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Can the best sports coupé of the decade absorb a contentious new engine?

The 718’s modifications are sparing inside. The revised multimedia system is the most notable alteration, along with the repositioned air vents above.

The new touchscreen of the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system is the most notable evolution of the Cayman’s dashboard.

Still no auto-off electric handbrake for the Cayman. A small niggle, but one that will probably play out at least once a day for the duration of ownership

Like the Porsche 911, the display gets a more flush design than its predecessor.

A black border remains, but the old-fashioned plastic shroud has gone. As with a Volkswagen Golf, on-screen options change depending on the proximity of your hand.

The new set-up is much easier to use than the old one (the previous version being heavy on buttons and light on intuitiveness) and the manufacturer hasn’t sacrificed its distinctiveness. For example, the click-switch shortcut buttons below the touchscreen are retained.

Nor has Porsche lost its knack for charging extra for items that might otherwise be found as standard.

If you’d like Apple CarPlay or online functionality or even sat-nav, these are available as cost option ‘modules’ only.

On our test car, the addition of both Connect Plus (a smartphone internet interface) and the Navigation Module caused the bottom line to inflate by a slightly galling £1852.

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Otherwise, this is essentially the same interior as before, which is no bad thing because the previous Cayman’s cabin provided our benchmark for two-seater excellence.

Our test car featured optional bucket seats (£2226), which are first rate, but the standard seats offer squab angle adjustment and a slightly enhanced level of comfort.

The driving position is highly commendable either way, managing to feel wonderfully low-slung without significantly diminishing visibility.

Placing the Cayman on the road is made easier by its compactness, but the car never seems unduly small inside.

Two adults sit close by design, yet never in claustrophobic proximity. There’s still plainly a shortage of storage space, although the familiar dashboard-mounted cupholder remains a neat solution.

Our test car’s optional GT sport steering wheel (£186) is both good-looking and ideally proportioned and, with the Sport Chrono Package selected (£1125), sprouts the drive mode dial introduced in the latest 911.

The selector’s placement has its advocates among Autocar testers, although none would argue that it’s as deeply satisfying to use as Ferrari’s Formula 1-mimicking manettino knob.

That said, it feels more substantial than it looks – a virtue of Porsche’s esteemed build quality, which remains outstanding even in this, its most affordable model.