Dubai has evolved into a mystical land, the inhabitants of which have created the widest of roads to enjoy life in the fast lane. Speed flows in this city's blood, something that becomes evident the moment you see the cars that zip through its arrow-straight roads. And when you spy a stray Porsche Cayman between the steady flow of BMWs, Ferraris and Jaguars in the midst of this chaos, you can't help but notice how it stands apart.
While the city of emirs does not believe in holding itself back in any way, the Cayman appears to be curiously restrained. The car handles like a dream, but step on the gas and you wonder whether it has been deliberately toned down by its creators and not given its due. The Cayman though, is back in a new avatar now - and does look promising on several fronts.
To begin with, the new Cayman strikes you as a serious vehicle. Its face looks smarter, and the windscreen has been moved forward to give the car a long and sweeping roofline. LEDs have been incorporated in the lights at the back, and a new spoiler has been added. It is 33mm longer and 10mm lower than before, and the wheelbase has been increased by 60mm - freeing up a lot of space for the cabin, which offers enough room for two.
The cabin seems a lot plusher in the new Cayman. For the first time, you can order a high-end Burmester sound system that's individually tuned for the car. The other optional features in the Cayman that overcome class boundaries are the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) feature and the keyless entry & drive system. An especially exclusive ambience is created by the optional bi-colour leather packages, and the base colour agate grey may be combined with lime gold, gravel grey or amber orange.
A large analogue tacho takes centrestage with the speedo on the smart-looking instrument panel, and if you have opted for satellite navigation, it doubles up as a display for the same. The new centre console, which has been inspired by the Carrera GT, looks classy with buttons that have a certain 'click' in operation.
By increasing the luggage space, Porsche has also added a bit of practicality to the Cayman. While it has 150 litres of space in front, it can hold 275 at the back - tallying up to a cool 425 litres. Not bad for a mid-engined sports car.
Sitting right behind the driver is a 275 bhp, 2.7-litre flat-6 engine; blip the throttle and the Cayman gets ready to pounce. There is a constant tug through the gears, and that feels rather good. The seven-speed PDK box shifts through quick, and downshifts are pretty instant - making it go crazy.
However, as the speed climbs in excess of 200 kmph, the Cayman becomes a little twitchy, and the quick steering starts demanding a certain degree of careful handling. The suspension, on the other hand, is stiff - as expected from a car of this class, and it aids handling quite well. However, there is a little more to be said. The Cayman does feel a bit slow when compared to its bigger-engined brother - the popular Cayman S.
The Cayman S is distinguishable through subtle changes in design and those sinister Carrera S-inspired wheels. Inside, the luxury quotient is a lot higher - with power assist seats, a smarter steering wheel, sattelite navigation, etc. The customisation programme further allows each owner to choose from a extras. However, the bigger difference comes in form of the larger 325-bhp, 3.5-litre flat-6. It accelerates to 100 kmph in relatively less time, and also sports a higher top speed of 281 kmph.
On the track, the S proves its mettle rather well. It seems to become furious while accelerating, pushing you back into your seat, and there's a certain rorty soundtrack that accompanies it most of the time. However, in the sport mode, the revs hang around longer, and allow the engine to rev higher before shifting - giving a proper rush to the driver. The PDK box also allows for a certain degree of engine braking, which comes handy, apart from retaining its quick-shifting tendencies.
The steering feels direct, and in spite of being electrically assisted, it offers the right amount of feedback to tackle corners. At higher speeds too, the S feels more planted and confident when compared to the Cayman. The added bonus is that the electronics can be made to take a walk, and if you are capable of handling that, it could result in massive dollops of sideways fun. However, do be careful - the Cayman S will bite back if you can't handle the massive power it packs.
Today, the Cayman twins have morphed into proper sports cars. And while they offer good handling characteristics and strong, performance-oriented engines, the designers have also ensured that the Caymans are practical enough for everyday use.
Of the two cars, the Cayman S should be your first choice because it offers a substantially powerful engine and loads of features. However, it should also be understood that in terms of performance and power, even the Big S is kept on a tight leash. Now, Porsche clearly wouldn't want a Cayman beating its flagship 911, would it?
Specs:
Porsche Cayman/Cayman S
Engine: 2706cc/3636cc Flat six
Power: 275bhp@7400rpm/325bhp@ 7400rpm
Torque: 290Nm@4500rpm/370Nm@4500rpm
GB: 7-speed PDK auto
Wheelbase: 2475mm
LxWxH: 4380x1801x1294
0-100: 5.4s/4.7s
TS: 264kmph/283kmph
Price: Rs 85 lakh
+ve: Performance, luxury options
-ve: Still leashed in
