Porsche launching entry-level Cayman
With the Cayman S (right) solidly established in the Porsche lineup after its October 2005 launch, Porsche announced Monday that it will launch a less expensive version of the coupe in July, dubbed simply the Cayman.The 3.4-liter six that helped propel the Cayman S to "2006 World Performance Car" honors is replaced in the Cayman by the Boxster's 2.7-liter version. Putting out 50 hp less than than its bigger sibling, the Cayman's 2.7-liter engine still provides satisfying performance, with a 0-100 km/h time of 6.1 seconds. Interestingly, the Cayman's 2.7-liter offers 5 hp more than the Boxster's, giving the coupe a tenth of a second advantage in the 0-100 km/h sprint.
A five-speed manual is standard, along with the Porsche Stability Management system. An option package offers a six-speed combined with the Porsche Active Stability Management system, while a third version will be available with the Tiptronic S five-speed automatic.
The Cayman will sticker at $49,400 in the U.S., vs. $58,900 for the Cayman S.
Reuters speculates that flagging sales of the Boxster may have driven Porsche to a quick launch of the Cayman, in an effort to freshen up the lower end of its model range.
[Sources: Porsche, Reuters]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Louis Duran 12:05AM (5/23/2006)
Ausgezeichnet! Now I can afford my mid-life crisis car 10 years early. :-) Now if I can just convince my wife we need a Porsche...
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Calvin 12:17AM (5/23/2006)
I have my 2 cents here.
http://wheeltalk.fancal.net/?p=248
Still doubtful whether anyone would pay close to $6K more than a base Boxster for essentially the same specs.
And my mid-life crissis car is a Corvette :)
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Seth 12:48AM (5/23/2006)
Corvette drivers just don't get it.
This car is what the Boxster should have been in the first place. What's of particular interest is that the marketing was to first release the "S" model and then the plain jane. That's not standard Porsche marketing.
I'll let them give me one tho, in exchange for my 968.
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Carster 12:51AM (5/23/2006)
Great looking car but I do not feel that Porsche needed to create another below prosch equality car for their market... But then again I drive a BMW M Coupe which this rivals, but does not compare!
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gbh 3:18AM (5/23/2006)
Thanks Seth,
Nice to know others do get it. The Boxster should have been what smart tuners did to it from day one - given more power.
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shyoon 6:32AM (5/23/2006)
Seth, you might remember that Porsche did a similar thing with the Cayenne - they launched the 'S' and 'Turbo' versions first, and then bottom-rung V6 Cayenne was released later, simply dubbed 'Cayenne'.
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JZeke 7:19AM (5/23/2006)
Porsche is very long term concious. I have a strong suspicion the Cayman and Boxster will be someday receiving turbo motors and even AWD, but only when the 911 has either retired, given a flat 8 to move it up a class or is so expensive to produce that even a base model costs over 100k (current dollars).
A base Cayman is a good thing because unlike the front engine 944 or the ugly-duckling 914 its a sharp car, and 100% Porsche from its tires to steel roof. It means guys (and girls!) like me who enjoy hp but really desire a connection to road have a great alternative to a BMW 3 coupe, an Audi S4 or Lotus Elise.
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MikeW 8:29AM (5/23/2006)
Stupid german social engineering.
The Boxster should be 2.7 base & 3.4 upgrade with 6 speed manuals
The cayman should be 3.2 base & 3.6 upgrade with 6 speed manual
The 911 should be 3.8 base & the 4.0 FSI (when ever it is ready) with 6 speed manual.
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Richard Warren 8:33AM (5/23/2006)
Good plan.
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Ian 8:44AM (5/23/2006)
A slighlty milde engine package saves $10K? Hmm shows that the profit on the "S" model must be quite large for Porsche.
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Michael Karesh 8:50AM (5/23/2006)
I've driven the Cayman, but not yet written up the review. I enjoyed driving it quite a bit more than I enjoyed driving the Boxster, which seemed overly refined for a Porsche. But the price premium over the Boxster is steep. Coupes usually cost significantly less than convertibles. As a result, I don't think the S has been selling well.
The base version should help sell more cars.
And as for profits, all of the Germans charge serious dollars for engine upgrades that cost them relatively little. In the past the 325 and 330 engines were very similar, just different displacements. Cost different probably a couple hundred dollars, if that. But they charged about $5000 more for the larger engine.
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ToddF 10:20AM (5/23/2006)
These posts are interesting - the Boxster and Cayman are exactly the same car, save for the obvious integrated coupe/hardtop design and engine (until 2007, anyway). Same chassis, same suspension, same windshield, same interior, same bumper, same doors, etc. - you get the idea. Where I fail to understand Porsche's logic is with their decision to go with the 3.4l motor on the Boxster in 2007, assumably with the same or similar price point as it is now, making the hardtop version of the SAME care MORE than the convertible version. Never before has this been done, and I think it will be a really hard sell. I would take the softtop version over the coupe all day long ( and have, twice)
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rip 2:38PM (5/23/2006)
I think the worst thing that happened to the Boxster was that Paris Hilton had one. It's performance and street cred went to zero. Here in L.A. it's viewed as a girl car. Not a good thing when your competing against the M3. I mostly see/know only women and gay/metro men with them. It's kind of become the new 560sl, a car for the wife or mistress.
And ToddF. I think the reason the Cayman is more expensive than the Boxster is that the Cayman outperforms the Boxster. In fact, if it had the same HP it would outperform the 911.
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marko 4:28PM (5/23/2006)
If we continue to base credibility of a car on some ultra-skank attention whore like Paris Hilton, then we are truly doomed as a species. Then we will have to include Bentleys, Aston Martins, and Maserati's and Ferrari's because Paris has been seen driving them also.
So what if it is popular with gay/metro and females? Just becuase they like it means their appeal is lost?
Base the credibility of a car on its own merits of performance, value, uniqueness, and appeal. The Boxster is still pretty top notch in those categories.
Sure the Cayman has mechanicals of the Boxster and the 911, but how Porsche was able to combine them is truly something special.
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rip 5:41PM (5/23/2006)
marko:
It's not that the Boxster is a bad car. Far from it. The thing is, is that when your talking about the Boxster, your talking about more than how the car is and performance numbers. At 50k+, things like image, curb appeal, exclusivity and status come into play.
As for the other makes you mentioned, the difference is 50k+ vs. 150k+. And the truth is, a BMW 7-series will pretty much match up against a Bentley(which is based on the VW Phaeton) for a lot less money. So again, the things I mentioned, like image, come into play. And the Bentley (and the other makes) probably does lose some points for the Paris factor and it definitely has a cheese factor. But it's so freaking expensive that its a lot more immune to it.
So yes, I'd have to say that some appeal is lost when your talking about categorizing a sports car as having feminine appeal. Again, the Boxster is a great car, but I'd say it loses points in the image department.
Anyway, I was commenting on the part about how Boxster sales have fallen. It also probably has something to do with the fact that the Boxster was an ultra-trendy (as in Paris Hilton and her ilk buying them up) fashion accessory for awhile, probably inflating sales. And it created a pretty huge inventory of used Boxsters at very reasonable prices.
And afaik, and I could be wrong, but the Cayman is basically a fixed roof version of the Boxster. I don't know how much of a magical combination of Boxster and 911 is involved. What is so special about it vs. the 911 and Boxster is that the mid-engine design is inherently better than a rear-engine design and adding a roof to a car originally designed as a convertible creates an ultra-rigid body, which greatly improves vehicle dynamics.
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arpad 6:22AM (5/25/2006)
"still provides satisfying performance, with a 0-100 km/h time of 6.1 seconds"
LOL
"Cayman will sticker at $49,400"
HAHAHAHA stop it, you're killing me.
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Gary 9:34AM (5/27/2006)
Now just that's great. Another 'knock-off'.
For years we dream about a car we would love to own one day. We save and work harder to feel that euphoric feeling as we go for our first spin, feeling the power and luxury. We feel great and may even show off what we finally worked so hard for and achieved.
Then comes along a cheaper generic version.
What's next in the world? A 99 cents version of the RR Corniche? Perhaps we could call it The RR Cornish Hen.
Oh Brother.
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linda 9:34AM (5/27/2006)
Interesting to read all the comments on the Porsches. If you don't live in California, which we don't, you aren't quite as critical---such as, Paris Hilton having a Boxster. My husband insisted on getting one when they came out the spring of 1997, and we still have it. It is the best car and people see it and think it is new. We didn't get what we ordered (thank God), since another one came in as a demo with all the bells and whistles and was offered to us---it is great, the silver with the Boxster red interior. And as to the power, egad, we are always going too fast as it is. Love cruisin' with the top down.
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Liz 10:02AM (5/27/2006)
245 HP with 201 lb. ft. of torque, and all that for ONLY $50,000? Hmm, let's see; how about 250 HP and 250 lb. ft., 6-speed manual, awd, and handling that puts a smile on my face every time I drive it--and an extra $20,000 left over for groceries?? Oh, and lots of room in the back for said groceries! Summer AND winter!That's what I get with my Subaru Outback 2.5 XT!
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Liz 10:14AM (5/27/2006)
For $20,000 less, I just got 5 more HP and 49 more lb. ft. of torque. I also got awd, 6 speed manual, and handling that puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. And I can drive it all year long here in the snow belt. It's a Subaru Outback 2.5 XT.
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