Let’s start with this: The latest Porsche Cayman S is no supercar, nor does it pretend to be one.
But it does offer sports car performance, incredibly sharp handling, a comfortable cabin and supreme build quality.
Most of all, the Cayman S can be driven near its limit all day long without leaving the driver feeling stressed or worn out.
Now, that’s what a true driver’s car is all about.
Not huge numbers in the cylinder count, piston displacement or torque output – all of which are really only for short-term thrills that ultimately stretch one’s nerves to fatigue.
You step out of a wild drive in a muscle car thrilled, but also somewhat scared out of your wits. (Admit it.)
But in the Cayman, your journey will tend to appear too short because time flies when you’re having fun.
The mid-engine Cayman has just gone through its first update/revision/facelift or whatever you might want to call it.
Visual clues to differentiate this evolved car are restricted to the bumpers and lights.
Steering wheel buttons to control the gearbox are tricky to use.
“Gorgeous” is not a word anyone has used to describe the shape of the Cayman.
But it does have its own unique style, like that single-gradient fast back and the bulging haunches above the rear wheels.
The new bumpers and lights are probably too subtly different to be immediately obvious.
It is actually quite a cunning bit of styling rework.
New headlamp cluster design refreshes the Cayman S’ looks.
Parts of the lights that have been reshaped lie within the areas of the bumpers, as do the new exhaust cut-out, re-profiled front air intakes and relocated fog lights.
So, not one bit of the sheet metal has been modified. Clever.
All of the metal in the engine, however, is brand new.
With the 2009 Cayman, Porsche unveils a new family of flat-6 engines complete with VarioCam Plus valve lift and timing control system.
The base Cayman engine is a 2.9-litre, which is lighter, more fuel-efficient and cleaner, and produces 20bhp more than the 2.7-litre (245bhp) in the earlier Cayman.
The other member of this engine family has a slightly larger bore for a total displacement of 3436cc, and is topped off by a completely different cylinder head that houses the fuel injectors.
Installed in the Cayman S, the naturally aspirated 3.4-litre punches out 320bhp (previously 295bhp) at 7200rpm.
Standard transmission is a 6-speed manual. And, no, you cannot opt for the automatic with tiptronic.
But you can specify something even better: the excellent dual-clutch, 7-speed gearbox known as PDK.
It even comes with a proper sequential shift lever (finally) instead of only the steering wheel-mounted buttons, which was the case with the old Cayman.
PDK-equipped Caymans come with the button shifters, too, but they are still fiddly to use and far from intuitive.
Also on the options list for the first time is a mechanical Limited Slip Differential (LSD).
The test Cayman S was fitted with all of the above-mentioned options, plus the ceramic composite brake discs measuring 350mm in diameter (the standard is 318mm/299mm, front/rear).
With PDK, the Cayman S will do 0-100 km/h in 5.1 seconds.
Of more interest, though, is the way it goes about its real world business, whether through the city, on the highway or cross-country on winding two-lane roads.
The comfort level for driver and passenger can put many saloons to shame, while its ability to flow through a series of bends without causing any moment of distress is a combination that is hard to find.
Porsche has left much of the excellent suspension and steering hardware alone, so the Cayman S remains an easy car for any driver to understand.
A communicative chassis tells the driver everything it does and responds to steering inputs with immediacy.
LSD only sharpens the Cayman’s handling even more, giving this finely balanced car some amount of driver-induced oversteer as and when necessary.
And the ceramic brakes? Stupendous, fade-free stopping power, of course.
But we would only recommend it if you visit the tracks frequently because there’s little real need for them on the roads, not to mention that it’s a $30,000 option.
2009 Porsche Cayman S 3.4 (A)
DRIVETRAIN
Type Flat-6, 24-valves
Capacity 3436cc
Bore x stroke 97mm x 77.5mm
Compression ratio 12.5:1
Max power 320bhp at 7200rpm
Max torque 370Nm at 4750rpm
Power to weight 237bhp per tonne
Gearbox 7-speed dual-clutch with manual select
Driven wheels Rear
PERFORMANCE
0-100km/h 5.1 seconds
Top speed 275km/h
Consumption 10.6km/L (combined)
SUSPENSION
Front MacPherson struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Rear MacPherson struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
BRAKES
Front / Rear Ventilated discs
TYRES
Type Michelin Pilot Sport
Size 235/45 R18 (front), 265/40 R18 (rear)
SAFETY
Airbags 6
Traction aids ABS, PSM
MEASUREMENTS
Length 4347mm
Width 1801mm
Height 1306mm
Wheelbase 2415mm
Kerb weight 1350kg
Turning circle 11.1m
BUYING IT
Price incl. COE $287,888
Warranty 5 years/unlimited km
+ Handling, dual-clutch gearbox, ride comfort
– Unintuitive gear selector buttons, subjective looks, costly options
