Porsche Cayman S (2009) CAR review

I’m almost glad I can’t afford a Cayman. If I could, I’d be quite angry. It is everything a true sports car should be. Almost. Yes, you know where I’m coming from, but here’s the case for the defence. It is the most beautiful car on the road; subjective I know, but it shows how constraining the dumpy 911 concept is in more ways than in the you-know-what department. It has classic style, timelessly understated and not tarty-Ferrari. With the engine in the best place, it is dynamically brilliant, turns with the pin-point grace of an ice-skater, steers delicately, brakes hard. The RWD vs 4WD question isn’t even posed, while it was forced upon the 911. It is small, light, affordable (-ish!), economical, reliable, parkable, practical everyday-driveable. It could be Japanese! And now comes with the PDK dual-clutch gearbox, which I’ve greatly admired and enjoyed as a genuine step forward in VAG cars. So there’s not much more to ask for, and we certainly don’t want any of the electronic nonsense touted for the new model - aquaplane warning for Chrissakes! But all this wonderfulness means nothing when you know that a tricked-up saloon like the RS4 is far quicker in a drag, and pretty much there around the turns, too. It absolutely NEEDS MORE POWER, and, as it ‘appens, VAG/Porsche already has a gold mine of fabulous motors just waiting to be dropped in. C’mon guys! Which makes it all the more frustrating that Porsche insists on handicapping the Cayman with sub-911 power. It’s hard to argue with the track record of Porsche marketing, but so what if they lose 911 sales to the Cayman? They might just sell a few more cars and that’s a business issue that should not be resolved by artificially skewing market choice. Neither is Porsche immune from competition. Japan would love to show how it should be done. I would have thought the 911 could stand on its merits as the stunning 2+2 it has become, evolve naturally, and let the market decide. It will always be the sports car that young dads can somehow justify, with its evolutionary iconic status intact. But speaking of icons, isn’t the dinosaur an icon of evolution, too? One that ultimately failed to dodge the bullet of time. I’m sure the stubborn Porkus Dumass that always walked backwards must have died first – they couldn’t see the problems coming. But the world keeps on turning without them. Richard.

heard all this "Porsche must replace the 911 if they want to have a future" stuff before, in 1977, and at regular intervals since. funny, they seem to be doing alright considering how they're ignoring all us experts. the 911's design is not so illogical as its detractors, most of who have never driven one, make out - under heavy braking, its weight balance is closer to 50:50 than any front drive car, and if you take the time to learn how to drive it, you get excellent traction out of bends. depends if you want a car you have to drive, or a pose mobile that does it for you. as for anyone who wants to have a radical cosmetic redesign every time a new model is released, why? so that the neighbours will know it the current year model? once a shell design is good, as Nissan are showing with the 350/70Z, and Mazda with the MX5, leave it and concentrate on the engineering. if you need to impress people that much, build a patio.