chrono Package. The GTS sees a little more added on top thanks to a new intake plenum and update to the turbocharger. Torque in the 718 Cayman GTS is rated at 317 pound-feet when equipped with a PDK, or 309 pound-feet with the manual transmission. Max torque hits at 1,900 rpm, lasting until 5,000 rpm with the PDK and 5,500 with the manual. Finally, the GTS comes standard with a sport exhaust, finished with black pipe tips to complement the rest of the black trim. While certainly quick, one of the Cayman鈥檚 biggest selling points is the way it handles.
Indeed, with a mid-/rear-mounted engine and relatively low curb weight (roughly 3,000 pounds), not to mention Porsche鈥檚 reputation for building razor-sharp track toys, the Cayman GTS has the right stuff to be an absolute delight in the corners. Making the most of it is the standard Porsche Torque Vectoring system, which throws in a mechanical rear-differential lock to keep the traction flowing. Buyers also get standard Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM). Also note, the PASM lowers the car by 0.39 inches compared to the standard Cayman suspension set-up. Finally, the Cayman GTS comes standard with the popular Sport Chrono Package, which enables a sportier drive mode perfectly suited for track driving. Features like Launch Control, faster gear changes, a sharper throttle response, and dynamic transmission mounts are all included. 27,000 more than the standard model Cayman. If you prefer a sports car with an extra dose of grand touring style, then Jag has what you need with the F-Type.
80,000 R-Dynamic Coupe, which equips a front-mounted 3.0-liter V-6 that鈥檚 supercharged to produce 380 horsepower at the rear wheels. Not only does it look incredible, but it鈥檚 also got enough muscle to hit 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 161 mph. Read our full review on the Jaguar F-Type. Slotting in as the Bavarian鈥檚 compact two-door performance machine, the M4 Coupe is a muscle-bound luxury sports car dripping in track-inspired styling cues. Even better, it鈥檚 got the goods under the hood to back the aesthetic, rocking 425 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque thanks to a turbocharged inline six-cylinder. 64,200, well below the sticker for the Cayman GTS, the M4鈥檚 long list of options is sure to pad the bottom line significantly. Read our full review on the BMW M4 Coupe. Sometimes, subtlety needs to take a back seat to raw, unbridled performance, and in circumstances such as those, the Bow Tie offers the Corvette Z06.