I’m not exactly going out on any limbs and predicting something that others aren’t seeing, but the 981 Porsche Cayman is aging very well. It’s a great size, the tech is more than adequate, but the real star of the show is the MA1 flat-6. It is a wonderfully balanced engine that sounds great, kicks out 325 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, and won’t kill you in service costs. However, I think one of the biggest reasons the 981 is holding strong, is that it isn’t a 718. Hear me out here.
Unless you spring for the GTS 4.0 or GT4, the 718 chassis gets a lot of kickback because of the MA2 turbocharged flat-4. Don’t get me wrong, I want to love the 718. I think it looks great, the interior is extremely nice for the price point, but I just can’t love, or even like, the MA2 engine. Every time I hear one start up, I am having flashbacks to 2005 Subaru WRXs. I am not alone here. Because of this, I’d much rather buy the older car for the engine alone. Today’s car, a 2016 Cayman S, looks to be one of the finer examples I’ve come across of the 981 chassis in the past few years. Why? Well, it has 955 miles on it. That’s it. 955.