Automotive

patrick_y
[PuristSPro Moderator]
31559

• Show profile
• Show other posts

PuristSPro Drives Die Neu 2014 Porsche Cayman S

PuristSPro Drives The Porsche Cayman S.  An approachable car with racing spirit, available over the counter, without a prescription. 

Die Neu 2014 Porsche Cayman has just hit the United States market in late April/early May 2013.  And in mid May, there was an opportunity to drive the new Porsche Cayman, Porsche Cayman S, 911 Carrera 4, and 911 Carrera 4S on the Sonoma Raceway track. 

If you don’t want to read this long review, just read this… 

How is the new 2014 Porsche Cayman as a car on the track?  Great!  Is it significantly better than the previous Porsche Cayman?  Yes!  Do I need to sell whatever I’m driving and get a Porsche Cayman?  You probably should! 

Read on, only if you dare, 2000 words from here…

It was easy to predict that the 2014 Porsche Cayman was going to be stellar to drive.  Upon driving the then new 2013 Boxster (which shares virtually identical chassis and engines as the Cayman) I could tell that the personality of the then new Boxster to be very different and arguably easier and smoother than the previous chassis/bodystyle it replaced.  It was also significantly more insulated, noticeably less raw than its predecessor, overall a much tamer car with extremely high handling limits.  The Cayman was an extension of this, a similar marked improvement, and a similar loss of rawness accompanied by an even higher sense of comfort and refinement. 

The new 911 (991 chassis) was also a marked improvement over the previous 911 (997 chassis).  Significantly tamer, admittedly slightly less exciting than the previous model too, but noticeably faster, refined, and even more capable than the previous chassis.  The Boxster/Cayman is but a repeat performance of the quantum leap that Porsche achieved with the new 911.  And being on the track with single day old Carrera 4, Carrera 4S, Cayman, and Cayman S cars was such a delicious poison, the only antidote would be to have an actual car and a long ribbon of private road in one’s own backyard. 

AWD vs. RWD

The Porsche-philes have squabbled for years.  Is AWD better than RWD for a car that has the engine in the back?  In general, AWD is better for most drivers in most cars particularly those with strange weight distribution, however, the usual drawback is that the steering feel is affected negatively by the drivetrain on the front axle (this proved not to be an issue on our leisurely drive on the racetrack).  Most racing purists will normally take a RWD option though, as sometimes this offers a higher degree of control that cannot be achieved on an AWD car. 

But Porsche had a little demonstration of the AWD and RWD car on a wet “skid pad” and here’s a little video of what they did… 

The Cayman – On a leisurely 2-minute lap at Sonoma Raceway…

The Sonoma Raceway can be configured in multiple various ways.  Our lap took in excess of 2 minutes and the track was in a “shorter-time” and easier configuration.  In contrast, in the “longer-time” configuration with more complex turns would be completed by professional drivers in about 1 minute and 46 seconds.  The members of our group of drivers whom all had very little to no racing experience were all driving at a what we could consider to be a leisurely pace, but the fact that we were only about 20-30 seconds behind a professional driver really shows how well this car works out of the box.  

The Cayman has really become a darling in the Porsche world.  Former die-hard 911 fans finally have to acknowledge that the Boxster and Cayman are easier cars to drive, have arguably better handling, and are less likely to bite back thanks to the mid-rear engine that was mounted between the front and the rear wheels.  These 911 owners knew that their rear engine cars (engine is past the rear axle) have a tendency to behave a bit like a pendulum on some turns, with the rear swinging wide, often in an uncontrolled fashion. 

The Engine

On the track, the car starts out very quickly and smoothly thanks to the highly consistent engine.  The Cayman with a 2.7L H6 generating 275 HP and 213 LB/FT is not the most torque-rich engine, but one with linear acceleration power.  The Cayman S solves this problem with its 50 HP and 60 LB/FT increase, bringing up the total to 325 HP and 273 LB/FT. 

These high-tech naturally aspirated engines features direct injection and an “integrated dry sump oil lubrication system” (this is a bit of an oxymoron since a dry sump implies that it is an external system and not an integrated one) and thus achieve superior oil delivery within the engine even during hard cornering under braking or acceleration when normally oil would slosh to the side of the engine. 

The Transmission and Exhaust Note

It’s a ten out of ten. The most amazing part of the powertrain should be attributed to the amazing transmission in the Cayman and 911 models.  The transmission is a “Porsche Double-clutch Gearbox” which is different than a traditional torque converter automatic transmission.  Basically, it’s a manual transmission that has a robotic clutch with a computer that can shift automatically for you or give you full manual control upon request. 

This transmission works so well that shifts are done cleanly and quickly.  Upon command, the transmission can shift by itself in a fraction of a second, and it shifts superbly in all ranges of the RPM band.  Downshifts are even more exciting; the throttle is perfectly blipped as the transmission perfectly executes the shift making any driver look like Ayrton Senna.  Purists will lament that it’s not a true stickshift and the transmission control lever painfully looks like an automatic transmission with its P-R-N-D layout.  But even the most devout purist will admit that this improves their driving and contributes to reduced lap times. 

For the Porsche purist who continues to lament the takeover of the new transmission is un-Porsche-like and stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the merits that the new transmission possesses, they should be reminded about Porsche’s esteemed racing pedigree with double-clutch transmissions dating back to the 1980s…  Yes, the Porsche 956 and 962 LeMans cars were outfitted with double clutch gearboxes… 

Do note; a must-have with the PDK transmission is the all-important Sport Design Steering wheel with shift paddles (left paddle downshifts, right paddle upshifts).  Do not get the “normal” steering wheel with toggle switches on left and right (left and right can each execute both up and down shifts) as this creates confusion especially in turns. 

The transmission and engine together control the exhaust note, but I’m going to give the transmission the credit.  The exhaust note is pleasant and progressive, sounds beautiful when the transmission is shifted, one never tires of it, and it never seems to drone (certain Mercedes-Benz AMG cars drone and this droning sound gets tiresome to hear if you’ve heard them all morning).  It’s not a V10 or V12 Tenor experience one gets from the exotic cars (and the exotic BMW M5 with V10 engine).  But tenor Jose Carreras would approve of the Porsche exhaust note, and if voice-coaching lessons were to occur, the Porsche would perform the musical scale at 1000-RPM intervals.  Add 200 RPMs for the sharps please. 

The Steering

It is so difficult to make a car with good steering. 

Example: the American Cadillac CTS-V, the only thing that separated that good car from a superlative car was one thing, the steering.  The Cadillac had unique sharp looks (literally eye poking sharp), great engine, good manual gearbox, very good brakes, but truly flimsy steering. 

Example: the Japanese Lexus IS-F, superlative engine, 8-speed gearbox that was surprisingly direct, best brakes I’ve felt in any car in its class (I daresay they felt better than the C63 AMG), but awfully soft steering. 

Even the Germans don’t get it right all the time, certain Audis in the recent past have had very light steering that have a numb feel to them. 

The perfectly weighted steering on the new Cayman was perfect, perfect road and grip feedback, perfect tightness, very little on-center play, and very little on-center vagueness.  If Porsche were to succumb to hubris and not improve their steering for the next decade, they would receive no complaint from me. 

The Suspension & Seat

Some cars have really firm seats but soft suspensions.  My previous and current vehicle had a fairly firm suspension and somewhat soft seats.  In general, I’ve found the accolade accumulating BMW 3-series has a great suspension that is well balanced, a seat that is the best ratio of softness and firmness, and most importantly a harmony that works between the suspension and the seat. 

The Porsche, whether equipped with the PASM sport suspension or without, left my derriere and me in perfect comfort and with a perfect understanding of the road beneath.  A good seat is so important for driving, it has to be comfortable yet fully supportive from the bottom, the back, and the side (yet not too snug on the side).  This seat was perfect.  Most seats aren’t supportive enough from the sides and turns really throw one out of position. 

Track Conclusion

The car really comes alive on the track; it’s superbly balanced, easy to control, and even fairly easy for even novice drivers to drive at a high level of proficiency.  But more importantly, everything ties in well together; the steering, transmission, suspension, seating, and engine all work together with a harmony that allows one to get incredibly quickly acclimated to this car.  In fact, the car is so well sorted, I was often crying out that I wanted more power and to be going even faster with the Cayman S.  A Cayman R or Cayman RS would really fit the bill or something with an extra 40+ horsepower and lb/ft of torque would really make things exciting.  The Cayman is so superlative it makes some people think less of racecar drivers, because they can already do 70% of what a racecar driver can do.   Porsche would say this car awakens your inner Michael Schumacher. 

I subsequently drove the Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S on the same track as well, back to back with the Cayman and Cayman S.  The unanimous decision by myself, my co-pilot, and the other Porsche guests and journalists was that the Cayman was by far the more enjoyable car to drive over the 911. 

Final Thoughts: On The Road, Value For Money, The Practical Stuff

This car is good for on the road driving but impractical for day-to-day life.  It’s perhaps slightly firmly sprung, small and lower than the SUVs nearby, and with a trunk that isn’t ideal for those massive shopping trips at the “buy in bulk” stores or for those long boxes one buys at IKEA.  Practicality aside; it is quiet so you won’t wake the neighbors when you’re coming home at 2:00AM, and depending where you live and work it may be low key enough that your boss won’t think s/he is overpaying you.  There are better cars for the street that still do reasonably well on the track.  The practical Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG and the practical BMW M3 Coupe come to mind very quickly and look very attractive with their big boots and much easier serviceability.  But they’re higher profile with nearly an acre of chrome trim spread among four big polished tailpipes as this Porsche is a quiet humble car that blends in and is not an eyeball magnet. 

This car costs a lot of money.  This can be looked at two ways; it’s overkill and expensive for public roads with speed limits, rules, and regulations.  But it’s a bargain for what is essentially a domesticated racecar with true racing capabilities.  Expect to add about 20% of the base price in necessary creature-comfort options, even more if you want to just get a little bit more comfortable.  There’s a lot you can buy at this price range, and considering the other options, this car is definitely not inexpensive.  The Cayman model line debuted as a 2006 model year and is now eight years old!  And like most eight year olds, it’s asking for a bigger allowance. 

Lastly, the design of this car is still debatable.  Not everyone will say your latest addition to your garage family is the most photogenic child of your collection.  The rear lights and ducktail wing is not making a fan out of me.  Someone find me a plastic surgeon for cars, we have work to do at the rear here… 

PHOTO GALLERY 

This angle looks okay...

Don't like it at any angle.  

This is the Sport Design Steering Wheel.  Make sure you get this steering wheel and only this one!  

I like this steering wheel a lot.  Evidently.  

It's 9:10PM?  I didn't know I worked that late.  Need a Grand Sonnerie to remind me of the passing time...  Where's dinner?

9:11?  This is the Cayman...  Not a 911.  

Those are not giant subwoofers...  But what are they?  

The Engine is right underneath, so there's oil.  Can you guess the other one?  

Coolant!  

Little cubby.  

And a speaker grill behind the cubby.  

Wheels look good from this angle.  Black painted sides look good with this paint.  

Wheels look a little big here, or the brakes look a little small.  More reason to save money and get the 18 inch wheel and not the 20 inch wheel.  

Look at that awesome 6-piston caliper.