Hello, everyone! I’m Mina, the administrator of “Welcome Home, PORSCHE.” In response to readers who wanted to hear honest accounts from a variety of Porsche owners, we launched our Porsche Owners’ File series. For the eighth installment, Porsche Dreamer, who lives in Fukuoka, shares his buying experience, options and driving review of his 718 Cayman. There have hardly been any Cayman articles on this blog, so I’ve been longing to feature one for ages! (Laughs.) I hope you enjoy it.

〘Owner Profile〙
・Car featured: 718 Cayman (MY2017)
・Name: Porsche Dreamer
・Location / home: Fukuoka City / apartment (outdoor parking space on the property)
・Family: My wife and me (we have two children, but they moved out when they went to university and have recently become independent)
・Previous cars:
■ Cars at my family home: Dodge Dart → Toyota Corolla 1200 Hi-Deluxe → Toyota Corolla Hardtop 1200 Hi-Deluxe
■ My cars: Honda Ballade CR-X 1.5i → Nissan Bluebird SSS Attesa X → Subaru B4 RS 2.0 → Subaru B4 3.0R spec.B → current 718 Cayman
・A message for readers: If you’ve decided that one day you’ll own a Porsche, it’s worth getting started sooner rather than later. Timing is especially important if you have a particular specification in mind or want to order options. During a model change, for example, you should expect that ordering may be unavailable for around six months.

1) How I Decided to Buy a Porsche

— Why did you buy a Porsche?

I first developed a strong admiration for Porsche after watching the 1971 film Le Mans, which my mother took me to see “for my car-loving son.” Later, I spotted an ad in the morning newspaper for the April 1972 issue of Car Graphic, which featured Porsche. I asked my father to buy it for me, and from then on I knew I would own a Porsche someday. I was eight years old.

— Why did you choose the 718 Cayman?

When I started thinking, “It’s about time I got ready to buy one,” in 2016, the Cayman felt like the Porsche closest to the image of the car I’d first dreamed about. I also liked the design of the 981 Cayman and went to test-drive one, but by then it was too late to place an order for a 981. I began researching in earnest and, after thinking it over for several months, decided to buy the 718 Cayman.

— What made you take the plunge?

The biggest factor was that our children had moved out, making the finances look a little more manageable. My wife also encouraged me. I remember her asking, “When are you finally going to buy a Porsche?”

2) Options and Specification — Options

Model	718 Cayman	¥6,190,000
Exterior color	Rhodium Silver Metallic	¥150,000
Interior color	Black	¥0
Package option	Right-hand drive	¥0
Exterior	ParkAssist (rear) Rear window wiper Electrically folding exterior mirrors Manual transmission	¥93,000 ¥63,000 ¥55,000 ¥0
Wheels	19-inch Boxster S wheels	¥325,000
Wheel accessories	Colored Porsche crest wheel center caps	¥30,000
Interior	Lane Change Assist Vehicle tracking system Standard seats Floor mats	¥106,000 ¥89,000 ¥0 ¥20,000
Audio / communication	Connect Plus	¥199,000
Total		¥7,320,000

(Options and prices as of the time of purchase)
Additional option: 18-inch Boxster wheels with winter tires

＊Additional note (2019.1.15)
【Standard equipment and available options vary by model year. The prices of both the base car and the options have also changed, I’m told. When I tried the configurator, I noticed the following differences from when I ordered:

・The car itself costs more, but it comes with more standard equipment
ParkAssist (rear) and Porsche Connect are now standard
・Rhodium Silver is no longer available, while other colors, including GT Silver, have been added

Overall, it looks like the base price has gone up, while option prices have come down a little.
A configuration close to mine would probably cost ¥7,484,000, so it’s a modest increase. The PDK may have become cheaper.】

— Aftermarket options

I had paint protection film applied to the rocker panels(including the rear fenders), along with protective film for the headlights. (¥81,000 + ¥20,000 + tax)

— Why did you choose this specification and these options?

Power and torque

When I compared the specs of my previous Subaru B4 3.0R with those of the 981 Boxster and 718 I test-drove, I decided that I didn’t need a Cayman S for its extra power and torque. I was also drawn to the fact that the 2.0-liter engine is essentially a four-cylinder version of the 911.2 engine, while the Cayman S’s 2.5-liter engine achieves its displacement with an unusually large bore. (Incidentally, I’ve heard that BMW considers 500 cc per cylinder to be ideal for its newer engines.)

Exterior color

“The 718 had only just launched, so there were very few body colors to choose from”; “My wife immediately said, ‘Absolutely no yellow or red’”; and “I wasn’t confident I could keep a black car looking clean.” For those reasons, I chose a distinctly German-looking silver finish. (Rhodium Silver was the only silver available, but I liked it.)

Interior color

I went with a black interior. A sports car’s cabin should be black—even a classic 911’s!

Right-hand drive or left-hand drive?

Left-hand drive was available for a limited time, but I thought right-hand drive would be better for a car I’d use regularly in Japan. My commute also takes me through intersections with no dedicated right-turn lane, where cars turning right are fairly common, as well as rural roads with lots of blind corners. Those were among the reasons I chose right-hand drive.

ParkAssist (rear)
None of my previous cars had any parking-assistance features. With the Cayman, though, I thought, “I’ll get sensors at least for the rear,” and opted for them. I didn’t choose front sensors because, on a car with a light-colored body, I prefer the cleaner look of a front bumper without sensors.

Rear window wiper

Personally, I consider it essential for city driving in the rain and for checking behind me when parking. Note that unlike on most Japanese cars, the rear wiper doesn’t spray washer fluid. I keep a bottle of water in the car instead.

＊Rear wiper: A quick rinse with water and a sweep of the wiper clears dust and restores visibility.

Electrically folding mirrors

Folding the mirrors when parked is standard practice in Japan. I also like that the mirrors fold when you lock the doors, making it easy to confirm that the car is locked.

Transmission

I chose the manual transmission. Selecting gears and shifting make up a big part of the pleasure of driving, in my view.

19-inch Boxster S wheels

Porsche’s catalogs don’t do a great job of showing off the wheels. Few pictures show them as three-dimensional objects, and I had to order the Cayman’s 19-inch wheels without seeing them in person. My wife liked them, so I’m happy with that. The car came with ADVAN Sport V105 tires.

Colored Porsche crest wheel center caps

Since the body is silver and the brakes are black (standard), I was advised that colored wheel center caps would make a nice accent. I’ve been very happy with them.

Lane Change Assist

I was a little concerned about the Cayman’s rear three-quarter visibility, so I thought I’d give it a try.

Vehicle tracking system

It seems to be standard on US-spec cars. With a Porsche, whether you can get the specification you want depends on timing, and delivery takes more than six months after you order. I’d hate to have a car like that stolen, so I decided to add it.

Standard seats / floor mats

Since this is my first Porsche, I decided to start with the standard seats and floor mats.

Audio / communication

I did consider adding the BOSE system. But shortly before I placed my order, I heard that when the 911 switched to PCM(Porsche Communication Management) as standard equipment, there had been cases where the BOSE system introduced noise that couldn’t be eliminated.

The Cayman was also switching to PCM for the 718, so I asked the Porsche Center about it. They weren’t sure yet, so I decided to stick with the standard audio system just to be safe. Instead, I added Connect Plus to get the most out of PCM.

Winter tires

As with my previous cars, I naturally bought a set of winter tires. I believe these were fitted to 18-inch Cayman wheels. (The wheels themselves couldn’t be selected.) Apparently, no one else was buying them at the Porsche Center in Fukuoka, but the tires supplied were PIRELLI Sottozero Serie II.

Paint protection film (aftermarket option)

I’d heard that on the 911, Cayman and Boxster, the bulging rear fenders are prone to stone chips along their leading edges. After looking into it, I found a shop in Kitakyushu that seemed capable of applying paint protection film properly, so I booked an appointment as soon as my delivery date was confirmed.

The shop advised that if you’re not planning to drive on a circuit or push the car particularly hard, paint protection film on the front end isn’t really necessary. So I had it applied only to the rocker panels. Since my parking space gets the afternoon sun from the west, I also added protective film on the headlights in the hope of preventing discoloration.

The MY2017 has flared rear fenders, and the shop did an exceptionally careful job, including the areas around them.

One great thing about paint protection film is that you can wipe off dirt with a sponge without worrying about damaging the paint. That said, even highway driving leaves quite a few marks on the front bumper and trunk lid. If I have the chance next time, I’d protect the front end as well.

— Options I didn’t choose

Sport Chrono Package

With a manual, I wanted to enjoy rev-matching the old-fashioned way and changing gears myself. But I was told that on the 718, Sport Chrono enables automatic rev-matching in SPORT mode. (I looked into it, but it didn’t seem possible to disable only the automatic rev-matching function.) So I decided against this option.

Incidentally, SPORT mode is available even on a standard car without the Sport Chrono Package. Even with a manual, the engine mapping changes and throttle response improves dramatically. The trade-off is slightly worse fuel economy, and the automatic start/stop system is disabled.

Even without the Sport Exhaust, lifting off the accelerator abruptly in SPORT mode changes the exhaust note, producing a “ba-ba-ba-ba” sound. From inside the cabin, it’s fairly quiet, though…

PASM

I had no plans to drive on a circuit, and for my first Porsche, I wanted to experience the setup Porsche chose as standard. I’d also read reports beforehand saying that the suspension without PASM was good, too.

PCCB (Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes)

They were tempting, but they’re very expensive, and I’d lose the option of using 18-inch wheels, so I passed.

Automatic climate control

I tend to adjust the temperature and fan speed manually, so I didn’t opt for it.

3) The Road to Delivery

2016
① Late April: Orders open for the 718 Cayman
② May 8: Order placed
③ October: Production completed
④ December 10: Arrived in Japan
⑤ December 26: Arrived at the Porsche Center
⑥ December 27: Delivered

4) Living with a Porsche: How It Performs

① Engine

There’s enough power to enjoy driving on the highway and on winding roads. If you accelerate hard in first gear, even a slightly rough surface can make the wheels spin at around 5,000 rpm or above. The only time I find myself wishing for more power is when accelerating hard uphill on a steep climb.
I think it feels best when it’s turning around 4,000–5,000 rpm at speeds above 70 km/h.

② Manual transmission

Shift feel

I’m happy with the feel of the six-speed manual. The gearbox is some distance from the shifter, but it slides into gear with a satisfying little “click, click.” When the car was new, reverse (R) took quite a bit of force to engage, but it seemed to loosen up after about a year. I find it easier if I move the lever into the 1st/2nd gear plane first, then push firmly from there.

Clutch

The clutch’s engagement point is very narrow. When the car was new, I wondered if it might be a little tricky to operate, but it became easier to manage after about a year.

The car’s top speed is over 270 km/h, so the gearing is fairly tall. Below about 10 km/h, you’re in the world of slipping the clutch (or coasting). The drivetrain is precise and has low running resistance, so on level ground there’s no problem pulling away without revving the engine. But even a slight uphill slope or a turned steering wheel increases resistance, so you need to feed in more throttle to keep the revs from dropping.

City and highway driving

For fuel-efficient city driving on level ground, it’s fine to shift into second at 2,000 rpm, third at 1,800 rpm, fourth at 1,600 rpm and fifth at 1,400 rpm. Put simply, it cruises smoothly at speeds of at least 10 km/h per gear—for example, 30 km/h in third. On the highway, though, I do find myself wishing for an even taller cruising gear.

[Next page] → 718 Cayman handling, fuel economy, ride comfort and more…