2012 Porsche Cayman R Review (video)Nissan GT-R, Genesis R-Spec, Volvo R-Design, Jaguar XKR, Integra Type R, Mercedes SLR, Golf R, Audi TT RS; the list goes on and on. Why is "R" so rad? Because race car. All kidding aside, "R" is equal to yesterday's GT and SS. In fact and in some cases, it's more because GT is emphasized by an "R". So was SS at one time but that's not a good example...
Porsche is no new-comer to the "R" fad. One of the most famous and sought-after 911s is the early-seventies Carrera RS. RS typically stands for Rennsport which translates into racing or even motorsports. R is race (now the link makes total sense) for most makes and I believe that the correlation is easy enough to make when it comes to the 2012 Porsche Cayman R.
You may recall the 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder and how good it was. If not, check out our video review of the Boxter Spyder... Everything that made this car blissfully good has been transmitted to the Cayman with a few differences; one subtle, the other obvious. Hot weight loss If you can't figure out the obvious one, think fixed ceiling... The Cayman R, my Cayman R (I wish) was draped in Peridot; while no one seems certain as to how to pronounce the word, what I am convinced of is that this shade of green is the finest colour the car can be painted in. With 19" Boxster Spyder wheels, a 20mm lower ride height, fixed raised rear spoiler and various black and blacked-out exterior features, the R is all that and a sack of potato chips. As with the Spyder, weight reduction is key for the Cayman R. Down 55 kg (121 lbs), the R makes do without fancy items such as interior door handles, A/C, adjustable seats and radio. By doing so, the Cayman R redefines purity of purpose. The handles are replaced by material door pulls, the seats are fixed-back lightweight carbon-fibre drool inducing gaga-worthy units fit for any real race car, while audio and A/C are optional, unfortunately. Unfortunately, because my tester had both. Unfortunate audio-wise, because it added needless grams to the weight of the car, and unfortunate because it was off for the entire week. Hotter power gain Why would anyone ever want to drown out the distinctive metallic burble of a Porsche flat-6 engine? At 3.4L and pushing out 330 hp (the Spyder gets 320 hp, the other difference) and 273 lb-ft of torque, this mid-chassis located lump loves nothing more than being spun to 8,000 rpm. The only other option that should be considered on this car, despite it adding 25 kg (55 lbs) to the car's total weight is Porsche's ridiculously good PDK 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. I'm thinking it as you are: "why not stick to the base 6-speed manual 'box if this is such a purist's car?" Because the PDK is better, smoother and faster than any left-foot, right-hand, heel-toe combination in the world. Period. It's so good, in fact, that it cuts 0.3 second from the 6-speed's 5-second sprint to 100 km/h in Sport Plus mode. And here we find the first option, the Sport Chrono Package Plus. Other than the lovely ornamental yet functional chronograph it adds to the top of the dash, it also includes a rather captivating button located at the bottom portion of the centre console. Said button makes magic happen when coaxed on. Sharp as a butcher's knife to begin with, the Cayman R turns into a lightsabre, slicing and dicing through everything. Too good The 2012 Porsche Cayman R is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best driving car under $100,000. This car has equal competence to the best plastic surgeon in the world, capable of turning Susan Boyle into a Scarlett Johansson. And this, my friends, is a problem. I sound like Clarkson... Yes, the Cayman R is too good. You cannot make a major mistake piloting this car; that is so long as you are not trying to do it on purpose. In fact, with the PDK in "D", anyone could be made to feel like a seasoned weekend track pro. I don't like that. The transmission downshifts with perfectly timed rev matches, upshifts like a hero at exactly the right moment and will hold a gear as long (or longer) than you would under full acceleration. I really don't like that. I do love the Cayman R's superb brakes (PCCB or ceramic brakes could be considered overkill on this lithe car), spectral-powered steering and fool-proof neutral handling, but I love a challenge. Enter the 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupé. This car is a handful, blisteringly fast and separates the weak from the strong. Heck, BMW should sell "I survived a track event in a 1M" t-shirts. OK, I'm goofing off but therein lies the big difference: you need cojones to master a 1M. The Cayman makes you think you're a master. Me want anyways I'd still get one. At roughly $85,000, my tested Peridot had one other major flaw: I could not go anywhere without being stared at. I guess this is designed for throttle-y expressive people like me to save it for the race track and not highways. Yes, I'd still buy one if only to seriously spank some asses at a track event without as much as lifting a finger off the wheel. For the times where I'd want to prove my worth, I'd spring for a 1M.
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