New Porsche 718 Cayman unveiled

New entry-level Porsche 718 Cayman sportscar debuts at the 2016 Beijing Motor Show.

After revealing the new 718 Boxster earlier this year, its hardtop sibling - the 718 Cayman – has been unveiled by Porsche. Changes on the new model include new downsized four-cylinder turbo engines, replacing the old car’s naturally aspirated flat-six.

Like the 718 Boxster, the 718 Cayman offers a choice between two turbo flat-four engines including a 2.0-litre and a 2.5-litre unit.  The standard model gets the smaller 2.0-litre mill producing 296bhp and 380Nm, while the faster ‘S’ version comes fitted with the bigger 2.5-litre unit rated at 345bhp and 420Nm. A six-speed manual gearbox comes as standard in both the models, while you can also equip it with a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic. Power is sent to rear wheels irrespective of the transmission type.

Performance figures are similar to the 718 Boxster, too. In the standard guise, clubbed with PDK gearbox and Sports Chrono Package, the 718 Cayman will hit 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds, marking an improvement of 0.7 seconds over its predecessor. The 718 Cayman S will undercut this time to 4.2 seconds – which is 0.5 seconds faster than the previous-gen Cayman S. The top speed of the standard and S version stand at 275km/h and 285km/h, respectively.

Porsche has also made some significant revisions to the chassis of car. These include stiffer springs and dampers, wider rear wheels and a quicker steering rack. On the outside, the 718 Cayman looks largely similar to the 718 Boxster, except for the addition of a hardtop. Inside, the dashboard design is identical to the new Boxster as well, meaning you get a 918 Spyder-inspired steering and Porsche’s latest communication management system (PCM) as standard.

The Porsche 718 Cayman goes on sale in Europe in September, 2016. The standard version is priced at £39,878 (approx. Rs 38.42 lakh) whereas the more powerful 718 Cayman S will set you back by £48,834 (approx. Rs 47 lakh) in the UK. The 718 Cayman as well as the 718 Boxster are both India-bound, and are expected to be launched here by year end.

Also read: New Porsche 718 Boxster revealed