Porsche Cayman: The Gateway Drug

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Porsche Cayman: The Gateway Drug
Porsche Cayman: The Gateway Drug

Video: Porsche Cayman: The Gateway Drug

Video: Porsche Cayman: The Gateway Drug
Video: Porsche Cayman S — зимний вид спорта? 2024, March
Anonim

Three quarters of a year after the launch of the Cayman S, Porsche brings the basic coupé of the series. The mid-engine sports car is intended to pave the way to Porsche, especially for beginners.

By Thomas Flehmer

That is only available from Porsche. Three quarters of a year after the sporty version of the Cayman, the Zuffenhausen-based company is only pushing the basic model onto the market. The smallest boxer engine from Porsche, which will be available from July 29th, lacks 50 hp compared to the Cayman S. Thanks to 180 kW / 245 hp, the newcomer to the sporty Porsche world is only slightly overshadowed by its big brother. Because Porsche expects the two-seater to further rejuvenate the group of buyers.

11,000 euros cheaper than the "S"

While the goal of making the "S" available to potential buyers between the ages of 35 and 40 was not entirely achieved, especially among those in their mid-thirties, the small Cayman is now also intended to appeal to these customers. And the starting price of 47,647 euros and thus around 11,000 euros cheaper than the Cayman S (58,551 euros) attracts those who may have lacked the last few euros to fulfill their dream of a Porsche.

For these, the differences compared to the big brother are probably only marginal. The external dimensions of 4.341 meters in length, 1.801 meters in width and 1.305 meters in height are just as identical as the wheelbase of 2.415 meters, the ground clearance of 121 millimeters, the tank capacity of 64 liters and the trunk volume of 410 liters in total, 150 liters at the front and 260 liters at the rear. And the noble sporty ambience with the large tailgate as an eye catcher shows no differences.

Front spoiler lip and tailpipe different

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The interior is also stylishly wrapped in leather, the different color options of which can please the respective individual taste buds. The sports seats combine comfort with dynamism and, despite the hard suspension, do not make driving a torture even on long journeys. On the contrary: the sporty boxer sound drives away the desire for a radio program.

The external differences are also minor. The front spoiler lip on the Cayman is black and the rear is adorned with a central tailpipe. In the sportier version, the front spoiler lip is painted in the same color as the car and the end forms a central double tailpipe. In addition, the tires have different dimensions. For this you have to do without ceramic brakes in the “simple” (What is easy at Porsche?) Cayman. But the braking system worth a new Dacia Logan does not fit into the marketing strategy.

Manual transmission a must

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A six-speed manual transmission is only available as an option on the Cayman, which is standard in the "S" version. But this option should be used instead of using the automatic. Because here the driver and front passenger can enjoy the shortened ratio of the first two gears, which make the Cayman particularly fun.

Here, however, the differences between the 2.7 liter six-cylinder engine with a maximum torque of 273 Nm at 4600 to 6500 rpm compared to its 3.4 liter big brother with 340 Nm become clear. The "S" comes off faster and further than the little brother. Read in numbers, it looks like Pippifax, but it's palpable. While the "S" takes just 5.4 seconds to sprint to 100 km / h and 11.7 seconds from zero to 160 km / h, the Cayman without the "S" takes 6.1 and 14.2 seconds, respectively.

Optimal road holding

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Despite the gradations, there is plenty of driving fun, so much so that the figure of 9.3 liters Super Plus given by Porsche could not be maintained by far. With a lot of driving fun, not only when pulling up the first two gears, at the end of the test drives in the Taunus, 13.9 liters were on the monitor of the on-board computer.

However, it was not just simply accelerating, but also cornering, in which the Coupé equipped with the VarioCam Plus control system was always in the optimal position and thus promised pure safety despite the high speed. In contrast, with a very moderate driving style, the Porsche value could be undercut. But then the aforementioned Dacia Logan would also be the better choice.

On the way to the 911

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Those who, on the other hand, like things to be sporty without an “S”, are satisfied with a top speed of 258 km / h and have the necessary financial framework, can venture into the Porsche world. Because the Cayman is not only the big competitor to the BMW Z4 M Coupé, which is around 2000 euros cheaper, but also the entry-level drug from Stuttgart.

Once you enjoy it, you want more later. And Porsche not only has the "S" version ready, but also the top range 911. And that is then tailored to an older target group.

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