Porsche's Baby Carrera: The Cayman

By Motoring Channel Staff - 1/03/2005

During the course of this year Porsche will be expanding its range of sports cars through the introduction of an all-new model.

Along with the Carrera, the Boxster and the Cayenne, the new Cayman takes Porsches range to four, and is essentially a coupe or hard top version of the Boxster, complete with mid-mounted 6-cylinder boxer engine.

Introducing the Cayman name, Porsche took the concept from the animal world, and the German sports car maker was quick to communicate the details of the Cayman, a reptile that belongs to the crocodile family.

Within this group of the world's largest reptiles, the cayman is a relatively small, but very nimble athlete and hunter, and this creates a clear resemblance to Porsche's new sports car.

Based on the successful Boxster series, the new car will rank between the 911 Carrera and the Boxster S, powered by a 6-cylinder boxer engine transmitting maximum output of 217kW (295hp) to the rear wheels.

And like the power of the engine that slots in between two of Porsche's brightest stars, the price of this new sports car will also come between that of the 911 Carrera and the Boxster S, which will make its the cheapest coupe in the Porsche range.

The heart of the Cayman S is its 3.4-litre horizontally opposed power unit, mounted midship in front of the rear axle.

Benefiting from this mid-engine concept and an excellent power-to-weight ratio, the Cayman S is perfectly suited for performance driving, with Porsche stating that it will respond directly to steering input while exhibiting dynamic behaviour in bends.

Complementing the powerful 217kW 6-cylinder engine is a chassis that Porsche insists will offer powerful deceleration, with "supreme brake technology" which we assume may mean ceramic brake discs will be optional for extra stopping power.

Apart from the mechanical strengths inherent in all Porsche's, the curvy new two-seater Cayman S will also show off a subtle new style in its looks and appearance. From the side it looks very much like a miniature Carrera, but the air intakes behind the rear doors and car's shorter length suggest otherwise.

From the rear the Boxster-based sports car has bulbous rear quarter panels covering the wheels, and a centrally mounted exhaust system creates a visual link between the Boxster and Cayman.

The third photo of the Cayman (viewed from the front) is a computer adapted image, but shows what the next generation headlights for the small sports car could look like.

In addition, the new sports car not only fulfils the great demands made by the Porsche customer in terms of visual appeal and sporting performance, but also allows for "all kinds of leisure time activities" which means that during development, a little bit of money was spent on creating useful interior space.

The Cayman S joins the Carrera, Boxster, and Cayenne model designations in the Porsche portfolio and promises to build a legacy like its siblings have before it, giving drivers a well-balanced, curvaceous German sports car that could become one of the company's most popular models.