Our loyal readers may know that we already reviewed the Porsche Cayman so they may be asking, why are we reviewing it again? Well, the answer is simple... it is a Porsche Cayman... and to top it off, it is an S versus the non-S we drove earlier. What is even better, our Cayman S came equipped with the Porsche flappy paddle gearbox, known as Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK).
From the outside, the Cayman is slightly face lifted over the previous version that we drove. New headlights and front fascia liven up the appearance some. We are not sure if the new looks make the car look any better, but it definitely looks different than it's predecessor so those that know, will know you are driving the newer hotness. The rear also gets revised tail lamps which are bigger and more bulbous. Again, not sure if it enhances the appearance, but it is definitely different. Otherwise, the exterior is little changed from the previous year. It still looks gorgeous in white and almost could double as a piece of art rather than a car. When looking at it, you pray for good weather as driving it in inclement weather would only make a little bit of you die on the inside.
The Cayman S features a 3.4L direct injection flat six cylinder engine producing 320hp (as opposed to the 2.9-litre engine in the standard Cayman delivering 265 hp). One of the complaints with the previous car was that the while the handling was everything you would expect from a Porsche, the power was not up to par. Well, the Cayman S fixes that in the right way. Where you had to really push the Cayman to get it moving, the Cayman S moves with grace and efficiency. Push the go pedal and you are off. Engine response is snappy and it pulling power is greatly improved. It is not too much power, but it is the added power the car needed. However, with the added power, there is a noise penalty associated with the car. Driving sedately with yield no difference in noise, but bury your foot and you are pleased with a nice engine growl which unfortunately gets taken over by an annoying engine noise after 5000 rpm. Winding through the RPM is a emotional rollercoaster. As you plant your foot, and the RPM swings up, you start to smile more and more as the growl warms the soul, but as the RPMs get near redline your happiness is and hearing are swallowed up by the engine noise which is located right behind you. We suppose that it side effect of having a mid-engine car, if Porsche is listening, some more sound padding back there would not be a bad thing.
Being that this is a Porsche, handling was superb. Think of where you want to go, let you hands deliver those instructions to the steering wheel and the car answers with extreme scalpel like precision. Those with fists made of ham need not apply. This machine requires a person who knows where they want to go, not one that will be flailing around behind the wheel. The suspension is setup to be smooth yet firm. The perfect balance of yin and yang. Being that it is a Porsche, we darned not push the limits of adhesion due to our lack of available facilities to really see what it could do... but we have no doubt it would excel just as a Porsche should. Smooth yet have the ability to tear up tenacious amount of tarmac if required with its available grip.
As one would expect, the Porsche Cayman S came with some impressive anchors on all four corners. Colorful red calipers behind typical Porsche wheels definitely will make your car buddies jealous. We would expect that this car with such nice looking brakes would stop just as quickly as its older cousin. We however where slightly disenchanted to find that braking distance for this car were longer than the previous car. We believe however this was due to worn equipment on the car. Every other Porsche that has been tested have had brakes equivalent to hitting a brick wall on demand. So we will overlook this one's slightly poor performance.
We will skip the interior because... well, it is the same as the previous Cayman. Small, low to the ground and extremely purposeful with leather and carbon fiber adorning nearly every visual eye piece. It's beyond nice, that's all your really need to know.
Now, revisting the Porsche PDK. Some of you may remember we were graced with a 911 equipped with the PDK and while fun, it still had some downsides that we were less than thrilled with. Well, the Porsche engineers read our feedback and they heard and tried to address our concerns best they could. One of the biggest complaints with the previous iteration was that the low speed crawling assistant was far too peppy and far to fast to be considered a low speed assistant. Parking lot maneuvers would often lead you to riding the brake to keep it from rolling too fast. It would creep too fast for comfort. Thanks to some enhanced software, the crawling speed has been greatly reduced and now crawling through parking lots or really slow traffic are accomplished with ease and without having to ride the brakes.
The PDK is also more advanced when it comes to on/off throttle response. The jumpiness attributed to the harsh clutch activation is all gone at all speeds and especially starting from a stop. Transition to throttle is now nearly perfect provided the car has the fraction of a second to be in the right gear. From the outside and from the inside you can give people the impression you are an accomplished drivers without lunging and head bobbing.
Unfortunately however, there are some mistakes with the latest iteration as well. With this version, we noticed that gear changes at full throttle and redline have been slowed down some. So full throttle shifts while smooth leaves some power on the table that can not be extracted. Full throttle redline shifts are effortless, but no chirp of tires can be accomplished. We also noticed that the Cayman S did not come with a launch control feature. So massive acceleration can only be achieved by smashing the gas pedal through the floor board. There is a momentary pause in acceleration though as the RPMs skyrocket and then the clutch engaged... then it is bye bye birdie.
The Cayman S is a great car... it does everything well and we believe it is a great addition to the Porsche lineup. It gives you that perfect roadster feeling with the security of a roof over your head. Price starts at $60,000... but after equipping it with options you can easily surpass $100,000. When you are flipping through that Porsche Exclusive option book... make sure you check those addition boxes sparingly.
Showing posts with label Porsche. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Porsche. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
2009 Porsche Carerra 911 S Cabriolet
For 2009 ... Porsche has one upped themselves yet again. Upgraded, yet again... the 911 that we all loved from the past has come with a few tweaks and enhancements to make it even more of a superb car. The new car maintains its level of practicality while still flirting with the performance edge ... but for $102,000, you would expect nothing less. The 911 Carerra S Cabriolet was equipped with the Chrono Package, the Navigation Package and the new Porsche Double Clutch Transmission (DKG) and I must say, even with these few options, the price tag was still busting the six figure mark. Flipping through the 60 page Porsche option book may tag on another 20-30,000 if you are not careful.
First things first. The outside of the car looks well, the same. The most critical and discerning eyes will bark at that statement, but lets face it, to the average Joe... the outward appearance is little changed outside of the cometic upgrades to the lighting jewelry both front and rear. One really nice update is the front bumper is adorned with some nice LED lighting for turn signals and daytime running lights. The rear of the car still holds the engine and a picture window through which to view it to make sure it is still there and nobody has absconded with it. If you want to impress your friends, you pop the bonnet and show them what is in there... but don't dare try and explain what you see or how to work on what's back there without going under the car.
Interior, little has changed as well because let's face it... Porsche has the receipe for perfect already well figured out. One trick feature is the Chrono Package which adorns the dash board with a stop watch. However, this is no typical stopwatch... this stop watch is only something a Porsche badge could be associated with. The detail and precision with which is glows in the dark makes mere mortals drool with envy or question why you need a stop watch on your dash. The latter type of people do not concern us... Controls for the stop watch are available at the flick of a stalk behind the steering wheel or via touch controls in the navigation.
Another so nice feature of this car was Porsche's new DKG (double clutch transmission). Lets just say, it is not perfect. For their first iteration, it could use a little work, so we will get the negative out of the way first. First and foremost, it feels as if it has a gear specifically for idle crawling speed... booo. As much as it is dubbed as a manual, when you take your foot of the brake, you roll forward just like an automatic. What is even worse, it feels like an automatic which the idle RPM set at about 1500 RPM. So when you take your foot off the brake... you're rolling and you are rolling fast. Second, slow speed control is not quite right. Transitions on and off throttle need some help. Now the good stuff... the gear changes are Porsche perfect. Ask for a gear change and it is almost as if the car can read your mind and begin the execution of the shift before your hand touches the steering wheel mounted buttons or the console mounted shift lever. Downshifts are accompanied by a wonderful throttle blip which sends shivers down your spine with that exotic Porsche boxer engine note. Upshifts are quick and time off throttle is almost inperceivable. If you want more gusto, you engage the sport mode. The sport mode sharpens everything. The shifts are crisper, the throttle responser is faster and well, you will be happy if you have a canyon near by to drive on. Now, for the unfaint of heart, there is a "sport plus" button. Now, I must warn everyone who happens to come across this car and this button. Activation of this button will induce a smile that may be permanent or too wide for your face causing unknown consequences. The "sport plus" button maximizes everything. Shifts are now so fast, your brain will be smashed up against the back of your skull. Throttle response has tuned up to the utmost sensitivity and gear changes are now only executed at optimal performance times... meaning, you are going to shift at redline and when you do the shock to the brain will pull your brain back so far it will drag the corners of your mouth with it. It is the instant fun smile factor and it will make anyone look good. Downshifts happen quickly and with utmost perfection and if the car deems that the RPMs are falling too low, it will go down to the lower gear to keep the engine speed at close to maximum output as possible. Don't be suprised if you find yourself at 6000rpm as the car downshifts into first for a slow speed corner.
Now speaking of corners... let's touch on the handling aspect of this car. Given it's super light curb weight and wonderful balance it is an absolute joy to drive. Sicne you have the engine at the back of the car and not hanging over the wrong wheels, the steering and front tires have less work to do. The suspension no longer has to worry about holding up this massive engine as it tries to maximize grip out of the front tires. This means, the front suspension and tires are all business. Turn the wheel, and the front end goes. When driving this car around corners, the terms surgical precision comes to mind. Find yourself going around a bend and need to adjust your line... no worries. Adjust your steering angle, and the front of the car will follow. It is almost as if you have rubbed a magic lamp and the genie is more than happy to do as you please. Push the car harder and harder, and it is happy to ask for more and more. Finding the limits of this car are going to be dangerous. It has so much capability that when you find the razor's edge, you are going to be going VERY fast and while I have no doubt controlling the car at that speed will be easy as pie, it will probably be the fast pie you will ever eat.
Now let's talk about acceleration. With almost 350 horsepower and a curb weight of about 3300lbs, motivating this chassis forward is simple. Ask for it and you go it. Punch the gas, and you are gone. Acceleration from a stop leaves nice black marks on the road as the systems maximize forward momentum. Ask for more when you are on the highway and the torque from the motor is happy to usher you forward even in the tallest of gears. Want some fun though, downshift to the lowest gear possible and introduce the go pedal to the carpetting and you can almost see the shock and awe and jealousy of the people in your review mirror as you are passing them and disappearing into the distance. It is almost as if, this car was born to run.
Porsche will have a hard time making a better car than this... oh wait, they did. The turbo cabriolet. I can't wait until that one become available to drive. If this car was so good, I can only imagine what another 150 hp would do. Oh, I think I started drooling on myself again...
First things first. The outside of the car looks well, the same. The most critical and discerning eyes will bark at that statement, but lets face it, to the average Joe... the outward appearance is little changed outside of the cometic upgrades to the lighting jewelry both front and rear. One really nice update is the front bumper is adorned with some nice LED lighting for turn signals and daytime running lights. The rear of the car still holds the engine and a picture window through which to view it to make sure it is still there and nobody has absconded with it. If you want to impress your friends, you pop the bonnet and show them what is in there... but don't dare try and explain what you see or how to work on what's back there without going under the car.
Interior, little has changed as well because let's face it... Porsche has the receipe for perfect already well figured out. One trick feature is the Chrono Package which adorns the dash board with a stop watch. However, this is no typical stopwatch... this stop watch is only something a Porsche badge could be associated with. The detail and precision with which is glows in the dark makes mere mortals drool with envy or question why you need a stop watch on your dash. The latter type of people do not concern us... Controls for the stop watch are available at the flick of a stalk behind the steering wheel or via touch controls in the navigation.
Another so nice feature of this car was Porsche's new DKG (double clutch transmission). Lets just say, it is not perfect. For their first iteration, it could use a little work, so we will get the negative out of the way first. First and foremost, it feels as if it has a gear specifically for idle crawling speed... booo. As much as it is dubbed as a manual, when you take your foot of the brake, you roll forward just like an automatic. What is even worse, it feels like an automatic which the idle RPM set at about 1500 RPM. So when you take your foot off the brake... you're rolling and you are rolling fast. Second, slow speed control is not quite right. Transitions on and off throttle need some help. Now the good stuff... the gear changes are Porsche perfect. Ask for a gear change and it is almost as if the car can read your mind and begin the execution of the shift before your hand touches the steering wheel mounted buttons or the console mounted shift lever. Downshifts are accompanied by a wonderful throttle blip which sends shivers down your spine with that exotic Porsche boxer engine note. Upshifts are quick and time off throttle is almost inperceivable. If you want more gusto, you engage the sport mode. The sport mode sharpens everything. The shifts are crisper, the throttle responser is faster and well, you will be happy if you have a canyon near by to drive on. Now, for the unfaint of heart, there is a "sport plus" button. Now, I must warn everyone who happens to come across this car and this button. Activation of this button will induce a smile that may be permanent or too wide for your face causing unknown consequences. The "sport plus" button maximizes everything. Shifts are now so fast, your brain will be smashed up against the back of your skull. Throttle response has tuned up to the utmost sensitivity and gear changes are now only executed at optimal performance times... meaning, you are going to shift at redline and when you do the shock to the brain will pull your brain back so far it will drag the corners of your mouth with it. It is the instant fun smile factor and it will make anyone look good. Downshifts happen quickly and with utmost perfection and if the car deems that the RPMs are falling too low, it will go down to the lower gear to keep the engine speed at close to maximum output as possible. Don't be suprised if you find yourself at 6000rpm as the car downshifts into first for a slow speed corner.
Now speaking of corners... let's touch on the handling aspect of this car. Given it's super light curb weight and wonderful balance it is an absolute joy to drive. Sicne you have the engine at the back of the car and not hanging over the wrong wheels, the steering and front tires have less work to do. The suspension no longer has to worry about holding up this massive engine as it tries to maximize grip out of the front tires. This means, the front suspension and tires are all business. Turn the wheel, and the front end goes. When driving this car around corners, the terms surgical precision comes to mind. Find yourself going around a bend and need to adjust your line... no worries. Adjust your steering angle, and the front of the car will follow. It is almost as if you have rubbed a magic lamp and the genie is more than happy to do as you please. Push the car harder and harder, and it is happy to ask for more and more. Finding the limits of this car are going to be dangerous. It has so much capability that when you find the razor's edge, you are going to be going VERY fast and while I have no doubt controlling the car at that speed will be easy as pie, it will probably be the fast pie you will ever eat.
Now let's talk about acceleration. With almost 350 horsepower and a curb weight of about 3300lbs, motivating this chassis forward is simple. Ask for it and you go it. Punch the gas, and you are gone. Acceleration from a stop leaves nice black marks on the road as the systems maximize forward momentum. Ask for more when you are on the highway and the torque from the motor is happy to usher you forward even in the tallest of gears. Want some fun though, downshift to the lowest gear possible and introduce the go pedal to the carpetting and you can almost see the shock and awe and jealousy of the people in your review mirror as you are passing them and disappearing into the distance. It is almost as if, this car was born to run.
Porsche will have a hard time making a better car than this... oh wait, they did. The turbo cabriolet. I can't wait until that one become available to drive. If this car was so good, I can only imagine what another 150 hp would do. Oh, I think I started drooling on myself again...
Thursday, August 9, 2007
2007 Porsche Cayman
What a nice car... just needs more power. Having the engine in the back of the car really gives you a different feeling (more so that just being chased around by a pile of angry bees). The front end feels nimble and connected to the road. The handling is precise and down right surgical. Understeer is present, but extremely extremely faint. Oversteer is easy to come by provided the RPMs are up and you ask for it the right way.
My only disappointment about the car is the lack of HP. The car is the refinded in every manner, but needs some more grunt... going from partial to full throttle at 4000rpms leave you with no added feeling of power other than the increase in engine noise and what you can see on the speedo. The feeling of speed just is not there.
Another downside to the car is the brakes. Now I know Porsche's are known for the shockingly awesome brake systems, so I'm going to chalk up the poor brake feeling to a test car that had just been overly abused. While the brakes did work awesomely and performed flawlessly each and everytime from triple digit speeds, the feedback through the pedal seemed non-existant. In other braking systems, you could feel the magical point jsut before lockup... in the Cayman, not so much. I often found myself going into ABS lockup instead of reaching the threshold braking point.
Unfortunately, I was so wrapped up with the performance and superb handling of the car, I really didn't pay much attention to the interior of the car as it was pretty much a base model equipped Cayman. The Guards Red seatbelts were a definite bonus tho giving the interior an added stab of color to the otherwise bland black.
Hopefully soon, I'll be able to get my hands on a Cayman S to see if the added power makes it a better drive. I can see what people rant and rave about Porsches though after driving this car. It's handling and suspension are top notch... if it only had more power...
My only disappointment about the car is the lack of HP. The car is the refinded in every manner, but needs some more grunt... going from partial to full throttle at 4000rpms leave you with no added feeling of power other than the increase in engine noise and what you can see on the speedo. The feeling of speed just is not there.
Another downside to the car is the brakes. Now I know Porsche's are known for the shockingly awesome brake systems, so I'm going to chalk up the poor brake feeling to a test car that had just been overly abused. While the brakes did work awesomely and performed flawlessly each and everytime from triple digit speeds, the feedback through the pedal seemed non-existant. In other braking systems, you could feel the magical point jsut before lockup... in the Cayman, not so much. I often found myself going into ABS lockup instead of reaching the threshold braking point.
Unfortunately, I was so wrapped up with the performance and superb handling of the car, I really didn't pay much attention to the interior of the car as it was pretty much a base model equipped Cayman. The Guards Red seatbelts were a definite bonus tho giving the interior an added stab of color to the otherwise bland black.
Hopefully soon, I'll be able to get my hands on a Cayman S to see if the added power makes it a better drive. I can see what people rant and rave about Porsches though after driving this car. It's handling and suspension are top notch... if it only had more power...
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