Porsche Cayman S

A truly great performance car needs a near perfect blend of handling, driver involvement, power and desirability. That’s what the Cayman S delivers, and why it’s retained its crown here for the past two years.

However, for 2008 it has been beaten by the smallest of margins. Nevertheless, all who got behind the wheel fell in love with its ability to engage and involve. The driving position is faultless: every point of contact has an engaging, tactile and mechanical feel. Few other cars can even come close to the purity of the experience. With the flat-six engine mounted centrally the Porsche is beautifully balanced, while faultless body control, wonderful steering and superb traction make it one of the finest-handling models money can buy. On the track, it can be placed in a corner with pin-point accuracy. It can flatter the novice while satisfying the needs and stretching the abilities of even the most experienced track driver.

This incredible composure carries over to the road, too, where the slick gearshift, awesome brakes and surprisingly relaxing comfort are simply sublime. Our Cayman S was packed with costly optional extras but these only serve to enhance a car that is already a true great. Don’t let its uncomfortable position in the Porsche range just below the legendary 911 put you off. It’s an engineering masterpiece.

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