June edition of CAR magazine in the UK (not sure where else it is available) is dedicated to 60 years of Porsche. Some great pictures and write ups of the iconic Porsches.

It concludes with an article of driving four modern Porsches in Wales to assess whether the 911 is still the reference Porsche.

The cars are:
Cayenne GTS
Boxster RS60
Cayman
911 Carrera 2

They justify including the Cayenne because Porsche sells nearly as many as it does 911s - and that pays for the R&D costs for its sporting sisters.

Some of the interesting quotes are:

"if the SUV is a flawed concept, this new GTS version of the Cayenne introduces several new layers of absurdity"

"there isn't much steering feel but endless grip and traction, and huge if incredulous pleasure to be had in firing this vast orange projectile down a ribbony Welsh road as fast as a good sports saloon"

"we brought along a 911 Carrera 2 as our benchmark; a toweringly good sports car, and more affordable and relevant than a Turbo or GT3. And it's sensational. Despite edging the Boxster by just 22bhp and 22lb ft it manages to feel harder, more serious and more grown up, with its edgier, febrile throttle response"

"the 911 answers the the only real criticism of the Cayman - lack of braking feel"

"with 242bhp, 60mph in six seconds and 160mph, the Cayman doesn't do much on paper to justify it's 36K over a 20K hot hatch with similar figures. But look at it. Its rear arch has - i think - one of the greatest lines of any current production car, like the folded hip of your sleeping lover"

"the standard Cayman's 2.7 has all the pace you need. More power is seldom a bad thing, but it's much more satisfying to stretch an engine than constrain it"

"the Cayman is helped further by the sweet shift of the five-speed box - better than the six-speeders in the Boxster or 911"

"but the 911's steering, though good, is never as great as the Cayman's"

"lowered sports suspension means the 911 grips hard and corners flat; fine on a track day, but it can't match the Cayman's fluidity on the road"

"the car (Cayman) actually feels quite old fashioned , with its natural steering, thin-rimmed wheel, supple ride and sufficient power. It feels in balance, not over-engined or over-sprung, but with the same machine-gun mechanical precision that ought to mark a Porsche. It is sublime. I can't think of another current production car i prefer"

and finally;

"in it's sports cars at least, Porsche's DNA is intact. But the code is carried clearest in the Cayman"

Tom R

That is sooooo true. Never consciously thought about it. But now I fully realize it.

the cayman sure does strike me as the classic porsche that's one to buy and hold. 30 years from now this first generation will be as well-regarded as those early 70's/late 60's 911's are today, provided their build quality is durable enough. that's why i'm currently jonesing so hard for one...

haven't got my copy for quite awhile, here's a good reason I guess. Thank you.

My favorite lines!!



.

__________________
My Garage:
01 Audi S4
08 Cobalt CS w all the goodies

Porsche and I both turn 60 this year. The lines of the Cayman will indeed look good thirty years from now. As for me-----I'm not so sure! 987f

__________________
'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

"the standard Cayman's 2.7 has all the pace you need. More power is seldom a bad thing, but it's much more satisfying to stretch an engine than constrain it"

this line describes so eloquently what I thought when making my choice of Cayman ... bravo Ben Oliver!

"in it's sports cars at least, Porsche's DNA is intact. But the code is carried clearest in the Cayman"

... and just to make sure everyone gets the point, it was the 2.7 that they are referring to. Just a shame the car they used had the 18" wheels, and not the standard 17" ones for the maximum purity of purpose.

Overall a very good article, and CAR is showing some signs of regaining the quality it had back in the 70's and 80's, whereas EVO is showing signs of degenerating to the "how fast is it?" level of journalism, which is becoming less relavant by the day.

Having recently driven a 997 Turbo (on track and road) the point about Porsche DNA is well made. The Turbo was staggeringly fast, but rather a blunt instrument if truth be told. It reminded me of an angry rhinocerous with a firework up its bottom. My Cayman may be slower, but has the scalpel like delicacy which marks out a great car from merely a powerful one.