The Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0 Is Brilliant No Matter Which Transmission You Choose

The Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0 Is Brilliant No Matter Which Transmission You Choose

I first drove the Cayman GTS 4.0 early last year when Porsche offered its new coupe with just a single transmission, the six-speed manual. Amen. At the launch event in Scotland, Porsche promised a dual-clutch PDK transmission option was nigh. But with that super-sweet engine and manual transmission equipped, I couldn’t have cared less about the alternative. The Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0 Is Brilliant No Matter Which Transmission You Choose

After revisiting the GTS 4.0, the coupe still occupies that Goldilocks spot between the GT4’s back-breaking rideand the lesser thrills of a flat-four Cayman; the substitution of Porsche’s PDK gearbox hasn’t diluted a drop of the GTS’s joy. The Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0 Is Brilliant No Matter Which Transmission You Choose

I didn’t get to probe the Scottish hillsides this time, but Porsche dropped off a GTS PDK at my front door in Seattle (where we share the Scots’ lack of sunlight and love of stiff drink). I spent more time folding the car into my daily rhythms with this stint, rather than dodging sheep on soggy highland backroads. The PDK GTS rewards its driver, same as that manual car. Because the gearbox choice here is ultimately incidental. The Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0 Is Brilliant No Matter Which Transmission You Choose

Every bit of information about the car’s behavior is still there, rumbling up from the GTS’s rear axle, vibrating up through the seat and armrests, or buzzing from the engine and exhaust into your backside. The GTS’s hyper-accurate steering and the feedback from a superb electric steering rack remain.

The PDK dilutes exactly none of this baseline goodness.

In some cases, it can even help. The GTS’s footwell feels narrow on either version of the car. But with two pedals rather than three, you’ve got just a bit more space to let your left foot relax.

While the dead pedal stretches wide enough, its placement awkwardly cants your ankle, since your left foot has to sit so far inboard. This layout is evidently due to the GTS’s wide front track, which ultimately eats into the pedalbox. That alone wouldn’t deter me from buying the manual, but might be a factor for buyers with bigger feet or people who plan to do serious highway miles in their GTS 4.0.

So The Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0 Is Brilliant No Matter Which Transmission You Choose