2012 Porsche Cayman R

2012 Porsche Cayman R

Diehard Porsche fans will never sway from the 911, it is the model to own if you were just going to buy one and one Porsche only. However, since the introduction of the mid-engine Boxster platform in 1997, drivers and enthusiasts have wrestled with the romance between predictable handling that makes the car feel like it is on rails. Porsche executives aren’t off their rocker though, they have strategically kept a gap between the Boxster/Cayman platform and the entry-level 911—they don’t want all their diehard enthusiasts hate mail in their mailbox. That said, Porsche is loosening the reigns a little with the 2011 Porsche Cayman R—a car that is pure poetry in motion.

2012 Porsche Cayman R

2012 Porsche Cayman R

First, who can resist a lime green and black Porsche with a fixed wing and special edition decals? If you can resist the exterior color, I would be willing to bet that you can’t resist the 330 hp matted to a 6-speed manual transmission. If you think that sounds more powerful than the standard Cayman S you would be right. Porsche has added 10 extra horsepower to the Cayman R and reduced its weight by a remarkable 121 pounds. The Cayman R’s weight loss plan includes aluminum doors, lighter seat structures, redesigned wheels, fixed rear wing (as opposed to a powered one) and optional weight reduction like air conditioning and radio delete, carbon-ceramic brakes and a lithium-ion starter battery.

After all that we can imagine you are on the edge of your seat to know how fast the newest sibling in the Cayman family can go. The top speed is ungoverned at 175 mph and the 0-60 times is estimated to be just over 4.0 seconds. For those of you keeping track that is bound to be half a second quicker than the entry-level 2011 Porsche 911 (997) that makes the 0-60 run in 4.7 seconds.

Bottom line—the 2011 Porsche Cayman R is a small, agile and racing inspired driving machine and one we would love to have in our garage tomorrow.

 

[Source: Car and Driver]