Porsche 718 Cayman Doesn’t Bring the Noise Like It Should

The Porsche Cayman has been my dream car since it debuted in 2005. It’s a beautiful, powerful car, one that had some motor journalists wondering if it was in fact “better” than a 911. Good luck winning that argument with a Porsche purist, but that it even was a discussion is a testament to the automotive marvel that is the Cayman. Like the Boxster, the Cayman has been given a new turbo four-cylinder engine, and the two cars now have the same power output.

The 2017 Cayman S boasts a 2.5-liter turbo that puts out 345-horsepower and 310 lb-ft. of torque, translating to a 0-60 sprint of 4.2 seconds with the Sport Chrono pack and PDK. Top speed: north of 170 miles per hour. The 718 Cayman S also gets the brakes from the 911.

But does it matter that the vaunted flat-six engine has been 86’ed? Carfection compares the engine note of the Cayman GT4 and the 718 S, and frankly, the Cayman S sounds pretty weak next to its predecessor. “I don’t get what Porsche was thinking,” Alex Goy says. “You spoiled something so good.”

Not surprisingly, Roy contends that the Cayman S is better in nearly every way than the cars it’s replacing. Also not surprisingly, he concludes that the engine note is a deal-breaker. “That noise. That’s the one thing that kills it for me.” Check out the clip and judge for yourself.