T model keeps the same engine and output as the base 718 Cayman, but has performance goodies that make it a more engaging machine.
If something slips in between the cracks, it usually means it’s been overlooked, which implies it’s not significant. The new Porsche 718 Cayman T is important exactly because it fills in the space between the base car and the hotter S model.
As Carfection host Alex Goy points out in this video, the T (short for Touring) keeps the same turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with 296 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque as the entry-level Cayman, but adds “things that you could previously only get on the higher-grade S.” Those include a 20-mm drop in ride height; 20-inch wheels; the Sport Chrono package with its Sport, Sport +, and Individual drive modes; Porsche Torque Vectoring; cosmetic enhancements; a standard 6-speed manual gearbox with rev matching (a PDK dual-clutch auto is available); and a sport exhaust with black finishers.
To save weight and make the T a more focused machine, Porsche deletes the navigation and audio systems, and uses fabric pulls for interior door handles, although buyers can add the electronics back in free of charge. At its lightest, the T tips the scales at 2,976 pounds (1,350 kilograms). That enables it to hit 62 mph in 4.9 seconds when equipped with the manual transmission or 4.7 seconds when specced with the PDK.
Modest power and low weight is a familiar combination that’s worked for driver’s cars in the past. Did Porsche get the ratio right with the 718 Cayman T? As long as you’re in a low enough gear to get the most out of the 2.0T, yes. The steering is direct and the brakes are effective and easy to modulate. If you aim the T at the right set of curves in the road, “you will have the time of your life,” according to Goy.
But you have to be a certain kind of buyer to fully enjoy the T, one that doesn’t care about the fact that it’s not the S model. It’s made for those who are sad that the number of manual cars is dwindling and “actually go out and buy them with their own money.” More importantly, the T is the perfect machine for people who want not just a performance car, but a Porsche.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
