Cayman 3.4S 6-speed manual



Carrera S What’s this, another new Cayman?
If you mean is this another variant of the new 2009 model year Cayman 3.4S, then yes but this is the first opportunity we have had to drive it with the standard six-speed manual gearbox. Not that this example has escaped a visit to the options lists with PASM (£1008), a full leather interior (£1291), sat-nav (£1904), Bi-xenon headlamps with dynamic cornering (£1016) and GT Silver metallic paint work (£1528) helping to push the price to a heavy £55,046. The basic list price of £44,107 looks a bit of a bargain by comparison.

What’s it like?
A genuine sports car now thanks to its all-new 320hp flat-six. It will crack on to 62mph in 5.2-seconds and peak at 172mph but that’s only half the story. With 272lb ft of torque developed at a 4750rpm peak and six neatly spaced ratios the mid-range real-world pace of the S is well into 911 territory. We suspect that on a give or take road you’ll need a 911 wearing a GT or Turbo badge to see it off.

Being mid-engined it’s also a beautifully balanced machine, too, with a poise and reassurance about how it goes about devouring a stretch of demanding road that gets the very best from a merely average driver while enthralling and involving an experienced hand.

The optional PASM suspension is the best set-up we’ve experienced in a Cayman S in the UK since its launch four years ago, with it now managing to blend ride comfort (thanks in some part to the standard 18-inch wheels, no doubt) with agility without compromising either discipline. Body roll is neatly controlled and the loading through a corner builds progressively as you pile into it with a hint of understeer warning you of the approaching limit of adhesion.

Sounds pretty much perfect, is it?
It depends on your needs and idea of a perfect sports car. Driving dynamics aside, it only seats two, but has two useful sized luggage areas, and the engine, like all of Porsche’s new direct fuel injected units, is lacking in the soundtrack department. But apart from that, it’s hard to fault.

Is there anything else I should know?
The brakes, pinched form a 911 Carrera, are some of Porsche’s best and the six-speed manual gearbox is a gem to use, although by opting for this over the seven-speed PDK unit you loose a little in the MPG stakes. We’d also steer clear of the options list and think a perfect Cayman S would feature a full leather interior and climate control and somewhere to plug you iPod in.

Verdict
The Cayman is often hailed as a more rounded and rewarding sports car than the 911, and it’s still the case with the latest incarnation. The 911 may have the history, charm and the badge, but the Cayman is, whisper it, the better car.

Specification
Cayman 3.4S six-speed manual
Engine: 33463cc, flat-six water-cooled
Max Power: 320hp @ 7200rpm
Max Torque: 272lb ft @ 4750rpm
Weight: 1350kg
Transmission: six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Max Speed: 177mph
0-60mph: 5.2 seconds
Price: £44,107


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