[ENGINE SOUNDS]There are several reasons why I love the new Cayman. This is one of them. [TIRES SCREECHING]It is one of the supreme, modern driving experiences. OK, short of being silly and doing big skids the wholetime, what is it about this car that I find so beguiling?Well, as a complete package as a compact sports car, I findmyself wondering what more it could give me. It’s not perfect, and we’ll come to the reasons why itmight not quite reach perfection later on. But if you were to go and spend between 40,000 and50,000 pounds on a small sports car, I just don’t knowwhat more you could want. And, of course, it now looks brilliant. So you get the driving experience and a car you couldbe proud to look at as well. If I was another car manufacturer trying to enterthis space now, I’d be very worried indeed. [TIRES SCREECHING]The essence of the Cayman, for me, is the way that it willturn into a corner. I just haven’t driven a car that’s so instinctive before. Well, I have. It was the previous Cayman. You can drive this car neatly and really enjoy the process. You turn the wheel. It loads up a bit, and the car’s just agile. It wants to change direction. Electric powered steering–yes, it’s lacking some steering feel over theprevious car. That’s not a good thing. But we’re stuck with these electricsystems now, I suppose. And this one, once you get beyond that lack of feel, it’sso instinctive. You can just put the car within inches of where youwant to be. It’s a car that just wants to be driven down twisty roads. It wants to be switchbacking. It wants to just change direction the whole time. It’s got an appetite for it. It is enthralling and addictive. [ENGINE SOUNDS]Now, there are probably two fundamental questions aboutthe new Cayman. And, interestingly, none of them requires an answer abouta rival car at the moment, because I don’t think itreally has a rival. Exide V6 is just too hard core, it’s not asevery day as this. So the questions are, should you upgrade your two-year-oldCayman S and spend an extra 25,000, 30,000 pounds to buythis new car?I would if it was mine. And should you just have a Boxster, because the Boxstershould offer the same experience,really, or 99% of it. And the roof can go down when you want it to. That’s a tricky one, that second one for me. I just love the way this car looks. I always want the hard top driving experience, as well,or most of the time. So I probably would have this car. It also drives in a more precise manner. I know the Boxster is great, but there’s just an extra edgeof brilliance about this car. The Cayman S uses effectively the same 3. 4 liter flat six asthe Boxter S, but an ECU fiddle gives another 10horsepower. So that’s 325 horsepower and 273 foot pounds of torque. It weighs 1,350 kilograms and Porsche claims that this PDKand Sport Chrono Plus version will hit 62 miles an hour in4. 7 seconds and do 176 miles an hour flat out. That’s fast enough for most of us, isn’t it?This car was fitted with optionalcarbon ceramic brakes. Porsche really has the pedal feel nailed with them thesedays, but at five grand, they’re just so expensive. There’s a touch more boot space. The new sat nav screen is standard Porsche fair. And you know what?It’s a beautifully finished cabin. The driving position is bang on, but it somehow isn’t quitefunky enough for that new exterior. Overall though, it feels like a qualityitem with real presence. The Cayman is not intended to be a track car, but the onlyplace you can really explore what this chassis is all aboutis the track. So we’re here at Portimao, one of the great circuits inEurope in Portugal. And we’ve got a couple of laps. So let’s see what it’s all about. We’re not trying to go as fast as possible. We’re trying to explore how the Cayman behaves. I’m in Sport Plus, so I’ve got the fastest gear shifts. I’ve got my sports exhaust on, and let’s see what happens. Fast gear shifts. Again, you’ve got that lovely turning on the car. Anyone that races will tell you that the front of the caris absolutely imperative that it turns whereyou want it to go. [ENGINE SOUNDS]Listen to the motor. Isn’t that a great sound?Revving out now. Oh, that’s about seven six. Breaking nice and late into this hairpin. Really good responsive break pedal. This car’s got ceramics. Traction issues–I’m flat out in second out of that hairpin. No worries whatsoever. The circuit really starts to flow now. Quick over this crest. Let’s get up this hill. Takes it all. A little bit of understep, because I was a bitheavy on that then. I’ve got to remember where this goes over this crest. Look at this fast turn here. Fantastic stuff. The car’s got so much balance. OK, you get it into the corner nicely, but mid-corner itgives you options. Peel off the throttle a bit and the nose justcomes back into line. Hoof it and you do feel a suggestion of oversteer. That is the essence of a great mid-engine car. And it’s why the Cayman will always slightly have anadvantage over the 911. Now this bloody, epic fast right hander, which I’m goingto be a little bit easy through. Let it run wide, and now quick down the straight. Again, it just has so much balance. It’s so responsive, and you feel enormous confidence. Like the engine as well. See, it doesn’t feel any stronger thanit does in the Boxster. You don’t notice the 10 horsepower like that. Although, it does seem quite keen to overcome the reartires sometimes, but that’s as it was in the Boxster as well. One thing you get over the 911, which is quiteinteresting, is that because the motor is that much closerto you, as are the intakes, you get more induction noise. You just get a little bit more induction noise. The whole cabin is full of it. That feels pretty good to me. [TIRES SCREECHING]Feels pretty well balanced to me. This car brings mixed emotions. So much joy for anyone lucky enough to own one because itis just a great driver’s car. But also a little sadness for the poor rival companies whowill now try to beat it, because theirs is a very, verytough task. The Cayman is not only the best car of its type to drive,it’s now the most desirable too.
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