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Click for Cayman S Gallery
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| DRIVING RATING: |
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Stop thinking of the Cayman S as a Boxster coupe, as it doesn’t do justice to its talents. Indeed in all respects other than chronology, the Boxster should now be thought of as the derivative and the compromised car – a Cayman convertible no less. Not only is the Cayman S lighter than the Boxster, more critically, it is also twice as structurally stiff: it is this rigid platform that makes it so astonishing to drive.
You’ll know that this is Porsche’s best handling car after less than five minutes on the road, which alone must make it a candidate for the best handling car in the world. Its ride is firm – and, worryingly, revealed itself as such on the smooth roads of Tuscany, leading us to fear how it may feel when it reaches the UK – but its ability to cope with camber changes, surface changes and unexpectedly wet patches of road are almost beyond comprehension.
Anyone who maintains that mid-engined cars are inherently twitchy need only spend an hour driving a Cayman S on the right road to eat their words. It is responsive but utterly faithful, even if you turn off the stability control systems and really start throwing it around. It is astonishing quick cross-country, especially when fitted with £5300-worth of carbon ceramic brakes – terrific fun yet unflinchingly safe and secure.
The only criticism we would think of levelling at the way it goes down a road is that, if anything, it is almost too good. For most people this could only be seen as a positive thing: but for those few Porsche die-hards who believe that reward is proportional to investment, it certainly lacks the unique challenge to skilled drivers laid down by the 911 and, ultimately, is perhaps less thrilling as a result.
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