Skip advert
Advertisement

Porsche Cayman (2012-2016) review - Prices, specs and rivals

Everything you could ever want from a sports car

Evo rating
Price
from £39,694
  • Too good to be regarded as 911’s budget alternative
  • Styling still jars from some angles; fantastic GT4 sold out far too quickly

Prices, specs and rivals

Starting at just under 40 grand, the base 2.7-litre Cayman rivals the Audi TTS with over 300bhp and the even more burly Nissan 370Z, though it’s comfortably more resolved drivers’ car than both, as we found out in evo 209. That test was conducted with the Nismo 370Z, which is priced closer to the Cayman (£37,745) and offers extra performance over the standard car. You can read our full 370Z Nismo review here.

Advertisement - Article continues below

As it is the Alfa Romeo 4C (237bhp/£51,500) but a far sterner dynamic challenge is posed by the Lotus Exige S V6 (345bhp, £54,500), a rarer and far more hardcore alternative to the Porsche.

The Cayman S’s £48,783 price tag can easily sail closer to £60k with a few choice options which would otherwise buy anything from a BMW M3 or Lotus Evora to a lightly used Nissan GT-R. But perhaps the fact that this Cayman feels good enough to challenge Porsche’s more expensive 911 tells you all you really need to know.

And while the GTS is an additional £6500, it is appreciably sharper, and this is a sum easily spent on options anyway. Its most exciting rivals are the new BMW M4 coupe (423bhp, £57,055) and the Jaguar F-type V6 S Coupe (375bhp, £60,255), both of which are front-engine/rear-drive and therefore more practical than the Cayman, though bigger and heavier.

Like the 991 GT3 before it, the GT4 seems a bit of a bargain. This car has plenty of GT3 underneath (£100,540), a Carrera S 3.8-litre engine (£83,545) yet it’s lighter than both, has a superb aero package and every little detail has been tweaked by Porsche. Yet it costs from just £64,451.The Clubsport package (which includes a fitted half cage, you get the front bits should you want to fit them and go the whole hog) is £2670.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

2026 BMW 3-series spied, with exhaust pipes
2026 BMW 3-series front
News

2026 BMW 3-series spied, with exhaust pipes

The next 3-series will ring in BMW’s ‘Neue Klasse’ and be electric, hybrid and ICE powered
18 Nov 2024
TVR Griffith (1990 - 2002): a pure and unadulterated sports car
TVR Griffith front
Features

TVR Griffith (1990 - 2002): a pure and unadulterated sports car

The Griffith established TVR as a genuine contender and transformed the company’s fortunes – and it’s still as exhilarating to drive now as it was in …
17 Nov 2024
Cupra Formentor Abt review – a 365bhp crossover for Mercedes-AMG A45 S money
Cupra Formentor Abt – front
Reviews

Cupra Formentor Abt review – a 365bhp crossover for Mercedes-AMG A45 S money

It’s farewell to the original Cupra Formentor with an Abt-tuned run-out package. It’s a quietly excellent car; just a shame about the price...
14 Nov 2024