Porsche Cayman S Review

The stylish Porsche Cayman S nestles nicely between the Boxster S and the 911 Carrera, in the Porsche family.

Based on the Boxster, the Cayman differs visually in that it has a new front end featuring asymmetric headlights positioned further apart than normal accentuated by large air intakes.

I particularly liked the look of the muscular shoulders over the 18-inch wheels (19-inch wheels are optional with prices starting from £1,018) and the large tailgate that is recessed at the roofline, down through the window level and slopes elegantly to the rear of the car, stopping short of the pop-up rear wing. The wing automatically deploys at speeds above 75mph but can be activated manually via a button on the centre console.

The tailgate allows access to the rear luggage area, which is split into two levels by a stainless steel strip. The 'step' hides a small drop-down flap that hides the compartment for oil and water replenishment. There is only 185-litres of space to the bottom of the window or 260-litres to the roof and is best used for squashy stuff. However, there is a further deep well with a capacity of 150-litres under the bonnet for bulkier items. The bonnet also hides the CD auto changer- it took me a while to find that one.

Inside, the upper shelf, behind the seats has a very useful cargo net, which is great for keeping jackets and handbags in place. The rest of the interior is similar to that of the Boxster S with a few subtle differences. The instrument cluster sits below a newly-designed binnacle and features a centrally positioned rev counter. As you'd expect from a car costing £44,080, there's fair amount of leather, not only on the steering wheel, gearshift and parking brake but also on the door panels and centre console, too.