Porsche Cayman: World's Best Sports Car

Over a year ago, I did an article on the Cayman - Porsche's
mid-engined sports car. Like other car enthusiasts, I zeroed in on
the fact that the Cayman was something special. So special, I thought
that when it eventually receives the more powerful engines, it would
eventually top even the long standing iconic Porsche 911. I also
stated that the car would be an excellent used car buy.

Recently, Motor Trend Magazine compared 10 of the best driver's
cars. The field included the Audi R8, BMW 135i, Cadillac CTS-V,
Corvette ZR1, Chevrolet Camaro SS, Ford Shelby GT500, Jaguar
XFR, Mazda MX-5, Nissan 370Z Nismo, and the Porsche Cayman.
I have written articles on many of these cars.

So before I looked at the result of the comparison, I thought: "Where
does the Cayman finish? It has to be in the top three. No, it has to
be number one or two! Well, I did write that glowing article. It has to
be at the top!" There are some very good cars in this group - Audi,
BMW, Cadillac (with its Corvette engine), Corvette, Shelby, Jag, Nissan
Nismo ... Make the prediction! The Cayman is number one. If the world
does not agree with me, the world is wrong.

Since I have such a committed opinion about the Cayman, here again
is the article I wrote on the car:

Over the past 40 years, Porsche has developed and refined one
of the most successful sports cars ever, the 911. The flat-six boxer
engines and drivetrains have gone from air-cooled to water-cooled;
from non-turbo to twin-turbo; from rear-wheel drive to four-wheel
drive, etc. In the beginning, the engine had about 120 horsepower
and today it can deliver over 450 horsepower.

In recent years, car offerings from BMW, Lexus, Infiniti, and others,
have been pushing up against the 911's horsepower advantage. Porsche
was starting to encounter the limits of the flat-six boxer's horsepower
capabilities.

A number of years ago, it was rumored that Porsche had considered
a flat-eight boxer engine for the 911. However, even the flat-six hung
off the car's rear axel. The car's weight distribution was highly rear-biased,
and thus the 911 has had and continues to have unique and somewhat
challenging handling characteristics.

A flat-eight boxer engine would have certainly enabled Porsche's 911
to pull away from competitors with horsepower. However, the
greater weight and power of the engine would have increased the 911's
challenging handling characteristics. Consequently, Porsche would have
put the 911 in a conundrum of more power being a plus, but increased
inappropriate handling characteristics being a minus.

In 2006 Porsche introduced a "mid-engine" hardtop sports car
named the Cayman. It shares the same floorpan and some other
components with the Porsche Boxster convertible. This has enabled
Porsche to spread the cost of production between the two models thus
lowering the Cayman's cost of production. Given today's increasingly
competitive automotive environment, Porsche will be better able to
maintain an acceptable profit margin on the Cayman, but also sell the
car at a reasonable price.

Is $50,000 for a Cayman 2.7 reasonable pricing? The Cayman's lap
times at Nurburgring have been right on the heels of the more powerful
911. What the Cayman lacks in horsepower to the $80,000 911, it closes
the gap with its superior handling. Look for the Cayman to overtake the
911 as it gains the 911's more powerful engines. Because of competitive
pressures, it is likely that Porsche will basically keep future prices of the
Cayman stable while offering more powerful engines.

What if the competitors continue to increase the horsepower of their cars?
Porsche has the ability to put a flat-eight or a flat-ten cylinder engine in
the Cayman, and because of the mid-engine design, the car's handling
would remain balanced and exceptional.

Overall, the Cayman has the shape of a great sports car. The driving
experience is smooth and refined with precise shifting and excellent
brakes. Last, but not least, the Cayman obtains about 20 mpg in the
city and about 28 mpg on the highway.

With the Cayman, Porsche has jumped out in front again! The almost
endless possibilities to add more power, great handling, and reasonable
production costs are a fabulous combination for Porsche. In the near
future, buying a Cayman in the used car market at a 25-35 percent
price reduction will be a fabulous opportunity for consumers too!

So, where did the Porsche Cayman come out in Motor Trend's comparison
of the best driver's car? It came out on top as the world's best sports car.
Motor Trend definitely has it right!

The Porsche Cayman is already destined for greatness!

Kyle Busch is the author of "Drive the Best for the Price..." He
welcomes your comments or car questions at his auto web site:
www.DriveTheBestBook.com.