- Doors and Seats
2 doors, 2 seats
- Engine
3.4i, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
217kW, 340Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (98) 10.6L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
2 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Porsche Cayman S
A spare parts star is born
When you already build the world's best sports coupe and the world's best sports roadster, you have the components at hand to bolt together quite a respectable parts bin special.
That, by the way, is not a derogatory term. Far from it. Some of the most memorable drives in motordom have been cobbled together from bits of other cars.
Porsche's Cayman S, priced at $148,500, is in its bones a Boxster coupe. It uses the roadster's platform and mid-mounted engine layout, shares its wheelbase, tracks, steering and MacPherson strut-based suspension and anti-roll bars at both ends, tuned specifically for the Cayman's purpose, which is as a considerably harder edged machine than the Boxster.
It has a fundamental advantage here in that its body, with the benefit of a roof, is much more rigid than the Boxster's. Its resistance to bending is increased by more than 100 per cent over the Boxster's roofless shell. Its body also resists twisting forces to almost the same degree as the forged-from-solid 911 Carrera.
Yet, at only 1340kg, the Cayman S is also lighter - by five kilograms - than the Boxster.
The 911 Carrera contributes recent engine and suspension technology, introduced on the sixth-generation 997.
The Cayman's 3.4-litre horizontally opposed six produces 217kW of power at 6250rpm and 340Nm of torque at 4400rpm-6000rpm. It is derived from the Boxster S's 206kW, 3.2-litre unit, however its aluminium crankcase and 96mm bore are from the 239kW, 3.6-litre in the 911. This makes the 3.4-litre the most oversquare Porsche six; as with the 911, it revs to 7300rpm.
The heads are also from the 911, with hotrod camshafts from the 261kW, 3.8-litre 911S engine, plus variable inlet valve timing and lift. The six-speed manual gearbox is from the Boxster S, with shorter first and second gears for faster initial acceleration.
This also helps disguise the 3.4-litre's slightly lazy off-idle responsiveness. It starts to pull sweetly past 2000rpm, fires up at 4000rpm and burns brightly from 5200rpm to the rev limiter. An immediate and precise response to your right foot is a Porsche flat-six characteristic well in evidence here, as is impeccable smoothness.
The 0-100kmh trip takes less than six seconds - a couple of tenths quicker than our 3.6-litre, Tiptronic 911 test car but three quarters of a second slower than the 3.8-litre manual 911S tested shortly afterwards.
That said, it still displays the classic Porsche sound sequence. From idle to redline, it goes like this: whirr (a bit of a dak-dak type noise, like an old VW donk, which is appropriate given their genetic links); whine (as it starts to breathe properly and make mechanical music); howl (the point where it reaches full, rich voice) and shriek (where the revs rise to a higher, rasping pitch that's all-enveloping and, once heard, is a siren song you cannot forget).
The six-speed manual is light and positive in action and the long-throw clutch is surprisingly smooth and forgiving.
The fact that the Cayman's engine is located forward of the rear axle, whereas the 911's dangles behind it, delineates the handling differences between the cars.
Driving a 911 quickly is an art because its weight is so biased towards the rear. A 911 needs to be driven through its imbalances before it takes flight, the epiphany occurs and you understand its revered object status.
In comparison, the Cayman is consistent and forgiving in its behaviour, graceful at any speed and easy to drive quickly.
You don't really drive the Cayman through a corner. It just goes wherever your eyes are focused. Steering precision, road feel and sharpness are such that your grip on the thin-rimmed steering wheel need never be tense.
Eighteen-inch wheels are shod with 235/40 (front) and 265/40 (rear) Michelin tyres. Grip is relentless. The brakes (from the Boxster S/911, with four-piston calipers and appropriately discreet stability control) have huge power and plenty of feel at the pedal.
Ride is hard but not harsh. The Cayman is sufficiently comfortable and compliant to make a viable long-distance car and it's easier to live with in this respect than the Boxster or 911.
Adaptive dampers are worth the extra spend on the 911 as they provide greater compliance and comfort on our crook roads. The Cayman's standard suspension is fine in this respect.
In the cabin, there's adequate room for tall drivers to stretch out but they may want a touch more reach adjustment on the steering wheel.
On a long journey the driver's seat is properly supportive and exceptionally comfortable.
Modelled on the 911's, the dash has a compact, efficient layout with useful inclusions such as a digital readout to supplement the analogue speedo, plenty of storage close at hand, wide side mirrors and an easy-to-navigate screen menu for audio and other functions.
There's enough capacity in the front boot for a few soft bags and the rear hatch opens to reveal a long, shallow load space.
The only serious complaint we can level at the Cayman concerns its options list. Given the price of the car, it contains many extra-cost features - such as full leather upholstery, power adjustable seats, an anti-dazzle rear-view mirror, an alarm and parking assistance - that should be standard.
Asking an extra $7000 for the automatic is also ridiculous.
At about $150,000, the Cayman's main rival is BMW's 252kW, 3.2-litre M3, priced at $140,000. Tough choice. BMW also has its Z4 M Coupe, a direct two-seat Cayman competitor, due for launch later this year.
Comparisons with these cars make more sense than the "is the Cayman a better Porsche coupe than the 911?" argument that's been doing the rounds since the car was launched.
For the record, we reckon it is, up to about the eight tenths mark. We'd take the Cayman S over a base 3.6-litre 911 and pocket the $46,725 difference but we'd rob a few banks to get the extra $72,600 for the brutal, exhilarating 3.8-litre 911S.
If all of these are too expensive for you, a base model Cayman with a 180kW version of the Boxster's 2.7-litre engine, will be available in August, priced from $118,000.