Powering the Cayman is an engine with links to both the 911’s and Boxster’s. The 3387cc flat six is an enlarged version of the Boxster S’s 3.2-litre motor, but with the VarioCam Plus variable-valve timing from the 911 applied for good measure. The result is 295bhp at 6250rpm and 251lb ft of torque between 4400rpm and 6000rpm. This sits ideally between the 321bhp 911 Carrera and the 276bhp Boxster S.
A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, but Porsche still hasn’t finished its long-awaited dual-clutch transmission, so the only self-shifting option is the disappointing Tiptronic.
Adding a roof to the Boxster platform has obviously created extra stiffness, but the key to this car’s handling balance should be the basic positioning of the engine. This is the first mid-engined Porsche coupé since the 914 of 1969 and, as the company is keen to point out, there aren’t many direct rivals currently available.
Typically, Porsche is coy on specific numbers, simply stating that the 911 and Cayman bodyshells offer near identical torsional stiffness, and that the Cayman is 100 per cent stiffer than the roadster on which it is based.
It is a platform that has allowed firmer springs and dampers all round, a thicker anti-roll bar at the front and, interestingly, a smaller bar at the rear compared to a Boxster S. An adaptive damping system (PASM – Porsche Active Suspension Management) is an £1030 option and was fitted to the test car.
Styling is a contentious issue. The car looks unquestionably better in the metal than it does on the page, but there are confusing elements around the rear arches and those front fog lights aren’t integrated with quite the subtlety we might have expected. Surprisingly, on the road the Cayman looks like no other Porsche. The differences are small, but it has a stance all of its own.