Daily Mail - Cayman S Review

bmer · 12-10-2007, 03:16 PM

By JAMES MARTIN

Can't choose between the baby Boxster or the £100K-plus 911? Motor correspondent James Martin says the clever money is all going on the Porsche Cayman S, which not only looks great but is also fun to drive

Are you suffering from choice fatigue? These days we've got more consumer freedom than ever before and I've just about had enough of it.

Everything I buy, I've got to tick 50 boxes, opt into this, opt out of that.

Look what happens when you just want a burger: you walk in purposefully, then fall to pieces and stand there uselessly scanning the menu board, while impatient kids tut and barge past you. Do you want a Big Mac with cheese? Mac with bacon? Mac with slaw? Mini Mac Italian? Large Whopper? Angus burger? Fries with that? Salad? Go large? And what the hell is an Angry Whopper?

This is what's always put me off buying a Porsche. Walk into your local dealership and they hit you with an options list the size of a Gutenberg Bible.

What kind of wheels do you want? What kind of seats? What should the bit at the top of the gearstick be made of? How active should the suspension management be? Four speakers, nine speakers or ten? You go in aged 24 and come out 32, with the car you think you wanted… but aren't really sure any more.

Here's the problem: Porsche's range goes from the £33,000 Boxster to the hundred grand-plus 911 Turbo Cabriolet, but the quoted prices for each car only get you the base models. You don't know how much you'll end up spending when you factor in all your options.

Let's say you go for this Cayman S – the coupé version of the Boxster S, and by general agreement an outstanding piece of kit for fortysomething grand. Let the salesman talk you into all the extras – bigger wheels, flappy-paddle gearchange, sports package, surround-sound hi-fi, leather seats and so on – and you've pushed the price into 911 territory.

So now, do you swap the tricked-out Cayman for an entry-level 911? And if so, which of the 14 varieties of 911 do you want? Frankly, it's like giving a kid a pound to spend on pick 'n' mix at Waitrose – he could be there till his voice breaks.

The bright side is that you can garnish a Porsche all you want, stick diamante rims on the wheels, emboss "Romeo" and "Brooklyn" on the headrests if you insist and it'll still be a fine car. All Porsches are roughly the same shape (apart from the 4x4 Cayenne whose Yank-appeal has helped make Porsche the world's most profitable car company), and they all share technology with the firm's GT competition racers. They don't make bad motors.

From the very first sleek little 356, launched in 1948 using parts from the Porsche-designed VW Beetle, through racing success in the Fifties with the 550 Spyder that James Dean loved to death, to the first 911 in 1963 with the rear-mounted, six-cylinder "boxer" engine that would become their secret weapon, the Stuttgart scientists have always stuck to a terrifyingly efficient blueprint. Both my pa and my mate Harry own 911s. They say they're technically brilliant. And maybe that's why I've always been a bit of a snob about them.

To me, a supercar should feel as if it's going to kill you if you get it wrong round the bends. When you plan a journey in my Ferrari 360 you have to give serious thought to how you're getting back – generally on the back of an AA truck. Each time I go to Birmingham, I spend the trip listening for every little rattle and knock, wondering which one's going to repeat the day the left bank of its engine gave way, costing £20,000. Porsches are more predictable than that, and perversely that's why I haven't been that fond of them.

This car changed all that for me. For a start, it looks great. I thought Caymans were for blokes who couldn't afford 911s until I saw it, with its flared wheel arches, dramatically tapered rear end and flowing profile designed around the mid-mounted engine. That sense of balance really shows when you push this car hard: it handles fantastically round the bends, making it incredibly fun to drive. Try as you might, there's no fear of piling into a hedge.

It's quick, too, with 0–60 coming up in 5.4 seconds, topping out just above 170mph. Like all great Porsches since 1963, it has that flat-six engine, which makes a sound like nothing else on the road: like a beetle making angry love.

The week I had the Cayman was the week Bruce Springsteen's album Magic came out, and driving around with the Boss on the Bose was some of the best fun I've had in years. Like the Porsche, you know it's Bruce as soon as you hear that husky, born-to-run voice – and as he hit the first chorus, the car's appeal clicked for me.

This is the sports car equivalent of a radio-friendly hit, with drinks holders, comfortable seats and (unlike the 911) loads of storage, thanks to the two boots, one front and one rear. It's for everyman.

I was happy my car had the manual gearbox and not the Tiptronic thing; I don't need to pretend I'm a Formula 1 driver. In fact, I couldn't find anything I didn't like about the Cayman, except the yappy woman's voice on the sat nav. I tried to switch her off, but couldn't find the right switch. That's one option I could have done with.

So is this the Porsche that puts paid to choice fatigue? Can I recommend it without any ifs, buts or alternatives? I thought so. And then, between driving it and writing this, they went and released a limited "Porsche Design Edition 1" version – all black inside and out, with lowered body, 19in "turbo" wheels and a briefcase full of matching accessories.

It's cool… so now I'm back to square one. Those Porsche lads need to take a day off. When you've made the perfect burger, the garnish just gets in the way.

- ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

12-10-2007, 03:16 PM	#1
bmer Devotee Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 2,904 Thanks: 1,547 Thanked 669 Times in 405 Posts	Daily Mail - Cayman S Review By JAMES MARTIN Can't choose between the baby Boxster or the £100K-plus 911? Motor correspondent James Martin says the clever money is all going on the Porsche Cayman S, which not only looks great but is also fun to drive Are you suffering from choice fatigue? These days we've got more consumer freedom than ever before and I've just about had enough of it. Everything I buy, I've got to tick 50 boxes, opt into this, opt out of that. Look what happens when you just want a burger: you walk in purposefully, then fall to pieces and stand there uselessly scanning the menu board, while impatient kids tut and barge past you. Do you want a Big Mac with cheese? Mac with bacon? Mac with slaw? Mini Mac Italian? Large Whopper? Angus burger? Fries with that? Salad? Go large? And what the hell is an Angry Whopper? This is what's always put me off buying a Porsche. Walk into your local dealership and they hit you with an options list the size of a Gutenberg Bible. What kind of wheels do you want? What kind of seats? What should the bit at the top of the gearstick be made of? How active should the suspension management be? Four speakers, nine speakers or ten? You go in aged 24 and come out 32, with the car you think you wanted… but aren't really sure any more. Here's the problem: Porsche's range goes from the £33,000 Boxster to the hundred grand-plus 911 Turbo Cabriolet, but the quoted prices for each car only get you the base models. You don't know how much you'll end up spending when you factor in all your options. Let's say you go for this Cayman S – the coupé version of the Boxster S, and by general agreement an outstanding piece of kit for fortysomething grand. Let the salesman talk you into all the extras – bigger wheels, flappy-paddle gearchange, sports package, surround-sound hi-fi, leather seats and so on – and you've pushed the price into 911 territory. So now, do you swap the tricked-out Cayman for an entry-level 911? And if so, which of the 14 varieties of 911 do you want? Frankly, it's like giving a kid a pound to spend on pick 'n' mix at Waitrose – he could be there till his voice breaks. The bright side is that you can garnish a Porsche all you want, stick diamante rims on the wheels, emboss "Romeo" and "Brooklyn" on the headrests if you insist and it'll still be a fine car. All Porsches are roughly the same shape (apart from the 4x4 Cayenne whose Yank-appeal has helped make Porsche the world's most profitable car company), and they all share technology with the firm's GT competition racers. They don't make bad motors. From the very first sleek little 356, launched in 1948 using parts from the Porsche-designed VW Beetle, through racing success in the Fifties with the 550 Spyder that James Dean loved to death, to the first 911 in 1963 with the rear-mounted, six-cylinder "boxer" engine that would become their secret weapon, the Stuttgart scientists have always stuck to a terrifyingly efficient blueprint. Both my pa and my mate Harry own 911s. They say they're technically brilliant. And maybe that's why I've always been a bit of a snob about them. To me, a supercar should feel as if it's going to kill you if you get it wrong round the bends. When you plan a journey in my Ferrari 360 you have to give serious thought to how you're getting back – generally on the back of an AA truck. Each time I go to Birmingham, I spend the trip listening for every little rattle and knock, wondering which one's going to repeat the day the left bank of its engine gave way, costing £20,000. Porsches are more predictable than that, and perversely that's why I haven't been that fond of them. This car changed all that for me. For a start, it looks great. I thought Caymans were for blokes who couldn't afford 911s until I saw it, with its flared wheel arches, dramatically tapered rear end and flowing profile designed around the mid-mounted engine. That sense of balance really shows when you push this car hard: it handles fantastically round the bends, making it incredibly fun to drive. Try as you might, there's no fear of piling into a hedge. It's quick, too, with 0–60 coming up in 5.4 seconds, topping out just above 170mph. Like all great Porsches since 1963, it has that flat-six engine, which makes a sound like nothing else on the road: like a beetle making angry love. The week I had the Cayman was the week Bruce Springsteen's album Magic came out, and driving around with the Boss on the Bose was some of the best fun I've had in years. Like the Porsche, you know it's Bruce as soon as you hear that husky, born-to-run voice – and as he hit the first chorus, the car's appeal clicked for me. This is the sports car equivalent of a radio-friendly hit, with drinks holders, comfortable seats and (unlike the 911) loads of storage, thanks to the two boots, one front and one rear. It's for everyman. I was happy my car had the manual gearbox and not the Tiptronic thing; I don't need to pretend I'm a Formula 1 driver. In fact, I couldn't find anything I didn't like about the Cayman, except the yappy woman's voice on the sat nav. I tried to switch her off, but couldn't find the right switch. That's one option I could have done with. So is this the Porsche that puts paid to choice fatigue? Can I recommend it without any ifs, buts or alternatives? I thought so. And then, between driving it and writing this, they went and released a limited "Porsche Design Edition 1" version – all black inside and out, with lowered body, 19in "turbo" wheels and a briefcase full of matching accessories. It's cool… so now I'm back to square one. Those Porsche lads need to take a day off. When you've made the perfect burger, the garnish just gets in the way. - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

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