Porsche 718 Cayman review - Interior & comfort

Climb into the 718 Cayman and you’ll have to play ‘spot the difference’ if you’re looking for any changes compared with older versions – although that’s no bad thing. There’s a slick infotainment system and slightly different air vents, but other than that it’s business as usual. That means the seats are supportive, the driving position excellent and the suspension impressively comfortable.

If we had one complaint, it's that the Cayman is increasingly looking like one of Porsche's older models inside, but the Cayman’s fit, finish and ergonomics are still excellent. In the GTS a red rev counter sits in the centre of the 718 Cayman’s instrument panel. It’s a beautifully simple and clear layout. The latest Porsche 911 and Taycan have shifted into another gear in terms of their infotainment setup, while the Cayman’s reliance on physical buttons – while undoubtedly more tactile and arguably easier to use on the move – does give the cabin the ambience of a car from an earlier generation.

Porsche 718 Cayman dashboard

As with any true sports car, you sit low in the 718 Cayman. The gearlever and driver controls are perfectly placed, while the dials are a model of clarity. Even though they now feature a couple of digital readouts, they’ll be familiar to anyone who’s driven a Porsche over the last 40 years or so. The seven-inch display doesn’t have the wide-ranging functionality of the BMW M2’s (especially when it comes to performance-oriented menus and drive modes) but the menus are logically laid out and easy to navigate. It also offers the added bonus

of physical climate-control keys, so small adjustments can be made without diverting your attention from the road. If you’re an Android user, you’ll have to rely on built-in navigation and Bluetooth, but iPhone owners can make the most of Apple CarPlay connectivity.

Equipment

Things look a little less rosy when you look at the equipment list. The standard 718 Cayman comes with 18-inch alloy wheels (the Cayman S gets 19-inch wheels), an infotainment system and seats clad partly in Alcantara suede fabric, and partly in ‘leatherette’ – artificial leather to you and I. The Cayman S has part-genuine-leather, part-cloth seats. Few other features are fitted for free; but cruise control – which is standard on cars costing a fraction of the price – is at least now standard fit the 718 Cayman, along with front and rear parking sensors.

The GTS gets a subtle interior makeover, with Alcantara added to the sports seats, steering wheel and gear lever. It's also possible to add a GTS interior pack, bringing 'Carmine Red' or 'Crayon' accents for the seatbelts, stitching and rev counter. Porsche's Sport Chrono pack comes as standard and includes a Track Precision App that can record driving data.

17

Options

We played around with the Cayman’s online configurator and managed to add over £40,000 worth of extras to the car, turning a £50,000 Cayman into one knocking on the door of £90,000. True, we ticked every box we could, but adding thousands of pounds to the 718 Cayman's price is worryingly easy.

Most buyers will choose real leather seats, which, depending on the amount and quality of leather you want, cost between £1,000 and £4,000 or so. The 'Sports Seats Plus' cost around £1,500 and come clad in leather as standard. Bi-Xenon headlights are nearly £700, while dynamic (meaning they turn when you steer around corners and automatically dip) LED lights are a shade under £1,200.

Adjustable suspension is about £1,100, sports tailpipes are around £400, and the popular automatic gearbox is just over £2,000. At least sat-nav is standard, while if you want the ultra-effective carbon-ceramic brakes, don’t expect much change from £5,200 – although in fairness, most other manufacturers charge a similar amount for this advanced piece of kit.

We recommend you specify the Sport Chrono package, as this allows you to select from three different driving modes (Normal, Sport and Sport Plus) and will even rev the engine for you automatically when changing down a gear. The Sport Chrono package costs just under £1,400 (though it’s standard on the GTS) and tends to add appeal on the secondhand market. Other options range from the pleasingly frivolous (a colour-coded key for around £300) to the resolutely sensible (a rear windscreen wiper for about twenty quid less).

The hardcore Cayman GT4 is even available with a Clubsport pack, adding a rear roll cage, hand-held fire extinguisher and a six-point harness for the driver.