Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0

At £172 per bhp, the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 asks a question that its place in a 600-car catalogue helps answer. Its used price of £68,000 ranks it 383rd for cost, placing it above 217 cars in price, while its 395 bhp output sits 433rd for power. On paper, it is not a car bought for chasing the biggest numbers. The case for it rests elsewhere, and the answer is yes, it is worth the money because the figures reveal a combination that is far less common than its straight-line performance suggests.

The detail that separates this Cayman GTS 4.0 from most of the catalogue is its naturally aspirated flat-six engine paired with rear-wheel drive. Just 28 of the 600 cars share that naturally aspirated flat-six formula, and only 36 combine a flat-six with RWD. The 3,996 cc, 4.0-litre engine produces 395 bhp and 420 Nm, delivering 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 293 km/h. Those figures place it 390th for acceleration and 305th for top speed across the full catalogue, making clear that its appeal is not defined by being the quickest option available.

Instead, this is a car whose specification creates a particular balance. The 2+2 seater fixed-head coupé layout, rear-wheel drive and naturally aspirated flat-six configuration put the focus on a type of sports car character that appears only in a small part of the collection. With Porsche represented by 65 cars in the catalogue and Germany contributing 197 cars overall, the Cayman GTS 4.0 sits within a broad group while still occupying a narrower technical space.

For a collection built from 600 choices, the decision comes down to what the numbers leave behind. The Cayman GTS 4.0 does not win through maximum power or minimum price. It makes its argument through a specific set of choices: a 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat-six, RWD, and performance that remains strong without defining the entire car. In a garage of varied machines, this is the car that adds a carefully measured balance, with the figures doing the explaining.