Auto Trader

Porsche’s latest model, the Cayman S is fast, stunning to look at and awesome to drive – and at £15,000 less than the cheapest 911, the Cayman S is great value too.

But for some Porsche is the 911; the rest of the range are merely impostors. Stuart Milne says this is tosh and the baby Porker is one of its best for years.

As Porsche’s press officer handed me the keys to a spanking new Cayman S, she whispered: “make sure you redline it in second and third gear”.

With those words ringing in my ears, I took a moment to get acquainted with the dashboard, and arranged the seat and mirrors to prepare myself for the journey ahead.

The interior has a familiar feel about it; hardly surprising given it has been ripped from the Boxster. In fact around 60 per cent of the Cayman’s parts are shared with either the Boxster or 911.

As I fired it up, the Cayman was so serene that I began to doubt its claimed 171mph top speed and 0-60mph time of 5.4 seconds.

That was until I floored the throttle, dumped the clutch and the curvy coupe blasted onto the track at an industry event at the Millbrook test track near Bedford.

About two seconds later I realised what I’d been told about hitting maximum revs on second and third, so I slammed the pedal through the metal.

As the needle passed 6,000rpm the docile engine seemed to be replaced with something more suited to a space shuttle. It is the most spine-tingling sound I’ve ever heard.

And with the hairs on the back of my neck standing end on end, I hooked third gear and did it all over again.

At high speeds the Cayman feels so stable, and in my humble opinion more so than the 911. And that’s some achievement.

On the twisty bits, the little two-seater is the last word in chuckability and the Porsche Stability Management is one of the most seamless safety systems I’ve ever experienced. It controls the amount of power going to each wheel and ensures you don’t look like a clown if you lock the wheels up under braking.

You could switch it off, of course but you may as well take yourself to A&E and save the ambulance service the hassle.

Clambering out of the car breathless, I took the opportunity to survey the bodywork. Despite being finished in red, and not Porsche’s trademark silver, it is immediately recognisable.

The stunner from Stuttgart looks sleek yet muscular; its rear haunches bring to mind a panther about to pounce and devour its prey.

Something it is capable of achieving with frightening brutality.

The front is pulled straight from the Boxster, but that’s no bad thing as its one of the prettiest faces of any car. The back isn’t quite as sexy as its drop-top sibling, with a small lip spoiler spoiling the lines.

But I’d rather have this than be spat into a ditch at over 170mph.

So, what’ll a Cayman set you back? You’ll need to hand over almost £44,000 to your friendly local Porsche dealer for an S, and another £1,760 if you want the semi-automatic Tiptronic.

But they’re in such demand that far from getting a bargain, you can pay up to £12,000 above list price; unless you’re lucky enough to be at the front of the waiting list.

But as a driver’s car, it’s worth every penny.