Category: Affordable Sports 
Price Range: £36,101 to £36,101
Fast, exciting to drive, low running costs considering the performance.
Can be pricey if you start adding options.
Who needs a 911? Simple and lightweight, the Cayman is best enjoyed in its entry-level form.
As the 911 has become larger, heavier and ever more expensive, it's made room for a car like the Cayman. Less a 'junior' or entry-level model and more a distinctive sports car in its own right, the Cayman - essentially a hard-topped version of the Boxster roadster - has all the Porsche credentials packed into a more compact, more affordable package.
The approach is fairly back-to-basics, but the Cayman does not skimp on either creature comforts or everyday usability. It's as happy in stop-start traffic as it is on the track, so it won't leave anyone feeling short-changed if this year's bonus doesn't stretch to a 911.
Updates for 2009 include the addition of LED headlamps with integrated indicators, LED tail-lights, new round fog lamps and further very minor tweaks to the bumpers and front-end styling. Overall weight has been reduced by around 10kg. Though the standard Cayman doesn't get the direct injection added to the now-320bhp Cayman S , it does get a 20bhp bump-up in power; its 2.9-litre flat-six now produces 265bhp. Fuel consumption and emissions have also been improved.
Six-speed manual transmission is standard, and the new PDK double-clutch seven-speed gearbox with sequential-shift optional. A Launch Control mode is a further option with the Sports Chrono package (£1,920 along with the PDK).
UK prices start from £36,101, to include a worthwhile day at the Porsche Driving Experience Centre at Silverstone.
