Porsche Cayman 2006 Review

The name Porsche defines sports cars and is backed by years of success in motorsport and a reputation for high performance going back at least 50 years.

But something is happening at Porsche as it diversifies into more market niches, presumably chasing the dollar but in so doing, there is greater access to Porsche products to a wider audience.

The entry level Porsche (if that's what you can call it) is the $114,000 Boxster roadster, a gorgeous drop top with wicked performance and unbelievable handling.

It was recently joined by what is in some ways a hard top version called the Cayman S at a snip over $155,000 or $35 grand premium over the soft top Boxster.

The pricing flies in the face of convention which always puts soft tops above hard tops because of the extra equipment involved.

Whatever, Porsche can get away with it because the Cayman S is such a polished performer, who is going to argue.

It's an amalgam of components from both Boxster and the Porsche 911 with the latter contributing more than 50 per cent of the bits. Some 20 per cent are new.

The flat six cylinder engine is a reworked Boxster 3.2 punched out to 3.4 litres and is good for 217kW/340Nm _ plenty for a car weighing a bit over 1300kg.

Engine placement is amidships and the chassis is half as strong again as the Boxster thanks to the roof. It rides low on big 18in wheels and has a low centre of gravity.

Everything is optimised for handling.

The transmission options are six speed manual or optional five speed Tiptronic.

To make an understatement, punting the Cayman S is rewarding as it feels almost as one with the driver - you can just about think it around corners.

The suspension and steering have characteristic Porsche feel with every nuance of the road and what the wheels are doing telegraphed to the driver.

Weight balance is perfect with predictable results for cornering.

It is the classic "slot car" in tight stretches, so wieldy that you can feel queasy after a run of tight switchbacks due to the G-forces the stopping power of those massive brakes and the poke from the engine.

Acceleration is brutal allowing the Cayman S to clock 5.4 seconds for the 0-100kmh sprint. And it sounds other-worldly _ like a trumpeting banshee with a bit of machine thrown in.

The engine is mere cms from your ears behind a firewall so it isn't the quietest ride in town.

Build quality is superb and the interior is stylish and functional with the necessary luxuries including an excellent satnav system. Luggage capacity is acceptable in the fore and aft storage bins. The rear is accessed through a large tailgate.