Cayman S is Autocars best handling car of 2006

[clubsport]

As above, pretty impressive....beating Exige S , latest Gallardo, 997TT, CSR and their favourite Mx5....amongst others.

Very subjective, but having driven Cayman s & Exige S....I would have a difficult time working out which handled best and an even harder time trying to put that into words.

[trackdemon]

Honestly; I picked up the mag, saw the front cover and predicted Brera last, Cayman S first. Too predictable!!!!! Aston DB9 sportpack handles better than '06 Gallardo?

[fuji]

Why no GT3 though ????????

[Yex]

Nice video of how one of the awards was made:

www.autocar.co.uk/popups/video.asp?AR=222412

Yex

[Pugsey]

fuji said:

Why no GT3 though ????????

I think the UK press are finding them impossible to get hold of at the moment - and of course strictly speaking it's not a car actually on sale in UK untill Oct/Nov? Maybe one will feature in EVO's car of the year.

Edited by Pugsey on Thursday 21st September 09:02

[kayc]

clubsport said:

As above, pretty impressive....beating Exige S , latest Gallardo, 997TT, CSR and their favourite Mx5....amongst others.

Very subjective, but having driven Cayman s & Exige S....I would have a difficult time working out which handled best and an even harder time trying to put that into words.

Cayman s handles so well coz it hasnt got enough grunt to get out of shape and the chassis is too capable for the engine performance.If the Cayman had 500bhp i think it would be interesting to see its handling characteristics then

[B15TT0]

well they've made some (they being crazy tuner types) with what I rememember being good power (~400+?) and they've reprtedly gone very well. Would have been nice to see the GT3 in that line up as a comparison though.

[AndrewKillington]

and AutoExpress's performance car of the year ahead of 997 turbo, gallardo etc etc

[kayc]

AndrewKillington said:

and AutoExpress's performance car of the year ahead of 997 turbo, gallardo etc etc

Performance car?

[GravelBen]

kayc said:

AndrewKillington said:

and AutoExpress's performance car of the year ahead of 997 turbo, gallardo etc etc

Performance car?

Yes, the Cayman is a performance car. Surely a 996TT can't corrupt you so much that you don't know that?

[kayc]

GravelBen said:

kayc said:

AndrewKillington said:

and AutoExpress's performance car of the year ahead of 997 turbo, gallardo etc etc

Performance car?

Yes, the Cayman is a performance car. Surely a 996TT can't corrupt you so much that you don't know that?

So is a golf gti,clio trophy,evo,audi rs4 etc,etc...and most of them as quick as a Cayman s or quicker so its all relative.My point is that the Cayman's handling abilities are way beyond its engine performance which is why it gets such accolades about its road holding.Adding power creates handling and braking issues that the Cayman doesnt approach,the opposite being a GT2 where its power and lightness,lack of electronic aids etc make it quite a handful.

[clubsport]

Thats probably why it won Autocars best handling car of the year award, is unlikely to win
their 0-100-0 shootout, ECOTY or caravan mags best tow car.

Personally I feel that 300bhp in a great handling car is almost perfect for UK roads (when you are not stuck in traffic) and the occasional trackday.

[Andrew D]

kayc said:

My point is that the Cayman's handling abilities are way beyond its engine performance which is why it gets such accolades about its road holding.Adding power creates handling and braking issues that the Cayman doesnt approach

I'm not sure that it's so black and white, the "underpowered" sword cuts both ways. There's nothing worse than a car that is always fully within it's limits, it just feels numb and detached.

I think the key is balance. 500bhp in a Gayman would make it a real coffin-filler, whereas 200bhp would make it a real yawn.

[sundiver]

"I think the key is balance. 500bhp in a Gayman would make it a real coffin-filler, whereas 200bhp would make it a real yawn."

Good point but what about that 231hp in your Z4? Filling the boxes or nodding off?

Edited by sundiver on Friday 22 September 09:50

[Andrew D]

sundiver said:

Good point but what about that 231hp in your Z4? Filling the boxes or nodding off?

It's just about right. Being front-mid engined it takes less power to get it out of shape than a 987. But the headline power figure is misleading, it's the torque spread that underpins it's performance.

It's about the correct amount to fully use the chassis (and overcome traction at will) without making it a real handful (as the Z3M is and Z4M can be). Bloody run-flats spoil the balance though, they make it skittish and unpredictable on poor surfaces.

[willr]

kayc said:

So is a golf gti,clio trophy,evo,audi rs4 etc,etc...and most of them as quick as a Cayman s or quicker so its all relative.My point is that the Cayman's handling abilities are way beyond its engine performance which is why it gets such accolades about its road holding.Adding power creates handling and braking issues that the Cayman doesnt approach,the opposite being a GT2 where its power and lightness,lack of electronic aids etc make it quite a handful.

Surely the reason it gets handling accolades is because it handles nicely? Not because it's underpowered. I get the feeling you're applying reverse logic on this to the old turbo vs GT3 debate - surely cars should be judged based on their intended purpose. Cayman was intended as an engaging drive, not the fastest Porsche on the market.

I agree with Chris Harris / Autocar - the turbo doesn't make you feel as much a part of the driving experience as the Cayman. Of course the "what-if" questions are nice to ask, but they will be answered by various tuners...

[BliarsGoing]

500 BHP Boxster. Nuff said.

[Geneve]

The power:handling ratio is a relevant one. There is a point where too much power corrupts the handling.

I think the Caterham (for which the wrong data was quoted in Autocar) is a case in point. A Superlight/R300/R400 would probably have performed better than the 'extreme' CSR260 used for the test. Likewise the new Elise 'S' would probably have been up there.

Have to say though, that, had the new GT3 been available, it would have probably won.

[kayc]

willr said:

kayc said:

So is a golf gti,clio trophy,evo,audi rs4 etc,etc...and most of them as quick as a Cayman s or quicker so its all relative.My point is that the Cayman's handling abilities are way beyond its engine performance which is why it gets such accolades about its road holding.Adding power creates handling and braking issues that the Cayman doesnt approach,the opposite being a GT2 where its power and lightness,lack of electronic aids etc make it quite a handful.

Surely the reason it gets handling accolades is because it handles nicely? Not because it's underpowered. I get the feeling you're applying reverse logic on this to the old turbo vs GT3 debate - surely cars should be judged based on their intended purpose. Cayman was intended as an engaging drive, not the fastest Porsche on the market.

I agree with Chris Harris / Autocar - the turbo doesn't make you feel as much a part of the driving experience as the Cayman. Of course the "what-if" questions are nice to ask, but they will be answered by various tuners...

If its just a handling question..can the cayman s handle better than an EVO9?

[clubsport]

KayC, yes because one is a tactile mid engine 2wd sportscar, the other is a 4wd saloon with a tricky diff set up.
I would expect the Evo 9 to have more mechanical grip than a cayman S as would a 997TT....but this is not the same thing as handling.