“A driver’s car” is a word that continues to be bandied about quite loosely in some quarters, unabated at that, but in essence, very few truly live up to the essence of the word. Confused? Bear with me as I attempt to dissect things into bite-size morsels. 

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Many performance cars today are offered with an automatic transmission. This is borne out by the fact that buyers still want the high adrenaline threshold that comes with a well-sorted performance car, but also the convenience of a self-shifting gearbox. And, to be honest, many of these transmissions are pretty good, but there remains a handful of enthusiasts who still prefer a manual transmission. Indeed, the involvement of rowing a well-judged manual ‘box is something to behold. Grabbing the car by the scruff of the neck, wringing out every iota of performance and shifting gears at the right time and with a positive shift action is what matters most to those individuals. 

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That said, very few manufacturers, including Porsche, still offer a manual gearbox - purists rejoice! Our recent encounter was with the latest Cayman GT4 - replete with an atmospheric 4.0-litre flat-six engine that revs to a lofty 8,000 r/min limiter with an intoxicating howl, was a boon. Sadly, on the day that I got behind the wheel, the heavens opened and the experience of the vehicle was slightly marred by the inclement weather. Nevertheless, what I managed to glean from that drive was the sneaky shift action of the manual gearbox. 

However, what happens when you take a similar recipe, chop the roof off and replace the manual with a PDK? Surely that should be a recipe for disaster, a case of spoiling the broth to no end. Thankfully, there’s a way of salvaging that dish. Enter the 718 Spyder - essentially an open-top variant of the delectable GT4, only serving up things in Al Fresco style to absorb the elements but, more importantly, drink up that glorious engine howl.