Forget the 911 Carrera; the Cayman S is the Porsche you want

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Nuts and Bolts

The 2006 Porsche Cayman’s only purpose is to provide pure motoring joy through fine engineering and machinery. Start with its 3.2-liter, six-cylinder, horizontally-opposed (flat, or boxer) engine that produces 295 horsepower and 251 pounds-feet of maximum torque. If the numbers don’t seem that impressive, consider that the Cayman’s relatively light 2,955-pound curb weight equals a power-to-weight ratio of 10 lbs. per horsepower. That comes within a cheeseburger of the 911 Carrera at 9.5 lbs., equals the BMW M3, and blows away the Audi TT 3.2 Coupe (13.7). It’s enough to launch the Cayman from 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 171 mph.

The Cayman’s six-speed manual requires some effort to navigate its short throws, snicking into place with a satisfying and reassuring feel. The optional five-speed automatic tranny comes with a manual shifting mode, dubbed Tiptronic in Porscheland, so you can elect to do your own clutchless shifting. Tiptronic is easier to operate perhaps, but 0-60 performance climbs to 5.8 seconds, which is a good indicator of its dulling effect on the driving experience.

Variable ratio rack-and-pinion steering adjusts its sensitivity for greater response at slower speeds and less at high speeds, making the Cayman S agile on city streets or twisty roads and stable on the freeway. Contributing to that agility and stability is a four-wheel independent MacPherson strut suspension, which is based on the Boxster but includes springs, dampers and stabilizer bars that have been tuned for greater performance.

The Cayman’s braking system is also a hand-me-down, borrowed from the 911 Carrera with vinyl LP-sized 12.5-inch discs in front and 11.8-inch discs in back, clamped by four-piston, red painted calipers and charged with bringing our test car’s optional 19-inch alloys to a halt. Shod with Z-rated Michelin Pilot Sport tires, the Porsche Cayman S enjoys an unnaturally close bond with the earth during hard driving but features a compliant and quiet nature when cruising.

Greatly adding to the Porsche Cayman’s performance is its high degree of stiffness. Thanks to its fixed roof and added middle crossbeam, the Cayman is twice as stiff as the Boxster S on which it is based, and nearly as stiff as the 911 Carrera coupe. And generally, the stiffer the car, the better it steers, corners and brakes.