2021 Porsche 718 Cayman

The 2021 Porsche 718 Cayman is a 3-door, two-seater fastback coupe that shares its DNA with the Porsche Boxster. Now in its third generation, the Cayman has become a firm favorite for Porsche enthusiasts looking for an entertaining daily-driver sports car that can handle city traffic and the weekend track day without asking the same level of monetary commitment as its larger and faster sibling, the Porsche 911. The base model is a competent machine, but Porsche offers a few hotter versions, and the range tops out with the GTS 4.0, which produces 394 horsepower and 309 lb-ft of torque, making it a natural, albeit more expensive, competitor to the Toyota Supra and Audi TT Coupe.

The base model is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged boxer-four engine producing 300 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the rear-wheel drive via a standard 6-speed manual or a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission. The Cayman S is powered by a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder that produces a more notable 350 hp and 309 lb-ft. Both turbo gasoline engines respond well and pair well with either transmission option but they sound lifeless and could do with a more aggressive exhaust and intake noise. The top-of-the-range GTS 4.0 is powered by a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated boxer-six and dishes out 394 hp and 309 lb-ft to the rear wheels. This 2021 718 Cayman model has a top speed of 182 mph and will do the 0-60 mph sprint in only 4.3 seconds.

Don't let anyone fool you into thinking that the Cayman is somehow a lesser Porsche vehicle. Sure it doesn't have the magical number 911 on the back, but the thing oozes Porsche out of every nook and cranny. What makes the Cayman so special is simple: it drives and handles as few other competitors can. The 2021 718 Cayman does come with some flaws, such as an uninspiring interior (that's very well built), a lack of driver-assistance features, and uninspiring four-cylinder engines, but that can't detract from just how much fun it is to fling one of these around a set of corners. The 2021 Porsche 718 Cayman coupe is priced above most of its competitors, and one could buy some US-made muscle car with significantly more power for the same money, but for Porsche purists, this won't even enter their minds.

We'd go with a manual Cayman S. This mid-level 718 Cayman coupe uses the more powerful 2.5-liter boxer-four producing 350 hp, and will get to 60 mph in only 4.4 seconds. Priced at $72,500, the Cayman S costs $14,900 less than the 4.0 GTS, leaving you with some breathing room to add niceties such as the Premium Package with lane change assist, if the lack of an official safety rating gives you pause. The rest of the package includes Porsche entry and drive, ventilated seats, and a light design package for $4,050. We'd also add the $2,090 Sport Chrono package, which adds performance features such as PSM Sport Mode and Launch Control. In review, a 2021 Porsche 718 Cayman with all this tacked on will cost you $73,850, including a destination fee of $1,350.