Is the new Cayman S eclipsed by the 911’s shadow, or
is it breathing down the icon’s neck? We find out
The soft curves of the Porsche look wonderful in this
seductive weather, against these Bollywood romance inspiring fields blooming
with petite yellow flowers. I have driven on this road before, but this
two-seater makes for an entirely new experience. The new Cayman S is light,
fast and with the engine mounted just behind the cockpit, not over the rear
axle as in the 911, it has this innate sense of balance like nothing I’ve
driven on these roads. It communicates clearly, instills confidence and
encourages me to quicken the pace.
The new Cayman S
is light, fast and with the engine mounted just behind the cockpit
The 2013 model shatters the stereotypes. It goes beyond
wooing mortals dangling from the last rung of the upper-crest ladder, who
settle for the second best Porsche since the best (read 911) is out of reach.
Though many consider it to be just a Boxter with a metal roof, the new Cayman
has created a distinct place for itself. In its new avatar, she’s ready to step
into Porsche’s thrilling and ultra-cool two-seater sports car category. A
sanctum space reserved for the iconic 911, till now.
The Cayman is all grown up now, filled out in all the right
places yet with a lightweight body and ready to tempt even bigger sports car
buyers. Built on an extended wheelbase with shorter overhangs to improve
dynamics, it’s more environment-friendly, efficient and boasts of new-found
confidence thanks to the stylish air ducts behind the doors, conspicuously
revealing its mid-engine concept. The lightweight alloy makes up around 44 per
cent of the Cayman’s body-in-white, specifically, the front and rear body, the
floor, doors, and the front and rear boot-lids; making the new car about 30 kg
lighter.
Her fresh face lights up with four-point daytime running
lights neatly integrated in the new air intakes, making it easy to recognize
the 2014 model from front. There are a few updates on the rear as well,
including a new boot-lid made of aluminum, wrap-around LED tail-lights and a
sleek rear spoiler that deploys at a steeper angle, when the Cayman crosses
over 120 km/h.
The luxurious
cabin is designed around the driver
Slide onto the low, race-spec-inspired seats and the cabin
seems sporty, spacious than before and comfortable. There are just a few
cubbyholes and storage space, but it has exceptional build quality and material
used and can pass off as a premium luxury car’s. The cabin has been designed
around the driver, with the steering wheel and gear lever positioned close to
each other, while the raised center console has an array of buttons and the
functions of the touchscreen on-board computer fairly intuitive. The dashboard,
wrapped finely with quality leather, is divided by an aluminum strip. The
sporty steering wheel comes without any buttons to avoid diluting the
sportiness, and proudly holds a pair of aluminum gear-shift pedals. The driving
position is good and so is the visibility from the wide and inclined
windscreen. Its large rear boot-lid offers better access to the 162-liter
luggage space, plus there’s another 150-liter storage space up-front under the
bonnet.
The raised center
console has an array of buttons is pure Porsche design
Positioned in front of the rear axle is a 3.4-liter flat-six
engine, mated to the optional seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission (worth
Rs 4 lakh) that powered the rear wheels of our test Cayman S. The engine is
slightly more powerful at 325 PS and now peaks at an additional 200 revs by
revving all the way to 7,400 RPM. The overall performance curve also shows a
visible improvement, which means that the six-cylinder produces more power at
identical revs. Driving in the city I did miss the torque at the low end, but
it’s the surge between 4,500 RPM and peak power at 7,400 RPM that I relished
the most when I got a chance on open roads. The thrust was useful during our
performance tests, catapulting the Cayman from 0 to 100 km/h in an impressive
6.11 seconds, just 0.7 seconds slower than the 911. It goes all the way to 200
km/h in 19.5 seconds, and with an achieved top speed of 235.55 km/h. This is
where the new front and rear spoiler played their role impeccably to reduce the
axle lift. The seven-speed PDK is in sync with the sports car’s dynamics and
has remarkably quick and effortless shifts, re-affirming that dual-clutch
gearboxes are the future.
