The S – factor – Super Coupe`
Scary! Sporty! Sassy! Sexy! And better than the Boxster although not as good as their prized and prestigious 911. Has the company stopped short of making it better than the 911? So read on and decide for yourself…
The design of this car is owed much to Porsche’s Limited edition Super-sports car- Carrera GT! The Cayman S still has a distinctive look and is aerodynamic.
The 3.4-litre six-cylinder engine develops an impressive 0-60mph in 5.4 seconds, with a top speed of 170mph. The S gives flight and sounds as aggressive as the 911’s Carrera’s. The centrally twin mounted stainless steel exhausts sound magnificent -chrome plated (opt).
Pitched as an alternative to the Mercedes SLK and BMW Z4 and Porsche’s all round best – However TopGears’ Jeremy Clarkson named it the “Coxster”.
It’s a classy model with Porsche precision engineering; making it easy to impress friends with the extra space provided by two boots – not the family as the car is Porsche standard – a two-seater.
The S – edition is an upgrade from the Cayman the “Sports” edition and was released 2005 (£44,107) the latest version is the Special Edition 1 (777 only available in Black) £49,890.
The S is a (3.4-litre) whilst its predecessor is now (2.9-litre from 2.7). As standard is an impressive looking sports-car at 70mph; the speed the spoiler automatically appears like magic making you feel lonely in a court of Law – having been caught by a speed camera, this is not a reason to get upset as there is a manual operating option.
A rear wheel drive, with a precise six-speed manual gear box, tuned to give shorter shifts. The 3.4-litre flat-six has been tuned up from 295bhp to 303bhp, and the car has been dropped by 10mm on its springs. It has 6 gears as Standard and as an extra you could have seven with PDK (£1907) – Automatic and Manual transmission – the PDK allows the car to be in two gears at once which gives the car faster and smoother changes – fantastic as you can use the sports steering wheel to change gears. Cayman S fitted with 18” wheels – 19” available on request – The alloys are a beauty to look at and you can differentiate between the Cayman and the S as the latter has red braking system callipers – exquisite!
Both Models are as Standard with Halogen lights, LED position lights and front fog lights – integrated into the outer air intakes, my favourite as it makes the car look sporty and complements the stylish and classy grills making for a spicy front. The side vents are also bigger to improve airflow. I love the flared wheel-arches and with a steeply sloping hatchback give the Cayman S a unique sporty yet executive look.
Safety is good 6 airbags as standard – always ready for a side impact. Continuing with their Active Safety (scheme or scam) there are Cornering lights which swivel to 15˚ costing £1000+ available on request.
The S factor gives the car the sweetest and swiftest of handling of all cars on the market today. The race rookie would need composure to handle the factor whilst the Porsche Proficient Professional would be able to enjoy it for hours; and as for the executive of today he/she would be impressed by the comfort inside and on the road.
For the modern executive of today, Porsche have incorporated what they call a PCM-(optional) and arrives rather than the standard radio and onboard computer with a 6CD-DVD changer and Sat-Nav with Bluetooth/AUX/I-pod/mobile phone.
Insurance is £500-£900 p/m. Petrol is 20-30m to the gallon. The lowest CO2 output. The car is known for making excessive noise; you could opt for the tasteful BOSE sound system if you wanted to drown out the sound. The interior dials are aesthetic with – aluminium plating – unless you go for the Sports Chrono package.
The car has leather seats (partial leather) as standard, no climate controls. The two-year warranty is not the best value for money – the engine is in a position which makes it hard to work on – £1,383 for 3services. Yet they do have a fine reputation for quality and reliability.
The S- edition offers a valuable buy at £44,107. With all the upgrades (19”Alloys/BI- XENON – Cornering lights/ rain detecting wipers/ dimming mirror/light-sensitive/sat-nav etc) taking the total to £50,000 or more. Value is good as it’s not available in quantity the price could be sustained if you’ve customized your car with Porsche.
I’ll end with a quote from Porsche “In short your new Cayman has been designed with everyday enjoyment in mind, ordinary enjoyment, however, would not be Porsche.
Porsche.com will give you the full details on exterior and interior features.
Raj News 
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