Porsche Cayman unveiled
The all-new Porsche Cayman and Cayman S have made their world debut at the LA Motor Show
Following on from the new 911 and the latest Boxster, Porsche has completed its sports car family with the all-new Cayman, which has been unveiled at the Los Angeles Motor Show.
Changes for the coupe reflect those made to the Boxster family, so the new Cayman is as much as 30kg lighter, 40 per cent more rigid and up to 15 per cent more efficient.
The looks are definitely Boxster-inspired but there are a few key differences between the two models. Most obvious is the fixed roof but the air intakes in the front bumper of the Cayman are a slightly different shape and the strip of LEDs mounted each side of the Boxster’s bumper has made way for a circular cluster.
At the rear, there's a neat spoiler that blends seamlessly into the rear lights, while the gently sloping rear screen ensures a less awkward profile than the Boxster. The wide-opening bootlid opens to reveal a luggage area that’s 15 litres larger than the old Cayman, at 425 litres.
The engine range consists of a 271bhp 2.7-litre flat-six in the standard Cayman (rather than the old 2.9-litre unit) and a 321bhp 3.4-litre flat six in the Cayman S. The result is a 0-62mph time of 5.7 seconds for the Cayman and 5.0 seconds for the S. With PDK and the Sport Chrono package, these times fall to 5.4 seconds and 4.7 seconds – each a tenth faster than the equivalent Boxster.
The new Cayman has a wheelbase that's 60mm longer than the old car and features a wider track, with engineers focusing on not only improving tuning the chassis for handling but also for everyday usability. Buyers can specify active dampers, torque vectoring and ceramic composite brakes to sharpen up the driving experience even further.
Cayman owners will get a few extra luxuries not granted to Boxster buyers, too, like an Adaptive Cruise Control system and a flagship Burmester sound system.
The new Cayman is available to order now, with prices starting from £39,694 for the standard model and £48,783 for the Cayman S. The first cars are expected to arrive in showrooms in March 2013.
