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2013 Porsche Cayman | THE BEST CARS |
The Germans call the Cayman the poor-man's Porsche, and in most markets it is Porsche's lowest volume car, but there's no denying its capabilities or enjoyment factor. It's hard to believe this is the third version. The first was launched in 2005 and was thought of as a Boxster with a roof. It's been built by Valmet in Finland, Porsche in Zuffenhausen and was going to be built by Magna Steyr in Austria before VW bought Porsche, and now it will be built at the Karmann plant in Osnabrück, Germany.
The new chassis is clever stuff, being much stronger and 66lb lighter. Made of high-strength and mild steels, with aluminium floors, doors, bonnet and tailgate, it is more than twice as torsionally stiff as the Boxster, which provides a better basis for good handling and body control. An electronic upgrade also means more equipment such as electronically-assisted steering and options such as adaptive cruise control, which maintains the distance from the vehicle in front, a Burmester sound system and keyless entry.
The flat-six, quad-cam engines are largely the same as before, although the 271bhp, 2.7-litre version has a slightly lower displacement but more power. The 321bhp, 3.4-litre of the Cayman S keeps the same capacity. Transmissions are a six-speed manual or a seven-speed PDK twin-clutch unit, which costs another £1,922 and weighs an additional 66lb.
Prices start at £39,694 for the 2.7 Cayman, rising to £48,783 for the 3.4 Cayman S. A Sport Chrono package with active transmission mountings costs £1,084, torque vectoring £890, sports exhaust £1,473 and leather upholstery £2,092 for the Cayman, £1,347 for the S. As you can see, it's not too hard to see the contents of your wallet disappearing at a Porsche dealership, where a poor-man's Porsche is anything but.
Comparing PDK Chrono Sport 2.7- and 3.4-litre models, with the larger engine in brackets, the top speed is 164mph (174mph), 0-60mph is 5.1sec (4.4sec), Combined fuel consumption is 36.7mpg (35.3mpg) and CO² emissions are Band I 180g/km (Band J 188g/km).
This redesign is to put the Porsche Cayman on the new, lightweight architecture underpinning last year's new Boxster and the latest 911, which came out in 2011. At 14ft 4.4in, it is 1.3 inches longer than its predecessor, the wheelbase is stretched by 2.36in and the roof is 0.4in lower. Front track is increased by 1.4in for the Cayman and 1.57in for the S, with the rear wheels pulled out by 0.08 and 0.4in respectively. The old model was quite a looker, but this is better balanced visually. There's one angle which screams TVR Sagaris, but on the whole it's a grand-looking sports coupé and, to the uninitiated, almost indistinguishable to a 911.
The new chassis is clever stuff, being much stronger and 66lb lighter. Made of high-strength and mild steels, with aluminium floors, doors, bonnet and tailgate, it is more than twice as torsionally stiff as the Boxster, which provides a better basis for good handling and body control. An electronic upgrade also means more equipment such as electronically-assisted steering and options such as adaptive cruise control, which maintains the distance from the vehicle in front, a Burmester sound system and keyless entry.
The flat-six, quad-cam engines are largely the same as before, although the 271bhp, 2.7-litre version has a slightly lower displacement but more power. The 321bhp, 3.4-litre of the Cayman S keeps the same capacity. Transmissions are a six-speed manual or a seven-speed PDK twin-clutch unit, which costs another £1,922 and weighs an additional 66lb.
Prices start at £39,694 for the 2.7 Cayman, rising to £48,783 for the 3.4 Cayman S. A Sport Chrono package with active transmission mountings costs £1,084, torque vectoring £890, sports exhaust £1,473 and leather upholstery £2,092 for the Cayman, £1,347 for the S. As you can see, it's not too hard to see the contents of your wallet disappearing at a Porsche dealership, where a poor-man's Porsche is anything but.
Comparing PDK Chrono Sport 2.7- and 3.4-litre models, with the larger engine in brackets, the top speed is 164mph (174mph), 0-60mph is 5.1sec (4.4sec), Combined fuel consumption is 36.7mpg (35.3mpg) and CO² emissions are Band I 180g/km (Band J 188g/km).
THE FACTS: Porsche Cayman
TESTED: 2,706cc, flat-six cylinder engine, six-speed manual transmission (optional seven-speed PDK), rear-wheel drive
PRICE/ON SALE: Range from £39,694 to £48,783/now for March delivery
POWER/TORQUE: 271bhp @ 7,400rpm/214lb ft @ 4,500rpm
TOP SPEED: 165mph
ACCELERATION: 0-62mph in 5.4sec
FUEL ECONOMY: 24.8mpg/34.5mpg (EU Urban/Combined)
CO2 EMISSIONS: 192g/km
VED BAND:J (£460 first year, £260 thereafter)
VERDICT: It's hard to find much to fault here. A tiny bit of steering feel lost? An electronic handbrake gained? Poor man's Porsche it might be, but the Cayman is also a stunningly good sports coupé and a great drive
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