I’m definately super biased but i bought my car without having driven any Cayman ever and even though my expectations where high I’ve been super impressed with it. The turbo engine makes it feel faster than the advertised 350hp and the car is soooo planted on the backroads I regurlary drive. I would say I could easily keep up with the 911 Turbos and Audi R8s I’ve driven on the same roads just because I’m much more confident in the Cayman with it’s lower weight and smaller footprint.

The allure of a mid-engine V8 car is still high but for my needs and wants the Cayman is right up amongst the most fun cars I’ve driven

C8 is faster and much heavier. 718 is ~3100 lbs or less and the C8 with the Z51 package is ~3500 lbs and more. Sound wise, the C8 will sound better than the turbo 4, but when compared to the flat 6, the C8 and 4.0 GTS sound equally great. Theoretically, the C8 competes against the 911 and would objectively beat the 718 in nearly all objective metrics on track. But people don’t buy Porsches for the spec sheet.

They’re vastly different cars. You can enjoy both, but it all depends on what you’re looking for. You can buy a C8 with the Z51 pack at the price of a base and S 718 with options. Both are fun on backroads. Both can be driven daily if you wanted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7lgjTCpXFE&t=1s

I linked a very thorough video comparing the C8 and BASE 718. Personally, I would choose the 718 10 out of 10 times. A 3000 lb mid engine sportscar with a small footprint and Porsche engineering for under $100k is a rarity in itself. The fact that it punches above what its spec sheets would suggest is the icing on the cake.

Everyone in my city has a c8. I’m really excited to be the person in the 718

The 718 also weights 500 lb more than the Cayman.

You should drive them to see if one speaks to you over the other. It was an easy choice once I test drove them both. The 718 felt smaller, lighter, and more exciting to drive. The C8 was way faster in a straight line but that was the only real advantage it had for me.

Also, consider build quality and resale value, (the Cayman will be better for both). If you plan on hustling backroads, the C8 will be pretty large/wide for that. On track though, a C8 will be much quicker.

Do you want outright performance or driving pleasure/feel? The C8 will objectively spank a base Cayman in performance #s, but I would think the Cayman is more fun/engaging to drive. I could be wrong on that b/c I’ve never driven a C8.

They’re both fantastic cars. But have different feels. I think the 718 is about the best handling car I’ve ever driven, from a sample set that includes the C8, the 911’s and M cars that I’ve owned and driven, and a variety of other high end cars.

If I could only own one car, I’d probably own a 718 Boxster and have the local U-Haul on speed dial for the times I need a truck.

Well the Cayman is probably the better choice overall but the base 718 sounds like bees in a can. I couldn’t live with it.

There was another thread on this exact topic recently. But the 718 definitely still has power - the turbo engine is no slouch with all that torque availability. Personally, I think the 718 is the easy choice of the two, but drive both and see what you think (probably can find both on Turo or something to get the full experience). I didn’t even consider a corvette when shopping for my car, it was basically either 981 or 718

Lot of Porsche love here, so I’ll provide a slightly different take: Corvettes excel at the edges of the “fun car” use cases. They’re great as a fun, fast, decently practical daily driver. They also come alive at 9/10 on the track. This is especially true with mag ride optioned.

Back roads are the in-between use case, where you’re not usually pushing the car to its absolute limits. The 718 is the clear winner here for the reasons others have stated. The C8 will have less approachable limits and less steering and chassis feel.

You will meet a lot of old guys at track days who want to talk about the Corvette they got for their retirement. Props to them for at least bucking half the stereotype by using their cars.

I had the same dilemma and ended up choosing the Boxster S. The Vette sounded great and had super acceleration, but the Boxster felt more “alive,” to me. The steering feels perfect and so connected, throttle response, the suspension all felt lighter and more precise. The Vette felt heavier and more awkward to me. I would recommend stepping up to the 2.5L S model, if not the 6 cylinder GTS, the 2.0L didn’t lack In performance but felt a little “thrashy” to me.

I also preferred the cockpit in the Porsche, classic and well laid out. The Vette felt a little gimmicky with the center console, but maybe I’d have gotten used to it.

Just because no one else has mentioned it - the Porsche will save a bunch of money on gas, it’s actually quite economical.

One last thought- I struggled with the idea that the Vette has so much more power. The truth is, either car has more power than you will ever use on public roads. I’d pick the one that you feel best driving

I rented a C8 and now own a 718 GT4. Can’t speak on handling/power as they are different on the base 718 vs the GT4 but the Porsche definitely feels smaller and more nimble to me. It’s really the perfect size for backroads. The C8 felt much heavier and bigger. Also felt really cheap and gimmicky, no comparison to the 718 when it comes to fit and finish. Didn’t like it at all to be honest

Do you prefer a sledge or a small mallet for your percussive exercise? It’s like that.

I’ll play the other side. Currently on my 2nd 2023 1LT Z51 C8. Been debating switching to 718 as well. Where I struggle is the price difference between the two. It’s really hard to beat the corvette value wise. I’ve absolutely loved mine. 0-60 it’s fantastic and they handle great with mag ride + Z51 suspension. One major perk for me that I haven’t seen mentioned is all C8’s have removable hard tops which can be stowed in the trunk. You can fit two sets of golf clubs back there as well (if you leave the top on). I love the interior of the C8, it’s extremely driver focused, latest tech with full digital dash. I have no fit and finish issues with it at all. I’d argue the C8 looks much more expensive/exotic than a 718. As others have stated they are very different cars and it depends what kind of driving experience you’re looking for. It would just be difficult for me to lose that straight line acceleration when switching to a price comparable 718 model. Can’t go wrong either way!!