The Cayman was never supposed to be this good — and Porsche knew it. There's a reason Stuttgart kept the Cayman on a leash for years. Too much power and it starts embarrassing the 911, too little and nobody cares. Every generation has walked that tightrope differently, and honestly, some stuck the landing better than others. Here's what we broke down: → Why Porsche intentionally held the Cayman back from day one → The 987's role as the scrappy underdog that earned a cult following → Why the 981 might be the best driver's car Porsche ever made under $80K → The flat-four controversy and whether the 718 deserves the hate → Our actual ranking — and no, it's not what you'd expect The 981 with the 3.4 is genuinely one of the most balanced mid-engine platforms you can buy right now, and prices are still reasonable. The 718 GTS 4.0 brought the flat-six back and basically admitted Porsche heard the complaints. But that original 987? That's the one people are going to wish they bought in ten ...