2012 Porsche Cayman R: Athletic and elegant
Porsche used all the features of the Boxster Spyder to create the lightest and fastest Cayman ever – the new 2012 Cayman R, which will be available in Canada as of April at a base price of $75,600. When it comes to performance, weight-to-power ratio is everything. This prompted Porsche’s engineers to reduce the weight of the Cayman R by 55 kg compared to the Cayman S and to give it 10 extra horses, bringing the total to 330. The Cayman R’s chassis has also been lowered by 20 millimetres compared to the S and its centre of gravity is 22 millimetres lower. These numbers may seem insignificant at first, but believe me, the Cayman R definitely kicks things up a notch.
The Cayman R was perfectly comfortable on Mallorca’s RennArena circuit thanks to its steering, which is at once perfectly calibrated and extremely responsive. With the exceptional ceramic composite brakes (on option for $9,300), there was no lag, while the outstanding brake pedal sensitivity effectively helps adjust decelerations. The factory-standard limited slip differential helps the car come out of turns very efficiently. The Cayman R is available with an unparalleled conventional six-speed manual transmission featuring a very short shifting distance and an ultra-precise stick shift. But the new R is also available with the PDK twin-clutch transmission that features seven speeds. It is engaged using the stick or the wheel-mounted paddle-shifters, with the one on the right controlling upshifting and the one on the left downshifting (the same configuration embraced by all other automakers). It seems that Porsche has given up on its far-from-intuitive system of buttons on the steering wheel. Acceleration performance is better with the PDK gearbox, which is faster, but the Cayman R is more pleasant to drive with the conventional manual transmission.
As if on snow
In addition to driving it on the circuit, we had the chance to spend a lot of time at the wheel of the Cayman R on Palma de Mallorca’s roads, which have the unique characteristic of becoming extremely slick when it rains – so much so that they resemble our own snowy, icy roads. In these particular conditions, the electronic stability control system intervened quite often as we climbed winding mountainside roads. This is explained by the fact that the Cayman R is equipped with a factory-standard limited slip differential and high performance tires. Indeed, as soon as we headed into a turn, the system corrected the understeer. When we accelerated mid-turn, the limited slip differential delivered the power to the two drive wheels and the antiskid then had to intervene. Because of the unique road conditions, we had to find the electronic systems’ intervention threshold, which is easier said than done, knowing that we could count on the electronics when necessary.
With its fixed rear spoiler and its more pronounced front shield, you won’t have any trouble distinguishing the Cayman R from a simple Cayman or from a Cayman S. Inside, the steps taken to reduce the weight as much as possible mean that the R has no door handles (they are replaced by red fabric pull-straps), no air conditioning (although you can add it on option for $2,010) and no radio (a basic model can be added on option for no charge). The bucket sport seats are made of one single piece, are very narrow and cannot be adjusted forward or backward, but you’ll find larger, more adjustable seats in the options catalogue for plus sizes. The Cayman R’s range of colours includes conventional hues like “hey-look-at-me-passing-in-the-left-lane India Red” and “just-try-to-stop-me Speed Yellow” and the new “see-you-in-prison Peridot Green” that will appeal only to the most extroverted of drivers.
“Sporty” comfort...
Porsche has made enormous progress recently to improve the comfort of its sports cars. They have calibrated the suspensions to mitigate the harsh effects of driving over bumps, but it remains to be seen how well the Cayman R will handle our potholed roads. Thus, we feel compelled to say that if you want to use this new sports car as an everyday vehicle, you absolutely must consider it the four-wheel equivalent of a mountain bike. In other words, you need to be ready for its Spartan level of comfort if you want to appreciate its performances. But if you’re ready to commit to this sort of relationship, driving a Cayman R could very well be one of the best most beautiful experiences of your life.