987, 981, 718... Which Mid-Engine Porsche is best?

As many have speculated over the years - which is best? The 987, 981, or 718? In this article I will be focusing on the Cayman model & excluding the Boxster. This is due to the fact I personally have seat and track time in all three generations of base Cayman (non-S variants) as well as their S counterparts. I will touch on additional models in the future, but for now, let's focus on the base car.

This article is extremely subjective in terms of what is important to you - and I will highlight each cars stengths and weaknesses in comparison to one another as we move along. Currently, I own a 987 5 Speed Cayman & a 981 PDK Cayman - the 718 & I have shared thousands of miles together, so I feel I am amply qualified to speculate on the matter.

Let's start with daily driving, the beauty of the Cayman is it makes an excellent daily driver for being a raw sports car, sharing a comfortable cabin & well throught out truck space to ensure usability. This is heavily more thought out in the 981 & 718, they have a larger front boot, the 718 clearly has better infotainment than all contenders & the fuel effeciency from the base cars is quite impressive. If tech is more important to you, I believe the 718 wins this battle all day long - BUT (this is entirely personal) if you prefer the feel of a flat 6, and that delightful noise... I do believe the 981 is the best all around daily driver of the bunch. I am deeply saddened with the introduction of the 4 Cyl option brought into Porsches sports car lineup. I understand why they did it, but call be a purist... I don't like it! Personal preference, I would pick the 981... but looking solely at the data, the 718 makes sense as a daily driver.

Part of being a daily driver, is driving! That said, there is one car that shines above the rest in terms of engaging driving characteristics on the base car. The 987 is the most connected,

feedback filled, and exciting slow car you could ever drive in my opinion. The 2.7 & 2.9 both are respectable engines that share a great powerband & exceptional response for the power figures. The steering... my lanta the steering! This is where the 987 really shines compared to its younger brothers... The direct steering you can feel right in your hands through the steering wheel is something the lord intended when thinking of the sports car. The 987 is a flawless example of what fun behind the wheel can really be. As we get newer and newer we move towards electric power steering, it's heavy and honestly still spectacular... UNLESS you've driven a 987. I am writing this as though all three cars aren't spectacular in this aspect, I assure you... they are. But the 987 edges out the rest in terms of fun behind the wheel by a fair margin.

What about the track? Which car shines bright through the rest? Well, if my last paragraph didn't get that message across - the 987 takes it on this front too... But ONLY in terms of engaging, feedback, and exhilirating driving tendancies. The 718 in truth is a better car on the track in almost any way. It is faster, you can push it further, and it just takes it. BUT, it's not as fun. Faster? Sure. But if you want to smile from ear to ear, take a 987.1 or .2 out for a few laps... you'll think about that time for years to come!

I adore all of these cars, I think Porsche has perfected the forumla for a mid engined sports car... with the introduction of the EV segment on this model line, I am very curious to see what they become. I think I'll stick to my flat 6's for now, but no matter what you choose, you made the right choice!