This Porsche is so tough it doesn’t even have air conditioning.
The Cayman R is roughly the down-market equivalent of Porsche’s GT3 RS, a lightweight naturally aspirated track weapon that can reasonably be street-driven as well. It is minimalist. Heck it’s “radical” according to Porsche’s website which illustrates its rad-ness by pointing out that it also does without a radio or cup holders. Actually the example I drove had both so it was less…rad.
Radical, racy, the Cayman R is a sweet driving machine. However, Porsche might be better-served by calling it “pure”. Especially in this austere trim it maintains the traits which have endeared the company’s sports cars to generations – balance, power and user friendliness. Like most GT-based Porsche race cars, the Cayman R is easy-fast.
Porsche is justified in emphasizing Cayman R’s litheness. About 121 pounds were shaved from the Cayman S, yielding a 2800 pound curb weight in a package with an additional 10 horsepower. Easy fast isn’t just a matter of power-to-weight though. It’s in other details.
Porsche’s sans-pareil steering is there with feel aplenty but I also noticed the satisfying action of the (manual-equipped) clutch, brake and throttle pedals. Each has appropriate weight and none snaps back upon release as do pedals in other performance cars, they simply return to the top of their travel in controlled fashion. That makes working with the precise and well-sized shifter even more of a pleasure. It means you can drive the car instead of concentrating on driving the transmission.
The Cayman R also comes with Porsche’s accomplished Doppelkupplung dual clutch trans and is a tick faster but also heavier thus configured. Never mind, the manual is more satisfying.
The R’s rear spoiler actually does good things for the Cayman’s lines, balancing it visually front to rear. Clad in black, the Cayman’s sensual curves are subtle in contrast to the ‘PORSCHE’ rocker decal, a style nod to the 1967 911R. Twin chromed circular exhausts exiting at the rear end’s center add a vintage effect. In this color combo light gray door mirrors match the silver finish of the 19 inch wheels and spoiler, an effect repeated inside atop the instrument binnacle. There unfortunately, it creates a glare reflection in the windshield.
The Cayman R’s interior is notable for two things, the first of which is what isn’t there. The Cayman loses a bunch of buttons from the center stack and steering wheel as well as the air conditioning panel and of course a navigation screen. That’s all fine by me as the buttons of real interest for the sport mode and exhaust attenuation (I call it the “loudy” button) are located at the bottom of the stack nearest the driver. The door handles, as reported everywhere, are gone too, replaced by little lanyards. Kitchy? Whatever, they work. Note to Porsche; please disable the automatic radio turn-on when the key is inserted. I suppose one could just delete the radio. Opt for the Sport Chrono package and you get the mid-dash mounted stopwatch which impresses friends but is forgotten on track.
The carbon-fiber sport bucket seats sure wouldn’t be though. They’re a fine lightweight bit of kit. Though adjustable fore and aft, you’ll need a screwdriver or Allen key to adjust the seatback rake. Funnily, it didn’t matter. I found both seats surprisingly comfortable over time and distance.
Time and distance are Cayman R’s stock-in-trade. Its mid-mounted MA 121R 3.4 liter flat six pushes 330 horsepower and 273 lb-ft. of torque, good for a 0 to 60 mph run in 4.7 seconds with the manual trans. The engine is a rev happy beastie with max power arriving at 7400 RPM. That said, it’s bit short on torque as proved by a couple impromptu 3rd gear roll-on battles with my Corvette which despite its decade in service, walked the Cayman R.
On track, the Porsche would likely make up the deficit under braking but alas, I didn’t track it. On the street its mid-engine handling neutrality is never in doubt and a Cayman will decidedly go where you point it. Revised suspension tuning, lowered ride height (0.79 inch) and aggressive Bridgestone rubber make the R even more of a lateral thriller but don’t penalize its mid-corner stability or even its ride.
That is the genius of Porsche and the source of mild surprise. The R is pitched as a hardcore sports car and it
can fulfill that description. But it is far from a brutal hardcore minimalism like Dodge’s Viper ACR. If you can deal with sweating, the Cayman R could be used “everyday” as Porsche’s current mantra goes. Better yet, it offers more than 90 percent of a GT3’s performance at little more than half the price. Now that’s hardcore.
The Specs
Price as tested: $73,280
Engine: 330 horsepower 3.4 liter horizontally-opposed six cylinder
Curb Weight: 2855 pounds
Fuel Economy: 19 city/27 highway
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