Porsche Cayman GTS 2020 Review – International

More for less

It’s not often Porsche gives you more performance for less money, but that’s exactly what’s on offer with the 2020 Porsche Cayman GTS coupe – and its soft-top twin, the 2020 Porsche Boxster GTS roadster.

Revealed in January, both ‘718 GTS 4.0’ models employ a 294kW/420Nm version of the 309kW/420Nm 4.0-litre atmo flat-six in the new Boxster Spyder and Cayman GT4.

That gives the GTS twins a significant bump in power over mainstream variants of the second-generation Boxster and Cayman, which launched exclusively with downsized four-cylinder turbo boxer engines in 2015.

It’s also a big step up from the outgoing Boxster GTS and Cayman GTS, which arrived with a 269kW 2.5-litre turbo four in 2017, replacing the original 981-series GTS models released in 2014 with circa-250kW 3.4-litre flat sixes.

The 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 is priced from $172,400 plus on-road costs, making it $2800 cheaper than the Boxster GTS ($175,200 plus ORCs) and $1400 cheaper than the smaller-engined GTS it replaces.

Perhaps more significantly, the latest Cayman GTS falls just 15kW short of the Cayman GT4 in terms of peak power, but remains a whole $46,000 more affordable than the GT4 ($218,400).

Note that both those times apply to the six-speed manual models – the only transmission available so far – and that the seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic versions will be half a second quicker when they arrive late this year, making both Cayman models as quick as a base 911 Carrera.

All that said, the best part of $175K makes the GTS a pretty pricy Cayman, when you consider the base 220kW/380Nm 2.0-litre turbo model opens the range at $116K and the 257kW/420Nm 2.5-litre turbo Cayman S costs over $26K less at $146,200.

For the record, the four-cylinder Caymans are claimed to 100km/h in as little as 4.7 seconds and a 911-matching 4.2sec respectively, when fitted with a PDK auto and optional Sport Chrono Package including launch control.

What you get

Despite the price cut and a bigger engine with more cylinders, some of which now also shut down to save fuel while coasting, the 2020 Porsche Cayman GTS also brings more standard equipment than its predecessor.

Sitting 20mm lower than mainstream Cayman models, the GTS comes with two-stage Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) variable damping, 20-inch wheels (as per the Cayman S but satin-black, 718 design and half an inch wider at rear) and Porsche Torque Vectoring including a mechanical limited-slip differential.

There are also bigger brakes with cross-drilled rotors all round – 350x34mm up front with six-piston callipers and 330x28mm at rear with four-piston callipers (red, as on Cayman S).

Setting the GTS apart visually are unique part-black front and rear lower bumpers, an all-black air intake and a dark, contrasting spoiler lip, headlights, fog lights and tail-light, plus a gloss-black central exhaust outlet.

Other GTS extras includes Sport Chrono with Track Precision app and tinted bi-xenon headlights with Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS).

But carried over from other 718s is a 7.0-inch touch-screen infotainment system with Porsche Communication Management, Apple CarPlay, sat-nav and digital radio (but no Android Auto), plus two-zone climate control, light design package, alarm, cruise control, heated seat, auto-dimming wing mirrors and ParkAssist with reversing camera.

However, while safety extends to twin front and rear airbags, anti-skid brakes and stability control, adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is sadly not available on any 718 models.

Like all Porsche models, the Cayman GTS is covered by a three-year/unlimited-km factory warranty and requires servicing every 15,000km or 12 months.

Behind the wheel

We’ve always been fans of the Porsche Cayman, and not just because of its clever packaging.

Sure it only has two seats but because the engine is right behind them there’s a 270-litre boot plus a 150-litre ‘frunk’. The 911 might boast more generous dimensions and four seats (at least in theory), but it makes do with 132 litres of cargo space up front.

More importantly, the Cayman’s mid-engine layout makes it better balanced, telegraphing more feel to the driver from both ends and making its performance more accessible to more people.

So much so that the stiffer, slicker second-generation Cayman always felt underpowered by the turbo-four boxer engines it’s been available with so far, even the 269kW/430Nm 2.5-litre in the previous GTS.

But the 718 GTS 4.0 fixes all that.

Demonstrating Porsche’s commitment to the normally-aspirated boxer six, it’s equipped with direct fuel-injection via piezo injectors and a variable intake system, adaptive cylinder control and a full twin-tract sports exhaust with petrol particulate filters.

It sounds vastly better than the turbo fours in its predecessor and lesser current Caymans, and in the GTS and GT4 is aided by a sharper chassis comprising dynamic gearbox mounts and wider 265/35-profile 20-inch rear rubber.

Sure, the big new atmo flat six in the new GTS feels gutless in the midrange compared to the force-fed four it replaces. It might make substantially more power at 294kW, but its 420Nm of torque – matching the Cayman S but falling 10kW short of the old GTS – doesn’t arrive until 5000rpm.

But the 4.0-litre engine’s instant throttle response and much broader powerband, stretching all the way 8000rpm (up from about 7000), makes it faster at a racetrack like Estoril and gives you more confidence to exploit the Cayman’s chassis poise everywhere.

Not that the new Cayman GTS performance figures prove that. On paper, due in part to its 50kg weight increase to 1405kg, it’s only a tenth quicker to 100km/h (4.5sec) than both the model it replaces and the current Cayman GTS.

Yes, the Cayman GT4 is slightly quicker and faster, but it’s also a lot more expensive, even if $172K is still a lot of money for a ‘junior’ Porsche coupe.

The rear-engined 911 might offer more grip, power, pace and ultimate rewards, but the Cayman’s more accessible performance makes it more involving for more people.

Proving there’s no replacement for displacement, the upgraded big-bore Porsche Cayman GTS brings more of almost everything for less, and is all the Porsche I’d ever need.

How much does the 2020 Porsche Cayman GTS cost?
Price: $172,400 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Mid-2020
Engine: 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated flat six
Output: 294kW/420Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 10.8L/100km
CO2: 246g/km
Safety: N/A