Porsche 718 Cayman T Is the Purist's Choice

Pure Machine

These days, it's getting harder and harder to find a vehicle that offers a pure, undiluted driving experience. In a world full of electronic driving aids and few manual transmissions or naturally-aspirated drivetrains, what's a purist to do? Well, thankfully, Porsche still offers a couple of vehicles suited for those of us that love to drive, and the 718 Cayman T is one of them.

Photos: Porsche

Thrills Per Dollar

The Cayman GT4 provides perhaps the ultimate driving experience for this particular model, but it also costs north of $100k. However, for less than $70k, one can opt for the T and still have quite a bit of fun out on the open road. The T is a notch above the base Cayman, providing more thrills for your dollar than the already pleasing little sports car does in base form.

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Non-traditional Power

That starts with the car's 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four cylinder engine that produces 300 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. It may not have the same sound and power delivery of a traditional flat-six, but the little four-banger does provide plenty of performance, as the T does 0-60 in 4.9 seconds with a proper six-speed manual transmission. 

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Pleasing Delivery

Those that prefer more performance can always opt for Porsche's PDK dual-clutch gearbox, which helps the coupe reach 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. Either way, the T reaches 170 mph and features a pleasing 7,500 rpm redline with plenty of mid-range power for exiting corners.

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Driving Machine

Porsche has put a lot of thought into making the Cayman T a pleasure to drive, from its perfect pedal position for heel-and-toe driving to virtually instant throttle response. Of course, there's no masking the sounds of that four-cylinder engine, which can't compare to any flat-six. But if you can get past that little detail, the 2.0 has a lot to offer.

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Engaging Experience

Aside from its drivetrain, the Cayman T also features a host of other mods including a sport suspension, mechanical limited-slip rear differential, 20-inch 911 Carrera S wheels, Pirelli P Zero tires, and the Sport Chrono package. All of that provides an extremely engaging driving experience, with no body roll or brake dive and loads of grip.

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No Frills

In a world filled with increasingly complex vehicles, the Cayman T is a refreshingly simple machine that offers few frills. Of course, all of those things are available as options, but to us, the best Cayman T is the base version. After all, there are plenty of vehicles out there that offer these things, and very few that focus simply on the pleasure of driving.

Photos: Porsche

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