Porsche Cayman

REASONS TO CHOOSE a new Cayman over a 911? There`s money,of course.There`s money,of course.The quitessential rear-engined Porsche coupe will set you back at least half a million bis ones,once the COE system is done with you. Probably tens of thousands more top of that,once you`re through with the options list.In comparison, a naked,COE- free Cayman wants just $253,988 from you,which is hardly pocket change but isn`t a world away from SLK350 money.And things being what they are with the law at the moment,this also means that the down payment alone on a 911 is enough to pay for more than two-thirds of a Cayman.

The price gets you a Cayman that`s longer,lower and ever-so-slightly wider than its predecessor(the dimensions are 4,380mm,1,801mm and 1,295mm for length, width and height if you`re a numbers man),and yet lighter by about half a slim person,thanks to the use of aluminium on the much of the bodywork.There`s a new engine range too,kicked off by the one tested here,a 2.7-litre flat-six with 275bhp.Hooked up to the seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox,it launches the Cayman to 100km/h in 5.6 seconds, which isn`t supercar fast but an entirely respectable time.More to the point , there`s no turbo so this isn`t a case of instant torque availability, with ready grunt everywhere in the rev range. lnstead you have to reach for the power,which has its own rewards, particularly since the engine lets out a musical blat that rises in pitch and volume with revs,until your small hairs stand alert.lt may not have the pace of a 911, but the Cayman has its vocal cords.

Yes,if you do buy a Cayman it will be down to the way it goes around corners and not how quickly it reaches them. At least,that`s the reason you ought to buy one. As with all the world`s great racing cars, the Porsche`s engine sits between you and rear wheels-not that you`ll ever see it,because under the tailgate is a plushly carpeted boot, some stylish caps for coolant and lube to slosh in, and no other sign of a combustion device anywhere - and though it`d be a stretch to claim that the Cayman handles like something out of F1, it`s certainly true that the way it divebombs into corners is the stuff of ecstasy.Some of the first car`s purity of steering feel has been sacrificed on the altar of fuel economy,necessitance a switch from hydraulic assistance to electric, but there`s still an accuracy and immediacy to the helm that can at times take your breath away.Stability,too ,is a Cayman strength, and to get an unwelcome wiggle from the body or even a wink from the stability control lamp,you`d have to be brutally ham-fisted.It`s a supremely planted car, no doubt,and there lies a rub: that chassis is capable that it leaves you wondering if its abilities might not be better served by an engine with a bit more power.

While you ponder that,it`s worth assessing the Cayman`s merits as a daily driver,which are considerable.It`ll be reliable naturally.Years of quality surveys say that Porsches are examplary in that Porsches are examplary in that sense.It`s restricted to two, but then so are cars of its ilk.A mountain bike isn`t going to fit, but between the front and rear boots you have 325 litres of cargo room,so it`s as practical as you could expect a sportscar to be .Leaving practicality aside, the new car is a nicer place to be in than the first Cayman.lt has the new Boxster`s dash and the improved quality that comes with it, and the body`s extra length is supposed to have translated into a cabin that`s larger.Not that the old Cayman`s interior was cramped, anyway.

Mind you,your Cayman won`t feel much like luxury transport unless you`ve  spare cash for a set of options.Even fundamentals like parking sensors and a rear wiper are extras,and if you want exec things like fully power-adjustable seats and satnav... maybe you`d better sit down for this , but those last two options alone will cost at least 25 grand.For our money, the sports exhaust is worth a splash ( for $8,811) because it will be like handling the gloriously worth considering is the Sport Chrono Package ($8,231),not for the neat stopwatch it adds to the dash, but for the 'Sport Plus' button that sharpens up the drivetrain (enough to drop the sprint time to 100km/h to 5.4 seconds) and gets the stability control system to close an eye when you`ve small slides to catch.

But spending extra to quicken up a Cayman leads to the question of whether it`d be worthwhile to stretch all the way to the 3.4-litre Cayman S.lts detuned 911 engine offers 50bhp more to play with, after all,enough for the parts of you that digest you food to feel, and an all-dancing chassis deserves and all-singing engine.Still, the two cars stand separated by $ 57,800, which could make all the difference to some buyers.lt's a no-brainer if you can afford the extra outlay, but if you can`t,the basic Cayman isn't going to disappoint.lt's the best thing for the money, and good enough for you to feel that a 911 can wait...

• Price: $ 253,988 with COE
• On sale: Now
• Top speed: 264km/h
• 0-100km/h: 5.6 seconds
• Economy: 7.7L/100km
• Kerb weight: 1,340kg
• Engine: 24v,Flat-6 2,706cc
• Installation: Mid,longitudinal,RWD
• Power: 275bhp at 7400rpm
• Torque: 290Nm from 4500 to 6500rpm
• Gearbox: Seven-speed dual-clutch
• Fuel tank: 64L
• Boot: 325L
• Wheels: 19-inch alloy
• Types: 235/40 R19(front),265/40 R19(rear).