Porsche announces 2011 Cayman R

[arvin charles]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/17/2011-porsche-cayman-r-gets-skinny-in-la/

Lighter and more powerful...Nice!

 

[homeforsummer]

Just seen this info, here are a few pics too:

Porsche have just gone and built my ideal Porsche. That said, "R" is the wrong badge to use. RS or CS would have been better monikers. Chris Harris' blog explains why and although I'm not quite as harsh as he is I do agree that it shouldn't really be called the Cayman R.

It'll almost certainly be brilliant to drive though.

 

[exigeracer]

What was their colour consultant thinking? Questionable Yellow!

 

[homeforsummer]

Heh. As long as it's also available in white, viper green, light blue and orange, I'd be happy enough.

Porsche's custom finish department are probably responsible for that vile colour. Motoring mags often seem to get lumbered with a tastlessly-coloured Cayman. I remember one test of a Cayman in cream with a red interior...

 

[SeekerOfTheApex]

Finally.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I much prefer the styling of this car over the 911 and Boxter.

It also makes me super depressed because I can't afford to buy one.

 

[The Outlaw]

Looks nice. Porsche is still way too timid with the engine output though, as they know it would have the potential (with better performance) to be a real threat to 911 sales. Too bad they continue to waste the great potential the Cayman platform has to offer

 

[Jim Prower]

Cayman "R?" As in, "RS" wouldn't work?

Sorry, the name just sounds too Japanese...though, as Juliet said, "What's in a Name?"

 

[arvin charles]

Cayman "R?" As in, "RS" wouldn't work?

Sorry, the name just sounds too Japanese...though, as Juliet said, "What's in a Name?"

Too Japanese? Here's the 911R. Long before any Type R(s) came along.

No, an RS wouldn't work.

 

[Eric.]

I want one.


Would prefer to have A/C though. With an aftermarket exhaust I won't be too concerned about the radio.

 

[Stotty]

As most on this site know I'm a bit of Porsche fanatic (= fanboy ), but this car leaves me feeling a little sad at where the marketing boys are taking the company.

The 'R' moniker should be something really special... more special than GT3 or RS for example. To see it slapped on a Caymen with a few styling upgrades and an almost irrelevent weight and power improvement is just wrong IMO.

I do like the look of the car though... the colour is fabulous (very close to an original '70's colour used on the RS - pic below) and the GT3 replica wheels are lovely (though would look even better in black.

 

[niky]

I actually like the body-colored panels on the interior. They give the car a sense of being even more stripped-out... even though it isn't.

Less weight is always good. More power is always good. Much more money for an option delete and a 10 hp boost in power... isn't.

I'd rather get a regular Cayman, strip it out myself and chip it... probably could save more weight and money and still have something much better than a regular Cayman.

 

[arvin charles]

As a fellow Porschephile, I'm not as bothered about the name as some of you. But perhaps an RSA or a Club Sport would have been more appropriate.

I'd rather get a regular Cayman, strip it out myself and chip it... probably could save more weight and money and still have something much better than a regular Cayman.

You could do that, but then again, this could end being as rare as a 968 Club Sport or a 928 GTS.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Still won't hold a candle against Evora.

 

[Stotty]

Still won't hold a candle against Evora.

In what regard?

The Evora might have slightly better steering and outright handling, but there are more reasons to buy a car than those 2 factors when you're contemplating spending >£50k.

 

[The Outlaw]

Still won't hold a candle against Evora.

Despite the fact that the Cayman R will mop the floor with the Evora on just about any track...

Might I add that the Porsche also has much better build quality.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Depends of the Evora, wouldn't you say? Didn't Lotus recently announce an update to Evora with more power etc..

And IMHO, build quality is irrelevant, main thing is driving pleasure.

 

[The Outlaw]

Depends of the Evora, wouldn't you say? Didn't Lotus recently announce an update to Evora with more power etc...

Now that you mention it, yes. Lotus will be releasing (not sure if it's a replacement or alternative) the "S" (Supercharged) version of the Evora next year which which will have another 70hp. Still, I doubt this car will blow away the Cayman R as you impled - as the Cayman S already outperforms the Evora on just about all lap time data I've seen and it's not like either one of these cars (the Evora S or Cayman R) are a monumental improvement over the existing models.

Personally, I think both cars are great in their own ways and I wouldn't say either car is miles better than the other.

And IMHO, build quality is irrelevant, main thing is driving pleasure.

Build quality might be irrelevant to you, but to a person who daily drives such cars, it is important to have a car as reliable and proven as possible - and the Cayman (Porsche's in general) is very good in that regard.

Have you driven both in order to truly give a valid, unbiased opinion? From what I've read, both cars have one of the highest driving pleasure of any car on the market, although the Cayman is bit more predictable at the limit. From my experience (driving), the Cayman S is quite a nice sport cars overall...I haven't had the oppurtunity to drive a Evora, so I can't make a fair judgement between to the two though.

 

[Jim Prower]

Too Japanese? Here's the 911R. Long before any Type R(s) came along.

No, an RS wouldn't work.

Obscurity, you bite me in the ass again.

 

[YSSMAN]

Don't get me wrong, I'm in love with this car in more ways than one... But I think I prefer the Boxster Speedster. I think it has more to do with looks and some classic Porsche performance on that one. Otherwise, I'd have either.

 

[GT_Prologue5]

What I just found so awfully irrelevant in that article is the hp and weight figures. 100-something kilos is like a small tick in the wheel for a car like the Cayman. 330hp? 320 was just fine, but now you add 10 more? Wow, top work there. Unfortunately, Porsche won't put some real Turbo oomph in the Boxster/Cayman's butt, so I'm not getting the point. I'd still rather have the Cayman though, maybe with one of the small 2.9L's.

 

[arvin charles]

What I just found so awfully irrelevant in that article is the hp and weight figures. 100-something kilos is like a small tick in the wheel for a car like the Cayman. 330hp? 320 was just fine, but now you add 10 more? Wow, top work there. Unfortunately, Porsche won't put some real Turbo oomph in the Boxster/Cayman's butt, so I'm not getting the point. I'd still rather have the Cayman though, maybe with one of the small 2.9L's.

It's not just the lighter weight & the small bump in power that makes this car.

Sure, a Cayman S can be configured to have Sport Bucket seats and 19" wheels, however, these two configurations on the Cayman S bring the price very, very close to the price of a Cayman R with AC re-added (readding the stereo, cupholders, and floormatts are $0 options). The remaining few thousand dollars' difference can easily be explained by the different door material, lsd, different suspension, etc. If you choose the lightweight Boxster Spyder wheels on your Cayman S, the "build your own" site requires adding another package, as well, the cheapest of which is over $2,000.

The Cayman R is actually priced very, very reasonably for a "rare, special run" Porsche. Like the 911 GTS, it's a great deal for those who want it. Not to mention the fact that this will probably command a premium over regular Cayman/Cayman S in the future.

 

[Stotty]

And IMHO, build quality is irrelevant, main thing is driving pleasure.

Heh, easy to say when you don't have the neccessary £55k+.

When you do have that sort of money to spend on a car, and it's your own money, build quality and what a car's like to live with on a day to day basis become important considerations.

 

[niky]

True. You spend over £55k, and you don't want an interior that smells like glue or rattles after the first time you hit a pothole.

I still don't see the value in this special edition, though. Rarity, yes. But the gotta-have-it factor, when Porsche have released a bazillion special editions recently...

 

[Stotty]

I still don't see the value in this special edition, though. Rarity, yes. But the gotta-have-it factor, when Porsche have released a bazillion special editions recently...

Agreed 👍

 

[arvin charles]

I still don't see the value in this special edition, though. Rarity, yes. But the gotta-have-it factor, when Porsche have released a bazillion special editions recently...

Price has been released:

2011 Cayman R: $66,300
2011 Cayman S: $61,500

Actually, the Cayman R is a good value, and it doesn't make sense to buy a Cayman S anymore.

Essentially, a Cayman S + Carbon Seats + 19" Boxster Spyder wheels exceeds the $66,300 price of the Cayman R.

The Cayman R also gets an LSD and a different suspension (if it ends up being the same as the Boxster Spyder's, it would be a killer setup).

 

[homeforsummer]

I still don't see the value in this special edition, though. Rarity, yes. But the gotta-have-it factor, when Porsche have released a bazillion special editions recently...

I suppose it's still the most hardcore version of Porsche's arguably best-handling car, which has to count for something.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

If they really want that Cayman/Boxster claims it's place in the automotive world, it will need forced induction. Nothing outrageous, perhaps a single turbo or supercharger, delivering 350bhp+..

 

[Tornado]

They can get that, probably even out of the current engine, without forced induction. They just don't want to do it.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Yes, I know. It would put too big dent into their cherished Arse-engined Nazi-sled Beetle Evolution sales.