2012 Porsche Cayman R

The 2012 Porsche Cayman R was one of the most-anticipated cars to ever come through the Roadfly office.  The car’s stats are simply stunning: 0-60mph in 4.7 sec. 330hp @ 7500rpm, 2855 lb.  Even the door handles have been replaced with nylon tabs to reduce weight.

The results are predictable.  The Cayman R is virtually telepathic, to the point that it nearly bores you.  It’s so free of vice that you start to feel that it’s just like a normal, civilized car, with a tad more immediacy…and you wonder what the big deal is.  Only when you go back to your daily driver do you realize how responsive the Cayman actually is.

It’s a nearly perfect machine.  It makes few compromises that interfere with spirited driving, but still manages to be completely docile, tractable, and even practical with its two trunks and stellar reliability.  It also gets great fuel mileage, at 19 city and 27 highway when equipped with the 6-speed manual.

Ever gone to a movie that didn’t blow you away at first, but weeks later you’re still thinking about it and can’t get it out of your head?  That’s what my days with the Cayman R left me with.  This car is definitely on my ‘short list’ of cars I want to own before I die.  It’s slightly expensive with a starting MSRP of $66,300, but given how well-built Porsches are in general and how good their resale values are, the price is fair in my opinion.

YouTube Video link: 2012 Porsche Cayman R

Visit the Roadfly forums for a downloadable window sticker.

Vehicle: 2012 Porsche Cayman R
Base Price: $66,300
Price as tested: $73,280
Engine: 3.4L Horizontally opposed 6 cylinder
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Horsepower: 330 @ 7,400 rpm
Torque: 273 lb-ft. @ 4,750 rpm
0-60 MPH: 4.7 sec.
Curb Weight: 2,855 lb.
Warranty: 4 years, 50,000 miles (vehicle)
Fuel Economy: 19 city / 27 highway MPG

2012 Porsche Cayman R

Porsche unveiled the raw and racy Cayman R at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show. It’s a lighter (by over 120lb) and more powerful (by 10hp, at 330hp) than the already-potent Cayman S. That gives the Cayman R a lip-smacking curb weight of 2855lb (6-speed MT), and nearly 100hp/liter from its 3.4L flat-6.

It’s raw inside and out, with unique colors and graphics for the exterior, and lots of visible weight reductions inside to give it a race-ready feeling. For example, the standard door handles have been replaced by cloth straps, both for a retro-racer feel and the all-important whittling down of any excess mass.

This is a hotly-anticipated car at Roadfly! We like Porsches, especially Porsches that hearken back to the golden age of club racing. The Cayman R will go on sale in the U.S. early next year with a MSRP of $66,300, excluding $950 for destination.

For more about the Cayman please visit the owners forum: Porsche Cayman Forum

Porsche Cayman R

2012 Porsche Cayman R

Porsche used the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show as the venue to unveil the new 2012 Porsche Cayman R.  President and CEO, Matthias Muller, was on hand to make the introduction.

The new 2012 Cayman R is now the lightest and most powerful model of any Cayman or Boxster. With weight savings of 161 lbs, the Cayman R offers a highly efficient 3.4-liter six-cylinder Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) boxer engine found in the Cayman S, but dishes out 10 more horsepower. It will go on sale in the U.S. early next year with a MSRP of $66,300, excluding $950 for destination.

For more auto show coverage or car review videos, check us out on YouTube:  RoadflyTV

Rant or rave about the new Cayman in our forums:  Porsche Cayman Forum.

Join our host Charlie Romero as he tests the 2008 Porsche Cayman at Barber Motorsport Park outside Birmingham, AL. The mid-sized Cayman sport coupe is sized in between its siblings, the slightly smaller Boxster and the larger 911 Carrera.

The base model Cayman has the 2.7L H6 engine that produces 245 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 201 lb-ft. of torque from 4,600-6,000 rpm. The fuel economy is impressive considering the performance, getting 20 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. The 3.4L H6 engine of the 2008 Cayman S produces 20% more horsepower, making 296 horsepower at 6,250 rpm and 251 lb-ft of torque from 4,440-6,000 rpm, with a 0-60 time in 5.1 seconds. The Cayman S, like the base Cayman, also gets surprisingly good mileage with 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. For ride comfort in either model, you can opt in for Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) that lets you choose between Normal or Sport settings depending on the driving situations and conditions.

The Cayman proves that Porsche can excel at other things than performance, mixing in an appealing look and practicality. Even with the sleek, sloping styling, the rear trunk has more space than the new Honda Accord with room to hold a set of golf clubs while there is even more additional space in the front trunk. For convenience, the Cayman includes the optional Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system, packaging navigation, twenty-three stages of map magnification, and a 5.8-inch color monitor paired to a multifunction steering wheel with controls for audio, navigation, and telephone features.

Discuss the 2008 Cayman model: Porsche Cayman Forums

Specs for the 2008 Porsche Cayman:
Wheels and tires: 6.5J x 17 with 205/55 ZR17 (front) 8J x 17 with 235/50 ZR17 (rear)
Engine: Water-cooled, mid-mounted, horizontally-opposed “Boxer” six-cylinder
Horsepower: 245 hp @ 6,500 rpm
Torque: 201 lb-ft. @ 4,600-6,000 rpm
Gearbox: 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, or Tiptronic S
Redline: 7,300 rpm
0-60 mph: 5.8 sec.
Fuel economy: 20 city mpg/29 mpg highway
Fuel: Premium unleaded
Base price: $49,400
As tested price: $52,635