2016 Porsche 718 Cayman 2.0 first drive

"The Porsche 718 Cayman 2.0 is a Porsche without a flat six? Sacré bleu!” they cry. And they have a point, if, like them, you wish to live in the past.

Look, I’d rather six cylinders as much as the next man, but change is inevitable; it might not always be wanted, but accept it or you’ll stagnate in a pool of algaefied misery. The flat four is here, so let’s move on. Instead of trying in vain to haul back the past, time to judge this 718 Cayman on whether it’s the best £40k sports car you can buy today. We’ll touch on the noise later, but try not to dwell on it.

To recap: we have a 2.0-litre flat four instead of a naturally aspirated 2.7-litre flat-six. It’s got more power - a heady 296bhp - and, crucially, 66lb ft more torque smeared liberally across the rev range. 

There are many other tweaks, including to the styling, infotainment and some GT4-spec bits in the suspension, but engine aside, the main theme is broadly a familiar one.

Porsche says it’s more economical than its 981 predecessor. Perhaps, if you drive it like a parsimonoius cabbie having a slow day. Drive it like a sports car is intended to be driven and I doubt it’ll sup much less juice than before.

Lighter? Four things must weigh less than six things, right? Indeed, but in fact the 718 is a bit heavier than the old 981 - by 25kg, to be precise.

Oh dear. Perhaps the naysayers are right. It’s not looking like a six at Edgbaston then, is it, this four-cylinder replacement for the car once touted the ‘best reasonably priced sports car in the world’?

Hang on, though, there’s lots more to consider here. Before we get in and drive it, just look at it for a moment. This is a pretty car, don’t you think? Even if the grey of our test car doesn't show it to best effect in the pictures, like the 981, it’s pointy at the front, muscular over the haunches and tapers away to a diminishing tail that’s the perfect full stop to its form.

Yet the subtle changes to the 718, such as the domed front wings, natty lights front and rear and black under-spoiler section at the back, make it better resolved than the 981. It remains compact, too, like Porsche 911s used to be in the air-cooled days. You remember those - the ones we were told we’d never recover from?

Next, open the door and slide yourself in to the seat. This one’s part-cloth; haven’t seen that on a Porsche since a fabulous 944 S2 my friend owned. It's a timely reminder that along with 356s, 912s, 924 Carrera GTs and 968s, Porsche already has a well-trodden four-cylinder legacy.

Play around with the seat for a moment and yes: the perfect driving position. Just like the old car, it’s low and cocooning, with a nice thin wheel to grasp and perfect pedals for heels and toes to dance on. 

Start it up. Okay, it sounds like a Beetle at idle. No, not McCartney in his prime singing Hey Jude. More like Ringo warming a rattly 1972 1300 on a frosty morning. Accepted: it doesn’t sound as good.

Clutch down - it’s beautifully weighted and lighter than before. Snick first - the gearbox is deliciously precise, just as before. Move off.