Photos by Bogdan Roberson unless noted
How could I say no to the chance to drive home a new, Ruby Star Neo 718 Cayman Style Edition? Porsche lent us one for a week, and I was really curious to see how it would do as a daily driver. I mean, the automaker did have a campaign a few years back called “Everyday Porsche,” in which it extolled the virtues of the ability to drive your Porsche every day and not just on weekends and holidays.
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My daily commute is 91 miles, round trip. Majority of it is on a congested interstate known as I-95. Four to five lanes of highway that’s been under constant construction for the past two decades, at least. My daily is 1997 BMW Z3 1.9 with 255,000 miles on the odometer. It serves its purpose as a commuter by being good on gas and fun to drive. However, I know it’s getting near to an end-of-life scenario and I will soon be looking at a new daily. So, I took the 718 for a day to see if it would work out as a daily driver.
This particular model was equipped with the following options: PDK, Porsche Active Suspension Management, ventilated seats, Porsche entry and drive, adaptive sports seats with memory package, Sport Chrono package, Porsche Torque Vectoring with the locking differential, and few more things. It took the base price of the Cayman Style Edition (SE) from $74,600 to $94,720, before the $1,650 delivery, processing, and handling fees. The base price of a 718 Cayman SE has gone up since this car was ordered, so the MSRP now starts at $79,200.
I’ve driven base 718 Caymans and I believe 300 horsepower is more than enough for what I need. Surprisingly, it weighs 3,104 pounds with the PDK transmission and the manual is only 3,040 pounds. So, having all this horsepower was perfect to make a pass or pull away from congested traffic snarls. I must admit that most of my driving was done in Sport mode, though I could see that possibly changing if I were to daily it long term.
The steering wheel was wrapped in leather — loved it. As much as Race-Tex and Alcantara look sporty, I’ll take a leather wheel every time. It’ll be much easier to maintain and have that “new” look for much longer.
White wheels. I love it when cars have them, but would hate to live them. They get dirty far too easily, and since the inner barrels are also painted white, this means cleaning the wheel faces arguably worsens their appearance until the barrels are cleaned. Otherwise, you’re telling the world that you only do things half-way. Nope, scratch the white wheel option. When it was my turn to use the 718, it had about a day and half of moderate driving since Porsche had deliver it to the PCA office. The wheels looked grimy and well used. The first thing I did when I got home was give the car a wash. I spent more time on the wheels than I did on the body of the car. Give me silver or black.
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The chalk interior wasn’t for me. It looks expensive, but for a daily driver, give me black. I could already see shoe scuff marks near the front speaker, caused during entry or egress in tight spaces, when the door can’t be opened all the way. Yes, scuffs show on a black interior, but a quick wipe easily resolves that. Sometimes, that’s not so easy on light interiors.
PDK or manual? This is all preference. For a daily driver, it may make sense to have a PDK, especially if you are going to be in traffic. For me, I’d still choose a manual. Going back to the fun factor, I can live without the quick shifts of PDK if I’m rowing my own gears. Plus, the six-speed manual transmission shifts so well and fits these cars beautifully. With that said, the PDK did exactly what it was supposed to do with regards to ease of driving and lightning-quick up- and down-shifts. Even in automatic mode, a deep press of the throttle will make PDK shift down several gears in an instant to prepare for pass.
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Photo by Damon Lowney
This model had the optional 18-way Adaptive Sport Seats. It’s a $3,620 option. If I had to spec it, I would choose the two-way Sport Seats Plus for $810. I would also splurge for the $730 option of ventilated seats. The 18 ways are supportive and fine, but not something I would need in a daily driven Cayman. I find the basic seats to be more than adequate. I could get used to the ventilated option, which was refreshing on the hot and humid day I drove the car.
I’d also opt for the Bose system for $990. This model had the base system, and while it didn’t sound terrible, for less than a $1,000, give me upgrade. I know Bose isn’t an audiophile’s dream, but the price is right for what it is.
2007 Cayman (left) and 2021 718 Cayman Style Edition. Photo by Damon Lowney
Cup holders. I know, I know, one shouldn’t be concerned with such things, but the fact remains that this will be a daily driver and, as such, it should have functional and ergonomic cup holders. I’m not asking for much, just a cup holder that will securely hold my cup, in a proper position that doesn’t require my right eye to constantly be watching it for possible spillage. Okay, enough about that, but Porsche, please think about it on the EV 718…
Polarizing. That’s probably the best way to describe the color, Ruby Star Neo. It’s bright and it’s loud. Combined with the contrasting white decals, it could easily be featured in the next Barbie movie. Some love it, some hate it, but the question is, could you live with it? That’s a tough question. I could live with it, but I could more comfortably live with Shark Blue.
Ride quality was just the way I like it. Not too firm and not too soft. With the PASM option, I can adjust ride stiffness with the turn of a dial on the steering wheel. Going through the twisties with the club on a tour, switch to Sport Plus. Commuting? I’d choose Sport. Rainy weather, I’d go with Normal.
Storage space is exceptional for what could be a daily driver. Granted, I did not buy a family size, 30-pack of toilet paper and attempt to fit it into the Cayman, but the front trunk is plenty deep, and I did buy groceries that all fit in there fine. The rear hatch, while not as deep as the front, still has plenty of room. So, not a mini-SUV-sized amount of storage space, but enough to carry most anything you’ll need to in a daily driver.
I really do believe that paint protection film would be a worthwhile investment if you get one of these. If it’s a daily, you are bound to encounter things on the highway that may chip or scuff your paint. Case in point, on my way into the office, a wheel cover flew off an old Toyota. While I managed to swerve and avoid hitting it, the lady in the SUV next to me did not and it left her shiny black mirror with a crooked silver racing stripe from the cover. Get the film and keep that paint in like-new condition.
In the end, I could definitely see myself daily driving a base Cayman. Of course it’s fun to drive. Fuel economy isn’t amazing at 21/27 miles per gallong for city/highway driving, and a combined rating of 24 mpg. A few mpgs less than my current ride, but I could easily trade the loss of mileage for having on-demand power. So, could you see yourself daily driving a 718 Cayman? Don’t think about it too long, Porsche has announced the end of its gasoline-powered 718s comes next year. After that, it’s the EV version, which also screams, “drive me every day.” We look forward to trying that out as well.
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