Porsche Cayman 2007 News

German sports car maker Porsche have published 3D printing plans for their Cayman coupe, and a video showing how it's done. Naturally, the first thought is that this is a great way to get a new tiny scale model car -- or a fleet of them, if you wish.Watch the desktop version of the 3D print a Porsche Cayman video here. But there are suggestions the plans could be scalable, with the only restriction being how large your 3D printer is. And that opens up a whole world of possibilities... even before you start thinking about the paint options.Also watch: Porsche Cayman S trailer here.The video shows you'll still want to do a little final finishing to get the best result. And with a bit of coding knowledge or craft knife handiwork you could probably even turn the Cayman into a convertible Boxster -- or a completely new variant limited only by your imagination.The Porsche Cayman 3D printing plans can be downloaded from the official website and any creation can shared on social media with a #3DCayman hashtag.  

Driving games have evolved massively from the early days of PC and console arcade. You can even get some pretty decent mobile phone sims. But what if a smartphone driving game could cross over into the real world? That's exactly what the Code of the Curve app seeks to do.At least, that's part of what it does. Capable of tracking and recording your driving -- and your car is going to be a 2014 Cayman, as that's the car this app is built to promote -- the app can give you "precision driving challenges," presumably to be conducted in a safe, closed course environment. Example scenes show the Cayman navigating a slalom and coming to a stop inside a coned-off box.It looks like the app will also focus on the social side of driving, allowing you to share your achievements and precision driving skills through the app. You can also share pics and follow the conversation at #CaymanCode.The app also shares a theme with the upcoming King of the Curve TV show which will be shown on the cable channel, Speed. The Porsche-sponsored show will pit Porsche fans, pro drivers, and celebrities against each other in a series of challenges.www.motorauthority.com 

The good news is that the Cayman is closer than ever to the classic 911, in both design and performance, and the bad news is the price. At the car's official unveiling at the Los Angeles Motor Show the American pricetag is set at just $52,600, but by the time it gets to Australia next year the starting sticker will have blown out to $115,000. The strength of the Australian dollar should make things better but Porsche's down under pricing policy and around $35,000 in Federal and State Taxes - including the hated Luxury Car Tax - means the car is nowhere near as affordable as it is in Europe or America. Even so, the Cayman seems certain to steal even more sales from the 911 thanks to better performance, more equipment in a bigger cabin, and even 15 per cent better fuel economy. The design also makes it much more than just a Boxster with a coupe roof. "In short, the new version is lighter, more powerful and more fuel efficient. It is more distinctive than ever. It delivers an unmatched combination of driving dynamics," the boss of Porsche, Matthias Mueller, says at the car's unveiling. The preview of the Cayman in Porsche heartland in California comes at the end of a year when the company has also put an all-new 911 and Boxster on the road. Production of the second-generation Cayman coupe will not begin until the first quarter of next year, with local delivers in the third quarter. "This has been a milestone year for Porsche. Globally, this has been a record setting year," says Mueller. "We have sold 160,000 cars. This is the best possible proof of the customer desire for our outstanding sports cars." The Cayman does the job too, and Porsche has allowed it to creep closer to the 911 in size and style. That's no surprise, since the basic mechanical package is shared with the big brother. The styling is more mature and the body sits over a chassis that is longer and wider than before, just like the Boxster, with a basic 2.7-litre engine and a 3.4 in the Cayman S. The starter engine makes 202 kiloWatts with economy of 8.2 litres/100km and a 0-100km/h time of 5.6 seconds as a six-speed manual, while the Cayman S numbers are 239, 8.8 and 5.0. The car retains the mid-engine layout it shares with the Boxster and that, says Porsche's technical chief Wolfgang Hatz is the big difference from the 911. "For me, the 911 is a car that people use as their first car, where the Cayman is a second car. The 911 is a two-plus-two and that is the difference," Hatz says.  

The compact coupe has a big job in the latest Porsche lineup... ...winning first-time buyers to the brand before they can afford to graduate to a 911 with a $200,000-plus pricetag. It will be previewed at the LA Motor Show in November.

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.Exclusivity is further guaranteed by a price tag of $172,900 and the standard Cayman S starts from $148,500.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. 

Physics tells us that even a Ferrari pushed to the extreme will eventually lose its grip on the road, often with cataclysmic results.It happens when the gravitational force acting on the car exceeds the driver's desire to go in the other direction.We know because we found the limits of the bright yellow Porsche Cayman that we were driving on Dubai's $150 million grand prix circuit last week.The beauty of race tracks, at least modern ones that is, is that they are designed for this eventuality, with run off areas where cars can slide harmlessly to a halt without hitting anything.My little "off" happened on a section of the circuit doused with water, part wet and part dry, to make things that little bit more challenging.Reaching the apex of the corner, I applied too much throttle too soon (at least that's the way I remember it) forcing the rear of the car to flick sideways.I watched as the Porsche in slow motion described a full circle around me before coming to a rest.Intact, but with a slightly bruised ego, I was able to drive off again, hardly missing a beat.In fact, it was over so quickly, that no one realised it had even happened - but they say confession is good for the soul.We were in the United Arab Emirates at the invitation of Pirelli tyres to test their new high performance P Zero.The Italian manufacturer reckons the P Zero is the best performance tyre in the world and it is a claim I find difficult to dispute.The Dubai circuit was divided into a number of areas, each with a different exercise designed to highlight the advantages of the tyre.At each stop there was a smorgasbord of cars from which to chose, but before we got started we treated to some hot laps in the V10 Lamborghini Gallardo,At full noise, in the hands of a professional driver, it's an experience one is not likely to forget in a hurry.As a matter of fact, I recorded the event and it is destined to live for evermore as a ring tone in my mobile.The most telling exercise of the day was one where we drove around and around in a tight circle on a wet and slippery section of track.Two Audi TTs were provided for the exercise, one fitted with P Zeros, the other with a competitor's tyre.At the risk of sounding like an advertise- ment, they were like chalk and cheese - the P Zero had appreciably more grip.We were able to drive a number of different cars on the day, not all of them fitted with Pirellis.They included Audi's S8, Porsche Carrera and Cayman and Boxster and Benz's S 65 AMG, CLS 63 AMG and CLK 63 AMG - to name a few.Although by no means the most powerful of the group, the Porsche Boxster shone on the track, with its sharp handling and responsive six pack.Pirelli is marking the launch of the new P Zero - the fourth since the birth of the original back in 1987 with the Ferrari F40 - with the release of a short film.Called Mission Zero, it's directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Uma Thurman and is a kind of a car chase minus the rest of the movie.It features a yellow Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder - finished of course in Kill Bill Yellow.