The Porsche Cayman

To many sports-car enthusiasts, the Porsche Cayman has been viewed as a mid-market, version of the Boxster. Yet upon closer inspection, the Porsche Cayman is clearly a “real driver’s” car that has exceeded the expectations of many who thought it was simply a “stop gap” for those who couldn’t afford the 911.

For those of you who are looking for a cheaper alternative to the Carrera, the Cayman is a smart place to begin. Offering you upgraded engine performance over the Boxster, the Cayman’s all-round driveability simply cannot be beaten.

It has even been claimed that the Porsche Cayman “S” version actually outweighs the base model Carrera 3.6 in all areas!

The Cayman was born

To some, the Cayman is simply a Porsche Boxster with a slightly more convenient hard-top. This is simply not the case.

Although the Porsche Cayman shares the same mid-engine arrangement as the Gen 2 Boxter, in 2006 the engine head was replaced with the 3.6 litre head from the Carrera, allowing the use of the Vario-Cam system, also seen in the 911. The engine itself has had an upgrade from a 3.2 litre, to a new, more powerful version displaced at 3.4 litres.

On first glance.

The body of the Cayman is very similar to the Boxster, with an obvious difference being the hard-top roof. The Cayman also borrowed body parts such as the doors, fenders and trunk lid from the Boxster. The dash is also identical. But as the saying goes, “never judge a book by its cover”, this could not be more applicable when talking about the Porsche Cayman.

Let’s take a look at the set-up.

With the Cayman now having a hard-top roof, this gave the engineers the option to stiffen the suspension system for better road handling. With that in mind, the engine now boasts another 15 more horsepower than the Boxster S, with the manual version giving speeds of 0-62 in just 5.4 seconds. These factors have greatly increased the overall performance of the Cayman that has an engine output of 295 horsepower, with torque reaching 251lb at 6,250 rpm. With the Boxster reaching a top speed of 167mph, the Cayman takes you to its limit at 171mph.

Another feature that makes the Cayman a huge improvement over the Boxster is its rigidity. Lower springs and strut-stop springs, coupled with larger roll bars gives an overall rigidity increase of 150% over the Boxster S. The Cayman also comes with an active spoiler for extra-down force. This spoiler will activate at speeds of 75 miles and over.

Cayman sales

In the first year of production, Cayman sales actually accounted for 40-50% percent of all of Porches sales, showing the Cayman to be a clear success.

Something extra?

The Cayman offers a huge range of options for your car. Starting with up-grades, you can find yourself spending extra money on things such as sport seats or rear-parking sensors.

19 inch wheel up-grades are also available for you to purchase.

If you like to keep yourself at a constant temperature, you can opt for heated or cooled seats.

Ceramic non-fade brakes are now on the options list.

The navigation system, which actively (and accurately) shows you where the traffic jams are, is a popular option for many.

The P.A.S.M, which stands for Porsche Active Suspension management is an option that gives you a sport setting complete with active dampers.

Both interior and exterior options are also available.

Finally, a Porsche Chrono package, which allows you to change control functions and even gives you a lap-timer.

With all of these options in mind, you should also compare the luggage space that the Cayman gives over the Boxster. The Cayman offers both a front storage compartment and a trunk at the rear. All in all, the Cayman will allow an overall storage space of 560 litres, with a 410 litre trunk and front storage space of 150 litres. Considering this, the Cayman is one of those rare sports cars that combine both performance and practicality.

Extra modifications on the current Cayman include LED front lights that give the car a more aggressive and up-to-date look.

The PDK double clutch 7 speed semi automatic gearbox now replaces the older tip-tronic gearbox, giving a better driver experience at both low and high speeds.

The Cayman limited edition models

Porsche offer two limited edition Cayman’s. Firstly the Cayman Porsche design edition 1 that was manufactured in 2007. With the only color being black, the design edition 1 was built with Porsche time pieces being the inspiration behind the design. The interior consists of dark colors and only 777 were built, making this a rare car indeed. The 19 inch wheels are also in black and are borrowed from the 911 turbo complete with bigger brakes.

In 2009 the Cayman S “Sport” was released. This car is offered in six individual non-metallic colors and includes limited edition, 19 inch wheels. The engine has also been tuned to an impressive 303 B.H.P, making this a very attractive purchase to the Porsche enthusiast.

The competition

The Porsche Cayman obviously has it competitors, as with all cars on the market. In direct competition with the Cayman includes desirable cars such as the extremely popular BMW Z4, the sleek Audi TT, the Chevrolet Corvette and the BMW 135i.

“But what single, yet important factor singles the Cayman out from the competition?”

“The mid-engine lay-out offered by no one else out there!”

This really is a huge selling point as the Cayman delivers balance and precision on and off the track that is hard to find in other cars of the same league.

The Porsche Cayman has it all