Cayman's A 'Ringer For 911!

Forget brotherly love, there's going to be some serious sibling rivalry at Porsche. Spy shots in this week's mag show the Cayman S during testing at the Nürburgring in Germany... and it looks rather similar to the 911.

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Matt Joy

20th April 2005

Owners of the latter will be pleased to know there are some differences, though. The Boxster-based coup΃© has a shorter rear overhang than the 911, thanks to its mid-mounted engine, the rear quarter windows are smaller and the thick C-pillars create a sharper rear end. Features such as the side air intakes and pop-up spoiler are carried over from the Boxster.

Thanks to its fixed roof, the newcomer has better security and noise insulation than the roadster, but the extra metal also boosts chassis stiffness, which means the Cayman S should have better grip and handling. There are further changes mechanically, with the new coup΃© using a larger 3.4-litre version of the flat-six from the Boxster S.

The increased capacity raises power by 15bhp to 295bhp, enabling the car to sprint from 0-60mph in only five seconds and on to a 170mph top speed - performance similar to the 911. Porsche has yet to release official details, but the Cayman S is expected to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. It will be priced from around ΂£50,000, placing it between the Boxster and 911. An entry-level version may appear later.

Alongside this new model, Porsche is also revising its Cayenne SUV. Reshaped headlights and a modified front grille will give it a more aggressive appearance, while a longer front overhang helps to improve crash protection.