Cayman stylish black

To borrow from Spinal Tap, it's like how much blacker can Porsche's limited edition Cayman be? And the answer is “none — none more blacker”. The uber-exclusive Cayman S Porsche Design Edition 1 is a limited-edition all-black that goes on sale early next year.

Only 777 such sports coupes will be made, of which “10 or fewer” are likely to be allocated to this market, says Paul Ellis, spokesman for Porsche Australia.

While the 911 series remains Porsche's halo car and the purists' choice, the Cayman has won plaudits since arriving in Australia early last year.

The blacker than black exterior treatment is intended to emphasise the purist nature of the 217kW Cayman S, while acknowledging the work of the famous Porsche Design and the Chronograph 1 timepiece designed by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche and intended as an accessoire for Porsche drivers.

Porsche spotters will tell you, whether you want to know or not; the watch was Porsche Design's first product. Made by the Swiss watchmaker Orfina, it was launched in 1972 and differed to other chronograph wristwatches as its case and bracelet were made out of, you guessed it, matt black chromed steel.

The bespoke treatment of the Cayman also extends to the inside where special black leather and Alcantara upholstery harmonises with refined details such as the instrument dials, the layout of which reflects that of all Porsche Design chronographs. The body is lowered 10mm and the exterior is further set off by the 19 inch 911 Turbo wheels and matte black accent striping on the doors, hood, roof and rear deck.

The noir theme extends the centre console, dashboard and door trims glisten in black, while the three-spoke sports steering wheel, the gear lever, the handbrake grip, and the roof lining are adorned in black Alcantara.

Mechanically, the special Cayman runs the same mid-engined 3.4-litre six, driven through 19 inch wheels (with 235/35 tyres up front and 265/35s behind). The suspension is lowered by 10mm and standard Porsche Active Suspension Management adaptive damping with Sport mode.