Jerez, Spain -- A pox on Porsche for trifling with my affections! After years of youthful disdain wondering what all the fuss was about, I finally "got it" in 2004, succumbing to the joys of the then-new 997 iteration of the 911.
Then, several years ago, the German sports car maker added a hardtop roof to its light and lively Boxster convertible, creating the two-seat Cayman. I turned my back on the 911 cognoscenti, embracing the less expensive Cayman's superb handling characteristics, which I thought were closer to the engineering ideals that spawned the original (and much simpler) 911 some 45 years ago. Porsche thoroughly revamped the 911 for 2009, adding new, more powerful yet more fuel-efficient engines, a highly sophisticated and addictive PDK double-clutch, seven-speed manumatic gearbox, a better all-wheel-drive system and much more. My road test of the Carrera 4S was one of the highlights of my year, and I was ready to prostrate myself before the 911 faithful and beg forgiveness.
So, what does Porsche do? It completely redoes the Boxster and Cayman with a host of new technologies and features -- some borrowed from the 911 -- leaving me Janus-like, not knowing which face to show. Flogging the new Cayman S up and down the twisty, hilly roads of Spain's Andalusia region is like opening a much-desired gift on Christmas after having "discovered" it a few weeks earlier in the spouse's secret hiding place: The surprise is gone, but it is replaced by the anticipation of finally getting one's hands on something badly wanted. The Cayman -- whether the base version or the higher-performing S -- was already a blast to drive; the '09 models are just that much better.
Design-wise, changes to what Porsche calls the second-generation Cayman are subtle -- primarily new front and rear fascias with larger headlights plus integrated direction indicators and new LED rear lights. The daytime running lights are where the fog lamps used to be. Inside, the centre console is new, and there are fewer controls cluttering up the area. The air conditioning controls are improved, as are the audio, communication and navigation systems.
Under the rear hood, however, are brand new engines similar to the units in the new 911. The base Cayman sees the boxer six's displacement increase to 2.9 litres from 2.7, with a 20-horsepower up-tick to 265. The 3.4L engine in the S benefits from Direct Fuel Injection, resulting in a 25-hp bump to 320.
That these engines are more fuel efficient -- by 11 per cent in the base model and by 16 per cent in the S when hooked up to PDK -- than last year's versions with Tiptronic is a bonus.
The only Caymans available for the extended drive were the S models with PDK, not unexpectedly the most potent form of the two-seater. Weighing in at 1,350 kilograms with the standard six-speed manual and another 20 kg with the PDK (the car is lighter than the 911 GT3), the S's power-to-weight ratio is just 4.2 kg per hp. This helps explain why the Cayman S with PDK and activated launch control in the optional Sports Chrono Package accelerates to 100 kilometres an hour in just 4.9 seconds. With PDK, Porsche says the shifts are faster than even a highly skilled driver shifting gears by hand on the six-speed manual.
Print