Hotted-up Cayman blasts down the straights and rounds the numerous curves of the Spanish mountain pass.
We’ve heard Port de la Bonaigua is lovely this time of year. In fact, we’ve seen how wonderful it is during the winter thanks to the above Carfection video review of the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS.
The Youtube channel’s Henry Catchpole takes the performance model to the serpentine Pyrenees mountain pass in Catalonia, Spain. The smooth, plowed roads go on for miles flanked by thick piles of pristine snow. When Catchpole enters the eastern part of the pass, he finds himself climbing up the mountain range one curve at a time. It’s a challenging drive that demands control and concentration. Fortunately for Catchpole, there are no other drivers out as he makes the journey.
While focusing on the constantly curving pavement in front of him, Catchpole articulates the strengths and weaknesses of his bright yellow lift to the top of the slopes. Aside from the visual appeal of the GTS’s black accents, Catchpole praises its “wonderful” six-speed manual gearbox, even though Porsche gives it less torque to handle (309 lb-ft) than the GTS with the PDK dual-clutch setup (317 lb-ft).
A road with as many curves as Port de la Bonaigua can quickly reveal weaknesses in a car’s steering arrangement. It has nothing on the GTS’s electromechanical configuration. The limited-slip diff helps the lower-riding 718 Cayman keep its forward momentum up as its snakes its way further into the mountains.
If there’s a weakness to the GTS, it’s the one you’ve probably already guessed or even experienced yourself: Its exhaust sound. Catchpole finds the Subaru WRX-esque notes from the turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer four coarse, rough, and uninspiring. The 365 horsepower it generates is plenty, but the sound those horses make when they exit the GTS leaves something to be desired. Something tells us Catchpole got over his sonic sorrows the second he slid the GTS’s tail out again. Who could be in a bad mood on such a great driving road?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
