Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0: Goodbye, and Thanks for All the Fun

The last naturally aspirated Porsche Cayman sings one final verse—this time in the rain-soaked streets of Singapore.

There’s something cinematic about driving a naturally aspirated Porsche in the rain: damp roads, moody skies and slick parking garages echoing with the reverberation of a flat-six. The 2025 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 isn’t just a precision-built sports coupe — it’s a statement. A final nod to the kind of driving experience that’s becoming increasingly rare.

For our Test Drive, Porsche Singapore gave us a delivery mileage, Agate Grey spec, sitting low on black 20-inch wheels, red calipers peeking through and "GTS 4.0" script subtly marking the side. Over the course of a weekend in Singapore — through downpours, narrow city lanes, rooftop carparks and empty highways — it made one thing clear: the Cayman GTS 4.0 isn’t a send-off; it’s a celebration.

The Engine: Naturally Aspirated, Naturally Rewarding

At the heart of the GTS 4.0 is the same 4L flat-six used in the Cayman GT4, detuned slightly to 394 hp and 309 lb-ft of torque. But numbers don’t do it justice. The real story here is how it delivers its power. In a world dominated by turbocharged urgency and electric immediacy, the GTS delivers its power the "old-fashioned" way — clean, linear and better the harder you push. Below 4,000 rpm, it’s composed and usable in a daily drive setting. Above that, it becomes something else entirely — responsive, eager and full of soul. Redline arrives at 7,800 rpm and you’ll want to touch it as often as you can.

We drove the PDK version — perhaps the more reasonable choice for Singapore’s traffic — and it was brilliant. The shifts are immediate and perfectly timed when left to its own devices, but pull the paddles yourself and it’s even more rewarding. In Sport Plus mode, downshifts crack with intent, while upshifts under load are clean and decisive. On wet roads, the engine never felt intimidating, just precise, confident and controlled. Porsche’s traction management systems do their job seamlessly in the background, but what impressed us most was how naturally the power could be applied even on slick roads.

Handling: Mid-Engine at Its Finest

The Cayman’s chassis is the gold standard for mid-engine balance, and the GTS 4.0 represents its most polished road-going form. In Singapore’s tight urban confines — ramp-style exits, uneven manhole covers, sharp U-turns — it feels light on its feet and deeply composed. The steering is sharp and intuitive, with just enough feedback to keep you fully in tune with the front axle. There’s no sense of excess or overkill — it’s a car that responds directly to your input, nothing more, nothing less.

It's worth noting that the GTS performed excellently in poor conditions. Even in heavy rain, it didn’t seem to fluster. Mid-corner confidence stayed intact, credit to the PASM adaptive dampers, which allow the GTS to float over rough patches and tighten up instantly when you dial in a little more pace. Even over expansion joints and slick painted lines, the chassis stayed communicative. This is a car built for more than just Sunday drives, it’s happy to thread traffic and to hold its own in a downpour. When the road opens up, it rewards with grace and athleticism in equal measure.

Cabin: Driver-Centric

Step into the Cayman GTS and it feels exactly as it should — driver-focused, low-slung and purposeful. The interior of our test car came trimmed in black leather and Race-Tex, with a suede-wrapped steering wheel and minimalist silver accents across the dash. It’s not a tech-laden experience. There’s a small central touchscreen (with Apple CarPlay), analog gauges and an array of physical buttons for everything from suspension settings to the sport exhaust. Some might call it dated, we call it distilled — pared down to only what’s essential, where every button and gauge serves a purpose and nothing gets between you and the drive.

The seats are excellent — supportive in all the right places, even during more aggressive driving, yet comfortable enough for longer stretches. Ergonomics are second nature, and the view out over the front fenders makes placing the car on the road almost effortless. In practical terms, the Cayman’s dual cargo spaces offer a surprising amount of usability. The front trunk swallowed a full weekend bag and camera kit with ease, and the rear hatch has just enough space for groceries and daily errands. Is it flashy? Not at all. It feels honest, and in a car like this, that matters.

The Spec: Subtle, Intentional, Timeless

There’s something quietly perfect about this particular Cayman’s configuration. It came finished in Agate Grey metallic with satin black wheels, red calipers and a clean, unembellished silhouette that suited its character perfectly. This spec didn’t shout for attention in the way a Lava Orange or Python Green might. Instead, it looked at home in the city — clean, confident and understated — despite starting at $473,768 SGD (roughly $354,599 USD) in the region, notably more than three times the U.S. base price of $99,700 USD before options.

Against the reflective blacktop of a Chinatown carpark or under the golden glow of temple lanterns, the color shifted just slightly — cool in daylight, warm under artificial light. The visuals matched the ethos of the car: classic Porsche, nothing excessive, nothing forced. Even the subtle "GTS 4.0" script on the lower doors felt less like a badge and more like a signature — one final autograph before the curtain drops.

The Sign-Off: One Last Chapter Before the Switch

This GTS 4.0 isn’t just the last naturally aspirated Cayman — it’s anticipated to be the last naturally aspirated mid-engine Porsche coupe, full stop. That makes it significant — historically, emotionally and experientially.

The next Cayman will be electric, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing—Porsche’s EV efforts are already impressive. However, this car reminds you why combustion, revs, ratios and acoustics still matter. Driving this car in Singapore — between sudden rainstorms, late-night expressways and rooftop garages — we couldn’t help but feel like we were witnessing something close to an epilogue. It’s not an ending in the tragic sense but rather a punctuation mark on an incredible run.

While future Caymans might be quicker or more efficient, we're not sure they’ll ever sound or feel this special. The 2025 Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0 is a rare kind of sports car, not because it’s the fastest but because it feels considered. The car is analog in the right ways, balanced in every sense and profoundly rewarding. This one will be remembered — not for chasing supercar stats but for reminding us what driver engagement means.

If you get the chance, take the keys, drive it in the rain and let it echo off the walls of a city at night, because this is one of the great ones.

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