Though it was rumored to be just an ordinary Boxter with a hard top, this Porsche turned out to be completely different. It suits those looking for a 911, but are intimidated by its hefty price tag. Its engines are all beautiful. The top-of-the-line 3.4 liter is powerful enough to make the Cayman go properly fast in a straight line. It also handles so beautifully that there's even a rumour that Porsche chose not to give the Cayman a rear slip diff because with one, it would be faster than Porsche own flagship 911. That, obviously, is something Porsche cannot afford to do. Porsche also makes the Cayenne SUV and the 918 Spyder hypercar.
he Porsche Cayman is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive 2-seat sports car produced by Porsche AG of Germany. First launched in the 2006 model year, the Cayman is a coupé derived from Porsche's second generation Boxster convertible. Like the Boxster, most Caymans were assembled in Finland for Porsche by Valmet Automotive (the rest are assembled in Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart, Germany). Porsche's Deputy Chairman, Holger P. Haerter stated that their contract with Valmet Automotive will end in 2012, and the Cayman's production will be outsourced to Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik of Graz, Austria. (Panorama, 2008). More recently, as Volkswagen assumed ultimate control of Porsche AG, that agreement fell through, and the production of both Caymans and Boxsters after 2012 will be in the former Karmann plant in Osnabrück, Germany, now owned by Volkswagen and used for production of the new 2012 Golf Cabriolet.
Development and first generation
After two years of development, the first model of the coupé to be released was the Cayman S (type 987120). Photographs and technical details were released in May 2005, but the public unveiling did not take place until the September Frankfurt Motor Show. The S suffix (for Sport or Special) indicated that this was a higher performance version of a then unreleased normal model. That model, the Cayman (987110), went on sale in July 2006. A motorsport-tuned model, the Cayman RS, is rumored to have been tested at the Nürburgring that same year.
The Cayman coupé (project 987c) and the second generation Boxster convertible (project 987) shared the same mid-engined platform and many components, including the front fenders and trunk lid, side doors, headlights, taillights and forward portion of the interior. The design of the Cayman's body incorporates styling cues from two classic Porsches; the 550 Coupé and the 904 Coupé. Unlike the Boxster, the Cayman has a large hatchback for access to luggage areas on top of and in the back of the engine cover. The suspension design is fundamentally the same as that of the Boxster, but features revised settings appropriate to the increase in chassis stiffness resulting from the Cayman's fixed roof.
The 3.4 litre flat-6 boxer engine (M97.21) in the first generation Cayman S was derived from the 3.2 litre powerplant (M96.26) that was used in the Boxster S, but featured cylinder heads from the Porsche 997 S's 3.8 litre motor (M97.01) which have the VarioCam Plus inlet valve timing and lift system. A less powerful but more fuel efficient version, the 2.7 litre M97.20, powered the base model. The use of these new powerplants exclusively in Caymans ended in MY 2007 when Porsche upgraded the Boxster (987310) and Boxster S (987320).
A 5-speed manual transaxle is standard on the normal Cayman (G87.01), while a 6-speed manual (Getrag 466) is the default for the S (G87.21) and an option on the normal (A87.20). An electronically controlled 5-speed automatictransaxle (Tiptronic) was also available on the S (A87.21) and the non-S version (A87.02) (The 2009 models replaced this option with a seven-speed "PDK", Porsche's dual-clutch robotic manual transmission). Other options include active shock absorbers (ThyssenKrupp Bilstein GmbH's DampTronic, rebadged as PASM by Porsche), ceramic disc brakes(PCCB), xenon headlights (Hella's Bi-Xenon) and an electronically controlled sport mode (Sport Chrono Package).
The first generation Cayman ceased production in November 2011.
Cayman S Porsche Design Edition 1
The Porsche Design Edition 1 is a Cayman S model designed by Porsche Design, commemorating the 35th anniversary of Porsche Design. The all black car features a black full leather interior including seats, dashboard, and door trim as well as black Alcantara steering wheel, gear change lever, handbrake grip, and headliner. The DE1 also is fitted standard with the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), 19-inch 911 (997) Turbo wheels with 235/35 ZR 19 front and 265/35 ZR 19 rear tires, unique Porsche Design script on the instrument dials, stainless steel entry plate engraved with "Porsche Design Edition 1", all-red rear taillights, custom vinyl exterior black-on-black graphics, and a numbered plaque on the glovebox cover. As with all PASM-equipped cars, the body is lowered by 10 mm (0.4 in). Standard equipment includes an elegant briefcase containing the Flat Six Chronograph, a pocket knife, a pair of sunglasses, a pen, and a key ring – all in black, even the knife blade.
777 vehicles were produced as 2008 models. It went on sale on November 2007 in Germany, followed by the US in January 2008. Base price is 58,600 Euros and USD 69,900 in the U.S.
Cayman S Sport
Porsche also announced the production of a limited edition Cayman S Sport, to be available in October 2008 as a 2009 model. It features a freer-flowing, louder, exhaust, which raises power from 295 PS (217 kW) at 6250 rpm to 303 PS (223 kW) at an identical 6250 rpm. The Cayman S Sport comes in Bright Orange and Signal Green (from the Porsche 911 GT3 RS), as well as Carrara White, Speed Yellow, Guards Red, Black and Arctic Silver. The Cayman S has striping on the sides, black 19-inch wheels and an Alcantara steering wheel directly from the 911 GT3 RS. The instrumentation loses its hood. The body is lowered by 1 cm. 700 were to be made for the worldwide market.
Awards
The Cayman has been the recipient of a number of awards, including:
- Automobile – All-Star 2007, Best Sports Car 2006
- Car and Driver – One of the 10 Best Cars 2007-2009
- World Car of the Year (WCOTY) – World Performance Car of the Year 2006
- Top Gear – Sports Car of the Year 2005
- Auto Express - Greatest Drives & Best Sporting Car 2007 & 2006
- Frankfurt Motor Show - Autoweek Editors' Best in Show 2005
- Playboy Magazine - Car of the Year 2006
- J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study, Best Compact Premium Sporty Cars 2006
- J.D. Power's Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study, Best Compact Premium Sporty Cars 2007 & 2006
- Wheels Automotive Design Awards, Best Exterior 2006
- Car Plus Magazine Car of the Year Award, Best Sports Car 2006
- Motor Trend, Best Driver's Car 2009
Performance
The performance of the Cayman S approaches that of Porsche's flagship sports car, the 911 Carrera. Rally legend Walter Röhrl lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife track in a Cayman S equipped with optional 19" wheels, PCCB, and PASM in a time of 8 minutes, 11 seconds. The time for a standard Cayman S, as published by the manufacturer, was 8 minutes, 20 seconds. In contrast, Röhrl recorded 8 minutes, 15 seconds in a 911 Carrera. The similarity in performance between the two cars has led to speculation about whether the Cayman S will cannibalize sales of the Carrera, as the basic Carrera's recommended retail price in the United States is $12,400 higher than that of the Cayman S.
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A Cayman prepared and run by privateers Jürgen and Uwe Alzen finished fourth overall (of 220 entrants) in the 2007 Nürburgring 24 Hour race, ahead of two flagship Porsche 997 GT3 RSR's, a 997 GT3 Cup, and a 996 GT3 Cup.Another two privateer Caymans, entered by CSR and MSpeed, finished 22nd and 117th overall, respectively. Porsche disclaims support for the Cayman teams, while supporting some or all of the 997 teams.
A sports car feature which was not offered by Porsche for the manual transmission Cayman, until 2009, was the limited slip differential (LSD). Some commentators have speculated that LSD was not offered, even as an option, because the Cayman S's performance would then be too close to that of the 911 Carrera (see Crippleware) . Several tuning companies started offering Cayman buyers the ability to retrofit an LSD. Also the biggest engine (3.8l) or the turbo engine is not available in the Cayman.
In the 2009 model, an LSD is available as an option. The base Cayman has received an engine upgrade to 2.9L (265 bhp (198 kW; 269 PS)), and the Cayman S a 3.4L (320 bhp (239 kW; 324 PS)). This is significantly more than the previous models offerings, as even the factory tuned 2008 Cayman S Sport with its special exhaust system only produces 303 bhp (226 kW; 307 PS) from its 3.4L engine.
| Source | 0-60 mph (97 km/h) | 0–100 km/h (62 mph) | 0–160 km/h (100 mph) | 0–200 km/h (125 mph) | 1/4 mile (~400 m) | 1 km | Top speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cayman | |||||||
| Manufacturer | 5.8 s | 6.1 s | 14.2 s | - | - | - | 258 km/h (160 mph) |
| Cayman S | |||||||
| Manufacturer | 5.1 s | 5.4 s | 11.7 s | 18.6 s | - | 24.3 s | 275 km/h (171 mph) |
| Auto Motor Sport | - | 5.5 s | 12 s | 19.2 s | - | - | - |
| Automobile | 5.1 s | - | - | - | 13.7 @ 105 mph (169 km/h) | - | - |
| Car and Driver | 4.8 s | - | 12.0 s | - | 13.3 @ 107 mph (172 km/h) | - | 166 mph |
| Road & Track | 4.8 s | - | - | - | 13.3 @ 106 mph (171 km/h) | - | - |
Name
Cayman is an alternate spelling of caiman, a reptile in the same family as the alligator. The car is not named after the Cayman Islands; rather the islands also derive their name from the caiman. On the same day that the first Caymans arrived at dealerships for sale, Porsche adopted four caimans at Stuttgart's Wilhelma Zoo.
Porsche has been protective of their Cayman trademark and in 2009 the sports car maker brought an infringement lawsuit against Crocs, the maker of the popular rubber shoes. At issue was the footwear companies clog name also called Cayman. An injunction was granted against Crocs Europe, a division of the Longmont, Colorado based shoe company preventing their use in Germany of the Cayman name.
| Calendar Year | U.S.A. (Normal/Special) | North America | Rest of World | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1160 / 5865 | 7313 | 8984 | 16297 | NA Source |
| 2007 | 2650 / 3377 | 6249 | 8736 | 14985 | NA Source |
| Total | 3810 / 9242 | 13562 | 17720 | 31282 |
| Calendar Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1000* | 566 | 647* | 699 | 587 | 442 | 650 | 548 | 494 | 580 | 565 | 535 | 7313 |
| 2007 | 499 | 342 | 635 | 509 | 616 | 577 | 661 | 609 | 469 | 404 | 363 | 565 | 6249 |
| 2008 | 550 | 242 | 285 | 402* | 480 | 451 | 567 | 130 | 78 | 78 | 76 | 328 | 3667 |
- Uncertain due to typos in press release or change in style of reports used.
Second generation
The second generation of the Porsche Cayman was introduced on 21 February 2009. The standard Cayman engine's displacement was increased from 2.7L to 2.9L, giving a 20 hp (15 kW) increase to 265 hp (198 kW), while the Cayman S gained direct injection and a 25 hp (19 kW) increase to 320 hp (239 kW). Both the Cayman and Cayman S maintain a 10 hp (7 kW) power advantage over their roadster sibling, the Boxster. On the front end, each has its own design for the front bumper. The front signal lamps are designed differently: while both use LED signal lamps, the Cayman’s LED are arranged like the face of dice while the Boxster gets a horizontal row of 4 LEDs. The Porsche Tiptronic S automatic gearbox was replaced by the 7-speed PDK dual clutch transmission for the new model. The PDK outperforms the manual transmission with a 0-60 mph time of 5.1 seconds versus 5.2 seconds for the manual. The PDK with the sport button option lowers the 0-60 mph time to 4.9 seconds. Also a limited slip differential is now a factory option.
Cayman R
The Cayman R was introduced in 2011, and is based on a 2009 Cayman S. It features a new body kit, new 19 inch lightweight wheels, lighter aluminium doors, lighter bucket seats, and together with the removal of the radio, storage compartments, air-conditioners and door handles, the Cayman R weighs 54.8 kilograms lighter than a Cayman S. With the help of the new sports suspensions, the Cayman R is 20mm lower than a Cayman S. The engine is a 3.4-litre flat six Direct Fuel Injection DFI boxer engine which produces 330 hp (246 kW). The standard Cayman R can achieve 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds, and with the optional 7-speed PDK dual clutch transmission and the Sport Chrono package, it can achieve 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds. The Cayman R with the manual transmission can reach the top speed of 175 mph (282 km/h), and 174 mph (280 km/h) with the PDK.
The Cayman R made its world debut at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show on 17 November 2010.
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