Some consumers love the open aired ride of a sports car with a drop top. Yet, when it is a chopped top the car is definitely compromised. A chopped top car doesn't have a rigid body or a ridge mount suspension. That's why consumers like the Porsche Cayman coupe; it offers a solid body.
The Cayman has a mid mount engine. It comes with a selection of six cylinder motors married to a choice of trannys including the six speed manual or seven speed PKD dual clutch automatic gearbox. The Cayman sports a racecar-like chassis and responsive steering too. In addition, this coupe sports hardtop making it more sound structurally speaking. The suspension is poised and the driving manners are exceptional.
The Cayman is not a hardtop boxster. It has a body with sloping glass components that complement its elaborate haunches. It looks extremely different from soft top boxster models.
The Cayman is hypnotic in every sense of the word. You get an ultimate sports car with a handsome design, superior handling, great power, and sound structure as well.
The Range
Bodystyle: Coupe
Engines: 2.9L flat-six, 3.4L flat-six
Transmissions: 6-speed manual, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
Models: Cayman, Cayman S
What's New
For the 2010 model year, Porsche limited the changes to a new steering-wheel design. Clearly, it's hard to mess with near-perfection. Yet in the quest for that absolute, Porsche will be treating the Cayman to a thorough update for the 2011 model year. So stay tuned. Or keep your eyes out for great deals on the current car.
Exterior
Lean, muscular, and purposeful, the Cayman recalls Porsche's purebred sporting machines of the 1950s. It's perhaps most striking from the rear -- check out that wide, aggressive stance, and those excellent, center-mounted exhaust pipes.
Interior
Like most Porsches, the Cayman is biased toward functionality rather than pizzazz. But if you want goodies, the Cayman offers everything from ventilated adaptive sports seats to a heated steering wheel, navigation, and Park Assist.
Performance & Handling
Unfortunately for Porsche, the Cayman is so good, many buyers wonder -- why do I need a 911? Indeed, it's the Cayman that boasts the more balanced mid-engine layout. And with its lightweight body and sweet-singing sixes (including a 320-horsepower direct-injection version in the S), the Cayman runs and handles superbly. Think of it as a Porsche pared down to its bare essentials.
Safety
Seat-belt pre-tensioners, Porsche's Side Impact Protection (POSIP) system, and standard four-piston monobloc aluminum fixed caliber brakes front and rear ensure a high level of driver and passenger security. Extra-bright Bi-Xenon headlamps are optional.
EPA Fuel Economy
Cayman: 19 mpg city/27 mpg highway (man), 20 mpg city/29 mpg hwy (PDK)
Cayman S: 19 mpg city/26 mpg highway (man), 20 mpg city/29 mpg hwy (PDK)
You'll Like
- Athletic body
- Poetry-inspiring handling dynamics
- Sweet flat six
- Fabulous shifters
You Won't Like
- Tight cockpit
- Watching options launch the sticker price
Sum Up
Makes you wonder about getting that 911
If You Like This Vehicle
- BMW Z4
- Chevrolet Corvette
- Lotus Exige