I'm somewhat puzzled by the base Cayman engine power delivery Don't flame me, I'm not into the higher or lower end model bashing war, just trying to give you my thoughts on this and get some input from owners with real life experience with both cars, regular and S.

On my Cayman test drive I found the engine to be very smooth and sounded fantastic but the power delivery was so linear I didn't feel any meaningful acceleration push whatsoever, whatever the rev range. Only an initial push from very low speed and then pedal pressed to the bulk and nothing happens until the redline, not even the mildest cam-change kick.

Just to put things into perspective I'm coming from a Mini Cooper S which although brisk is not exactly a brute acceleration wise, just 170HP and lower torque than the base Cayman so I'm not spoiled. Also I'm looking for handling finesse not mega torque or drag racing abilities but I do like to feel a mild kick/change on power delivery over the rev range.

Can this be because the engine was so fresh? It had about 1K miles on the clock. I'm trying to have a test drive on a Boxster S (no Cayman S available) to evaluate for myself the extra 50 ponies but it would be great to have your perspective on this. I've gone though a lot of posts but from what I've read there's just mentions of lower power, not a total absence of cam-change kick...

I have never heard of this "cam-change kick".

Smooth power delivery is a feature not a flaw.

Lets say you are going around a corner and trying to moderate your speed and throttle right at the point of an abrupt change in power delivery. Bad news, you're more likely to over-accelerate and less likely to be able to push your car to the limits through the corner.

Basically, you've already experienced what the engine is like, if you want something with less smooth and linear power delivery, I would recommend something like the new 135i which will push you back in your seat from the change in torque over the rev band.

Personally I would rather have a car that IS fast than a car that feels fast?

Sorry Kor, but I have to disagree with you, for me the fun in driving is about it feeling fast, not actually being fast.

I spent some time last year with a friend's Audi RS4, a car which is hugely fast, but it left me cold. Yet one of my all time favourite cars was the Honda Beat (who remembers that?) which only had about 70 bhp as I recall, but was a little mid engined gem of a thing. You could wring it's neck, yet never really trouble the speed limits. I know which I prefer.

Fast forward to the 2.7 Cayman, and I understand what Lusocayman is saying. The car is so very smooth that sometimes it does not really feel that fast, yet I know that it is cos the numbers tell me so. My old 964 Carrera 2 felt monstrously fast (and was a monster to drive too) yet I know for sure that my 2.7 is faster on any of the bits of road I am familiar with in both cars.

I have a theory that much of it has to do with the mechanics of opening the throttle. In an old car, there is just a cable between you and the butterflies, and as you stamp on the pedal they open immediately. This produces noise (if not neccessarily thrust) and your brain associates that with power and speed. In modern cars when you stamp on the pedal, all you are doing is turning a potentiometer, and a computer somewhere decides the optimum speed of throttle opening, to maximise power without wasting fuel. The difference between the two systems may not be huge, but I am sure it is enough to change the sensory feedback to the driver. This is why sport exhaust systems are so popular, they often add nothing to the power output, but enhance that all important feedback loop.

Porsche throttle mechanisms are of course amongst the best, but the difference is still detectable. For a more extreme example, try something like the VW 1.6 FSi engine which has a throttle response you could measure with a calender.

As to the difference between the 2.7 and the 3.4 Cayman, the difference is all in the numbers, as for me at least they both have exactly the same issue with the throttle feedback. Another reason why I prefer the 2.7.

John H

Thanks for the feedback, I think these posts are important because there's a lot of different things people are looking for in the car and the more perspectives we have (along with each one's descriptions) the better for the forum.

From your feedback Kor I presume you appreciate the smooth power delivery of the 2.7 and really like the engine's character. For my taste I just found something missing "strenght" wise. Maybe I didn't explained myself very well using the cam-change expression, I wasn't expecting a Vtec like kick, just a sense of more sustained oomph.
And what you describe is precisely what I didn't appreciate as much, as when I pushed the pedal something was missing (again, my personal taste) but there was nothing missing from the speedo! It piled on speed to deceptively.

Now for an update, I just went to sample a CS. It was not the ideal since it was a Tiptronic (a big no no for me) but the goal was to sample the extra 50 ponies so, good enough. It has got what I was looking for Not that massive push but generally more torque and feels more eager, I think I'm about to pull the trigger

I test drove a used 2.7L (with the base 5-speed transmission), which meant I didn't have to baby it like I would have brand new car, and I'm not understanding all of the comments about lack of response or it feeling slow. Yes, the CS is much quicker and torquey-er (which is why I chose a CS), but the 2.7L still makes for a 14-flat @ 100mph 1/4 mile car and it feels that way. Yes, you have to keep the revs up, but we're not talking S2000 behavior here. I think the 2.7L is a delightful motor. Are we all becoming so jaded by the recent horsepower war that a car that does 100mph in the 1/4 mile is slow?

I'm not jaded by power, now I have to quote myself

I'll have another go on the regular Cayman tomorrow, I will thoroughly enjoy it, and I think it will confirm that the S engine is a must for me.

I had the same feelngs about the 2.7 motor and low end torque being some what flat. What I found to be a sweet spot was 2nd gear at 35-40mph, 3.5-4k rpm range. Ride at that rmp range for a moment then step on it and it will plant you in your seat and move out! I think that is what you are looking for, I know it was what I was looking for.

the Cayman 2.7 requires you to downshift for that `kick'

And that's a feature, it's nicest feature over the Cayman S.

Downshift and mash the throttle and hear the engine roar.

Cayman S drivers get to do the same but at greater risk of losing their license.

The Vario-cam is set up to give you a nice, smooth patch in the torque curve that gives better performance, but it doesn't feel as "peaky" as VTEC cars I have driven. Get over it. You are out-accelerating the car that surges as it VTECs or whatever you want to call it.

The 2.7 is a great motor and if you keep the revs high there is a decent amount of "kick". 30mpg is a nice bonus in a car that will smoke most when the road gets twisty.

The 3.4 is significantly quicker, and has the same feel. But I am not sure how much that comes across in a test drive. Have fun with your quest.

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2007 Speed Yellow Cayman GT 2.7 (retired)
2008 Guards Red Cayman GT 3.4
"Carpe Cayman"

I have a 2.7 with 16K miles... I can certainly feel the surge as you pass 4K rpm and keep climbing. Its not really a "on-off" light-switch feeling, but is definitely noticeable. It feels like the rate of acceleration increases from 4K up to about 6.5K.

I concur.

Once I hit the 2k mile break-in point, I noticed that the car comes alive after 4200 RPMs- and that's where the fun is. If you want a car that gives you that "oomph" in a straight line, a Mustang GT or Corvette will give you everything you're looking for. As for the Cayman, sure you have to row through the gears, but that's what makes the car fun.

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08 Carrara White Cayman 5M

John H, your theory about the aural impression of speed sounds logical to me. As for the Honda Beat, that brings to mind the old saying that it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow. By that, I am in no way saying that the Cayman 2.7 is a slow car. I love it! Regards to the Coonies! 987f

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'07 Cayman, Cobalt Blue Metallic; Natural Brown leather; clear sidemarkers; Boxster S wheels; '06 SLK 350; '04 SL 500; '73 246 GT; '72 246 GT

Vario Cam Plus is extremely progressive and very transparent. You will not feel a 'Cam Kick'. That is a good thing. You shouldn't feel it. If you do, then the power curve is not ideal. The closest you get to Cam Kick in the Cayman is a change in tone at 5,200 RPMs.

Modern Porsches deliver power so smoothly and over such a wide range that they do not feel as fast as they are. Years ago, I cosidered trading my 944 Turbo in for a 968. The 968 was supposed to be nearly as fast as my 944 Turbo but without the lag. I went and test drove one. I was never so dissapointed with a test drive. The 968 felt gutless compared to my turbo. I realized that I liked the lag because once you left it, the car felt like a rocket, despite the fact that on paper the two were nearly identical in performance, my 944 turbo felt a lot faster. I stuck with the Turbo.

Today I have a Cayman S. I think my 944 Turbo felt faster than my CS, but my CS would devoure it in every way.

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