The Cayman is Porsche's attempt at combining a lightweight, tossable and grin-inducing chassis with serious sports car performance. Even in base form the Cayman is quite fast; but it's the perfectly balanced handling that most buyers ultimately cite as their reason for purchasing one. Put simply, the Cayman handles like a dream, thanks to its lack of weight, its ideal mid-engine setup and high levels of suspension wizardry from some of the best performance engineers in the business.
There are two main trim levels for the Cayman, Cayman and Cayman S. Both are powered by 6-cylinder engines, 2.7L in the Cayman and 3.4L in the Cayman S. The 2.7L engine makes 275 hp while the 3.4L makes 325 hp. Due to the car's light weight, fuel economy is quite good with the Cayman scoring an EPA estimated highway rating of 30mpg and the Cayman S not far behind at 28mpg.
Standard items include 18-inch wheels, a 7-inch color touch-screen, partial leather seating surfaces, a programmable garage door opener and power-adjustable seats.
Short of engine, wheel and brake size, equipment differences between the Cayman and the Cayman S are relatively minor. However there are a myriad of performance and convenience options available on both cars.
Performance options include an active suspension system, ceramic brakes, active body mounts, torque vectoring between the two rear wheels and a sport chrono package that sharpens up engine response and raises the rev-limiter.
Convenience options include a premium Bose sound system with a 6-disc CD changer, nicer seats, a fully leather clad interior, a 2-zone climate control system, Bluetooth connectivity, a navigation system and parking assist.
Despite being a fast, small and lightweight sports car, Porsche has put serious consideration into the safety systems on the Cayman. The anti-lock brakes work well, but the system is even more effective when attached to the Cayman's massive 4-piston calipers grabbing cross drilled rotors. Stability control and traction control are both standard, but can be switched off. Two-stage front airbags are aided by side and knee airbags to help minimize injury if an accident should occur.
The Porsche Cayman receives significant updates for 2014. The car is now longer, lower and wider than before. It is also significantly faster and even a little bit lighter. Porsche have done their best to improve the car in every way possible, not cutting any corners and ensuring that the end result will exceed the high standards set by the previous Cayman.
The Cayman is Porsche's entry-level sports coupe. It slots below the 911 and just slightly above the convertible Boxster, on which the Cayman is based. It competes with other sports coupes in the $60,000 such as the BMW Z4 and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible. While the Cayman may not have the absolute horsepower of some of its rivals, it can generally match them in performance thanks to a lightweight body, exceptional chassis balance and plenty of engineering know-how. Unlike many of its competitors, the Cayman is also an extremely refined vehicle and as such, it's easy to live with. The Cayman's high level of quality and Porsche signature precision are what really sets the Cayman apart.
