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 daylight room 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 and transmission controls (on cars so optioned) along the bottom. Climate controls are located above and are easy to figure, and audio and navigation controls are above those.
All those systems are fairly easy to decipher and effective in operation. Unlike our experience in other Porsches, including a Boxster with a near-identical interior, the iPod plugged into the Cayman was disconnected each time the key was switched off and we had to physically unplug and reconnect it to be recognized.
Outward visibility is quite good, the blind spot to the right rear the sticking point. It isn't large enough to hide a car in a lane adjacent but obscures cars coming onto the freeway in the blind spot. Fortunately the Cayman is small enough you can angle yourself enough to see and still remain in one lane.
The standard radio antenna is embedded around the periphery of the windshield glass and makes for a sleeker exterior. It never bothered us, but a mast antenna may be specified.
Cabin storage is relatively good. The glovebox handles routine paperwork and manuals, door pockets beneath the armrests handle wallets, smokes, remotes, sunglasses, and so on; the passenger has a supplementary tray adjacent their seat. Smaller items will fit in the bin ahead of the shifter, with coins and MP3 players under the center armrest where the optional connection points are. Seatbacks have coat hooks and fully-carpeted space if you don't have the seats all the way back, and immediately behind the occupants are two deep wells, and a net and bar where you could place a laptop bag without worry about being beaned in a hard stop.
Despite the race car shape there are two trunks in the Cayman, a deep squarish well up front and a wider shallower bin at the back, both released by key buttons or next to the driver's seat. Like the cabin these are nicely finished, and the rear trunk gets leftover cabin air so put the ice cream there for the ride home.
There is no spare tire on board but there are provisions to keep you moving. Unless you buy a roof rack there isn't room for a spare. Next Page