With the stiffness enabled by the fixed roof's triangulation the Cayman is very rigid. There's no flex or twist to speak of so the shock and spring rates can be kept firm without upsetting occupants and roll stiffness keeps the car balanced while letting each wheel do its own work. The addition of Porsche's adjustable shock damping (PASM) allows the comfort for everyday or rougher road use with the taut suspension desired on a track and lowers the ride height; you will need a fairly smooth public road to find yourself going noticeably quicker with PASM set in Sport mode.
Keeping the engine, the heaviest part in the car, in the middle and down low results in a low center of gravity, and this means transitional response (changing direction left to right or acceleration to deceleration, for example) is superb. Not only do the performance tires deliver considerable grip for ultimate cornering speed, you feel a fraction of the typical weight transfer on winding roads. One of our favorite ribbons of real estate was accomplished a good 5-mph faster than in a front-engine sports car, and in the realm of automotive dynamics that's a runaway.
And this was done with the Cayman's PASM in standard ride mode and the stability management system in the default On position. This system is very well programmed to give a driver some leeway in vehicle attitude; if you feel it reining you in on a public road you're trying too hard and if you feel it on a track it means your line or speed can very likely be adjusted for the better the next time around.
We wouldn't be out a limb calling the Cayman the best-handling Porsche ever built and one of the world's best. Whether it has the fastest lap times, test figures or sales demand, we can't think of a better handling, better driving sports car. And neither could Porsche driving instructors we queried.
The Cayman S comes with 18-inch wheels and tires an inch-plus wider than the 17s on the Cayman; either can be had in a range of 18- or 19-inch wheel styles, all with the same tire width. We would be hard pressed to change from the 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport tires because while the 19s might look better or work better on track, the 18s offered great handling, a relatively quiet, good ride, were very easy to find the limit of and recover once we found it, and are significantly less expensive and offer more choices at replacement time.
People look at you in amazement when they ask about the roof points and you answer ski rack, like no one in their right mind would drive this to a ski run. But why not? With a decent set of winter tires on 17- or 18-inch wheels, the engine's weight over the drive wheels, superb manners for the winding road that leads to most ski areas, seat and steering wheel heaters, heated washers and mirrors, and no room for your ride-bumming boarding buddies, why wouldn't you?
For those driving the undulating, winding ro?PorscheCayman�&Driving_Impressions??? ?? ????? ????????? ??? ???????? ????????? ???????? ??? ???????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????????? ??? ???? ???????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???? ??? ? ???? ?????? ???????? ????? ??? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ?? ? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ???????? ????? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ??? ????????? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ????? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ????? ?????? ???????? ??? ???? ?????? ???????? ??? ?? ?? ? ?? ???? ??? ??????? ?????????????? ???????????????????????�????????????????Að265-hp 2.9-liter dohc 24v horizontally opposed six-cylinder; 320-hp 3.4-liter dohc 24v horizontally opposed six-cylinder?PorscheCayman� Engines_standard?????????? ???? ???????? ???????????? ??????? ????????????????????????????�?????????A?Physics and the ergonomics of car control define the Cayman interior, the basic design unchanged in racing Porsches save removal of the radio, carpeting and air conditioning and addition of a roll cage and seat harnesses.
The Cayman cabin is appropriately finished, neither as austere as some sports cars nor as overtly luxurious as expensive GT cars, yet you can push to either extreme as wishes and option budget allow. Trim can be ordered in wood, aluminum, carbon fiber, suede or painted. Multiple sizes, styles, and materials characterize steering wheel choices, with or without redundant controls, and it even has a pair of concealed cupholders. They're on the passenger's side. This is not the best car for sipping a cappuccino on the way to work.
The standard seats appear simple and restrained compared to the skeletons or over-embroidered armchairs on some sports cars yet they do an excellent job holding you in place while allowing free movement of feet, arms, and head. Manual fore/aft and cushion height with electric recline are standard and longer-legged drivers might appreciate the extra adjustments offered by the power seat option.
Even with manual seats we got a pair of 6-foot, 4-inch individuals inside without scuffing heads, knees and elbows. There is plenty of daylightroom for feet to move around despite the compact dimensions.
The steering wheel is manual tilt/telescope, the handbrake an easy grasp on the left side of the console. The gas pedal is floor-hinged for easier heel-and-toe shifting, and a good dead pedal for your clutch foot. The shifter falls readily at hand and slips into the gear desired every time, a hefty detent preventing getting reverse when you downshift into first for a tight corner. On PDK cars the floor shift works conventionally and the upper-spoke steering wheel shifters both downshift (pull toward you) and upshift (push away).
The driver faces a three-pod instrument panel dominated by an 8000-rpm tachometer with inset message and digital speed display. A compact speedometer is left, coolant and fuel level to the right, with the bottom segment of each relegated to information displays. On PDK cars the gear display is in the right dial. You may order painted instrument dials to match or counterpoint exterior paint, including the Sport Chrono stopwatch if you order it.
Any control you might use frequently while driving is on a steering-column stalk. The headlight switch is on the left, next to the ignition switch, and all others are in the center panel ahead of the shifter. These are grouped with suspension aad we would recommend the bi-xenon headlight upgrade. The standard lights are quite acceptable for most purposes but the wide area of the main beam has a very narrow vertical band, and if the road is angled or on a hill the edges become less defined. Using the fog lamps helps, but the bi-xenons are better. In fact, along with PASM and perhaps power seats, it's the only option we'd add to an S to make the purest, driver-centric Cayman. Next Page