In revealing the Porsche 718 Cayman T and 718 Boxster T last night, the German automaker answered the questions raised by some VIN documents spotted earlier this year. With “joy of dynamic driving as its ultimate goal,” the T model makes do with the same 295 horsepower and 285 pound-feet of torque in the base car’s flat-four, then adds equipment to make more dynamic use of that output.
Included equipment includes the GT sport steering wheel, Sport Chrono Package, Porsche Active Suspension Management that lowers the body by 20 millimeters over 20-inch wheels, Porsche Torque Vectoring, which brings the locking rear diff, and a short-throw shifter. Interior twists include the least fancy two-way electric seats, black door pulls, gloss black center console trim, and red gear lettering for the gears in the manual.
That represents a larger difference in price than you’ll find in weight. The T models get a six-speed manual out of the box, the PDK optional. Taking “out of the box” literally, Porsche omits the Porsche Communication Management infotainment system, replacing it with a “large storage compartment,” otherwise known as a box.
We’re not sure which spec Porsche weighed, but the automaker lists the Cayman T unladen weight as 1,350 kilograms, or 2,976 pounds. The Porsche Germany site pegs the standard Cayman at 1,335 kg, or 2,943 pounds. The GPF will contribute about seven kg, or 15 pounds, to the difference.
We don’t know where the rest of the weight is, but the takeaway is that acceleration figures don’t change between the base models and the T version: The Cayman dashes to 60 miles per hour in 4.9 seconds with a manual, 4.7 with the PDK, and 4.5 with the PDK and Sport Chrono. Top speed in either car remains 170 mph.
We’ll find out if little changes make big differences on winding roads when we drive the car next year.