<span class="story_date">Sunday January 29, 2006[/quote]
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Truly a Porsche
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Here’s another Porsche loaded with the latest technology, but it’s to enhance the human element rather than overwhelm it.
BUNN NAGARA
samples two years of solid R&D work by Porsche AG on project 987 C7S, aka the Cayman S.
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LAST Sunday saw the Malaysian launch of Porsche’s latest model, the Cayman S, and within 36 hours, with just 200-plus km on the odometer, Auto Eurokars offered
The Star
Malaysia’s first test drive.
The Cayman S is a two-seater coupe contender weighing in between Porsche’s basic Boxster and flagship 911 (currently, 997) in performance, pricing, heritage and market positioning.
It boasts a new crankshaft, main bearings, pistons and gearbox, a shorter stroke and Variocam Plus for more power and torque with greater smoothness and economy, and lower emissions.
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<div class="caption">The Cayman S looks good from all angles but one of its best profiles has to be the rear three-quarter view, which is also the side most other motorists are likely to catch sight of.</div>
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What does all this mean in the flesh, on the road, through Porsche’s galvanised steel?
Step on the brake to activate the ignition switch, turn the key, and the mid-mounted flat-six purrs to life. Move off gingerly, constantly aware of the traffic.
The first things to strike you are the compactness of the cabin, the crisp throttle response and the directness of the steering. You are never in any doubt this is a thoroughbred sports car, with build quality that conforms to Porsche’s usual high standards.
Blip the throttle, and the only problem is finding enough clear road on which to explore the Cayman’s potential. The 3.4l powerplant just behind your shoulders hums and howls according to your right-foot pressure, eager to unleash more of the 295 horses all the way to 275kph.
Our test car came with a five-speed Tiptronic S gearbox, which offers either fully automatic motoring or F1-style gear shifts carried out with thumb-operated switches on the steering wheel.
Porsche Active Suspension Management allows the driver to change suspension settings on the go. A jab at the button on the dash lowers the car 10mm and get GT3-like firmness better suited to the track.
Like all other Porsches, the Cayman S loves to be driven hard but competently. This is no boy racer’s toy because it is too sophisticated for that, although everyone may aspire to own one.
Floor the pedal and you soon see other traffic disappear in the mirror. Cast the anchors and the brakes work impeccably every time, with the quiet efficiency that justifies Porsche brakes as the industry pacesetter.
The test car came with the standard four-piston monobloc aluminium fixed calipers with internally vented and cross-drilled discs, but the optional Sports Chrono Package offers Porsche’s patented ceramic brakes.
After roaring south, then north, then south again on the highway, it was time to explore the twists and bends. And it is here that the Cayman S comes into its own.
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<div class="caption">Unmistakably Porsche.</div>
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Powering into a bend can produce understeer, to be neutralised by prudent correction at the wheel and PSM (Porsche Stability Management), combining anti-lock braking with anti-slip traction control, engine drag control and automatic brake differential.
As in other Porsches, you can switch off PSM to see how the car (or you) would otherwise behave, but your insurance agent would not recommend it. Besides, PSM is designed to enhance driver enjoyment and safety, without micro-managing your sensations.
Manoeuvre curves at speed and you begin to appreciate the remarkable chassis and how the strength of this chassis, working with gumball tyres (Michelin Pilots), can handle at least 100bhp (75kW) more power.
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<div class="caption">The interior trim features First Class materials but space is tight, in keeping with the Cayman’s sporty nature.</div>
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The sound of the engine is so enticing that you may want to switch off the 10-speaker Bose system for even better in-car entertainment. And the Cayman S delivers all this with Porsche’s trademark poise and style.
This car is lighter than the Boxster S, but has twice the torsional rigidity of that underrated classic, already a class leader in its own right. For a sub-911 category, the Cayman’s near-Carrera performance is further proof of Porsche’s evolutionary excellence.
It has the Boxster’s (and Carrera GT’s) mid-engine layout and something of the 997 Carrera’s power, while outperforming both in its power-poise combination.
Stomp on the pedal and you surge forward instantly, continuously, effortlessly. Cruising on highways at speeds more than twice what other cars are doing is par for the course.
You can accelerate well beyond 230kph, but by then the supply of oomph appears to lag. Torque is strong for practically all conventional driving purposes, but then few Porsche owners would qualify as “conventional”.
At the end of a spirited drive, the motivated driver, now amply rewarded and with all senses tingling, might aspire towards a higher-end 911. But surely, that is one reason for positioning the RM630,000 (on the road, without insurance) Cayman S next to Porsche’s premier series?
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