Porsche 718 Cayman GTS Races Renault Alpine A110 S for Supreme Sports Car Title

It is, unequivocally, a driver's car. To be fair, that's the only thing a two-seater should ever be because it sure as hell won't make for a practical family car, so what other point could its existence serve? If it can't be useful, it might as well be enjoyable for the few people that fit, and especially to the one person that's guaranteed to be in at all times.

Unfortunately, that's not how things work. Just because a car ticks a few boxes (mid- or rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, two seats), that doesn't automatically make it a blast to drive. Sure, it has every chance of beating a front-wheel-drive minivan in terms of excitement, but, as we all know, that doesn't mean much in itself.

There's more to what a model needs to make it a driver's car, and the Renault Alpine A110 is a good example. When it came out, the French coupe had a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produced 252 PS (249 hp). Mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, it was enough to make the lightweight car stand out, yet it fell short of really creating an impression.

Last year, the A110 S version was introduced, and with it, the power output jumped to 292 PS (288 hp). The best bit of news about this is that the vehicle's weight remained virtually unchanged, so it basically had more power without any drawback. Well, apart from the price, but at least you knew what you were paying for.

With close to 300 hp, the Alpine A110 S was still way short of the Porsche 718 Cayman's output of 400 hp. Granted, the German coupe needed a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat six to produce that, as opposed to the force-fed four-pot in the Renault. At the end of the day, though, who cares where the power comes from? The important bit is coming out on top in a head-to-head duel on the track.

Apart from the power, transmission (the Cayman is a six-speed manual), and weight discrepancies, there's also another pretty massive difference, and that's the price of these two great cars. As tested by Auto Express, the Porsche is almost $10,000 more expensive, and that's without the PDK transmission that will be coming shortly, boosting its price (and performance, if we're honest) even further.

The question, then, is whether the Cayman can justify the price gap, or if it's just money out the window. According to Steve Sutcliffe, a former British racing driver turned motoring journalist, the Porsche might as well be the best value for money sports car on the market, and seeing it dart around that narrow and technical track, you kind of tend to believe that.

The Alpine A110 S puts on a great show, but ultimately is held back by its softer suspension and its slight tendency towards understeer. However, the S version is a great addition and does more justice to the beautiful chassis created by the Renault, Nissan, and Alpine engineers. For more, check out the video below.