Porsche Boxster And Cayman - Best Of The Best

“If every car were a Cayman, we would achieve world peace.”

There is no first place in 10Best. Officially then, the Porsche Boxster and its newly reworked tin-topped brother, the Cayman, are exactly equal to the other cars on our list.

The Boxster S sheds more weight – 77 pounds – to come in at an estimated 2,970 pounds

But lean in close now because we’re going to let you in on a secret: The Porsches are the winners among these winners.

Unlike several of the other cars here, the Porsches’ place on the list was never in doubt. Over our morning (and midday, and afternoon) doughnuts, we’d debate the relative merits of the Honda Accord and the Mazda 6 and whether the combined forces of BMW’s 3- and 4-series would be able to meet the challenge presented by the Lexus IS350. But there was no discussion of the Boxster and Cayman. They were on every-one’s list, and that was that.

We’ve spilled so much ink in praise of these two, that this story could consist of two words: Of course. But in case you’ve missed our fawning, here’s the rundown.

The base Cayman’s flat-six has slimmed down from 2.9 liters to 2.7, and output climbs by 10 horsepower to 275

The secret to this duo’ success is that they somehow manage to feel so organic, so genuine, in a world full of simulated, electro-distant experiences. That they achieve this while employing the same technologies that make other cars feel synthetic is a type of magic.

The Boxster and Cayman’s steering system isn’t of the non-assisted, purist-pleasing variety. It’s not even hydraulically boosted. It is an EPS (electric power steering) system, three letters that strike fear and revulsion into the hearts of most sports-car fans. That uniquely Porsche flat-six timbre is augmented by a facsimile of engine noise piped into the snug little cabin. Optionally available is the pricey sport exhaust system ($2,825) that gives you effectively a two-stage volume control – those two stages being quiet and 11. There are available adjustable shocks (PASM, $1,790), an automatic-shifting dual-clutch transmission (PDK, $3,200), and a launch-control system that relieves the driver from even having to know what a holeshot is.

A new generation naturally brings new styling, and we think the latest Boxster looks great

So how is it possible that, with all of this interference by technology, the Boxster and Cayman remain authentic feeling?

Don’t know. But when you turn the satin-aluminum-trimmed SportDesign steering wheel ($490), it’s like turning a high-fidelity rheostat of joy. With this level of feel, accuracy, and composure, the steering system could be boosted by flaming cow patties and we’d still park a Boxster or Cay-man in our garage.

Porsche has only one steering calibration for the Cayman

Your intentions zing from steering wheel to suspension to tire almost before you realize you have any such intentions. Yes, the car posts adult levels of grip on the skidpad (right around 1.00 g for both base and S Boxsters), but achieving those figures is child’s play compared with what these cars can do away from the calm of the asphalt lake and out in the scarred, undulating, unpredictable place known as the real world. Nothing is better at staying the course with absolute ease, come what may. These cars never lose their cool, never become perturbed. They simply go about their work with effortless tenacity.