The Porsche 718 Cayman/Boxster is a phenomenal sports car. The mid-engined German machine is now living out its final years, as the carmaker is preparing to introduce the 718 EV that will initially be offered alongside the ICE model (2025MY) and eventually replace it altogether. And YouTuber Mat Armstrong, who is famous for rebuilding wrecked performance vehicles, has just demonstrated the value in bringing a crashed 718 Cayman S back to the road.
For non-Porschephiles, we’ll mention the 718 Cayman S is the top “regular” model. Unlike the sharper and more expensive (in this order) 718 GTS 4.0, 718 GT4, and 718 GT4 RS, all of which rock N/A flat-sixes, the S packs a turbocharged four-cylinder boxer, which, in stock form, delivers 344 hp and 309 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque.
The 718 Cayman S comes with an MSRP of $80,300, but nobody buys such a Porsche with zero options, so the actual price for a brand-new example is higher. However, if you go online seeking a used 718 Cayman S right now, you’ll notice the average price for a mint-condition example sits at over $60,000.
Nevertheless, over eight months ago, British YouTuber Mat Armstrong surfed the Copart auction platform and bought what he labeled as the cheapest 718 Cayman S at that time, paying £18,500 (under $20,000) as the only bidder. Of course, there was a bit of a catch. The Porsche had been in a serious accident during a track day.
The YouTuber took the car too his local Porsche dealer three times
Now, Copart listed the vehicle as having Category N damage, which is non-structural. Even so, most body panels had been ruined, with the brutal crash having also affected plenty of suspension components and underbody parts underneath the vehicle. Plus, as is sometimes happens with these crashed vehicles, loading the car via forklift generated extra damage, both on body panels and underneath the car.
The British vlogger didn’t travel to check out the vehicle (almost nobody does it), so, once the car was delivered to him, it took a lot of personal inspection and three visits to his local Porsche dealer to find out all that was wrong with the 718 Cayman S.
And, as it turned out, that forklift damage under the car meant a ruined brace (below the engine) and the two arms that support it, while the accident had left the car with a bent tie rod.
Then again, integrating these issues into his business process is what Mat Amstrong has been doing for three years now. He first started making rebuild videos using his girlfriend’s not-that-seriously-crashed Audi TT. And one of the best parts of his recipe is that he visits official dealers to get the vehicles assessed and goes extremely deep in his mission to bring these cars back to the road.
The overall cost of rebuilding the 718 Cayman S
All in all, Mat Armstrong ended up investing under £50,000 ($61,782 at the time of press) in rebuilding the Porsche 718 Cayman S, including the cost of the vehicle itself—as we’ve seen above, this is around what you’d pay for a non-crashed example on the used market.
Of course, that sum doesn’t include his labor, and keep in mind we’re looking at a skilled enthusiast here. Even so, bringing one of these Porsches back from the dead is a remarkable feat (here’s Tavarish reviving the flooded McLaren P1). Now, for a proper celebration—and to address those who criticize the builder for making the S look like a mix between the GT4 and the GT4 RS—the YouTuber decided to have a track battle against a mint Porsche 718 Cayman GT4.
Rebuilt 718 Cayman S vs 718 Cayman GT4 track battle and drag race
Putting his rebuilt Cayman S against a Porsche that comes with an MSRP of $95,200 did require pulling some rabbits out of a hat, though. For starters, the vlogger gave the Porsche an ECU remap, taking the turbocharged 2.5L flat-for to 409 hp and 373 lb-ft (506 Nm) of torque. For the sake of comparison, the standard 718 Cayman GT4, with its N/A 4.0L flat-six, delivers 414 hp and 309 lb-ft (420 Nm) of twist.
And while the GT4 is available with a PDK dual-clutch (the gearbox present on the YouTuber’s 718 Cayman S) the example used in the battle features a six-speed manual—yes, the row-your-own setup brings more engagement, but also slower. Plus, the 718 Cayman S also features a custom suspension that lowers the vehicle.
With that in mind, seeing the rebuilt, remapped Porsche 718 Cayman S defeating the stock GT4 (think: lap time and drag racing) at the 13:35 point of the clip below is the perfect ending to this revival story.
Mat Armstrong is rebuilding Adam LZ’s totaled 992 Porsche 911 GT3
Despite fixing the 718 Cayman S having been the YouTuber’s most challenging adventure to date—as he puts it in the clip—his Porsche revival stunts won’t stop here.
For one, Mat Armstrong bought fellow YouTuber Adam LZ’s wrecked 992 Porsche 911 GT3. And he’s currently in the process of rebuilding this—you can get the latest update in the video below, with the repairs going uber-deep (e.g., the suspension components are being replaced).
Update (June 2023): Mat Armstrong finished repairing the ex-Adam LZ Porsche 911 GT3 with the help of YouTuber Tavarish and Florida dealer Champion Porsche evaluated the car, with a titanium exhaust on.