Why He’s Interested in the Base 718 Cayman

My husband has been saying for months, “I really think the base 718 Cayman is awesome. I want one~” while constantly browsing Car Sensor. After sharing these thoughts on Twitter and briefly mentioning them on my blog, a 718 Cayman owner reached out with this question:

Since purchasing a used 718 Cayman (MY2017) last October, I’ve become completely hooked on Porsche.
Your husband seems interested in the “base Cayman,” but as a base Cayman owner myself, I can’t help but wonder why he prefers the base Cayman when you already have a 911 and a 981 Boxster GTS.
If you don’t mind, could you share the reason?

In response to this question—or rather, what my husband often says about the base 718 Cayman is this:

“In terms of speed, everyday usability, and cost performance, the base 718 Cayman is really excellent.”
The 718 Cayman simply performs incredibly well. Its handling is insanely better than the 981, and it feels more rigid than the convertible Boxster, so it can easily handle high-speed corners on the track and it’s fast. The PDK transmission is also very smart. For those who find joy more in ‘speed’ than just the feel, I think the 718 beats the 981.
By the way, to avoid any misunderstanding, the ‘speed’ I’m talking about here isn’t just the 0-100 km/h time or top speed on a straight line. It’s the ‘speed’ that includes cornering ability derived from overwhelming confidence and precise handling.
Also, when thinking about everyday driving on Japanese roads, having 400 or 500 horsepower doesn’t really come in handy because there aren’t many places to use that power, and too much power means you can’t really rev the engine, which isn’t very fun.
In that sense, the base Cayman has just the right amount of power. Plus, it offers great cost performance and can be used in many situations, which I think is fantastic.
By the way, as a car to drive on the circuit, I want the base Cayman with PDK. If it were a Cayman T, that would be even better. In a good way, the 718 is cyborg-like faster than its predecessor, so I definitely want to try it on the track. It has power you can really push, solid suspension, and body rigidity, so I think it’s the best.”

Is He Not Actually Going to Buy One?

However, even when browsing used car sites, it seems hard to find a Cayman with the specifications my husband wants.

He insists that having both PASM and the Sport Chrono Package is essential, and he’s looking for a Cayman with these sporty options. But cars with both are rare, and even when they do appear, he often doesn’t like the body color or interior styling, so he can’t find “the one.”

He’s also recently said, “Even if I get more cars, I won’t really be able to drive them properly, so buying one isn’t realistic. But still…”

My husband seems to enjoy not so much “buying a car and then looking for it,” but rather “looking for cars he wants and imagining all sorts of things.” So I think he’ll probably keep browsing used car sites for 718 Caymans for a while to come.