Porsche Cayman GTS 2021 Review

There’s something a bit back-to-the-future about the 2021 Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0. A manual gearbox? A naturally-aspirated engine?

Sheesh, doesn’t Porsche know it’s the 21st century, the time of dual-clutch transmissions and turbochargers? Actually, we know they know. But in the case of this highly effective, deeply engrossing mid-engined two-seat coupe, we doubt they care a jot.

The GTS sits a fair way up the third-generation 718 Cayman model walk. The range starts with the four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbo-petrol, progresses to the 2.5-litre turbo-petrol Cayman S and then reaches the 4.0-litre GTS. 

The six-speed manual version we’re testing here will set you back $175,200 plus on-road costs. The PDK dual-clutch option adds $5390. Launched globally in early 2020, the 294kW 4.0 GTS replaces a turbocharged 269kW 2.5-litre four-cylinder.

Keep pushing on up the range and you come to the flagship, the track-focused Porsche Cayman GT4 with the same 4.0-litre engine as the GTS, just in a slightly higher state of tune. A manual GT4 will set you back $210,200 and the PDK a further $4580.

There’s not that many obvious rivals kicking around for the GTS, apart from its slightly more expensive drop-top sibling, the Porsche Boxster GTS 4.0.

The Audi TT RS is front-engined, all-wheel drive and a lot cheaper, the Jaguar F-TYPE is rear-wheel drive but can’t be had with a manual gearbox, the Lotus Exige is almost extinct and so hard-core it makes the GTS seem like a Jeepney.

That’s a pretty neat trick because in no-one’s sane mind would a Cayman GTS be considered anything other than focused sports car.

The equipment list emphasises that. It’s more about what you need than want. Highlights including powered seats trimmed in Alcantara and leather, dual-zone climate control, satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay (but no Android Auto) and an eight-speaker audio.

As per Porsche practice, the options list is long and expensive. Special colours are $4430, full bucket seats $10,120 (for two, thankfully) and ceramic brakes will set you back $13,830. Then there are the fiddly little items that you really shouldn’t be charged for: a rear window wiper ($650), Porsche crests on the head restraints ($430), seat belts in lizard green ($520)… In that last case they’d have to pay me $520 to pick that option!

Predictably, there is no spare tyre but there is tyre pressure monitoring.

The Porsche Cayman GTS comes protected by a three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Service intervals are one-year/15,000km, whichever comes first.

There’s shortage of high-end safety equipment in the 2021 Porsche Cayman GTS.

Lamentably, it doesn’t get autonomous emergency braking (AEB), while adaptive cruise control is a $2320 option. We’ve marked the GTS down in our final votes because of that. This is nostalgia in all the wrong ways!

Why do we make such a big deal about AEB? It has been found to reduce rear-end crashes by up to 38 per cent and, in the US, police-reported crashes have reduced by 55 per cent for vehicles fitted with this technology.

Driver assist systems the GTS does get standard include front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and lane change assist, as well as expected older tech such as driver-tuneable stability control and anti-lock brakes. That’s it.

Bi-Xenon headlights are standard, while LED units are a $2090 option. The Cayman GTS comes with front and side airbags to protect its passengers.

There is no ANCAP safety rating and without AEB and other DAS, the GTS would not be eligible for five stars even if it was crash-tested.

The heart and soul of the 2021 Porsche Cayman GTS is its 4.0-litre engine, which is effectively a non-turbo version of the 9A2 boxer found in the latest Porsche 911 Carrera.

It’s got lots of trick gear including 200 bar direct fuel injection via piezo injectors, a variable intake, a forged steel-alloy crankshaft, dry sump lubrication, Variocam variable camshaft timing and a sports exhaust.

The six-speed manual includes the vibration-dampening dual mass flywheel from the 911 GT3 and has an automated throttle blip on down-change in Sport mode. Drive is apportioned to the rear wheels via Porsche Torque Vectoring and a mechanical limited-slip differential.

The engine makes its peak 294kW at 7000rpm and will rev on to 7800rpm. Phew. Peak torque is 420Nm and it is constant between 5000 and 6500rpm. This thing certainly reads old school!

The manual accelerates from 0-100km/h in a claimed 4.5sec (and remember Porsche is usually conservative with this stuff) and the fuel consumption claim is a high 11L/100km, with the aid of an automatic engine idle-stop function. We easily undercut that into the mid 9L/100km bracket.

The suspension system is relatively simple MacPherson struts front and rear, combined with adaptive two-stage dampers that can be set by the driver. The set-up is lowered 20mm compared to a four-cylinder Cayman, but there’s a no-cost option to only drop it 10mm. Steering assist is electromechanical with a variable ratio.

Brakes are six-pot aluminium monobloc callipers working on 350x34mm internally vented and cross-drilled discs up front and four-pot callipers working on 330x28mm discs at the rear. The GTS rolls on 20-inch alloy wheels shod in staggered sports rubber; Pirelli P Zeros in the case of our test car.

The Sport Chrono pack is standard, so that means key elements that define the GTS driving experience – engine, throttle, dampers, exhaust – can be altered by setting a steering wheel-mounted dial to Normal, Sport or Sport Plus mode. There’s also Individual mode so responses can be tailored to the driver’s preference.

The Cayman GTS measures up at 4406mm long, 1994mm wide, is only 1276mm high and has a 2475mm wheelbase. It weighs in at 1405kg, which is 50kg more than its four-cylinder predecessor.

Luggage space expertly exploits the mid-engined layout, with 270 litres in the rear and another 150L in the frunk up front.

Rain, rain, go away… Yep, the day in our week with the 2021 Porsche Cayman GTS we had set aside for a long and decent drive was also one when the weather gods decided it was time to start building arks.

But while the inclement conditions discouraged testing out the upper limits of the engine’s rev range, it did mean we could explore its tractability more than we might have.

And you know what, it’s pretty darned tractable! Tight, soaked corners could be negotiated in third gear, dribbling down to 2500rpm in third gear and just letting the pulling power do its thing. No hitches, no stumbles, no complaints.

Probably shouldn’t be surprised, really. This is a big engine by current standards and at 294kW it’s not over-stressed.

The engine doesn’t sound great down low; it’s a bit rattly and has an intrusive harmonic to it, but that’s a minor annoyance compared to the satisfaction of cleanly accelerating… and accelerating… and accelerating.

Pretty soon the engine is sounding like it’s feeling, which is darned raucous. Howlingly good. Not so welcome is the amount of road and tyre noise that enters the cabin. Typical Porsche then.

The manual is a sweet shifter, maybe not quite as millimetre-direct as some other Porsche manuals experienced previously, but still darned good.

The chassis complements the drivetrain. There was feel, feedback and grip from steering and front and rear-ends in conditions that would have a lot of other RWDs skating, sliding and generally misbehaving.

So no sense of being on eggshells here or teetering awkwardly, just everything working toward the common goal.

Keeping the adaptive dampers in Normal mode kept the ride pretty comfy while retaining very decent body control. Save the stiffer setting for smooth roads and the track.

In the cockpit tactility reigns supreme. Everything the driver touches, be it the pedals, the steering wheel, the gear lever, the seat, even the left foot rest, feels just about right.

The Cayman GTS 4.0 may not cosset you in luxury, but what it does have it does right.

For all the retro goodness of the 2021 Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0, I dunno if it’s a day-to-day proposition.

As a manual it just seems too much hard work for a mundane drive. For that there’s always the PDK. It’s faster, more economical and easier to live with.

But, hey, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of nostalgia. The Cayman GTS 4.0 delivers just enough of that, combined with a gilt-edged Porsche driving experience to make it something special.

And that’s just timeless.

How much does the 2021 Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0 cost?
Price: $175,200 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 4.0-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 294kW/420Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 11.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 250g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested