Porsche Cayman S: First Look

Motoring Channel Staff - 16/9/2005

A new Boxster-based coupe joins the Porsche sports car lineup for 2006, and while this vehicle shares much with the acclaimed roadster, its unique characteristics and exceptional dynamic capabilities earn it the right to its own name — the Cayman S.

With its larger and more powerful 3.4-litre, horizontally opposed 6-cylinder engine and its lightweight but extremely rigid chassis riding on a nimble suspension, the 2006 Porsche Cayman S sets the benchmark in the two-seat sports coupe category.

In testing around Germany’s famed Nürburgring racing circuit, the Cayman S turned laps that rivalled even the acclaimed Porsche 911 Carrera.

Yet because of careful engineering for optimising weight and a design that provides outstanding aerodynamics, the Porsche Cayman S also set new standards on the famed Northern Circuit for turning the fastest lap while using the least fuel.

But the Cayman S is more than a performance car. It also was designed to be comfortable and well appointed for long-distance driving, whether on two-lane mountain roads or wide-open stretches of Interstate highway with a well-equipped passenger compartment.

Providing power for the 2006 Porsche Cayman S is a new 3.4-litre“boxer” 6-cylinder engine. While based on the 3.2-litre engine in the 2006 Porsche Boxster S, this engine wears the cylinder heads and uses the same VarioCam Plus technology (VVT) as the venerable Porsche 911 Carrera.

VarioCam Plus carefully alters camshaft and valve lift and constantly makes adjustments to optimise power output. The 2006 Porsche Cayman S is the first car other than the 911 Carrera to benefit from this unique Porsche technology.

The engine thus punches out 217kW (295hp) and 339Nm of torque, propelling the Cayman S from a standing start to 60 miles per hour (96km/h) in just 5.1 seconds.

The car reaches 99mph (160km/h) in a mere 11.7 seconds and gets to 124mph (200km/h) in 18.6 seconds. The car eclipses the quarter-mile sprint in a lightning quick 13.6 seconds and achieves a top speed on the test track of nearly 171mph (275 km/h).

However, the Cayman S is rated at approximately 19-mpg city and 27-mpg on the highway (12 litres/100 km city and 8 litres/100 km highway). The engine’s efficiency also shows in its emissions as it qualifies as an LEVII (low-emission category two) vehicle in the United States.

In addition to its short stroke and VarioCam Plus technology, the new engine benefits from newly developed crankshaft, main bearings and pistons. The crankshaft in the Cayman S shares dimensions with that in the 911 Carrera and the aluminium crankcase is virtually identical to that used in the Porsche flagship.

To deal with the increased output from the 3.4-litre engine, the 6-speed manual transmission used in the Boxster S was modified, with shorter ratios for first and second gears. As in the 911 Carrera and Boxster S, the synchromesh rings on first and second gears also have wear-proof carbon coating to assure maximum efficiency.

As an alternative to the standard 6-speed manual, Porsche offers its acclaimed Tiptronic S gearbox in the Cayman S as an option. This 5-speed automatic transmission offers drivers the option of shifting gears by either tipping the gear lever mounted on the center console or by simply pushing fingertip controls located on the crossbar of the steering wheel.

Even with the automatic gearbox, the 2006 Porsche Cayman S accelerates to 60mph (96 km/h) in only 5.8 seconds.

To make sure engine and transmission are properly matched, the Tiptronic S automatically gives gas (blips the throttle) when making downshifts. Further, the electronic controls that manage the Tiptronic S automatically work with the standard Porsche Stability Management system, responding to such things as hard braking or to strong lateral loading to keep power output at its optimum levels for safe control of the car.

While the Cayman S chassis and suspension are based on the Boxster’s, the coupe is slightly larger and gains rigidity from its fixed roof architecture. This stiffer structure allows Porsche engineers to optimise the coupe’s suspension for exceptional dynamic capabilities.

Compared to Porsche’s own outstanding roadster, the body of the Cayman S offers 100 percent more resistance to flex and its torsional stiffness nearly matches that of the heralded Porsche 911 Carrera. While the Boxster S and Cayman S use front springs that apply the same counterforce, the Cayman S has firmer sway bars.

As on the Boxster and 911 Carrera, the Cayman S is equipped with hydraulically boosted rack-and-pinion steering with variable gear ratios to better transmit the driver’s inputs to the wheels.

When the steering wheel is within 15 degrees of either side of its on-center position, the steering ratio is engineered for smooth and high-speed stability, even on rough surfaces. However, when the steering wheel angle exceeds 15 degrees from center, the ratio becomes more direct, reducing lock-to-lock and giving the driver better control on winding roads as well as in slow-speed manoeuvres, such as when parallel parking.

For drivers who want to experience the ultimate expression of vehicle dynamics, the 2006 Porsche Cayman S can be equipped with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), which, in effect, provides two suspension setups in a single vehicle — one for comfortable cruising and everyday driving and the other for track-day or autocross exercises. PASM, which lowers the car by 10mm features “Normal” and “Sport” settings.

To deal with such dynamic forces, the Cayman S, like Boxster S, uses the same braking system components as the 911 Carrera.

Front brake discs are internally ventilated and measure 318mm in diameter and 28mm in thickness. Rear discs also are inner-vented and measure 299mm across and 24mm in thickness. To provide optimum deceleration, four-piston monobloc calipers — painted red on the Cayman S — grab the discs under braking.

Standard on the 2006 Porsche Cayman S are 18-inch wheels, 8-inches wide for the front wheels and 9-inches wide for the rear. The wheels have a unique design that draws on cues from the wheels on the famed Porsche Carrera GT supercar. Wheels wear 235/40 aspect tyres in front and 265/40 tyres in the rear, and all tires have Z speed ratings.

Like other Porsche models, the Cayman S comes with a special sealant as well as an electrical compressor instead of a conventional (and heavy) spare tyre and jack. The Mobility Set is sufficient in most cases to avoid the need of changing a damaged tire on the side of the road and allows the driver to travel at up to 50mph (80 km/h) to the nearest service center.

The exterior mirrors are like those used on the 200mph Porsche Carrera GT supercar and the new and split rear wing moves up some 80mm as soon as the car exceeds 75mph (120km/h) to enhance high-speed stability. Rather than a traditional spoiler, this wing keeps air resistance to a minimum while generating powerful downforce.

Airflow beneath the car also is carefully controlled, both for cooling of engine, transmission and brakes and for helping to keep the Cayman S in contact with the road surface. Further, ram air flaps are built in the corners of the fan frames at the front of the car and open at around 45mph (70km/h) to reduce throughput of air and thus reduce forces acting on the front axle.

Headlamps use projector-beam technology (bi-xenon lamps are optional). Wide tail lamps are cut into the rear quarter panels. Rear horizontal form bars merge into the specially designed and centrally mounted dual tailpipes.

Overall, the 2006 Porsche Cayman S body is 4371mm long, which makes it not quite half an inch longer than the Boxster and 3.5 inches shorter than the 911 Carrera. The Cayman S also is half-an-inch taller (at 1305 mm) than the Boxster, though the cars share their width (1801 mm) and their (2415 mm) wheelbase dimensions.

Each 2006 Porsche Cayman is equipped with six airbags including two front and two seat-mounted side-impact airbags. In addition, the Porsche Side Impact Protection (POSIP) system includes head airbags that deploy upward from their housings in the door windowsills. These new airbags provide a flat cushion that inflates to nearly 500 cubic inches (8 litres) and are designed to help protect the heads of the driver and passenger from broken glass and objects that might enter through the window in the event of an accident.