Test Car Specifications
Model: 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman Style Edition
Price: £65,336 as tested
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol
Transmission: seven-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power: 300hp
Torque: 380Nm
Emissions: 201-220g/km
Economy/Range: 29.1-31.7mpg
0-62mph: 4.9 seconds
Top speed: 170mph
Boot space: 272 litres plus 150-litre 'frunk'
Styling
Let's start with that colour. Apparently it's an homage to the 964-generation 911s, which were available in a similar cross between pink and purple. The new colour is called Ruby Star Neo, and no, you don't have to have it.
However, the Style Edition does come with other visual tweaks, including the stripe, the lettering on the doors and the 20-inch wheels, all of which can be specified in black or white. You get new tailpipes, too, and slightly different Porsche lettering across the tail of the car.
Interior
Internally, the 718 Style Edition's upgrades are even more subtle, so you get black leather and Chalk stitching, as well as Chalk-trimmed floor mats, but otherwise it's pretty standard. That's a blessing and a curse, because although the Cayman's cabin is well built and reasonably smart, it is starting to show its age. Some of the dials and displays feel a bit old-school by modern standards, and though there's nothing really wrong with the way the touchscreen works, it doesn't feel as crisp as the system now found in the 911. Still, it does the job, so you can't really complain too much, and there's a refreshing abundance of buttons in there.
Practicality
No Cayman is especially spacious, but the Style Edition does nothing to harm what space the standard car has. In the cabin, there may only be two seats, but they're both comfortable and well-positioned, with plenty of headroom for the driver and passenger. And because Porsche has plopped the engine in the middle of the Cayman, you get not one but two luggage bays. There's one at the front, measuring 150 litres, and there's a more conventional, but quite shallow boot at the rear, which comes in at 272 litres. Fitting golf clubs in there might be a challenge, but for a weekend away, it's more than capable of carrying two people's luggage.
Performance
Porsche might have played about with the Style Edition's design, but there's no real mechanical change compared with the basic 718 Cayman. That's no problem, though, because while the Cayman's 2.0-litre, flat-four engine isn't as desirable as the bigger six-cylinder units, it's still more than up to the job.
With 300hp on tap, it's capable of 0-62mph in around five seconds - slightly faster if you choose the seven-speed automatic gearbox fitted to our test car - and a top speed of 170mph, it's still pretty quick.
It's efficient, too. Admittedly, the official economy figure of around 30mpg isn't all that special in the great scheme of things, but it isn't bad for a 300hp sports car. And better still, we regularly topped 40mpg on a long journey. That's very good going indeed.
Ride & Handling
The other advantage of that 2.0-litre engine is that it's lighter than the 4.0-litre units, and that means the lowlier Caymans feel that hint more agile than their heavier siblings. Of course, it isn't a huge difference, but it's noticeable if you concentrate.
There's a hint more keenness about the way the Cayman darts into corners, and a little more deftness to the steering, which was already superb in every other Cayman variant. Combine that with impressive brakes and the snappy PDK automatic gearbox, not to mention the mid-engined layout, and you've got a fantastic driver's car. On a mountain road, there are few better cars to drive.
And the Cayman doesn't pay too much of a comfort penalty around town, either. Yes, it's stiff, but it's supple enough to make long journeys relatively trouble-free, and driving it around town isn't too terrifying thanks to the compact footprint.
Just be careful of the PASM lowered suspension, which makes the Cayman look a fraction more aggressive and provides two damper settings to alter comfort and body control. The stiffer setting makes it very responsive, but it makes the ride intolerably firm on British roads, and it leaves the underside that fraction closer to the sleeping policemen.
Value
When all's said and done, the Style Edition is a Porsche, so it isn't cheap. But it's at the right end of the Cayman spectrum, with prices starting at £56,000 in the UK. That means it's just over £4,000 more expensive than the standard car, and that isn't too bad considering the options that are added as standard. The only problem is, you have to really want those options to make it worth your while. Nevertheless, a heated steering wheel, two-zone climate control and leather upholstery with contrast stitching will doubtless appeal to plenty of punters.
Verdict
The Style Edition of the Cayman feels a bit pointless in many respects, but it is at least eye-catching, and that's all some customers will be after. But whether you like the colour schemes or not, there's no denying the continued brilliance of the 718 Cayman on which the Style Edition is based. Seven years after it first arrived on UK roads, it's still the best sports coupe out there, and though this might not be the sexiest powertrain to grace the Cayman range, it's still plenty good enough.
