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 For example, the standard door handles have been replaced by cloth straps, both for a retro-racer feel and the all-important whittling down of any excess mass.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

For 2011, Mercedes has retooled their E-Class to increase acceleration, steering dynamics, and comfortability in order to give their stellar convertible a more fun, playful feel than its predecessors. Roadfly TV and host Jessi Lang recently spent some time with the E550 trim, having a blast with its super-quick V8 engine and its gorgeous droptop stylings.

The E550′s engine packs a punch (and a beautiful engine roar)–a 382-horsepower 5.5-liter V8 with 391 pound-feet of torque, nearly 120 horses more than its less expensive trim, the E350. 0-60 times were clocking at around 4.6 seconds, and a top speed restricted to 130 mph. Coupled with a 7-speed “Touchshift” automatic transmission, the E550 gives the driver enthusiast something to really sink their teeth into.

The cabriolet’s soft-top lowers or raises in about 20 seconds, giving you the open air excitement that complements the E550′s quickness. With the soft-top up, cabin noise is much quieter than you would expect, much thanks to the many layers of fabric found woven into the top. With the soft-top down, Mercedes’ new creation, the AirCap–an automatic wind deflector–you’ll hardly get any wind in your face. And Thankfully, trunk-space isn’t hindered like you would expect in a convertible–you’ll be getting just as much room as you would find in any other standard E-Class vehicle.

The interior of the E550 features two highly adjustable driver and passenger seats with lumbar support. This center stack design is identical to those found in the rest of the E-Class lineup; a thunderous Harman-Kardon audio system, a highly responsive and adaptive climate control system, and atypical navigation/infotainment screens. Aside from the comfortable and driver-oriented seats, the thumping audio system and awesome climate control, really the only gripe here is that the rest of the interior amenities are on the plain side.

Altogether, Mercedes might just have what they were hoping for when they designed this for 2011–a new classic. The E550 Cabriolet is fast, luxurious, and a hell of a lot of fun to drive, with or without the top down.

Porsche has a long and legendary history when it comes to sports cars, but new for 2010 is their first addition to the growing luxury sports sedan market: the Porsche Panamera. Our host, Jessi Lang, spent a week road testing and reviewing the Panamera 4S.

With a noticeably Porsche-esque front end, many of the Panamera’s design cues, especially the noticeable sloping roofline that rises toward a high back end, have more in common with the Cayenne than perhaps the Boxster or the 911.

Although the look might be decidedly different from Porsche’s norm, its powertrain is not. Our test car, the Panamera 4S, boasts a 4.8-Liter V8 engine with 400 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, and does 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 175 mph. Fuel economy is decent, you retain 16 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. Not bad for a car that weighs nearly 5,500 pounds. The Panamera also uses a variant of its PDK dual-clutch transmission, one designed specifically for the Panamera in order to achieve a lower center of gravity.

Our test car’s interior is beautiful and high-tech as well as highly customizable, but also has a steep learning curve thanks to the dozens and dozens of dials and buttons that control every aspect of the car and its features. Digital gauges in the dashboard are classy and display all your pertinent information and then some. Hand-stitched leather seats and consoles really enhance the luxury aspect of the Panamera.

Be prepared, however, to spend a pretty penny on the Panamera. The base 4S model starts at $93,800 and our test car topped out at $114,515.

Other Links:

Porsche Panamera Forum

Porsche Panamera video on YouTube

Panamera pictures from the video shoot

Window sticker (Monroney Label) for our test car: 2010 Porsche Panamera 4S