Finally, it was my turn to not only try out this new era for the Porsche brand, but to also drive a Porsche, something I have never done before.

I will be honest with you, I don’t quite know what this new number naming thing is. Sure the 911 is the most iconic number within the stable, but I’m was not sure about 718. As I was to discover though, the number is actually quite an important one.

In the early 1950s and 1960s, Porsche’s racing cars carried the name 718. These cars took over the racing world winning many of illustrious events, such as the Targa Florio and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Now with the history lesson dealt, I have decided to focus on what it is like to drive a Porsche as Sean had mentioned the specifics of the car previously. I have heard so much about how driver focused a Porsche is and how intuitive it feels, that I got really excited. There was also a sense of trepidation as I feared that feeling might vanish the minute I turned the key.

Thankfully, the launch took place in Cape Town so the driving roads were sorted. I arrived at Porsche Centre Cape Town and was greeted by the 718 Cayman, Cayman S, Boxster and Boxster S. The non S cars feature a 2.0-litre turbocharged flat four-cylinder making 220 kW / 380 Nm and the S versions have a 2.5-litre flat-four turbo with 257 kW / 420 Nm.

I grabbed the keys to the Boxster and since the sun was shining, decided to lower the roof and enjoy the Cape air. Both cars look good, mature and the slight enhancements such as the wider front end and a more muscular appearance are worth noting. At the rear, I really am fond of the high gloss black strip with its integrated Porsche lettering just below the mechanical wing housing.

Out on the road, cocooned in a cabin of precision, I immediately experienced what everyone has been on about. The Boxster doesn’t feel as if it has been built, it feels as if it has been engineered, a telepathic tool used to give you sublime experience behind the wheel.

So many cars these days try and exclude you from the driving experience. Not so with the Porsche. You hear everything, feel every bump (sometimes a bit too many) and you know what the wheels are doing at any given time because the steering is near perfect. The S versions do have more pace than the non-S cars due to having more power, however it takes a keen driver to notice. Both cars really do immerse you in the driving experience, especially when the road gets twisty.

Porsche offers numerous performance enhancements for the cars, things such as Active Suspension Management, driving mode selection as well as a button that, much like in racing, when pushed gives you an extra dosage of boost for a few seconds. This helps when you need to overtake lesser cars in your way. There is also a newly developed exhaust system which guarantees a passionate sound experience. Opt for the sports exhaust and I guarantee you will be heard long before you are seen.

Overall, my first experience of a Porsche was a very good one to say the least. As for being a driver’s car, these entry level Porsches are fantastic. They might be small but the boot space up front is big enough for two stuffed gym bags. They are also easy to drive and once in Normal Mode, the exhilarating drama is all but gone, making it perfect for the work commute.

I will say that the options list is pretty long and expensive. I would have also liked to have seen an auto-dim rear view mirror, something one would expect from a car a few thousand Rand shy of a million bucks.

Despite some of the niggles, the somewhat bumpy ride and the manual seats, driving a Porsche is a special occasion. Something that I learnt from this experience is that you don’t actually drive a Porsche, you wear it.

Pricing:

Cayman: R854 000

Cayman S: R934 000

Boxster: R868 000

Boxster S: R947 000