When performance car gurus Porsche first
announced the introduction of a new, affordable tin-top version of its
entry-level Boxster roadster back in 2005, thoughts of the 1970s entry level
924 came to mind. Porsche purists, who'd largely ignored the Boxster, rather
leaving it to be snapped up in significant numbers by a new breed of
Porscheophiles, were initially unconvinced. But the Stuttgart gang are a smart
bunch, full of wisdom garnered over many decades. Building serious sports cars
is hard-wired into its DNA, so to the Boxster's beautifully balanced
mid-engined layout and platform they added stiffer coupe bodywork, enhancing
the Boxster experience. Was it enough to convince those purists?
The
Cayman receives a stronger identity and a noticeably edgier appearance with
tauter surfacing, distinctive lines and greater shaping within its flanks
The resulting Cayman was an immediate
success. Glowing media reports, sales figures topping 60,000 and firm resale
values were proof that the Cayman was a proper Porsche in its own right. But
another stigma emerged as it became dubbed 'the poor man's 911'. More than half
a decade on, it's time for an all-new Cayman, and again the starting point is
the Boxster, itself in all -new, critically-acclaimed 981 guise. The wise owls
at Porsche knew this Cayman had to be better - in every way. The track is
wider, the wheelbase is longer and it's lower to the road. The torsional
rigidity is 44% stiffer; yet the weight is significantly less. And despite
finding more power from the same engines, they still managed to reduce fu el
consumption and emissions.
But that's all on paper and we knew this
months ago. So while the Vaterland was firmly gripped by an unusually frosty
winter, Porsche took the world's motoring press to the balmy Algarve in
southern Portugal to try out the latest generation of the Cayman. Olive-lined
lanes and quaint casas make for a great Sunday afternoon drive, but it was the
Autodromo do Algarve that was the piece de resistance. The four-and-a-bit
kilometre circuit is an intimidating combination of blind entries over huge
crests, tightening into sphincter-distorting off-camber exits that close the
door on you faster than your synapses can compute. If the re were any chinks in
the Cayman's armour, this circuit was going to reveal them ...
Ergonomic
design and material quality are first rate
Lined up for test was an expensive and
colourful array of both the 2.7-litre Cayman as well as the 3·4 Cayman S, both
available with the six-cog manual or the robot like PDK seven-speed ,
dual-clutch transmission. The base Cayman now offers 202kW from its
six-cylinder boxer layout and the 3·4 Cayman S puts out 239kW. Depending on the
gearbox and whether the optional Sport Chrono package option is installed, the
little brother reaches 100kph in 5·4 seconds while its bigger sibling manages
the sprint in 4·7 seconds.
The interior layout is possibly
disappointingly familiar, but this seems to be the German way - all cut from
the same sausage, just different length s. But that doesn't mean it's not
exclusively luxurious and sporty. Perhaps the only feature missing is a start
button. Porsche still insists on inserting the car-shaped key into the ignition
slot and turning it.
The
rear spoiler deploys automatically; it's integrated into the tailgate
Be that a case of personal taste or not,
the next input won't disappoint. The Cayman doesn't just start, it barks into
life! Its raspy breath was purposely tuned by the Stuttgart composers and it's
probably the ensuing choral cacophony that delivers the most pleasure. Neither
the acceleration out of the pit lane, the confidence inspiring turn-in, nor the
surefootedness through the turns comes close to the pleasure of the exhaust
note. In the solid cabin of the Cayman it's an audibly pleasurable chorus
conducted by your right foot.
Finding the limits of the Cayman around the
circuit were far beyond my mortal capability but at the same time it was
nerve-wrackingly confidence-inspiring pushing my limits. All the talk about
wider, longer, lower and faster were translated in every dip, brake, turn and
boot. It would take a very brave, possibly foolish man to criticise the
dynamics of the new Porsche Cayman.
The
front cargo box is a good size and can accommodate a couple of small cases
But the niggling question of being a poor
man's Porsche still lingers. At $59,500 for the Cayman and another $15,200 for
the S, is it not just a question of perspective? Sure, it's dramatically less
than the more expensive 911 - but is the 911 that much more car? Based on
performance alone, the Cayman is massively good value for money. In fact, it
may just be the best value-for-money performance car on the market.
