2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 15:44
In addition to the pictures of the new four-door Porsche Panamera also presented this week, the new Cayman generation is almost going under. Small, subtle changes mark the difference between the mid-engine speedster in the new generation of models.
By Martin Woldt
Project manager Hans Jürgen Wöhler was asked during the driving presentation of the youngest Porsche this week whether he could also imagine four-cylinder engines in the Cayman. “In the current situation in the auto industry, nothing can be ruled out,” was the Sibylline answer. However, at least for Porsche, the situation is not yet such that everything would be taken into account if one trusts the familiar reflexes of customers. The Cayman and Cayman S will again drive six-cylinder engines from February 21st.
Well-known trump cards
And as always, the staccato of the trump cards are: 20PS more power, 15 km / h higher top speed, 0.4 seconds less acceleration from zero to one hundred. Perhaps they will one day be decisive in the “motor quartet” (card game). In the performance class above 250 hp that we are talking about here, the driving dynamics that it expresses can only be felt by a few top drivers.
Because of course nothing has changed in terms of the sovereignty of the mid-engine concept with the vehicle's center of gravity, which is very deeply conceived by the boxer engines. So that you can easily deny the everyday meaning of the new number. Who would deny this in view of the 195kW / 265PS that is in the new Cayman or the 235kW / 320PS that the new Cayman S brings with it. The cornering stability is still terrific.
Subtle differences
But this tenth range is what matters when you want to determine the difference between the new Cayman and its four-year-old predecessors. Of course, the fuel consumption of the six-cylinder also fell, in the Cayman to 9.4, in the Cayman S to 9.8 liters per 100 kilometers. Even as a concession to an upcoming vehicle tax of whatever kind and an increasingly unpredictable customer behavior, this could not be avoided. On average, the new boxer engines need half a liter less in the standardized test.
However, the saving step only becomes somewhat convincing if you equip both six-cylinder units with the optional, now available dual clutch transmission (2945 euros). Compared to the old five-speed automatic, it pushes consumption in the Cayman from 10.3 to 8.9 and in the Cayman S from 11 to 9.2 liters per 100 kilometers. That should be seen. But does it also pay off?
With dual clutch transmission ala VW
At least it drives remarkably. With the stepless seven-speed automatic, sprinting to 100 km / h is even a tenth better than with the six-speed manual switch. In the Cayman 5.7 seconds, in the Cayman S 5.1 seconds. In contrast to the identical double clutch at VW or Audi, you feel the acceleration less linearly, but deliberately with each switching step anew your own acceleration weight in the seat cushions. At the top, the Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) can reach 263 or 275 km / h
Direct fuel injection in the Cayman S
The description of the drive differences between the Cayman generations would be inadequate if there was no reference to direct fuel injection in the Cayman S. The new 3.4 liter boxer unit, again installed as a mid-engine, delivers 25 hp more thanks to the SuperPlus petrol injected at up to 120 bar and produces a deeper roaring sound.
The improved fuel-air mixture burns a whole liter more economically on average than its predecessor of the same size with intake manifold injection. In addition, the engine is lighter and there are fewer frictional losses. Whether the savings effect remains measurable after pressing the optional “SportPlus” button is another question. It triggers a changed shift strategy after moving off, which shortens the acceleration by another 0.2 seconds.
Signs on the bow and stern
If you want to determine the external differences of the new Cayman generation, you have to take a closer look at the headlights and discover the indicators that are now integrated into them. The daytime running lights replaced the fog lights. The rear lights are particularly successful and, similar to those at Audi, they now use LEDs to trace the distinctive body line to ensure uniqueness. On the new Cayman, these are primarily the curves of the rear fenders, which make the added performance visible in additional muscle mass. And of course the whole thing is no longer on the shelf at the old prices. The Cayman will cost from 49,831 euros in future, the Cayman S from 61,493 euros and up.
