IS THE NORMALLY-ASPIRATED PORSCHE CAYMAN GTS STILL A MATCH FOR THE TURBOCHARGED BMW M2?
Times have changed in recent years. Cars from the more high-volume manufacturers, especially the range-toppers or the motorsport-inspired models have been given brilliant powerplants and drivetrains to afford them performance that can both match and outperform models from specialist sportscar manufacturers. Pricing has also joined too though, it’s not uncommon to see a top BMW costing the same and sometimes more, spec dependant, than some Porsche models. Out of the Porsche range, one of the cars that gained popularity faster than most is the Cayman range, and when some of Porsche’s more serious powerplants were shoehorned into them in very recent years to give them more bang for their buck. If we were to put a pair of these German rivals together, we’d do the same as the chaps at MotorTrend and line the Porsche Cayman GTS up against the BMW M2. They’re both among the most compact of their respective brands, they offer up an amazing drive and they play in a very similar price range, hovering around the R1,600,000 to R1,800,000 mark. The MotorTrend chaps don’t just take the pricing and outright performance into consideration, they delve into which of the pair is also the best car to live with, going in-depth into all aspects of the cars. It’s basically a buyer’s guide from some seasoned professionals and should help in at least some way for those out there lucky enough to be in the position to have to choose between the two. Without even watching, and having driven only the BMW M2, we’d still opt for the Porsche, but that’s because we’re just brand-blind enough to not really have any interest in the BMW. It’s a great car, no doubt, and it ticks all the boxes except the one that makes you want to only park the car in your line of sight. Also, if you want more than the M2 offers, you’ll have to look at a different model range, if the Cayman doesn’t tickle your fancy quite enough, there’s still a model above that’s quicker and better, but the pricing also matches the upgrade.
The 2023 Porsche Cayman GTS sees fitment of a powerplant in a similar specification to one from the bigger 911 in the form of that simply superb normally aspirated 4.0 litre flat that’s rated at a very healthy 294 kW of power with 420 Nm of power. The powerplant is mated to a quick-shifting 7-speed PDK transmission that sends power to the rear wheels. It can also be had with a 6-speed manual transmission, which is exactly the one we’d have because as fast as PDK shifts, there’s just something special about manually rowing through the cogs in a screaming normally-aspirated Porsche. It’s the PDK version in this comparison though. It’s all wrapped up in a great-looking package, to differentiate the car from the other 718s, it gets a GTS-specific front apron with tinted front lights, GTS-specific equipment in the cabin including a GT sports steering wheel in Race-Tex, Sports seats Plus with seat centres in Race-Tex and GTS logos on the headrests. The 20-inch 718 Sport wheels feature in black OEM guise, but buyers can choose any wheels from the extensive Porsche catalogue if black doesn’t work for them. Considering every car I’ve owned has had black wheels, this is an option that wouldn’t change for us. In this spec, the Cayman can hit 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds dead and had a top speed of 288 km/h (293 km/h for the manual). The BMW M2 in comparison features BMW’s tried and tested 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline 6. Fitted to the M2, the setup is rated at 338 kW, a full 44 kW more than the Porsche, and on the torque side, the rating is 550 Nm, 130 more than the Porsche. It’s a fair difference on paper, but the GTS tips the scales at 1,350 kg while the M2 is at 2,010 kg - and weight does make a difference in the performance. The M2 also has the choice of a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, the latter appears in this comparison. The BMW is claimed to him 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds and has a top speed limited to 250 km/h, and that can extend to 285 km/h when the M Driver’s Package is optioned. It’s the Porsche for us, which is the one you’d take?
Take a look at the YouTube video that shows us a comparison between a pair of the coolest German sportscars you can have in your garage, the normally-aspirated 4.0-litre flat 6-powered Porsche Cayman GTS and the twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre inline 6-powered BMW M2: 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 vs BMW M2 | Comparison Test | MotorTrend | MotorTrend Channel
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