Cayman GTS Takes on Supra and Emira in a Series of Track Challenges
The Cayman GTS proves that it is a better car than what the numbers show.
The Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0, Toyota Supra, and Lotus Emira are all wonderful sports cars. And soon they will all be dead. At least in their current internal combustion configurations. In fact, the Cayman GTS is already dead in Europe. It will be a sad day when we have to say goodbye to all of these entertaining machines. But to borrow a line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, “I am not dead.” And before these great cars are thrown onto the cart and hauled away it is time to have a bit of fun with them. And at the same time decide which of the three is the best.
The folks at Car Throttle posted a video on their YouTube channel of these cars being put to the test. They rounded up a Cayman GTS 4.0, a Supra 3.0 and an Emira First Edition with a 3.5L supercharged V6. The cars were pitted against each other in three different contests. There were slalom and track lap tests which were timed to give an objective result. The third test was a much more subjective drift competition. How did the Cayman GTS hold up against its rivals? And do the numbers really matter?
Slalom and Track Test
The slalom was a simple exercise to test the nimbleness of the cars. This was a very basic course, nothing like a full autocross course. The Lotus was quickest at 17.4 seconds. The Porsche took 17.5 and the Toyota 17.6. On a full lap of the road course, things were different. The Porsche was by far the quickest with a 54.7-second lap. The Toyota and Lotus were tied at 55.7. A full second on such a short lap is a significant advantage.
Drifting
This one is a bit silly, but sports cars are not meant to be totally serious. The three cars were sent around a corner while the driver tried to perform the most impressive drift. The drift was then scored subjectively by two colleagues standing trackside. With a score of 15 the Toyota was judged as the best drift car. The Lotus was second with a score of 14 and the Porsche was third with a score of 12. Although in my humble opinion, I think the Cayman was deserving of a higher score. No matter. When all the scores from the three tests were added up the Lotus was crowned the winner. The only problem is that the Porsche is the best car.
Porsche for the Win
First of all, props to the Toyota. It is significantly less expensive than the Porsche or Lotus. For the money, the Supra is an absolute hoot. The Emira and Cayman GTS are more natural competitors. But if the Lotus scored more points, how can I say the Porsche won? Am I that much of a Porsche fanboy? Yes, but that is not why I would say it won. In every single event, the driver and passenger were happier in the Porsche. They laughed, giggled, and were generally happiest in the Porsche. Not that the other two cars were torture chambers. They were both good. But you can see how the attitude changed when they got into the Porsche. The fact that the Porsche made the best sounds didn’t hurt either.
After adding up the scores, and declaring the Lotus the winner, the two presenters both rushed to the Porsche so they could drive that one home. That is what owning a sports car is all about. Numbers only tell part of the story. But with the Cayman GTS Porsche built a car that grown men will fight over. It really is that good.
Join the Rennlist forums!
