Our tester was equipped with Porsche Communication Management (PCM) and CDR Audio System. I’ll be honest, I didn’t listen to much music in my time with the GTS as the exhaust provided a better soundtrack, but I did test the system and it offers up a crisp and powerful sound. The Bluetooth connection was flawless and it was simple to connect and set up. Once paired, I never had any issues for my time with the GTS. Navi and back-up camera systems worked as advertised.

Now the aesthetics, interior and options have been covered, let’s move on the goods — how does it dance?

The way I felt when I drove my first Porsche in 2001 came rushing back to me as soon as I fired up the GTS. A grin the Cheshire Cat would be proud of enveloped my entire face. The GTS is equipped with Porsche’s selectable sport exhaust system; at the push of a button, the driver can activate a valve in the exhaust system to shift between a more open setup, or a more closed setup for when you want to remain a little more stealthy. The raucous and brutal roar of the sport exhaust system set to open mode begged for a few quick revs. You don’t have a choice, it’s science. As soon as the GTS fires up, you’re compelled to give the throttle a couple of deep stabs. The heavens open up while the 340-hp 3.4L boxer-six clears its throat. On the way up through the rev range, the GTS snarls and roars and as soon as you let off, you’re rewarded with highly satisfying and addictive Rice Krispies.

The clutch on the GTS doesn’t require Herculean left leg muscles, as it’s really no stiffer than a BMW 335i or a Nissan 370Z. It grabs with a predictable bite that enables the driver to initiate quick and authoritative upshifts. It’s a quick car to learn and most drivers will get the hang of it after a couple of upshifts, resulting in smooth and seamless shifts. Gearbox feel is good for a sports car, I mean, really good, and when you’re getting on the throttle a little harder and a little higher up in the rev range, shifts feel just as smooth as they do at lower RPMs. A lot of sports car gearboxes can be pretty clunky and notchy, but the buttery smooth feel of the GTS is benchmark material to me. Heel and toe downshifts are a breeze, or you can enlist the aid of Porsche’s automatic rev-matching system. I pride myself on being a pretty confident driver that loves heel-and-toeing down three gears in rapid succession at the end of a back straight or before a particularly fun off-ramp, but Porsche’s rev-match system is far quicker and more precise than I could ever be. It’s just one less thing to think about when you’re on a hot lap. Rev-matches come just as fast as you can slide it into gear. This is working smarter, not harder.

The Cayman GTS comes standard with the Sport Chrono Package (SCP) and the aforementioned PASM. The SCP enables the driver to select different settings for damping and steering feel, according to the preference you have at the time.

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