Why the Cheapest New Porsche You Can Buy Might Be the Best Option
Sometimes the base model is best. Comparing two entry-level Porsches 50 years apart: the 718 Cayman and 914 Roadster.
A lot of the time when we think about what defines a brand, we immediately look for the most expensive and exclusive product that is offered. After all, that is what defines a flagship: the best that can be brought to the table.
However, what if this common thought process is fundamentally flawed? What if the cheapest product in the lineup speaks the loudest about what is truly being offered by any specific brand?
This brings us to this exact circumstance in the current Porsche model lineup: the 982 718 Cayman. In 2021, this humble Porsche sits as the cheapest new vehicle you can purchase from the German luxury automaker.
However, just because it’s “cheap” does that make it bad? Far from it. At the end of the day, it still is a new luxury sports car, there are many worse things you could be driving.
Core Reason for Buying a Porsche?
As much as we love writing about GT3 RSs and the like, there are very few people who will ever see, let alone own one. A base model 718 Cayman? That just makes a lot more sense to the everyday person.
This is the beauty of the base model. Once you strip back all the fluff, you get a deeper understanding of what makes that thing appealing to begin with. Sometimes the joy of driving does not need to share a direct correlation with the sticker price.
“I have a bit of a theory that the cheapest car in a manufacturer’s lineup is actually the pick of the crop,” said Duisberg. “…you get all of the essences that makes that mark special without any of the superfluous fripperies,”
To emphasize this point, the Carfection YouTube channel with presenter Rich Duisberg went for a bit of comparison- the two cheapest cars Porsche has offered at a time, just 50 years apart.
The Cayman’s counterpart is none other than the underdog of the late 1960s-early 1970s Porsche lineup: the 914 roadster. See, although these two cars are a half-century apart, they are surprisingly similar.
Their approximate cost in their respective periods is about the same when adjusted for inflation: $60k. Both were also built in collaboration with Volkswagen at the Osnabrück plant.
So how do these entry-level models compare? Well, Duisberg describes the Cayman as “absolutely fantastic. It does everything that you want: it’s quick, it handles well, it’s got good steering feel.”
Entry Level or Flagship Notwithstanding
These are the core principles of what Porsche has worked for decades to refine. Whether you are buying a 911 Turbo S or a base Cayman, you are buying it for these exact reasons.
However, Duisberg began to become disappointed when simplicity was replaced with unnecessary options. This included things like the hesitation of PDK transmission and road noise of upgraded wheel/tire package.
Why? Well, because these options come at a heavy premium: over $14k worth. Duisberg clarifies, “the more expensive something is the higher my expectations are and the greater my disappointment is when I find one tiny thing that I don’t like.”
Sometimes the barebones package truly is the best offering for this reason. This is because we are better able to manage our expectations for that product when compared to an expensive counterpart.
The little 914, built in 1971, has 63,432 miles, a 2.0L 4-cylinder making just 99 HP, and decades of wear and tear. However, it still proudly wears the same shade of “Racing Yellow” as its younger brother.
Yes, there was a 6-cylinder version of the 914, however, did the lightweight sports car really need more power? Duisberg states, “This is a pretty demanding thing to drive. I don’t want any more power than this. This is enough as it is.”
Expensive dealer options are actually not as appealing as they seem
Although the 914 competed in both Le Mans and endurance racing, it was always better suited for a winding backroad than a race track. It’s a simple- and as a result, enjoyable approach to driving.
The emotional draw of a raw driving experience is in the heart of every Porsche enthusiast. There could be few better cars “to have tucked away for a sunny Sunday.”
So if you are the car buyer that is not looking for the perfect pedestal-worthy example, but rather, a pure stripped-back driving experience, then you can understand the allure of base model motoring.
Porsche has been refining the recipe of what makes a great sports car for decades on end. Although we gasp at the marvel of the “GT” models, the heart of the brand is found the same in a Cayman as in a limited-production 911.
Duisberg offers perhaps the best compromise,” I’d take this car [the Cayman] without the 10k worth of options and it would be pretty much a perfect sports car. With the 10k pounds I’d save, I’d actually buy one of these [the 914], because then I got something really engaging for the weekend. I think that is a win-win.”
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