Porsche 718 Cayman (982) Explained: Four Cylinders, Six, and Everything Between

Mid-engine balance, a name borrowed from Targa Florio winners, and engines from a 2.0-litre turbo four to a 9,000-rpm flat-six. What the 982 Cayman actually is.

The Porsche 718 Cayman is the coupe half of the 982 generation, launched in 2016 alongside the Boxster^[1]. The 718 name is not decoration: it recalls the racing Porsche 718 that won the Targa Florio in 1959 and 1960^[1]. The layout is the classic mid-engine formula — engine behind the seats, drive to the rear wheels — in a 2-door fastback body^[1].

Two engine families

The 982 generation is defined by its split personality. Base and S models use turbocharged flat-four engines, producing 300 PS and 350 PS respectively^[1] — a 2.0-litre in the base car and a 2.5-litre in the S and GTS^[1]. Higher up the range, naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six power returns: 400 PS in the GTS 4.0, 420 PS in the GT4 and Spyder, and 500 PS in the GT4 RS, which revs to 9,000 rpm^[1].

The numbers

The spread of performance is unusually wide for a single model line. A base manual car reaches 60 mph in 4.9 seconds; the GT4 RS does it in 3.2^[1], and covers 0–100 km/h in about 3.4 seconds^[1]. Top speed runs from 275 km/h (171 mph) to 315 km/h (196 mph)^[1]. Torque climbs from 380 N⋅m (280 lb-ft) in the base car to 450 N⋅m (332 lb-ft) in the GT4 RS^[1]. Buyers chose between a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed PDK dual-clutch throughout^[1].

Where it sits

Within Porsche’s lineup, the Cayman has always been the pure sports car — smaller than the 911, mid-engined where the 911 is not. The 982 generation stretched that role further than any Cayman before it. The entry cars deliver the balance of the platform at an accessible point; the GT cars borrow genuinely from motorsport^[1]. That breadth — from commuter-friendly turbo four to 9,000-rpm track weapon^[1] — is what makes this generation one of the most versatile mid-engine sports cars of its era^[1].

For the full variant-by-variant specification, see the Porsche 718 Cayman database page. To see how the generation is priced today, browse 718 Cayman listings in our live inventory.