Now that Porsche has released the 718 Cayman over the web, the carmaker has also supplied us with a sweet, little commercial that sees the fixed-roof model racing the 718 Boxster.
Admittedly, it's difficult to focus on anything else than the footage itself, since we're treated to a Miami Blue Cayman going up against a Lava Orange Boxster. Nevertheless, the pairing hasn't simply been done for the sake sport of bringing the two modern-day 718 incarnations together.
The idea is that the mid-cycle boost (pun intended) has brought at least two firsts in terms of the duo's positioning. While the Boxster came to be in 1996, the German automaker waited until the second generation of its mid-engined machine before releasing its Cayman unidentical twin.
Using an old school marketing strategy, Porsche has always kept the Cayman as the more expensive and slightly more powerful model. The majority of the customer base ignored this, with most of the sales being grabbed by the Boxster, which offered close performance, mixed with more convenient pricing and open-air pleasures.
Porsche has now adjusted its scheme, which means the two models offer the same output, namely 300 horses for the "standard" model and 350 ponies for the S version.
More importantly, there's been a switch in the pricing strategy, so while the 718 Cayman starts at $53,900, you can have a 718 Boxster from $56,000. The situation is the same with the $66,300 Cayman S, which sits below the 718 Boxster's $68,400 starting price.
We are now looking forward to seeing the 718 Cayman in action, and this doesn't even have anything to do with the output premium brought by the turbocharging. Instead, it's the tweaked handling and braking of the admittedly heavier mid-cycle model (the coupe gained around 70 lbs/30+ kg) that got us on our toes.
It all starts with stiffer springs and stabilizer bars, while you can now have a PASM Sport adaptive suspension for the first time, which brings a 20mm ride height reduction - given the value, we only recommend this for track aficionados.
Additionally, the rear wheels are 0.5 inches wider and the steering is 10 percent quicker. Who knows? Perhaps the last treat is offered to help with the drifting, which has now become a widely-recognized fashion.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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