Our Porsche Cayman S rental car is easily one of the most popular cars we have in our fleet. It’s out more than the others and when it comes back, the customer usually has a big smile on their face and looks at the car three or four times before handing the keys over and saying something like “its got some kick” or “I’m going to miss the sound”. For our clients, it seems very hard not to become emotionally attached to a car like the Cayman S, so when I picked it up on a breezy Wednesday morning, I was expecting to fall in love. The car did not disappoint…



There is little to no difference in the way of styling on our 2010. The original 2006 model was only facelifted a couple years ago with slightly more angular head and taillights, and other minor details. The exterior draws heavily on the Porsche 550 coupe of the ‘50s, especially around the hatch area and how the roof slopes into the rear fenders. Proportionally, it mimics the 904 of the ‘60s with a rather long-looking front overhang and slightly stubby, raised back-end. In many ways, the styling of the Cayman is more voluptuous than that of the 911, although it lacks the raw and iconic shape of the latter. One of the best views of the exterior is the rear ¾ where the hips rise out from behind the door and continue around the back, subtly transitioning into the rear taillights and culminating at the base of the hatch where the speed-deploying rear wing rests.



Not much has changed on the interior either since ‘06, as those who are familiar with the Boxster will instantly recognize nearly everything inside the Cayman. Even 911 owners will feel eerily at home in the mid-engine coupe. The major differences being a triple-gauge pack instead of the traditional 5 found in the 911, and an outward sloping dash with round vents, rather than the sharp-nosed piece with trapezoidal vents. From the doors forward, with the sheetmetal and dash peeled away, one would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the 911 and Cayman/Boxster. However, outside of the driving zone, the similarities end. There is a sense of tightness and intimacy around your shoulders and head due in main part to the small quarter windows, which are essentially useless. They don’t let enough light in and aren’t big enough to see anything out of, which results in a rather large blind spot; albeit, the car is so small that there can hardly be anything hiding back there. But, in typical Porsche fanfare, once you’re in the car and on the road, everything falls perfectly in hand and the blind spot just becomes a very slight nuisance that’s easily worked around.



The current-generation Cayman S (internally designated 987) is due to be replaced next year by an all-new model, as the bulk of production moves from Finland’s Valmet Automotive to Magna Steyr of Austria. Our 2010 car is equipped with the relatively new-for-Cayman, optional 7-speed PDK gearbox that replaces the lethargic Mercedes-Benz-based Tiptronic. The transmission is the biggest leap forward for the Cayman and performs admirably in both automatic and manual shifting modes. If there is any criticism to be levied against the PDK, besides the lack of driver-involvement, is that it takes three downshifts to bring the motor into the powerband when cruising along at 65 mph in top gear. Other than that, it is butter smooth on take-up from a dead stop and seamlessly performs its duties when left in automatic mode. An advantage that the Porsche gearbox has to that of the BMW M3 is that it will creep when you lift your foot off the brake, making it “idle” just like a torque-convertor automatic.



Mated to the PDK is the infamous Porsche flat-6 in 3.4-liter guise. Since 2009, it’s been fitted with the cylinder heads from the Cayman’s bigger brother, the Carrera S. The heads give the motor direct fuel injection, resulting in higher fuel efficiency and also include Porsche’s VarioCam Plus, variable valve timing and lift for excellent mid-range torque and throttle response. Thanks to the aforementioned, the driver has 320 hp at 7200rpm and 251 lb. ft. of torque across a plateau from 4400 to 6000rpm to play with. This translates to a 0-60 time in the mid to low 5 second range, on to a ¼ mile of 13.5 seconds at just over 100mph. However, the story the statistics don’t tell is the beautiful sound the engine makes. Nestled behind the driver and cocooned by the roof, the noise has nowhere to go but in the cabin. Under 4000rpm, there isn’t much going on as the engine is whirring away with sewing machine-like smoothness and a muted hum barely audible. But the throttle pedal is ready to unleash the beast at any moment, and when you stand on the gas hard, things start to happen faster and louder. The Variocam swings the valves open as wide as they’ll go, and a nice, continuous flow of power pushes you forward. The power isn’t overwhelming, but with a muffled roar that turns into a banshee scream at 6000rpm, the Cayman S mimics air-cooled Porsches of the past that became iconic not because of their outright performance, but from the pure sporting feel that flooded the driver’s senses.



To handle the power, Porsche’s chassis engineers have done an impeccable job with the chassis tuning. Around town, the Cayman S doesn’t feel out of sync or jittery over rough and uneven pavement. Even on the worst roads of Los Angeles, the chassis maintains good body control and doesn’t exhibit any of the crashing or cowl looseness that plagues the Boxster. Under full-throttle acceleration, the steering wheel lightens up in a very linear and expected way, and there is no disconnection or confusion relayed to the driver. The backroads are where the Cayman S really shines, and Porsche has delivered yet another fantastic “driver’s car”. The first thing that Porsche-philes will notice when prodding the upper limits of the grip threshold is how harmonious the Porsche Stability Management is. PSM has come a very long way from when it was first introduced on the 911 a decade ago, and it is leaps and bounds ahead of BMW’s DSC in smoothness and integration with the performance of the Cayman S. PSM never feels like it’s pulling the rug out from under the driver, rather it’s more along the lines of a gentle tug when the sensors feel something starting to go wrong. While all modern Porsches are setup with some understeer (GT models excluded) from the factory, a slight lift of the throttle mid-corner can still rotate the back end predictably. Once the nose is pointed in the right direction, simply feed the power back in and the car straightens out, hunkers down and rockets off. If things start going real wrong, the standard steel brakes with their firm and communicative pedal-feel, will work with the PSM to keep all but the most ham-fisted throttle jockeys on the road.



There is hardly any blaring negativity I can levy against our rental Cayman S besides the aforementioned blind spot. Other journalists have nary a criticism about it either. The only thing holding Porsche back from selling these like hotcakes is the pricing. The Cayman is marketed as a stepping-stone between the Boxster and 911. As such, after adding a few options, the price can easily balloon past that of a base or lightly-optioned Carrera. Ironically, this makes the Cayman S an excellent rental car and the main reason why it’s so loveable as part of our lineup. Coupled with solid room for a weekend getaway for two or tool around town, and it’s hard to say no to Porsche’s first production mid-engine coupe.

To rent this Cayman S or any of a number of luxury and exotic cars, please contact me via private message for special Teamspeed pricing. You can also check out our inventory here:

https://www.olympicrentacar.com/luxury-car-rentals