Porsche Cayman 2012 Review

Less is more in the "ultimate" $165,000 Porsche Cayman R which sheds 55kg to gain tenths of a second in acceleration.

LIGHTWEIGHT

Through selective use of lightweight materials including the special 19-inch alloy wheels, aluminium bonnet and doors and carbon fibre racing seats, Porsche has brought Cayman R down to 1295kg helping reduce the 0-100kmh sprint to a neat 5.0 seconds for the six-speed manual version (less for the PDK seven-speed manumatic). Not only that, the R consumes no more fuel despite having 7kW more power rated at 243kW/370Nm. It's all good if you like your Porsches razor sharp and bullet fast.

GOOD LOOKING

Essentially a hard-top Boxster, the Cayman is arguably one of the best lookers in Porsche's lineup with cannon barrel front guards, a low arcing roofline and classic fastback rear end. The test car was painted iridescent green which amplified the visual effect along with the fixed rear wing and blacked out body hardware. It's a two seat, mid-engine sports coupe with handling to make your head spin - a real Porsche in other words.

ENGINE

The dry sump, 3.4-litre, direct petrol injection, flat-six engine is tweaked for more power but torque remains the same. It has what Porsche calls Variocam Plus on the inlet side which alters valve timing and lift for gains across the board including fuel economy and emissions (Euro 5). A characteristic Porsche exhaust rasp builds to a manic wail as revs approach the 7500 redline. Fuel economy is rated at 9.7-litres/100km in the manual, less in the PDK version.

PERFORMANCE PARTS

Porsche tapped its performance parts bin for some Cayman R components with bits coming from the 911 GT3 and others. A leaf has been taken from the Ferrari book with cloth strap interior door latches. But this is no "stripper" track day car as Porsche has fitted plenty of kit in the Cayman R including a premium audio system, satnav and other goodies.

DYNAMICS

However, it's not a car you would necessarily like to drive every day due to the narrower sports focus which brings tight fitting race seats and firm suspension, uprated and lowered significantly (20mm) from the standard Cayman. It has monumental brakes and big tyres with low profile rubber for optimised cornering and steering response. The strut/wishbone suspension runs firmer springs and dampers and stiffer sway bars.

THE DRIVE

Wow, where to start? Acceleration is brilliant no matter what the speed and so is the cornering. It has a typical of Porsche "connected" steering feel and the big brakes make light work of stopping this relatively lightweight Porsche. We had to have two runs up and down our favourite mountain road and could have stayed there all day enjoying the finely-honed dynamics of the Cayman R. We still prefer a PDK transmission but the six-speed manual is nearly as much fun if a little slower and thirstier.

There's no S button or performance "individualising" options like the new 911 unless to opt for the Sports Chrono pack with attendant gains on top of the already accomplished "standard" model. Few cars we have driven are as well balanced and as razor sharp dynamically as the Cayman R. It's fully engaging and a thrill to drive.

VERDICT

Not in the green but would have one in a blink - a properly engineered, good looking, great sounding sports car.

Porsche Cayman R (6-sp manual)

Price: $165,000
Warranty: 3years, 100,000km
Economy: 9.7l/100km,  228g/km CO2
Safety: six-airbags, ABS,  Porsche Stability Management, traction control system, engine braking control system,(automatic braking differenti
Engine: 6-cylinder, 243kW/370Nm
Transmission: 6-speed manual, RWD
Body: Coupe
Dimensions:  4,347mm (L),  1,801mm (W),  1,285mm (H),  2,415mm (WB)
Weight: 1295kg
Tyres: 235/35 19 inch Alloy wheels