Porsche Cayman S

There is no doubt that it looks fantastic. Out in the early morning sun, the newcomer appears even hotter than its bigger brother, the 911. Pitched as an alternative to the Mercedes SLK and BMW Z4, it is set to hit UK showrooms in November at ΂£44,000.

Flared wheelarches and a steeply sloping hatchback give the Cayman S a unique look. The design owes much to the Boxster, but the new car is more of a mini-911 than a hard-top version of the roadster. The 3.4-litre six-cylinder engine develops an impressive 295bhp and 340Nm of torque. Capable of sprinting from 0-60mph in 5.4 seconds, the Porsche has a 170mph top speed - but it is clear there is more to the Cayman S than performance alone.

Power is fed to the rear wheels via a precise six-speed manual gearbox, similar to the unit used in the Boxster S, but tuned to give shorter shifts.

Porsche's VarioCam Plus system - offering variable valve timing and previously reserved for the 911 - promises better performance at high revs. Even at low speeds it has a spectacular effect on the engine note, which sounds as aggressive as the 3.6-litre 911 Carrera's.

The cabin feels snug, yet is surprisingly roomy given the car's compact dimensions. Unlike the bigger 911 coupé, there are no seats in the rear, but this is a sacrifice that we think potential buyers will happily make.

Even over the ruts of our challenging test route, the Active Suspension Management delivers a smooth ride. In sport mode, it stiffens the dampers, improving stability and grip and sharpening steering responses. Switched off, the ride becomes more comfortable as the dampers slacken. Porsche's Ceramic Composite Brake system is also offered and gives massive stopping power, requiring surprisingly little pedal pressure to operate at extremes.

Over a winding road this machine feels every inch as involving as a 911 Carrera, and in some situations it betters the bigger car. The new hard-top helps stiffen the chassis, but without losing the character of the Boxster's roof-down driving experience. In fact, the Porsche team has managed to add to it by carefully honing the exhaust note and reducing wind noise.

However, our drive in the new Porsche coupé is no joyride. Engineers' observations are logged and every evening a report is sent to a development team in Weissach, Germany. Findings are then checked back in the workshop to be sure of the results. Our Cayman has been fine-tuned over the course of nearly 1.2million miles.

Testing is almost complete, but the Cayman's story does not finish there.Derivatives of the coupé rumouredto be in development include a lightweight RS and an entry-level edition. Each version promises to leave its class rivals trailing, while even the legendary 911 might finally have a worthy rival.