When you're a kid and a precocious small-scale race car enthusiast, you always pick the sporty-looking coupe because you want to go faster than everybody else. The name written underneath the toy is usually Porsche or Ferrari. You dream of owning the former when you get older, while the latter is nothing more than, well, a dream.
These machines are all gorgeous, but they're also awfully expensive for grown-ups who want to buy a sports car. Porsche finally seems to get the message: there are plenty of fans out there who wish they could purchase one of its models. The 911 is not accessible to all, while the Cayenne SUV is not a real Porsche in the minds of many. As for the Boxster cabriolet, well, it's not made for everybody. However, given its monster success, the automaker recently decided to create a hard-top coupe based on the second-generation Boxster.
Enters the magnificent Cayman.
Instant collector's car
The Cayman is genuinely Porsche in every sense of the word. In S trim (as tested), the car makes no compromises. While still freshly arrived on the market, one immediately recognizes it as a Porsche. Styling is enhanced in many ways, so this is not merely a hard-top Boxster. The Cayman is an exclusive model, sporting specific bumpers and side air vents. The trunk is not isolated from the cockpit; the liftgate-type back allows a more natural integration of body lines and shapes. Overall, this car is so well executed in terms of design that it will most likely become a collector's item in a couple of years.
The interior, however, is a carbon copy of the Boxster's; a bit more creativeness would have been necessary to set the Cayman apart. And like just about every other Porsche, equipment levels are not excessive. While the instrument panel is a tad rudimentary, the gauges are nicely laid out. Ergonomics are not one of the company's strengths; in this case, they're decent at best.
 |
| The Cayman is genuinely Porsche in every sense of the word. |
These machines are all gorgeous, but they're also awfully expensive for grown-ups who want to buy a sports car. Porsche finally seems to get the message: there are plenty of fans out there who wish they could purchase one of its models. The 911 is not accessible to all, while the Cayenne SUV is not a real Porsche in the minds of many. As for the Boxster cabriolet, well, it's not made for everybody. However, given its monster success, the automaker recently decided to create a hard-top coupe based on the second-generation Boxster.
Enters the magnificent Cayman.
Instant collector's car
The Cayman is genuinely Porsche in every sense of the word. In S trim (as tested), the car makes no compromises. While still freshly arrived on the market, one immediately recognizes it as a Porsche. Styling is enhanced in many ways, so this is not merely a hard-top Boxster. The Cayman is an exclusive model, sporting specific bumpers and side air vents. The trunk is not isolated from the cockpit; the liftgate-type back allows a more natural integration of body lines and shapes. Overall, this car is so well executed in terms of design that it will most likely become a collector's item in a couple of years.
The interior, however, is a carbon copy of the Boxster's; a bit more creativeness would have been necessary to set the Cayman apart. And like just about every other Porsche, equipment levels are not excessive. While the instrument panel is a tad rudimentary, the gauges are nicely laid out. Ergonomics are not one of the company's strengths; in this case, they're decent at best.
 |
| The instrument panel is a tad rudimentary and the gauges are nicely laid out. |