Porsche Cayman S: The Return - Sports Cars
When TESTING a new car, it is best to wait until the end before announcing the verdict. But this time I can't help myself: the new Cayman S it's sensational, literally sensational. Up and down the Portuguese hills and at full speed on the Portimao, Louisiana highway. Porsche it blew me away. So much so that it's been two days and I'm still stunned. To be honest, I didn't think I fell in love with her like that. Not because I don't find it fantastic, but because the old model was proof that its fantastic driving skills weren't always enough to please a car. However, this time it is true love at first sight.
I'm not saying the old model wasn't that good with it, but I think we can all agree that it didn't win the hearts of Porsche customers like the Boxster, let alone the 911. This led to the Cayman becoming a sort of identity crisis, and the fact that he was always thought of as the "911 of the poor" or "women's car" certainly didn't help.
This is the day of redemption for the Cayman Islands, or at least it can be judged by what I encountered in Portugal. We've all seen the official photos, but until you see it in real life and notice the proportions, images, details and perfection of every design element, it's hard to understand its charm. While the first two generations were beautiful in some ways and weird in others, it's gorgeous from every angle you look at. She is more muscular and physical without giving up her attractive curves. With i circles optional from 20 Sports technoThen it's incredible.
Inside, he is no less special, with one dashboard it exudes quality and premium car design to the eyes and to the touch, but without coercion. As always, finding the perfect driving position is easy, and the front and rear views are fantastic, with a raised, rounded bonnet on either side and rounded sides that reflect in the side mirrors. Parts are in place, e.g. panel in aluminum brushing parting i points from the rear: it looks like a rebar and contains engine oil and coolant at both ends. L 'aileron the adaptive rear raises more and more at a steeper angle than the Boxster, increasing surface area by 40 percent aerodynamics.
The widespread use of aluminum in the bodywork has increased torsional rigidity by 40 percent and reduced weight by 30 kg to a height of 1.395 kg. Power engine slightly increased (up to 10 hp in the 2.7 hp 275 version and up to 6 hp in the 3,4-liter S 325 hp), but both engines have a wider delivery curve and thus thus, they develop more power than older engines in the entire range of revolutions.
Unfortunately, at launch, we were unable to drive the 2,7-liter base model, but it promises big things: this is the first Cayman with a 100 hp engine. / liter, to be precise, 100,1. Of course, an increase in power goes hand in hand with a decrease (up to 15 percent) consumption and emissions. Cayman S with PDK CO188 emissions are only 2 g / km. Not bad for a sports car at over 280 km / h.
Speaking of PDK: at the risk of sounding ridiculous and giving the impression of being reluctant to give up in front of the rowing machines of the future, I wanted to try both the PDK and Speed manual. And, I must admit, the first turned out great. Fluid when you drive relaxed, intense when you pull on the car's neck: there's no doubt Porsche got it right this time. The problem is that I still prefer a good shifter, especially when paired with a beautiful six-speed manual instead of a nervous seven-speed 991. A quick look at the specs confirmed that this is the most "EVO" Cayman S you'll ever get: it has a manual transmission, it Sport Chronothen Dynamic transmission mountsthen Brakes PCCB (i discs the front is thicker, the calipers are stiffer and the contact area is larger) Porsche Torque Vectoring System (PTV) with limited slip differential, sports exhaust system and 20-inch Sport Techno wheels. It also has Porsche Communications Management (PCM) and interior completely in the skin. These options increase price base 66.310 XNUMX euros. That's a lot of money, it's true, but since we're about to discover the Cayman S, it's worth it.
We leave our authorized Porsche dealer in Faro and head towards the hills around Monchique with the road network we knew so well during Ecoty 2011. They are wonderfully deserted and combine spacious straight lines with an endless variety of roads. curves and alternating smooth surfaces such as a pool table and old cracked and corrugated asphalt. They are challenging, outspoken, and engaging.
The first thing you notice about the new Porsche Cayman is that despite its sporty performance and stellar looks, it's incredibly practical. Access to trunk this is a hatchback, and under the front hood is another luggage compartment: between one and the other several bags. The Cayman is also incredibly comfortable and easy to drive, with limited overhangs and compact dimensions. If you are more than 60 m tall, you will be pleased to know that with the new platform, which is longer than XNUMX mm, incockpit.
As we climb the hills, the qualities of this machine begin to manifest. The roads are wider (40 mm at the front and 12 mm at the rear, respectively), but the overall width of the car remains the same. Together with the longer wheelbase, the wider track makes the Cayman safer and more grippy, with excellent lateral and longitudinal stability and excellent roadholding. the weight 46/54 for agility. Like the Boxster, it is on the Cayman steering Electric Energy. The layout of both cars is more natural than the 991, but if I have to throw myself off balance, I'd say the Cayman is the best of the three. On dry roads, you know exactly how much grip is left, and even on wet roads, the Cayman inspires confidence.
You can keep a very high pace without fear rushing around corners. In fast corners, the grip is immense, in some corners the Cayman almost lifts the inner wheels. But where it really stands out is in the slow studs because it has so much stability and grip you can rely on and you can even queue it up using PTV and a mechanical limited slip differential. Rarely can you find a car with such steady motion and such natural balance that it can change its face and turn into a beast with a snap of its fingers.
The engine and six-speed manual transmission are great and always in sync with the flat-six's 3.4 horsepower and torque. There Clutch Shifts are light and precise, so you feel even more connected to the vehicle with every gear change. I may be going against the tide, but I prefer to sacrifice a tenth of a second for 0-100 (5,0 seconds versus 4,9 for the PDK version) and have so much driving pleasure. In the end, and perhaps for the first time for a Porsche, the choice is completely personal and not driven by the fact that one of the two versions is clearly better than the other. We hope that from now on it will always be so.
I bet most of those who choose the manual version of the Cayman S will do it for the fun of heel-to-toe climbing, but I guarantee you will love it. automatic shotguns regime Sport Plus... Like Nissan's system found in the 370Z, it is great, it perfectly synchronizes engine rpm with road rpm with a sharp drop in revs every time you change gear. This function can be disabled if the stabilization system is completely disabled. PSM in Sport Plus mode, proving that Porsche respects real drivers better than any other brand.
With the optional sports exhaust system, the Cayman has sound truly spectacular, barking like crazy and shooting fireworks. If I have to criticize you, the exhaust rumbles too much when you are not driving at full speed, but if you choose a quieter mode, the problem will be solved. Even PASM pendants they are adjustable, but to be honest, they are so docile and manageable even in the toughest Sport Plus mode that you cannot complain. With 20-inch wheels, low curb tires and the condition of many roads here in Portugal, the new beast from Mercedes-Benz is impressive and bodes well for the bumpy asphalt of British back streets.
When we finally got back to the hotel, I was blown away by the quality of the Cayman Islands and how exciting and fun it is to drive. The last car that struck me this way was - ironically - the 997 Carrera GTS, which turned out to be the best 911 of modern times. I crawl into bed trying to decide which color I'll pick if I ever find a way to buy it. The choice is hard and I have a restless night.
The next morning we head towards the asphalt carousel called Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. Porsche doesn't let you run freely on the track, and we can understand that too. He divided all of us journalists into groups of three or four cars, which will drive onto the track behind a kind of safety car that will determine the pace. Usually it would be frustrating, but when Walter Röhrl is in this car, you are sure to have a good time. Four cars follow us like a velodrome, and we take turns sticking to Walter's Porsche. Röhrl is very good at assessing the pace by raising his leg until the first of the cars arrives at him. Obviously, the more you pester him, the more he will pick up the pace. Since he's driving the 991 (obviously, rally champions can't give up some advantage over their rivals even years later), he goes pretty fast.
It's fun and a little intimidating at times, as Portimao is full of blind twists and turns, and the surface is wet in many places. The caiman is very well balanced, there is only thread on it understeer in the fastest corners, while in slow or medium corners, it stays neutral, unless you intentionally break it by braking late or adding the gas pedal just before entering.
As on the road, even on the track, the Cayman is completely transparent and obedient to the input signals. This allows you to pull on your neck to have a good time, even if in some cases it is worth sacrificing record time to enjoy oversteer in corners or in favor of clean driving. It is easy to see how she managed to get around the Nordschleife in 7 minutes 55 minutes. No matter how you drive it, the Cayman S always feels right at home. If you use your car mostly on the road but don't mind a good track day from time to time, it's hard to find another car that's just as efficient and fun.
What's more - although I don't want to admit it - the Cayman S finally answers the rhetorical question so beloved by the industry media: "Do you still want a 911?" Part of me continues to believe that it doesn't make sense now as it did then. But there are those who discard the purely economic question and evaluate the two Porsches - Cayman and Carrera - only on their merits.
Personally, if I was asked which of the two I would prefer, I would not know which one to choose. Once upon a time, I would have answered "911" without hesitation, but now it is no longer so easy to decide. Especially when I drove both that, and another, but could not afford either one or the other. This is already a victory for the Cayman Islands and bad news for manufacturers hoping to steal a piece of the market. If another coveted car arrives in 2013, it will be an unforgettable year. The Cayman Islands have finally grown.
