I’ll get around to the specifics of this new Porsche 718 Cayman T shortly, but when anyone talks to me about Caymans these days, it appears its four-cylinder engine is the only topic of conversation. Which is a shame. So, allow me briefly to recap.

First, I’ve never had the impression from anyone at Porsche that they wanted to replace the old flat-six motor with a turbo four; it was an emissions-based decision handed down by VW. Second, the flat-six sounded great but was not without its issues. In standard Caymans it lacked low-down torque. Remember too that the Cayman always felt rather under-engined: its chassis always felt like it could take far more.

So does that mean I’m a devotee of the flat-four turbo? Absolutely not: its blaring noise degrades the driving experience, but I am at least not blind to the many benefits.

There are no gripes about the car. The chassis is certainly enhanced. Although not scintillating in a straight line, the Cayman is rapid cross-country because the movement of everything from its suspension to its powertrain is so tightly controlled, there is zero slop and very little need to slow down.

People will now point out you can buy an Alpine for the same money which handles even better, but the Porsche has the edge on comfort and quality, practicality and civility. In short, I liked it a lot.

Andrew Frankel

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Porsche 718 Cayman T

Price £51,145
Engine 2.0 litres, 4 cylinders, turbo
Power 6296bhp@6500rpm
Weight 1350kg
Power to weight 219bhp per tonne
Transmission six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
0-60mph 5.1sec
Top speed 171mph
Economy 34.9mpg
CO₂ 186g/km
Verdict Forget the engine, it’s great

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