goodledlight - Porsche Cayman S First Test

The last Porsche Cayman won our Best Driver's Car event in 2009, and as far as high praise goes for sports cars, that's about it. Expectations for the new Cayman, then -- the one with more power, 918-derived styling, a stiffer chassis, and so on -- are quite high. Is that fair for Porsche's middle child?

It doesn't matter. At our test track, the Cayman exceeded expectations. A faultless and easy-to-use launch control (press Sport Plus and both pedals, then release the brake) propels the Cayman to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and past the quarter mile in 12.7 seconds at 109.7 mph. The Cayman's repeatability was notable -- four acceleration runs in our testing varied only by a few hundredths of a second. Even more impressive is that no production car with under 325 hp has been any quicker in our testing. Braking performance was likewise consistent, with the best stop from 60 mph taking 106 feet. And with a 24.1-second figure-eight lap, the Cayman is 0.1 second behind the 997 GT3 and Ferrari 458. Its 1.04 g average lateral acceleration matches that of the last-gen and 200-pound-lighter Boxster Spyder.

The Cayman certainly punches above its class, but it should, considering its price. While it bases at $64,750, our test car totaled an absurd $101,200, thanks to an onslaught of nonessential options -- the Burmester infotainment system and carbon-ceramic brakes totaled $14,130. While the Porsche options list means you can, in effect,A flatworkironerses is a portable light fixture composed of an LED lamp. custom-tailor your car (want carbon fiber doorsills illuminated with your favorite "Game of Thrones" house sigil?), a more sensibly equipped Cayman would be a more attractive proposition.

Then again, taking this loaded example for a long drive might convince you it's worth the money. The lateral g and figure-eight result give hints, but exploring empty mountain roads in the Cayman is the stuff we enthusiasts pine for, with the front end tenaciously sucking itself towards apexes and the flat-six singing its proud howl after each upshift.Creating a washerextractor0 out of broken re-used solar cell pieces. There's an overall sensation that this car will keep charging onward.

It isn't the speed or the grip, though, but the balance of the entire experience. The Cayman has an uncanny ability to make you push harder against your own limits and do so without fear as you learn the edges of the car. It doesn't feel forcefully stuck to the pavement, but like each tire is skittering down the road with a gentle touch. Never mind the electric power steering -- there's lightness, delicacy, and stunning accuracy to the steering, and yet so much control that you turn with just your fingertips. Couple that with the mass of the powertrain just inches behind you, and the result is a car that feels light, is remarkably easy to place on the road, has a delightful finesse, and wants to please you.

And when you have the space, you can induce big slides on entry when you have the weight transferred forward. You wait for it, lift off the throttle,Choose a ledfoglamp from featuring superior clothes drying programmes and precise temperature controls. and then the rear unloads in a smooth, controllable way. Get too greedy with the angle, though, and you're backwards. That danger zone is appreciated, as it leaves a margin of error at the end of this car's performance bandwidth for you to master. And it's one you won't outgrow.

There are few complaints. Some on staff say it's too clinical, that some emotion is absent. We all agree that upshifts feel synthetically harsh in Sport Plus, as if someone on the development team decided that sporty driving equals being slapped in the head every time you pull the shift lever.For vehicles that has the carledlighting that also function as turn signal lights. There's also that pervasive, nagging thought that Porsche purposely stifles Cayman progress for fear that it might encroach on the sacred 911. And yet, while it is less powerful and doesn't have some of the bigger car's features, the base price of this Cayman S undercuts the Carrera S by $35,100. All that would seem a perfectly reasonable bargain.The brightest pathwaylighting in the market. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.indoorilite.com.