Photo: X-Tomi
For some - those who don't care that much about tradition - the Cayman is the best Porsche money can buy. They don't think you need a 911 to experience the ethos of this brand, and the more petite coupe is more than enough to get an idea.
They are the lucky ones, as just like logic would have it, the Cayman is also more accessible than its larger brother. But it's all a matter of reference points: just because it costs less, doesn't mean it's cheap. Oh, no, not by a long chance. Even though it dropped two cylinders off its boxer engines, the Cayman is still the kind of sports car that sells for a lot of money. Over 50,000 euros, to be more exact, if you're going to buy one straight from the horse's mouth. Germany, that is.
So how about a more accessible version, then? The standard Porsche 718 Cayman makes 300 hp out of its 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four, while the S version gets 0.5 more liters of displacement and an extra 50 hp. So what should motivate this Base Spec model? Come on, man, it's a Porsche - can you really go any lower than a 2.0-liter flat-four? The answer to that is "hell, no!"
So if the Base Spec wants to cut costs, it'll have to look elsewhere. For one thing, it appears to have stolen its steel wheels from a van, so that should shave off a few thousand euros. The black plastic bumpers and side skirts can't possibly amount to any significant savings, so it's all down to what's inside. Which should be nothing, because given the remarkable price drop of - let's say - about 5,000 euros we've managed so far, the Base Spec Cayman would have to come with just a radio and maybe (and it's a big maybe) air conditioning to lower its price far enough to justify the horrendous exterior looks.
Forget about leather, forget about the PDK transmission, forget about sat-nav, touch screen, Bluetooth telephone connection or driving aids: this Porsche Cayman Base Spec would have nothing apart from a pair of seats, a steering wheel, and a manual stick. Wait a minute, this Base Spec 718 Cayman doesn't sound bad at all. Take away the Hankook tires and replace them with something decent and you've got yourself a perfect no-frills all-thrills driver's car made by Porsche, but at a reasonable price. Porsche, are you reading this?
Hungarian digital artist X-Tomi has made a habit out of imagining these Base Spec versions for various models (usually pretty luxurious), and they're usually pretty ridiculous. His Porsche 718 Cayman rendering is just as daft, but the idea behind it isn't that bad. Of course Porsche would never consider this, but if you've got plenty of money, you can buy one and just strip it down. It's the exact opposite of a Base Spec, but it could spawn a nice vehicle to drive. It's just a (not so original) idea.
So how about a more accessible version, then? The standard Porsche 718 Cayman makes 300 hp out of its 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four, while the S version gets 0.5 more liters of displacement and an extra 50 hp. So what should motivate this Base Spec model? Come on, man, it's a Porsche - can you really go any lower than a 2.0-liter flat-four? The answer to that is "hell, no!"
So if the Base Spec wants to cut costs, it'll have to look elsewhere. For one thing, it appears to have stolen its steel wheels from a van, so that should shave off a few thousand euros. The black plastic bumpers and side skirts can't possibly amount to any significant savings, so it's all down to what's inside. Which should be nothing, because given the remarkable price drop of - let's say - about 5,000 euros we've managed so far, the Base Spec Cayman would have to come with just a radio and maybe (and it's a big maybe) air conditioning to lower its price far enough to justify the horrendous exterior looks.
Forget about leather, forget about the PDK transmission, forget about sat-nav, touch screen, Bluetooth telephone connection or driving aids: this Porsche Cayman Base Spec would have nothing apart from a pair of seats, a steering wheel, and a manual stick. Wait a minute, this Base Spec 718 Cayman doesn't sound bad at all. Take away the Hankook tires and replace them with something decent and you've got yourself a perfect no-frills all-thrills driver's car made by Porsche, but at a reasonable price. Porsche, are you reading this?
Hungarian digital artist X-Tomi has made a habit out of imagining these Base Spec versions for various models (usually pretty luxurious), and they're usually pretty ridiculous. His Porsche 718 Cayman rendering is just as daft, but the idea behind it isn't that bad. Of course Porsche would never consider this, but if you've got plenty of money, you can buy one and just strip it down. It's the exact opposite of a Base Spec, but it could spawn a nice vehicle to drive. It's just a (not so original) idea.
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