Porsche Cayman

Which Will Win Standing-Mile Drag Race? Porsche Cayman vs Subaru Impreza WRX STI

The Subaru Impreza WRX STI and Porsche Cayman are two very different cars, yet both have the basic characteristic of going fast intrinsically linked to their character. They achieve and maintain speed quite differently and both can be thought of as weapons in certain road conditions.

However, what happens when you pit the heavier and less aerodynamic 305hp Subaru against the rear-wheel drive Porsche with 275hp in a one-mile drag race? Well, since the Porsche has a derestricted top speed and the Subaru is limited by gearing to around 240 km/h, it could go either way, due to the length of the proposed race.

Obviously, the Subaru gets off the line much quicker and cleaner than the Porsche, but it’s what happens next that could be called insightful, when the Porsche’s aero, weight and gearing advantage begin to come into play.

EVO Track Battle Pits Unlikely Rivals: Porsche Cayman VS BMW M235i

While the BMW M235i is more powerful than a stock Porsche Cayman, it’s nowhere near as focused. EVO discovered that even with the 40-odd horsepower advantage it has over the Porsche, the BMW is neither more fun nor faster around a track.

Still, while the Porsche is faster over a whole lap, it’s the BMW with its turbocharged grunt and shorter gearing that would be more usable on the road. It depends on what you want and how much you’re willing to spend on your desired sports car.

If you go to frequent track days, then the video below suggests you go all-out on the Porsche, whereas if most of your driving is done on-road, then the more spacious, more practical and beefier BMW is the one to go for.

EVO Thinks the Porsche Cayman GTS Has the Best Exhaust Sound in the World

We have seen enough reviews of the Porsche Cayman GTS and Boxster GTS, so EVO magazine thought about spicing up its review of the Cayman GTS with a reference to its exhaust note.

Henry Catchpole believes the Cayman GTS has the best sounding exhaust note that £55,397 can buy. The 3.4-liter six-cylinder boxer engine, which delivers 335hp (340PS) in the Porsche Cayman GTS, gets a sports exhaust that makes it sound better than lesser Caymans and better than its rivals – according to the Brits.

Of course, the Cayman GTS is more than its exhaust note, but when one buys a sports car, the last thing he or she wants is to have a restrained sound. In this respect, the Cayman GTS certainly doesn’t disappoint, as you can see (and hear) in the video posted below.

Porsche's New Flat Four Turbo Engines Said to be Offered in 1.6, 2.0 and 2.5 Liter Displacements

The new Macan may have the distinction of offering the first four-cylinder engine in Porsche's range in more than two decades, but the VW Group-sourced 2.0-liter turbo'd unit that is shared with the likes of Seat, Skoda and Audi, is a temporary solution as the Stuttgart carmaker is preparing its very own four-cylinder boxer engines.

The modern turbocharged flat-four will help Porsche go with the times while keeping a distinct character for its powertrains and providing a link with the larger horizontally opposed engines used in the 911.

UK's Car Magazine says it has seen the spec sheet on Porsche's flat-four project that proposes three different versions of the engine:

Porsche 1.6 flat four with 210bhp / ?
Porsche 2.0 flat four with 286bhp / 295lb ft
Porsche 2.5 flat four with 360bhp /347lb ft

The publication, however, notes that there's some uncertainty surrounding the smaller 1.6-liter unit, as the original plan was to use it on the a new ‘baby Boxster’ model, which has reportedly been canned.

The first Porsche models to get the new flat-fours are said to be the (next?) Boxster/Cayman and Cayenne.

*Note: Porsche 911's flat-six pictured

Caterham Roadsport 140 Drag Races Porsche Cayman S

This is another episode in the endless debate about what’s more important between power and weight, with the actors being the lightweight Caterham Roadsport 140 and the powerful Porsche Cayman S.

UK magazine EVO arranged for a 1 km (0.62-mile) drag race between the two rear-wheel drive sports cars, which have roughly the same power-to-weight ratio.

With 140 horsepower from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and 550 kg (1,212 lbs), the Caterham has a power-to-weight ratio of 255 hp per ton. The Porsche Cayman S has 325 hp from a 3.4-liter six-cylinder boxer engine and tips the scales at 1,320 kg (2,910 lbs), hence a power-to-weight ratio of 246 hp per ton.

If power-to-weight ratio were the decisive factor in drag racing, on paper the Caterham should marginally win the drag race with the Porsche. To find out whether that was the case, scroll down to watch the video.

2014 Porsche Cayman / Cayman S Hot damn, it's good.

The Germans are at it again. From the same country that brought us the “four-door coupe” and engine soundtracks played through the speakers of the audio system comes another wishful fantasy: that the 2014 Porsche Cayman is not a Boxster coupe. The Germans have declared the Cayman to be a stand-alone car, one distanced from the roadster that shares its engines, transmissions, and architecture by virtue of being stiffer, more powerful, and sportier. Never mind that these attributes go part and parcel with adding a steel roof and three grand to the price.

But of course the Cayman is a Boxster coupe. Frankly, we couldn’t come up with higher praise. Whether the roof folds or not, Porsche’s mid-engined, smaller sports car is a perennial favorite and a mainstay on our annual 10Best list. Riotous flat-six engines, balanced handling, and vivid steering punch your ticket to driving nirvana. With this third-generation car, Porsche promises a higher plane of enlightenment by way of lower weight, more power, and new chassis technologies.

My, What Haunches You Have

Plus, just look at it. All grown-up and filled out in all the right places, the Cayman finally appears ready to step out from the 911’s shadow. This latest croc has a wider track with a longer wheelbase and stretched greenhouse, and it possesses a newfound presence, thanks to details such as larger air ducts behind the doors, brawnier rear haunches, and an elegant spoiler that tapers into the taillights.

It might be a bosom-est buddy with the Boxster, but the new Cayman again shares a large amount of its architecture with the new 911, too, which pays off in its intensive use of aluminum. The lightweight alloy makes up 44 percent of the Cayman’s body-in-white, specifically, the front and rear body, the floorpan, the doors, and the front and rear trunklids. Porsche says this more than offsets the added mass of new equipment and larger wheels and that the net weight loss for a Cayman S is a claimed 66 pounds.

The base Cayman’s flat-six has slimmed down from 2.9 liters to 2.7, and output climbs by 10 horsepower to 275. Despite more muscle and less fat, the Cayman is still a car with more chassis than guts, like a quicker and stickier version of the Mazda Miata MX-5 or Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ. It’s a formula that rewards fluid drivers who maintain momentum and minimize the amount of time they spend off-throttle.

This car feels tailor-made for roads like the one running between Alcalar and Casais, Portugal. (Good thing it was on our drive route.) You can cover the eight miles without ever moving your hands from nine and three o’clock, and you only see dead center for as long as it takes to saw from left to right and back again. We’ve driven these very roads before in a 550-hp Jaguar XKR-S, but the lighter and better-balanced Cayman makes for an entirely new experience. It instills confidence and begs for a quicker pace, communicating with you more clearly than your significant other ever will.

Land of Talk Regardless of whatever engine or suspension setting you might choose from the variously available adjustable systems, Porsche has only one steering calibration for the Cayman. It’s perfect. True, the new electric setup isn’t as tactile overall as the old hydraulic system was, but the swap has filtered out white noise—the conversation is now more to the point. Snug sport seats keep the passengers in step with the fast-dancing chassis. The shifter puts solid weight and a satisfying engagement behind every throw. Its only flaw is a reverse gate without a true lockout. When hurrying the three-two downshift, it’s too easy to land in reverse.