{"id":28356,"date":"2021-11-29T11:51:51","date_gmt":"2021-11-29T15:51:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=28356"},"modified":"2021-11-29T11:51:51","modified_gmt":"2021-11-29T15:51:51","slug":"payne-porsche-cayman-gts-sings-sweet-music-for-the-sports-car-purist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/11\/payne-porsche-cayman-gts-sings-sweet-music-for-the-sports-car-purist","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Porsche Cayman GTS sings sweet music for the sports car purist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hell \u2014<\/em>\u00a0In this age of rapid technological change, we crave analog experiences. We enjoy unplugged\u00a0instrumental music. Or cozying up with a page-turning novel rather than a digital Kindle. In the auto world, the normally aspirated, rear-wheel-drive\u00a0manual sports car is the purist\u2019s choice. MX-5 Miata, Mustang GT, Subaru BRZ.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The summit of the art form is the Porsche Cayman GTS.<\/p>\n

With its howling 394-horsepower\u00a0flat-6 engine amidships, six-speed manual shifter\u00a0and tight chassis, it is the Stradivarius of pure automotive instruments. On the writhing roads of Livingston County west of Hell, the Cayman proved why you have to take this thoroughbred out of the city to fully realize its potential.<\/p>\n

Hadley Road swells and dips like a roller-coaster with blind turns and long straightaways. The Cayman GTS stuck to every undulation like a fly to flypaper. Its steering is telepathic, hitting my marks \u2014 the front and rear ends a symphony of balance. Speaking of symphonies, the six-cylinder chambers breathe in natural air like God intended \u2014 no turbos or superchargers here \u2014 then exhale through twin pipes with a passionate wail.<\/p>\n

Like listening to Springsteen belt the chorus of \u201cBorn to Run,\u201d I kept the volume on high \u2014 habitually driving a gear lower so I could maintain revs over 3,000 RPM.<\/p>\n

Yet\u00a0even as the Cayman GTS has achieved iconic status, it is under assault on multiple fronts.<\/p>\n

The greatest threat are government killjoys who aim to strangle the flat-6\u2019s vocal chords. In order to meet increasingly restrictive global emissions rules,\u00a0Cayman (and sister Boxster convertible) had to downsize to four pistons in 2017 \u2014 resorting to the turbocharger to maintain power.<\/p>\n

Robbed of the six\u2019s siren call, customers went elsewhere and U.S. Cayman sales dropped by half in 2019. Under Communist China\u2019s strict mandates, the 4-banger is all that\u2019s available, but in the USA, Porsche heard customer demand and rallied to offer the flat-6 where possible (matched with a manual to sweeten the deal).<\/p>\n

The result is the GTS and Cayman GT4 models, which represent the mid-engine terror\u2019s rebel soul.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

At M1 Concourse\u2019s Champion Motor Speedway in Pontiac, I paused at pit exit to engage launch control. WAAUUUUGGHHH! The engine spiked at 5500 RPM before I dumped the clutch and leapt into Turn One, clicking off upshifts with short, precise throws.<\/p>\n

The lap is an enthralling carnival ride with multiple thrills: neck-straining G-loads, lurid power slides, heart-stopping brakes. The aural highlight comes on the back straight where I exit the hairpin in first gear, then open the throttle to 8,000 RPM as I row the box \u2014 BAM, BAM, BAM \u2014 to fourth gear. Some people like Carmen, I\u2019ll take the Cayman\u2019s operatic notes.<\/p>\n

But as European nannies further turn the screws, Car and Driver reports that the next-gen Cayman-Boxer will be electric \u2014 a radical move that could fundamentally change this storied athlete. Battery weight (the Cayman GTS weighs a mere 3,042 pounds) is the enemy of sports cars \u2014 not to mention the lack of audio thrills.<\/p>\n

Porsche has made known it will not mess with its iconic 911, which will remain gas-fired. Perhaps they learned the lesson of Mustang, which compromised its own sports car halo with a four-cylinder weakling in response to federal nannies in the 1970s. It was reviled by purists.<\/p>\n

But if reports are true, Porsche seems willing to experiment with its mid-engine icon. It\u2019s \u201cThat \u201970s Show\u201d again, and automakers are in a tight spot. Who do you anger, bureaucrats or customers?<\/p>\n

Cayman is no longer alone in the sub-$100K\u00a0mid-engine supercar space.<\/p>\n

Chevy\u2019s Corvette has gone mid-engine, too, putting its own heavenly, naturally aspirated V-8 soundtrack just behind your right ear. The V-8 is no-less addicting than the Cayman\u2019s flat-6, and designers nailed the car\u2019s proportions on their first try \u2014 bringing the \u2019Vette\u2019s signature\u00a0sharp design cues in contrast to the Cayman\u2019s spare, bullet shape.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The \u2019Vette dropped a rung on purists\u2019 wish list when it sacrificed its manual transmission for its eighth-gen car. But it’s no\u00a0great loss, as the last-gen Corvette C7 manual was a mushy, three-gated 7-speed that often left drivers with a bag of neutrals. The Porsche is crisp, notchy \u2014 gear changes require nothing more than a flick of the wrist.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s pure sports car.<\/p>\n

But interior technology matters, and Cayman lags the \u2019Vette. The Porsche is tidy, ergonomically friendly \u2014 especially with regards to performance, where the brand has pioneered a steering wheel-based mode selector so you can rotate into SPORT PLUS without taking your eyes off the road. Corvette has learned the lesson with tools like Z mode.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Yet the Cayman interior relies on flimsy cupholders that retract from the dash (hang on to your drink before zipping through Hell!). The \u2019Vette has access to the full GM toolbox, and brings Apple Carplay\/Android Auto and an array of digital instrument displays \u2014 even an optional head-up display \u2014 that wear well on long trips.<\/p>\n

Cayman is more accommodating in the luggage compartment. There is ample space in the frunk for a carry-on bag (or helmet if you\u2019re headed for a track), and the rear hatchback can swallow lots of stuff, including a golf bag. As I’m a proponent of Golf GTIs and Mazda 3s, the Porsche\u2019s hot hatch warms my heart.<\/p>\n

As does the styling.<\/p>\n

Given the 1970s-like regulatory upheaval going on today, many customers will be holding on to their flat-6 Caymans\/Boxsters for years to come. Cayman helps with its timeless looks. It\u2019s a German thing (my son\u2019s 2012 Golf GTI still looks relevant even as the V-dub has evolved two generations since), and the Cayman should wear well just as 911s and 928s before it.<\/p>\n

For Cayman fans with even more need for speed, Porsche offers a winged GT4 with sticky Sport Cup 2 tires. The Cayman GTS \u2014 in the tradition of performance \u201ctweeners\u201d like the Corvette Grand Sport or Cadillac V-series \u2014 is a happy medium between full-on track rat and base car.<\/p>\n

Base is a relevant term and the Cayman starts at a Corvette-like $61,850. Stuff it with the GTS\u2019s glorious flat-6 and the price jumps to $88,750. Don\u2019t expect that number to decline much in the years ahead.<\/p>\n

Porsche has crafted an icon, a classic that will be more appreciated over time as a benchmark for handling and gas-powered performance.<\/p>\n

Dancing on the edge of adhesion around Turn 10A at M1 Concourse, I flicked the Cayman\u2019s stick into third gear and the Cayman sang. Simple, repeatable, thrilling. What purists crave.<\/p>\n

2021 Porsche Cayman GTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vehicle type: Mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive\u00a0two-passenger\u00a0sports car<\/p>\n

Price: $88,150, including $1,350\u00a0destination fee\u00a0($100,990 as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 4.0-liter Boxer flat-6 cylinder<\/p>\n

Power:\u202f394\u00a0horsepower,\u00a0309\u00a0pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

Transmission:\u00a06-speed manual<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.3 seconds (mfr);\u00a0Top speed,\u00a0182\u00a0mph<\/p>\n

Weight:\u00a03,042\u202fpounds<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: EPA, 17 mpg city\/24\u00a0highway\/19\u00a0combined<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs:\u00a0Flat-6 music; precision handling<\/p>\n

Lows:\u00a0Infotainment tech lags; gets pricey with options<\/p>\n

Overall:\u00a04\u202fstars<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hell \u2014\u00a0In this age of rapid technological change, we crave analog experiences. We enjoy unplugged\u00a0instrumental music. Or cozying up with a page-turning novel rather than a digital Kindle. In the auto world, the normally aspirated, rear-wheel-drive\u00a0manual sports car is the purist\u2019s choice. MX-5 Miata, Mustang GT, Subaru BRZ. The summit of the art form is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28356"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28356"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28356\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28357,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28356\/revisions\/28357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}