Probando el Cayman

[Porschete]

No es el primer articulo que leo sobre las primeras pruebas del Cayman. Pero éste tiene fotos y es bastante mas extenso de lo normal. El articulo no tiene desperdicio es acojonante, y el coche... 4 segundos menos, casi nada...:

http://automobilemag.com/reviews/coupes ... _cayman_s/


















2006 Porsche Cayman S


By Joe DeMatio , Georg Kacher
Photography: Alex P

Almost exactly one mile long and slowly rotting away in the southern sun, the Autodromo di Bari is what they call a Mickey Mouse circuit--more corners than a spiral staircase, second- and third-gear stuff only, and one fairly long straight where you hit 110 mph at 7000 rpm before dropping the anchors, pronto. This is the place where Porsche has brought us to sample a Cayman S development mule equipped with PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management, or, simply, adjustable dampers), PCCB (Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes), and nineteen-inch wheels (which are an option).

For those of you who aren't Porsche diehards, the Cayman is essentially a Boxster with a steel coupe roof and a hatchback. Porsche claims that as a result of the steel surgery, torsional rigidity doubles. The Cayman also gets stiffer springs for its strut-type suspension, because, as Porsche's chassis gurus point out, you can use stiffer springs in a stiffer car without unduly affecting ride comfort. Damper rates stay effectively the same, but the Cayman has thicker antiroll bars. Eighteen-inch wheels will be shod with 235/40YR-18 front and 265/40YR-18 rear performance tires on the standard S. The Cayman in these photos wore Michelin Pilot Sport PS2s, but Porsche plans to use two or three different tire suppliers.

The 3.4-liter version of Porsche's M96 flat-six engine family from the Boxster and the 911 does duty here and is tweaked to deliver 295 hp and 255 lb-ft of torque, versus the 280 hp and 236 lb-ft in the Boxster S's 3.2-liter engine. (And versus the 325 hp in the 3.6-liter base 911 Carrera.) It propels the Cayman S from 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 171 mph. Porsche's famed test driver and former World Rally champ Walter Röhrl gets the Cayman S around the Nürburgring's Nordschleife track in eight minutes, eleven seconds, which is four seconds faster than a published time for the base 911 Carrera, again with Röhrl driving.


All of the Boxster's chassis systems, which themselves are largely shared with the 911, have, of course, migrated to the Cayman S, including PASM, which is an option, and Porsche Stability Management (PSM), which is standard. The Cayman also will be offered with the Sport Chrono package and its nifty lap-time counter built into the dash. Without PASM, Röhrl's trip around the 'Ring would be three seconds slower. The ceramic brakes are another option. At 13.2 pounds each, the ceramic brake discs are exactly half as heavy as the standard cast-iron units, but that particular decrease in unsprung weight also decreases your net worth by about eight grand. In general, the Cayman's brakes are identical to those of the Boxster, but Porsche modified the front dam to bring a bit more cooling air to the discs, and the ABS has been mildly tweaked.

The Cayman's exterior is very clearly derived from the Boxster's, and in fact most body panels back to the haunches are identical. Prominent round foglamps distinguish coupe from roadster in the front profile, and the Cayman side view--not its prettiest angle, we feel--is notable for the domelike steel roof and the unique side air intakes. The rear quarter-windows are the same shape as the 911's but are turned on end. When you move to the rear, there is no mistaking the Cayman for a Boxster, a 911, or anything else on the road. The rapidly sloping hatch dives deeply between the rising hip lines of the rear wheel arches in obvious homage to the 550 Spyder of James Dean fame. At the trailing edge of the hatch lid, just below the "Cayman S" script, a subtle rear wing is ready to deploy once the car reaches 75 mph.

The lightweight hatch lid rises easily to expose a trunk that is similar in size, depth, and shape to that of the Boxster. An aluminum scuff plate covers the transition area from the trunk up to a cargo shelf over the engine compartment. Two narrow but deep lidded storage bins flank the shelf, which probably could hold an attaché case under its net but not much more, since the rear glass closes in quickly here. There's a lot of floor space, but much of it is marginally useful. Fortunately, the Box-ster's deep front trunk carries over intact. From the driver's seat, the Cayman is pure Boxster--except that the instrument faces are gray, not white or black, and the cargo shelf is right behind your head. This is not the place to stash a carton of eggs for the trip home from the supermarket.

But here at the track, we aren't hauling groceries. Gerhard Rinke, the vehicle dynamics team leader for the new Porsche Cayman, takes us out for ten laps, before it's our turn to drive. First impressions are that the Cayman is as snug-fitting for the driver as it was for the passenger and that the mid-mounted engine makes life hard for the air-conditioning; the cabin serves up rump roast over frozen heart as a summer dish.

Dynamically, though, the Swabian reptile is sensational, impressing most with the fluidity of its motions. On the road, you might play with the Sport button to fine-tune the ride, but on the track, PASM automatically selects the tautest suspension setting. As long as you drive it neatly, this car almost never sheds its composure. A ragged side to its behavior appears only when you start to overdrive it by braking too late, missing turn-in points, and stepping on the gas too early, which leads to initial understeer, impromptu oversteer, and noticeable tire wear. As long as you don't mess up your inputs, however, the Cayman S will reward you with intuitive responses. The steering simply transfers the blacktop into the palms of your hands in a quick and unambiguous, responsive and progressive, well- damped and yet totally unfiltered manner.

The beefed-up chassis is a more focused and even more congenial partner than before, but it is difficult to assess how much of this is because of the new Michelin tires, which combine sensational grip with commendably communicative behavior at the limit. Lapping Bari at near-race speeds is like dancing with Margot Fonteyn, playing a piano duet with Vladimir Horowitz, or teaming up with Roger Federer for tennis doubles. It's that good.

Our baby croc is fitted with the Sport Chrono package, which, at the push of a button, speeds up the throttle response, replaces the soft rev cut-out with a hard one, stiffens the damping (with PASM), and lowers the stability system's angst. Hitting the button is a bit like dressing up for Friday night, so prepare for more expressive manners and a louder appearance. The next step beyond Chrono is to disable the PSM stability system completely, which means third-gear power oversteer--if your name is Rinke. "You can slide this car all the way to the limit at virtually any velocity," he says with a boyish grin. In view of the grippy blacktop and the chewing-gum tires, we find that simply stomping hard on the gas pedal won't push the tail out. You have to turn in late into a bend, unload the rear tires, and boot the right pedal to unsettle the gator's tail, but once the fat Michelins let go, you can drift from dusk to dawn.
As with every serious sports car, the Cayman's essence is timing, rhythm, and coordination. After twenty laps, we're still learning the track--adjusting lines, modifying ap-proaches, braking later, and hitting the gas earlier. The Porsche is playing along, initially like a tool, then like an instrument, and eventually like a partner, always ready to complement and cooperate. The tin-roof Boxster makes us feel heroic, and it doesn't stop play until its tires look like those on the back of Fernando Alonso's Renault at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The new Porsche is actually everything the 911 has not been for most of its career: confidence-inspiring, super-stable, totally balanced, quite forgiving, a gifted storyteller that is equally good at listening. Although there is almost no rubber left when rain starts to fall just before sunset, the ceramic brakes are still reassuringly powerful and ready for the next hundred laps. On the road, PCCB may be an expensive luxury, but pedal feel that never varies is a highly comforting commodity on the track. We also discovered that the Cayman sounds great, and the performance feels as if Porsche's claims may be conservative.

The Cayman confirms the theory that the Boxster platform is an all-time masterpiece. The coupe certainly feels more solid than a Boxster, like a jigsaw composed from fewer parts, and it is more balanced than the 911. It is also less of a challenge to drive hard than the rear-engined supercar, so you can see why Porsche chairman Wendelin Wiedeking doesn't want to give it any more power.

What Porsche will do to the Cayman is add a more affordable 250-hp version in 2007. We think Porsche should conceive a stripped Clubsport edition equipped with a high-performance engine, because it's patently obvious that this car could easily cope with an extra 100 hp. After a visit to the power doctor, the mid-engined Porsche would be so good that Ferrari would need a truly stellar Dino--its rumored entry-level model--to strike back.

Porsche is positioning the Cayman S as a sort of premium Boxster, a strategy underscored by the entry price of $59,695. On sale in January, the Cayman S will attempt to defy the generally accepted wisdom that ragtop cars should cost more than their hardtop brethren. Given Porsche's recent history in defying generally accepted wisdom--the success of the Cayenne comes to mind--the Cayman S doesn't seem like much of a risk, especially since it is such a seriously quick all- arounder and track day hero.

Base price: $59,695
Engine: 3.4 L H-6, 295hp, 255 lb-ft
Drive: Rear-wheel
0-60 mph: 5.1 sec (est.)
0-100 mph: 12.0 sec (est.)
1/4-mile: 13.7 sec @ 105 mph (est.)
Top speed: 171 mph

[Porschete]

http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=102787













Inspiration for this grand Cayman comes from the classic 904 road car, itself derived from Porsche racers. The coupe draws on Boxster parts, but is visually and aerodynamically distinctive. (Photos by Ingo Barenschee)

2006 Porsche Cayman S
Stuttgart's New Baby: Cayman S is exactly what a Porsche should be
GREG KABLE
Published Date: 7/25/05
2006 PORSCHE CAYMAN S
ON SALE: Spring
BASE PRICE: $59,695
POWERTRAIN: 3.4-liter, 295-hp, 251-lb-ft H6; rwd, six-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 3152 lbs
0 TO 62 MPH: 5.4 seconds (mfr.)

It’s 4 p.m. and Table Bay in Cape Town, South Africa, swelters. It is closing in on 92 degrees—beach weather to the tourists, but in our hotel’s underground garage it’s a more agreeable 67. Or so it says on the Cayman S’s temperature display.

In the driver’s seat of the new Porsche coupe for the first time, we slip the key into its traditional spot to the left of the steering wheel and fire up the car’s engine. Nudge the throttle and a hard metallic blare echoes off the bare concrete walls. The exhaust note, deep and baritone, is unmistakably that of a horizontally opposed six. Helmut Widmaier, Cayman project leader, settles in alongside. “Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?” he remarks.

Ever since word filtered out Porsche was planning a two-seat mid-engine coupe based on the second-generation Boxster, we’ve itched to drive it. Are those figures suggesting it laps the Nürburgring faster than a 911 Carrera correct? Is Zuffenhausen’s latest really as good as we’ve heard?

We’re here with Porsche’s development team, taking part in a final Cayman S durability test before its September debut at the Frankfurt show. The prototypes we’ve flown 12 hours from Europe to drive are hand-built to showroom specification. Estimated value? More than $1 million. Each. The idea is to push them hard over a variety of roads. It’s clearly not going to be as taxing as hot-weather testing in Death Valley or in Finland’s subzero temperatures. It’s more about confirming the 1.25 million miles already logged have yielded the results Porsche was after.


“We’ve done a lot of mileage, first with the Boxster and then the Cayman, so we’re pretty confident there’ll be no major problems,” says Widmaier.

Inching out of the parking garage we emerge into bright sunlight. The two-way radio crackles with static as we run along wide city streets and then out onto highways heading east. Except for some superficial disguise adorning the nose and tail, the prototype we’re driving is faithful to the production Cayman S.

On smooth asphalt the low-speed ride is commendably compliant. This blue prototype runs optional 19-inch rubber, which doesn’t help the ride much, but there is no real impact harshness. You’d have no trouble using the Cayman daily. Even at higher speeds through Cape Peninsula National Park, where the road deteriorates badly, there’s enough compliance to soak up the rough spots.

In a bid to justify the premium price (almost $60,000 before options), Porsche has given this new mid-engine coupe a unique name and a unique engine. The 3386-cc flat-six shares its design with the 3179-cc unit from the Boxster S and the larger 3596-cc mill from the rear-engine 911 Carrera, taking the 78-mm stroke of the former and combining it with the 96-mm bore of the latter. With VarioCam Plus providing continuous adjustment of the inlet and exhaust valves, it kicks out 295 hp and 251 lb-ft of torque between 4400 and 6000 rpm. These figures represent improvement on the Boxster S’s 277 hp and 236 lb-ft, but stop short of the 911 Carrera’s 321 hp and 273 lb-ft.


Sending drive to the rear wheels is a standard six-speed manual gearbox. It’s a delight to use—firm without being recalcitrant when rapid shifts are called for and direct between the gates.

We find ourselves dropping down a couple of gears more often than necessary, simply to sample the engine’s alluring acoustics. While reminiscent of the tune the Boxster plays, the Cayman S delivers a soundtrack all its own. Unobtrusive down low, the engine takes on a harder edge at 3500 rpm. The note hardens more at 4700 rpm, as a resonance valve in the inlet manifold closes before reaching a whining mechanical crescendo just short of that 7000-rpm redline. Probing visits to the limiter are a regular occurrence as we leave Simon’s Town to begin a climb westward to Scarborough.

By the end of the first day we’re left with little doubt the new car is more than a fixed-roof Boxster. It might share some 40 percent of the Boxster’s components, but this coupe has a distinctive on-road character.

The trick for Porsche will be not so much to convince Audi TT, Mercedes-Benz SLK and Nissan 350Z owners to trade up as it will be to deter 911 owners from trading down to the cheaper but arguably more driver-oriented Cayman.


Next day, heading southwest to Gordon’s Bay we get another chance to stretch the car’s legs. The new engine’s capacity might be only 207 cubic centimeters up on the Boxster S, but it gives the impression of being more muscular and responsive. As Porsche intended, the performance falls midway between the Boxster S and the 911 Carrera.

Weighing 3152 pounds, the Cayman S boasts a power-to-weight ratio squarely centered between the two. Porsche claims 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.4 seconds and a 171-mph top speed. The official Boxster S figures are 5.5 seconds and 166 mph respectively, with the 911 Carrera at 5.0 and 177.

Before long, coastal vegetation gives way to lush mountain terrain. The Franschhoek Pass, rising to 2440 feet, is not long at about five miles. But if any road is going to tell us about the Cayman’s dynamic qualities, Franschhoek Pass is it.

It’s immediately apparent Porsche was right to think the Boxster chassis could handle the added power and torque. The basic geometry remains unchanged, though the springs and shocks are stiffened slightly, the antiroll bars increased in diameter, and the bushings altered.


We’re driving hard, testing the Cayman S’s poise, agility and control. It’s a car you can push to the limits with supreme confidence. Lift off mid-corner and it tucks back into line with no theatrics. It’s not only adroitness that makes the handling so agreeable, but the superb traction out of corners.

There is enough power to provoke naughty power slides, once an initial penchant to run the nose wide is overcome. A standard Porsche Stability Management system ensures sideways action is quickly reined in, though we switch it off to delve further into the Cayman’s dynamics.

The biggest surprise is just how solid the Cayman feels. The fixed roof provides practicality and a silhouette resembling the 911’s earlier incarnations, and boosts torsional rigidity to 911-like levels.

Backing it all up is brilliant steering, shared with the Boxster, that is enhanced by the more rigid chassis. Load up the steering and it responds faithfully, with wonderful weight at turn-in. Kickback doesn’t corrupt it when the surface turns nasty, and it self-centers with enthusiasm.


With the standard 12.5-inch front and 11.8-inch rear steel rotors, this car’s stopping ability is astonishing. When you stand on the Cayman S’s middle pedal, the effect is like landing in a jet plane when the pilot engages its reverse thrusters.

Later we run the pass again, and the Cayman’s dynamic focus rises to the fore. There is sensitivity to the driving experience that makes you feel totally connected with the car. Hooked into a corner, the Cayman’s body remains flat and those 19-inch tires—235/35 up front and 265/35 at the rear—provide huge grip. Widmaier says the car’s center of gravity is up about half an inch over the Boxster, owing to the roof structure and the large rear window.

After a full afternoon of driving we find ourselves on a road that winds its way along the Atlantic coastline, past the seaside townships of Clifton, Bantry Bay and Green Point. We cruise through town, peering sideways into shop fronts to catch an occasional glimpse of the car’s silhouette.

The Cayman looks better in the metal than it does in most photographs. Whatever you think of former Porsche design boss Harm Lagaay’s efforts in creating a coupe to stand alongside the iconic 911, the look—much like that exhaust note—is unmistakably Porsche. It’s a pity it is so wrought with Boxster cues.


The interior also borrows heavily from Boxster. From the seatbacks forward the two are identical, save for the shape of the instrument binnacle. The businesslike design lacks the flamboyance of some rivals, but the finish is first-rate. The mid-engine layout does not permit more than two seats, but Porsche uses the space freed up over the engine for a parcel shelf capable of swallowing up to nine cubic-feet of luggage, almost double the Boxster’s rear cargo space. Both vehicles offer a 5.3-cubic-foot cubbyhole under the front decklid. Not since the demise of the 968 has a Porsche sports car proven so practical.

Before we’re done, the engineers have found a small rattle in the hatchback and massaged a fix by changing the rubber compound on some seals. This close to production, it’s down to minor details—they’ve got the major elements in the bag.

On our final morning, leaving Cape Town, we get a further reminder of the potency of the Cayman S’s engine. Throughout, however, the thing that keeps impressing is its engaging chassis. Over twisty mountain roads lined with huge boulders and sheer cliffs, the Cayman is simply awesome.

It doesn’t feel like a Boxster. It’s sharper, more focused. The performance is clearly a notch or two above the car with which it shares so much and alongside which it will be built at Porsche partner Valmet’s assembly plant in Finland.

Call it the enthusiast’s choice.

[993 c4s]

El cayman, un modelo a batir.


Me gusta mycho el modelo pero es un híbrido entre un 911 y un boxter. no me importaría tenerlo claro, pero no me acaba de matar. Además, no me gusta que la marca saque tantos modelos tan casi iguales pero diferentes.

me gustaba más cuando había 924, 944, 928, 964....993-996, ahora diversifican tanto los modelos que ya no es lo mismo....y ahora un 4 puertas. seguro que es bonito pero un porsche es un porsche.

bueno, un saludo y espero que todo mejore, que seguro que lo hará

[Artrech]

1430 Kg de peso!!!!!!!

No puede ser mas que el 997 Carrera.

Saludos

[julius]

A mi me gusta todo menos el nombre.
Delantera Porsche, trasera Jaguar E y motor central.
Me gustaría ver una comparativa con un 996 de 300 CV.
Lo que no entiendo es el precio superior a un Boxster S por 15 CV, llegado el momento de la compra (hipótesis) para mí sería un dilema existiendo el techo duro para el Boxster.

Saludos

[Damocles]

Es motor delantero? o es que tienes que oir el ruido en el habitaculo?

Por que como sea motor delantero en fin ya me entendeis (Joer que puntillosos soy)

[Artrech]

No, es motor central como el Boxster.

Me gustaría ver una comparativa con un 996 de 300 CV.
Lo que no entiendo es el precio superior a un Boxster S por 15 CV, llegado el momento de la compra (hipótesis) para mí sería un dilema existiendo el techo duro para el Boxster.

Yo creo que tendria que tener el motor del 996 con 300 CV y por su puesto que el 997 tenga solo el motor de 355 CV.

Saludos

[Porschete]

Primera Impresión: 2006 Porsche Cayman
El espíritu de los primeros ágiles 911 nace otra vez en el nuevo cupé de Porsche derivado del Boxster

Escrito por Paul Horrell
Fotografía por el fabricante
Motor Trend en Espanol, August 2005
Heinz Bernhard lo hace para que usted no tenga que hacerlo. En el Ártico, soporta temperaturas tan bajas que le harían llorar, y las lágrimas se congelarían en sus mejillas. En los veranos calientes en Sudáfrica y el Valle de la Muerte, se lanza a los hornos de la naturaleza, entre aire tan caliente que resulta violento. Conduce en caminos remotos y duros, evitando la comodidad de estar con extraños. Busca la humedad y el polvo. Es muy probable que Bernhard ha estado en donde sea que los caminos sean hostiles para los autos. Como jefe de pruebas de Porsche, debe encontrar las mejores maneras de castigar, erosionar y acabar con las vidas de los prototipos del fabricante. Es debido a esta difícil supervivencia con Bernhard que los Porsche surgen tan fuertes y tan bien hechos.

Su más reciente tarea es el nuevo Cayman S. Para cuando Motor Trend se unió al programa, el Cayman ya pasó por las horribles fases de su régimen de pruebas. La suspensión —de un Boxster, pero más "hard-core"— está ajustada a su máximo. El motor —una amalgama de Boxster y 911— ya fue desarrollado, probado y calibrado. El auto ya terminado pasó por su ciclo de pruebas en calor y frío. Aún falta algo de trabajo crucial, pero en este día soleado, Bernhard puede hacer su trabajo sin sufrir incomodidades físicas. Vamos, incluso estamos cerca de algunos viñedos de calidad y restaurantes elegantes y, como pronto descubrí, cuando surge la oportunidad a Bernhard le gusta consentirse y consentir a su equipo.

Esto ocurrió en abril, en Sudáfrica, seis meses antes de la develación pública del coche en el auto show de Frankfurt. (A cambio de este acceso, tuvimos que firmar temibles documentos legales para no publicar nada antes de hoy.) Una mirada casual a estos prototipos, sin tomar en cuenta el disfraz, no revela algo que los distinga del producto final. La lista de tareas de hoy consiste en revisar el comportamiento de la conducción y buscar ruidos y rechinidos. Aunque los módulos principales del tablero, las puertas y los asientos son básicamente del Boxster, todo por arriba de la cintura y atrás del conductor es nuevo y necesita probarse. Yo conduzco mientras Bernhard dirige nuestro convoy en un camino de superficie rugosa. Junto a mí viaja el ingeniero de proyecto del Cayman, Jan Roth. De alguna parte atrás de nosotros surge un ligero rechinido. Roth está encantado por la pésima calidad del camino que Bernhard encontró. "La frecuencia que genera es ideal", sonríe. Mientras conduzco, gira el cuello en busca del sonido, pero sin éxito. Así que mueve su considerable volumen al pequeño espacio entre el motor y el medallón. Desde ahí, utiliza un micrófono de corto alcance conectado a unos audífonos y un analizador de ruido, explorando el área y aislando el sonido, que era tan suave que yo apenas y lo podía escuchar.

Detenemos el auto y los dos mecánicos de Porsche que nos han estado siguiendo abren la cajuela, quitan los acabados que rodean la luz trasera, y ponen unos cojines de hule más robustos. El cambio se anota, y esos nuevos cojines, una vez que se hayan probado varias veces más, llegarán a la lista de especificaciones de producción.

Cada auto lleva una gruesa bitácora cuya portada dice STRENG VERTRAULICH en letras mayúsculas rojas y grandes ("estrictamente confidencial", pero ¿verdad que suena mucho más feroz en alemán?), en la cual se anotan meticulosamente todas las observaciones, fallas y cambios. También se hace una anotación sobre un sonido fuerte en el escape a las 5,400 rpm en el prototipo color plata. Mientras tanto, los técnicos conectan una laptop que graba y revisa unos 40 parámetros del motor: temperatura, presión, mezcla, sistema electrónico y desempeño.

Primera Impresión: 2006 Porsche Cayman
Tenemos dos autos, uno manual de seis velocidades en plata con amortiguadores adaptables opcionales y uno con caja Tiptronic y el paquete Sport Chrono (con el cual, al presionar un botón, se aumenta la respuesta del acelerador y se reduce el programa de estabilidad). Éste también tiene frenos de cerámica —agradables, pero con una caja automática no es la mejor combinación—. Ambos autos llevan rines de 19 pulgadas, los cuales serán opcionales.

Con esos rines, llantas 235/35 al frente y 265/35 atrás, y otras superopciones como PASM y frenos de cerámica, el weltmeister de los rallies, Walter Rohrl hizo pasar un prototipo Cayman S por la pista de Nürburgring en ocho minutos, 11 segundos. Compare eso con los ocho minutos, 17 segundos del Boxster S y los ocho minutos, siete segundos del 911 (ambos con las opciones de alto desempeño), y verá cómo Porsche puede afirmar legítimamente que el Cayman S llena el espacio entre el Boxster S y el 911. Para que todo sea aún más claro, no habrá un Cayman básico durante un año, al menos.

Y sí, desde el angosto asiento del piloto, este auto hace circular la sangre más rápido que el Boxster S. Para empezar, el motor le atraviesa el cerebro como un tifón. Es más ruidoso que cualquier Boxster, incluso más que la mayoría de los 911, no sólo porque el motor está justo atrás de uno, sino porque el sonido rebota en el medallón trasero. El efecto es glorioso, aunque los ingenieros me preguntaron varias veces si creía que el sonido resultaría algo insistente durante un viaje largo, porque habían invertido mucho esfuerzo para silenciarlo. Bueno, claro que nunca resulta inaudible, pero ¿por qué comprar un motor F-6 al centro y no querer escucharlo?

El motor se desempeña de manera tan insistente como suena. No sólo se debe a los 295 hp cuando el tacómetro llega a las 7,000 rpm. Es debido a la pareja distribución del torque, la respuesta instantánea y lo amigable que se comporta el pedal del acelerador con un pie pesado. El secreto de este amplio rango medio es la cabeza de cilindros del 911: tiene el sistema de tiempo variable de válvulas y levantaválvulas de Porsche, Variocam Plus, un ajuste que el Boxster S no posee.

Primera Impresión: 2006 Porsche Cayman
Para aprovechar mejor una carrocería que es dos veces más fuerte en resistencia al doblado que la del Boxster, la suspensión cuenta con ajustes más firmes. Claro, se sigue sintiendo como un derivado del Boxster, pero eso es genial. Sigue teniendo esa sensación perfectamente amortiguada —la de que se utilizan las cuatro ruedas para lograr la máxima ventaja— que hace que todo gire alrededor de la espina dorsal de uno y que evita que el auto se salga de control. Pero ahora hay aún menos desplazamiento lateral, mejores respuestas y un agarre sorprendente. Lo que más gana es la dirección. Siempre es precisa y lúcida, pero con la mayor firmeza de la carrocería tiene una transparencia más profunda, enviando una cantidad impresionante de información sobre el camino en tiempo real. Recuerde que estamos en un camino espantoso, pero logra una combinación milagrosa de filtrar los golpes de las irregularidades mientras que permite pasar la información de la adhesión. La firmeza no elimina la comodidad de conducción. Incluso con los rines de 19 pulgadas sigue eliminando lo más rugoso de los peores caminos. Lo sé porque ocasionalmente viajé en el Cayenne que nos iba siguiendo, y esa cosa se sacude como si le estuviera dando un ataque.

Cambiar entre el Cayman y el Cayenne le da a uno ángulos de visión diferentes sobre el diseño del Cayman, a pesar del frustrante disfraz que lleva. Lo más impactante es la vista trasera a tres cuartos. Roth está muy orgulloso de ella, así que en una autopista de cuatro carriles, ubiqué el Cayenne en posición escalonada respecto al Cayman azul del frente para dar un largo vistazo a esas curvilíneas caderas, al sexy valle que se forma entre las salpicaderas y al medallón trasero. Roth dice que moldear las salpicaderas fue uno de los retos más grandes de ingeniería. El Cayman también tiene un diseño lateral diferente al del Boxster: el panel inferior lateral sube hacia las tomas de aire laterales, las cuales cuentan con rejillas inclinadas, en vez de las horizontales del Boxster. En general, el auto se ve muy determinado: fuerte, duro y compacto. Si eso será suficiente para diferenciarlo del Boxster al grado que Porsche espera, es otra cuestión. La mayoría de los autos son más baratos en versión cupé que convertible. Si ve el Cayman S como un Boxster S no convertible, se preguntará por qué se invierte la estructura de precios. ¿Quince hp son compensación suficiente? Sólo si toma en cuenta la experiencia de conducción más ágil y deportiva que los acompaña.

Ésta no es una prueba de carretera, porque —y la frustración corroe cada fibra de mi ser— incluso en estos sensacionales y solitarios caminos de montaña debo permanecer en formación de convoy detrás del Cayenne, ya que de otra manera, podría arruinarse el secreto. Pero eso forma parte de las pruebas de prototipos —se prueba lo que uno debe probar—. Y uno se queda en el convoy para no arruinar el secreto. Si uno se aleja, se vuelve presa fácil. Si se queda en la formación, estará bajo la sobreprotectora sombra de Bernhard.

En algún momento estuve charlando con Bernhard en el Cayenne y, al tomar una curva, vimos a un tipo con una cámara enfocando la carretera. Es casi seguro que sólo era un turista tomando fotos de una montaña, pero tuvo la mala suerte de estar enfocándonos. Sin mediar palabra, Bernhard dirige el Cayenne fiera del camino, directo hacia el desamparado turista, aplasta los frenos y se detiene a centímetros de la cara del turista con una sacudida del ABS y haciendo volar la grava. Al mismo tiempo, toma la radio para avisar al convoy que se apresure. Cuando los Cayman pasan, se lanza inmediatamente tras ellos. Todo esto sin siquiera hacer contacto visual con su pobre víctima.

Para ser un hombre que viaja por todo el mundo, Heinz Bernhard definitivamente detesta dejar pistas.

Primera Impresión: 2006 Porsche Cayman
Pruebas con Porsche
Para un derivado, como el Cayman S, Porsche hace unos 100 prototipos. Para un modelo completamente nuevo como el 911 de la serie 997, hace unos impactantes 500. Primero salen las "mulas" de prueba —un tren motriz o chasis nuevo bajo una vieja y golpeada carrocería—, después los vehículos completos, luego una serie de autos para confirmar y ajustar todo el trabajo, y finalmente muchos especimenes que se entregan a los empleados de Porsche para que los utilicen a diario —quizás en lugar de un paquete de prestaciones— mientras buscan los detalles o cabos sueltos.

El invierno no dura lo suficiente. Las pruebas bajo calor en el Valle de la Muerte en julio y en Sudáfrica o Australia en diciembre son fáciles de hacer. Pero no hay lagos congelados en el hemisferio sur, así que si las pruebas de durabilidad o la calibración del ABS/ESP en clima frío no se terminan a tiempo, se retrasa el programa de un auto nuevo durante casi un año. Ello ha provocado que el jefe de pruebas de Porsche, Heinz Bernhard, pase algunas noches en vela, pero nunca se ha equivocado.

Durante julio tiene al menos 10 equipos de pruebas: clima caliente, impactos, llantas, manejo, refinamiento en el camino, alta velocidad, caminos de montaña y rugosos, ambientes llenos de polvo y búsqueda de sonidos y rechinidos.

Porsche solía hacer sus pruebas bajo calor en Australia. "Había demasiados canguros que atropellar", dice Bernhard. "Nos tomaba tres días para llegar a casa con un vuelo largo y el cambio de huso horario". Desde Sudáfrica, es un vuelo más corto a Stuttgart, y está dentro del mismo huso horario, así que puede ir a su oficina la mañana siguiente. En el centro del país hay carreteras largas y solitarias en donde su equipo tiene permisos especiales de la policía para ignorar el límite de velocidad. Con el primer 996 Turbo, agotaban un tanque de combustible en media hora. Me pregunto si Bernhard tiene vacantes en su equipo...

2006 Porsche Cayman S
Precio básico US$59,500 (est)
Configuración Motor central, TRAC TRAS, 2 pt, 2 p cupé
Motor F-6 3.4L/295 hp/255 lb-p DOHC 24 válv
Transmisión Manual 6 vel; automática 5 vel
Peso neto 1,451 kg (est)
Distancia entre ejes 241.5 cm
Longitud x Ancho x Altura 432 x 180 x 132 cm (est)
0-100 km/h 5.1 seg (est)
Economía cd/carr 8.5 / 11.9 km/L (est)
Venta en EE UU Enero 2006

[Porschete]

http://www.caymanclub.net/

[Porschete]

Boxster-based two-seat coupe gets larger, more powerful engine and puts it in a gorgeous and aerodynamic package

A new and Boxster®-based coupe joins the Porsche sports car lineup for 2006, and while this vehicle shares much with the acclaimed roadster, its unique characteristics and exceptional dynamic capabilities earn it the right to its own name — the Cayman S.

With its larger and more powerful 3.4-liter, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine and its lightweight but extremely rigid chassis riding on a nimble suspension, the 2006 Porsche Cayman S sets the benchmark in the two-seat sports coupe category.

In testing around Germany’s famed Nürburgring racing circuit, the Cayman S turned laps that rivaled even the acclaimed Porsche 911 Carrera.

Yet because of careful engineering for optimizing weight and a design that provides outstanding aerodynamics, the Porsche Cayman S also set new standards on the famed Northern Circuit for turning the fastest lap while using the least fuel.

With its combination of a powerful drivetrain, exceptionally well-balanced dynamic dexterity and the quality of braking that characterizes all Porsche vehicles, the performance by the Cayman S on Germany’s most demanding closed circuit resulted in lap times some 15 seconds faster than the closest of its rivals in the two-seat coupe category.

But the Cayman S is more than a performance car. It also was designed to be comfortable and well appointed for long-distance driving, whether on two-lane mountain roads or wide-open stretches of Interstate highway with a well-equipped passenger compartment.

Powerful but fuel-efficient 3.4-liter engine

Providing power for the 2006 Porsche Cayman S is a new 3.4-liter “boxer” six-cylinder engine. While based on the 3.2-liter engine in the 2006 Porsche Boxster S, this engine wears the cylinder heads and uses the same VarioCam® Plus technology as the venerable Porsche 911 Carrera. VarioCam Plus carefully camshaft and valve lift and constantly makes adjustments to optimize power output. The 2006 Porsche Cayman S is the first car other than the 911 Carrera to benefit from this unique Porsche technology.

The engine thus punches out 295 horsepower and 250 foot-pounds of torque, propelling the Cayman S from a standing start to 60 miles per hour (96 km/h) in just 5.1 seconds. The car reaches 99 mph (160 km/h) in a mere 11.7 seconds and gets to 124 mph (200 km/h) in 18.6 seconds. The car eclipses the quarter-mile sprint in 13.6 seconds and achieves a top speed on the test track of nearly 171 mph (275 km/h).

However, the Cayman S is rated at approximately* 19-mpg city and 27-mpg on the highway (12 liters/100 km city and 8 liters/100 km highway). The engine’s efficiency also shows in its emissions as it qualifies as an LEVII (low-emission category two) vehicle in the United States.

In internal testing, Porsche engineers found that the Cayman S engine makes 15 more horsepower than the powerplant in the Boxster S, yet over the course of 62 miles (100 kilometers) traveled used only four-tenths of a pint more gasoline.

In addition to its short stroke and VarioCam Plus technology, the new engine benefits from newly developed crankshaft, main bearings and pistons. The crankshaft in the Cayman S shares dimensions with that in the 911 Carrera and the aluminum crankcase is virtually identical to that used in the Porsche flagship.

Modified six-speed manual transmission

To deal with the increased output from the 3.4-liter engine, the six-speed manual transmission used in the Boxster S was modified, with shorter ratios for first and second gears. As in the 911 Carrera and Boxster S, the synchromesh rings on first and second gears also have wear-proof carbon coating to assure maximum efficiency.

To assure short, crisp and precise shifts, the Cayman S gearbox has triple synchromesh for first and second gears with double synchromesh for third, fourth, fifth and sixth.

While the gearbox is easy to manipulate, the engine also is strong enough to provide power even to what might be considered “lazier” drivers. For example, while cruising in fifth gear at 50 mph (80 km/h), a driver who wants to make a passing maneuver can simply push down on the gas pedal and the Cayman S responds by sprinting to 75 mph (125 km/h) in just 6.6 seconds.

Tiptronic S also available

As an alternative to the standard six-speed manual, Porsche offers its acclaimed Tiptronic S gearbox in the Cayman S as an option. This five-speed automatic transmission offers drivers the option of shifting gears by either tipping the gear lever mounted on the center console or by simply pushing fingertip controls located on the crossbar of the steering wheel.

Even with the automatic gearbox, the 2006 Porsche Cayman S accelerates to 60 mph (96 km/h) in only 5.8 seconds.

To make sure engine and transmission are properly matched, the Tiptronic S automatically gives gas (blips the throttle) when making downshifts. Further, the electronic controls that manage the Tiptronic S automatically work with the standard Porsche Stability Management system, responding to such things as hard braking or to strong lateral loading to keep power output at its optimum levels for safe control of the car.

Stiff chassis, nimble suspension enhance performance

While the Cayman S chassis and suspension are based on the Boxster’s, the coupe is slightly larger and gains rigidity from its fixed roof architecture. This stiffer structure allows Porsche engineers to optimize the coupe’s suspension for exceptional dynamic capabilities.

Compared to Porsche’s own outstanding roadster, the body of the Cayman S offers 100 percent more resistance to flex and its torsional stiffness nearly matches that of the heralded Porsche 911 Carrera.

With such a solid platform, Porsche engineers were able to tune the Cayman S for an even more sporting and dynamic dimension and with high reserves for safety. However, the strength of the Cayman S body also allowed them to maximize the comfort of the driver and passenger.

At Porsche, performance includes safety and the Cayman S was designed with high degrees of both passive and active safety features.

Nimble, sure-footed suspension geometry

As on other Porsche sports cars, the front suspension of the Cayman S features spring-strut axles with separately mounted longitudinal and track control arms to assure precise wheel guidance while controlling body roll. A new outbound/rebound stop spring within the damper strut further reduces body sway angle to make the Cayman S even more sure-footed under high lateral acceleration forces.

While the Boxster S and Cayman S use front springs that apply the same counterforce, the Cayman S has firmer sway bars.

The rear suspension also features spring-strut axles with longitudinal and track control arms, but with firmer springs on the rear axle than the Boxster S and an even harder outbound setting for the rear dampers. But while the rear springs are firmer, the rear sway bars are slightly “softer” to provide
both control and comfort.

Variable ratio steering

As on the Boxster and 911 Carrera, the Cayman S is equipped with hydraulically boosted rack-and-pinion steering with variable gear ratios to better transmit the driver’s inputs to the wheels.

When the steering wheel is within 15 degrees of either side of its on-center position, the steering ratio is engineered for smooth and high-speed stability, even on rough surfaces. However, when the steering wheel angle exceeds 15 degrees from center, the ratio becomes more direct, reducing lock-to-lock and giving the driver better control on winding roads as well as in slow-speed maneuvers, such as when parallel parking.

Porsche Stability Management included

The 2006 Porsche Cayman S features the latest generation of Porsche Stability Management (PSM), unique vehicle control technology that comprises anti-lock braking, anti-slip (traction) control, engine drag control and automatic brake differential functions to intervene when necessary in driving situations that approach the limits of adhesion. In such instances, PSM can apply the brakes to individual wheels to help maintain the car’s stability.

However, unlike intrusive vehicle control systems available from other automakers, PSM is designed not to interfere with sporty performance but to enhance the experience for the enthusiast driver.

Porsche Active Suspension Management available

For drivers who want to experience the ultimate expression of vehicle dynamics, the 2006 Porsche Cayman S can be equipped with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), which, in effect, provides two suspension setups in a single vehicle — one for comfortable cruising and everyday driving and the other for track-day or autocross exercises.

PASM, which lowers the car by almost four-tenths of an inch (10 mm), features “Normal” and “Sport” settings.

Compared to the standard Cayman S suspension setup, PASM Normal offers a more comfortable suspension that provides even smoother ride qualities, especially over rough roads. However, the system automatically stiffens when the driver makes more aggressive inputs.

PASM Sports activates a much firmer suspension control map for agile and dynamic handling, such as that sought in track situations.

PASM includes two accelerometers that determine vertical movement of the body. Further, it monitors steering angle inputs, road speed, brake pressure and engine torque to optimize damper control for each individual wheel.

Sports Chrono Package provides the ultimate in dynamic agility
As a further option, Porsche offers its Sports Chrono Package that modifies mapping for the powertrain and braking systems to provide the ultimate in performance driving. With the optional Sports Chrono Package activated, the 2006 Porsche Cayman S responds even more directly to throttle inputs and offers the driver even greater freedom when driving at the limit thanks to the car’s more sporting set-up of engine management, shifting of the optional Tiptronic S transmission as well as the parameters of the PASM system.

The Sports Chrono Package includes a dash-mounted stopwatch gauge that records lap times on track days or in autocross events. On cars equipped with the optional Porsche Communications Management system, this data can be displayed for review on the navigation monitor screen.

In Porsche’s testing at the Nurburgring, a Cayman S equipped with the Sports Chrono Package was some three seconds per lap faster around the test track.

Large brakes for quick, safe stops

To deal with such dynamic forces, the Cayman S, like Boxster S, uses the same braking system components as the 911 Carrera.

Front brake discs are internally ventilated and measure 12.52 inches (318 mm) in diameter and 1.10 inches (28 mm) in thickness. Rear discs also are inner-vented and measure 11.77 inches (299 mm) across and 0.94 inches (24 mm) in thickness. To provide optimum deceleration, four-piston monobloc calipers — painted red on the Cayman S — grab the discs under braking.

As with all Porsche vehicles, brakes are a critical component to safe driving, so during vehicle development they are put through rigorous testing. For example, before brakes are approved for production, they must be able to go through 25 consecutive cycles involving full acceleration to top speed, followed by deceleration to 62 mph (100 km/h) without fading.

Porsche Ceramic Carbon Brakes available

For drivers who want the ultimate in braking technology, Porsche Ceramic Carbon Brakes (PCCB®) are available on the 2006 Cayman S. PCCB uses 13.78-inch (350 mm) rotors made from a ceramic material that is resistant to corrosion and provide a high-friction surface for optimum braking characteristics even in extremely wet conditions. While larger, the ceramic discs weigh only half as much as conventional metal brakes, thus reducing unsprung weight and enhancing vehicle dynamic capabilities.

Large wheels, Z-rated tires

Standard on the 2006 Porsche Cayman S are 18-inch wheels, eight inches wide for the front wheels and nine inches wide for the rear. The wheels have a unique design that draws on cues from the wheels on the famed Porsche Carrera GT supercar.

Wheels wear 235/40-aspect tires in front and 265/40-aspect tires in the rear. All tires have Z speed ratings.

Four 19-inch wheel designs are offered as optional equipment on the Cayman S. The optional wheels are made from a special flow-forming technology that reduces their weight by some 3 percent compared to wheels made from other processes.

The optional wheels include the same wheels used on the 2006 Porsche 911 Carrera S, a SportDesign wheel with 15 spokes and filigree styling reminiscent of wheels used in international motorsports, the 911 Carrera Classic wheels with five slender spokes and a better view of the cross-drilled brake discs and monobloc calipers.

The fourth optional wheel is a wider, 10-spoke monobloc wheel that runs 8.5 inches wide for the front wheels and 10 inches wide for the rear. As on the SportDesign wheels, the spokes are in a star-shaped arrangement.

Each optional wheel comes with a specially selected tire. Eighteen-inch winter tires also are available.

No spare needed

Like other Porsche models, the Cayman S comes with a special sealant as well as an electrical compressor instead of a conventional (and heavy) spare tire and jack. The Mobility Set is sufficient in most cases to avoid the need of changing a damaged tire on the side of the road and allows the driver to travel at up to 50 mph (80 km/h) to the nearest service center.

Optional tire pressure monitor

Another new safety feature is the optional tire-pressure monitoring system. Wheel sensors constantly monitor the air pressure in each tire and alert the driver with two warnings. A "gentle" warning in white text appears on the digital display within the tachometer if air pressure drops by more than 2.9 psi but less than 5.8 psi. This warning appears for 10 seconds each time the car is started. A "stern" warning is displayed in red text on the tachometer's digital display if air pressure drops more than 5.8 psi or if pressure is falling by more than 2.9 psi per minute. This warning appears as soon as the respective values are exceeded, whether the vehicle is stationary or moving.

Purely Porsche, but also a unique design

Some may look at the 2006 Porsche Cayman and be reminded of the Porsche 550 Coupe or the Porsche 904 Carrera GTS Coupe, both legendary cars from previous eras. Others will notice how Porsche designers incorporated elements of both the Boxster roadsters and the 911 Carrera models into the new two-seat, fixed-roof coupe. Still others will see the Cayman for its unique design, purely Porsche but with distinct styling elements such as its nose section, the way the rocker panels sweep up to the side-mounted air vents like a hockey stick, and the graceful if complex curves as the long sloping roofline narrows as it plunges between the voluptuous rear fenders.

To try to classify the Cayman S as merely the coupe version of the Boxster does disservice to both vehicles, each of which is unique with its own special characteristics.

The 2006 Cayman S presents a new face for Porsche with a more pronounced lower lip and with the fog lamps mounted on bars that extend across the air intakes — with their unique vertical slats — on either side of that lap. The hood sweeps up between the front fenders to a steeply raked windshield.

The exterior design not only underscores the fixed-roof coupe styling, but also enhances aerodynamic control.

The small lip at the bottom of the front end of the car reduces lift forces by 10/1000ths, which at 167 mph (270 km/h) increases the load on each front wheel by 15 pounds (7 kg), producing a significant improvement in stability at very high speeds.

The exterior mirrors are like those used on the 200-mph Porsche Carrera GT supercar and the new and split rear wing moves up some 3.15 inches (80 mm) as soon as the car exceeds 75 mph (120 km/h) to enhance high-speed stability. Rather than a traditional spoiler, this wing keeps air resistance to a minimum while generating powerful downforce.

Airflow beneath the car also is carefully controlled, both for cooling of engine, transmission and brakes and for helping to keep the Cayman S in contact with the road surface. Further, ram air flaps are built in the corners of the fan frames at the front of the car and open at around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce throughput of air and thus reduce forces acting on the front axle.

Headlamps use projector-beam technology (bi-xenon lamps are optional). Wide tail lamps are cut into the rear quarter panels. Rear horizontal form bars merge into the specially designed and centrally mounted dual tailpipes.

Overall, the 2006 Porsche Cayman S body is 172.1 inches (4371 mm) long, which makes it not quite half an inch longer than the Boxster and 3.5 inches (x mm) shorter than the 911 Carrera. The Cayman S also is half-an-inch taller (at 51.4 inches or 1305 mm) than the Boxster, though the cars share their width (70.9 inches or 1801 mm) and their 95.1-incn (2415 mm) wheelbase dimensions.

The Cayman S has a coefficient of drag of 0.29 while the Boxster S has a figure of 0.30. Even with its metal roof, the Cayman S weighs 11 pounds less than the Boxster S.

Sophisticated interior with high-quality materials

The interior of the 2006 Porsche Cayman S combines luxury-class materials with the controls and seat bolstering required by the enthusiast driver and thus provides a fitting environment whether traveling across the country or around a racetrack.

While based on the interior in the Porsche Boxster, the Cayman S adds several unique features, such as its long and wide rear package shelf, covered storage bins behind each seat and a revised binnacle above the instrument cluster with a fine metal grid in the open spaces between the circular instruments and the binnacle.

The gearshift lever, steering wheel rim, handbrake lever handle, cover on the storage compartment in the center console and in the door panels all are finished in grain leather.

Aluminum-colored trim accents the interior, which features standard air conditioning and with pollen filter.

The Cayman S has an oversized glove box. An open storage bin is located at the lower front end of the center console with a covered storage box at the rear end of the console. Inside this box are both a coin holder and a 12-volt power outlet. Covered storage areas also are located in each door panel.

A pair of cup holders is cleverly concealed behind a trim strip above the glove compartment. Each accommodates beverages up to 2.91 inches in diameter and swivels out independently as needed.

Four seating choices

Seats can be adjusted in six directions, with electrical control of the backrest angle while fore/aft and height adjustment is manual. Height adjustment incorporates a special step-by-step leveling system between the seat and doorsill for precise and convenient adjustment.

Seats with full electric control are optional and provide seat adjustment in 12 directions, including seat bottom adjusting for angle. The fully electric-control seats include four-way lumbar support.

Sport seats also are available with enhanced lateral support bolsters, both in the seat and back cushions.

A further option is adaptive sports seats that combine larger bolsters with 12-way power controls. These seats can be adjusted to be wider or narrower to better fit the driver and passenger.

Two compartments for luggage

The 2006 Porsche Cayman S features two separate luggage compartments, one under the front hood and the other under the long sloping rear hatch. Combined, they provide 14.13 cubic feet (400 liters) of capacity.

The rear luggage compartment is fully carpeted and offers storage areas on either side of a stainless steel trim strip. The rear section — which is as large as the rear luggage compartment in the Porsche Boxster — is covered by a removable privacy panel when the tailgate is in its closed position.

The tailgate itself is 45.7 inches long (116 cm) and 35.4 inches wide (90 cm) and opens with the help of two-stage, gas-pressure springs. The back edge of the hatch rises more than six feet into the air to provide access to the rear cargo area, which features four tie-downs as well as a standard luggage net. A luggage retention bar between the headrests keeps bags safely in position, even when the driver has to brake for an all-out emergency.

Several choices in audio equipment

The Cayman S comes standard with a Porsche Sound Package including nine speakers: one 2.5-inch (70-mm) mid-range speaker and two .75-inch (19-mm) tweeters in the dash, two 4-inch (100-mm) mid-range speakers and two 8-inch (200-mm) woofers in the doors, and two 4-inch (100-mm)
mid-range speakers in the rear compartment.

The optional Porsche Communication Management (PCM®) system includes available DVD navigation and the ability to play MP3 titles.

A BOSE® Surround Sound System is available as an option. It has 10 speakers and a seven-channel digital amplifier specifically designed for the Cayman S.

Porsche Communications Management available

The optional PCM system offers a further optional enhancement in the form of an electronic logbook that can record up to 1,500 trips taken in the 2006 Porsche Cayman S. It also records mileage, journey length, date and time as well as the starting point and destination address. A programmable HomeLink® system that can open a garage door or turn on the lights in your home is standard.

Additional options are available

Also optional on the 2006 Porsche Cayman S are such features as a roof transport system, rearview mirrors with an automatic auto-dimming function, a Park Assist system that measures the distance to obstacles.

Safe by design

The stiff body shell of the 2006 Porsche Cayman S provides for a high level of passive safety.

Doors are designed and built to optimize safety with an extra steel profile plate. Thus the doors actually stiffen the passenger cell in a head-on collision and dissipate energy around the driver and passenger.

Each 2006 Porsche Cayman is equipped with six airbags including two front and two seat-mounted side-impact airbags. In addition, the Porsche Side Impact Protection (POSIP) system includes head airbags that deploy upward from their housings in the door windowsills. These new airbags provide
a flat cushion that inflates to nearly 500 cubic inches (8 liters) and are designed to help protect the heads of the driver and passenger from broken glass and objects that might enter through the window in the event of an accident.

For 2006, the Cayman S comes equipped with full-size two-stage front airbags featuring an organic-based propellant that not only makes them lighter and more compact, but easier to recycle as well. The passenger seat also features weight sensors that automatically switch off the passenger airbag when child seats are detected.

Both seats also are equipped with three-point inertia-reel seat belts with belt latch tensioner and belt force limiters.

Extensive warranty

Every 2006 Porsche vehicle sold in the United States or Canada is covered by a four year/50,000-mile (80,000 kilometer), bumper-to-bumper limited warranty, which includes Porsche’s roadside assistance program. The galvanized body and 26-step paint and anti-corrosion process enable Porsche to warrant each car against rust perforation for 10 years and unlimited mileage.

In addition, Porsche guarantees the paint finish for three years — also without a mileage limitation.

Information on all Porsche models can be found at www.press.porsche.com in the 2006 Model Year Press Kit section.

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, GA, and its subsidiary, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd., are the exclusive importers of Porsche sports cars and Cayenne® sport utility vehicles for the United States and Canada. A wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, PCNA employs approximately 300 people who provide Porsche vehicles, parts, service, marketing and training for its 210 U.S. and Canadian dealers. They, in turn, provide Porsche owners with best-in-class service.

• Estimated fuel economy figures. Official EPA figures not available at time of publication
•
• Boxster-Based Two-Seater Gets More Powerful Engine And Unique But Purely Porsche Design

With a powerful engine and amazing dynamic dexterity, Porsche’s new two-seat coupe can be fierce and exciting to encounter. Yet with its sleek exterior lines and luxurious interior, the newest Porsche sports car provides an environment as calm and comfortable as a chic Caribbean resort.

Porsche introduces the 2006 Cayman S, a car that combines the athletic dynamics inherent in a mid-engine sports coupe with new levels of passenger compartment design and materials.

While based on Porsche’s acclaimed two-seat roadster, the Boxster, the Cayman’s fixed-roof design adds rigidity that enhances the mid-engine architecture’s dynamic balance and capabilities.

To better suit this enhanced potential, engineers built an even more powerful horizontally opposed “boxer” engine for the 2006 Cayman S. The 3.4-liter engine punches out 295 horsepower (SAE). With the Cayman S enclosed in a sleek and aerodynamic body, the engine propels the newest Porsche from a standing start to 60 miles per hour (96 km/h) in just 5.1 seconds. The car eclipses the quarter-mile sprint in 13.6 seconds and achieves a top speed on the test track of nearly 171 mph (275 km/h).

In testing around Germany’s famed Nürburgring racing circuit, the Cayman S turned laps faster than the Boxster S, but slower than its big brother, the acclaimed Porsche 911 Carrera. It did, however, eclipse other high-performance two-seat sports coupes by some 15 seconds per lap.

Yet because of engineering that carefully optimizes weight and with a design that provides outstanding aerodynamics, the Cayman S established new standards on the famed circuit for turning the fastest lap while using the least fuel. Porsche engineers found that while the Cayman S engine makes 15 more horsepower than the powerplant in the Boxster S, over the course of 100 kilometers (62 miles) traveled it uses only four-tenths of a pint more gasoline.

The Cayman S is rated at approximately* 19-mpg city and 27-mpg on the highway (12 liters/100 km city and 8 liters/100 km highway). The engine’s efficiency also qualifies the sports car as a low-emission (LEV II) vehicle in the United States.

For all of its power and nimble handling, the 2006 Porsche Cayman S is more than a performance car. It was designed to be aesthetically appealing outside and in, comfortable and well appointed for long-distance driving, whether on two-lane mountain roads or wide stretches of Interstate.

Some may look at the 2006 Porsche Cayman S and be reminded of the Porsche 550 Coupe or the Porsche 904 Carrera GTS Coupe, legendary cars from earlier eras. Others will notice how Porsche designers incorporated elements of both the Boxster roadsters and the 911 Carrera models into the new two-seat, fixed-roof coupe. Still others will see the Cayman S for its unique design, purely Porsche but with distinct elements such as its nose section, the way the rocker panels sweep up to the side-mounted air vents like hockey sticks, the graceful if complex curves where the long sloping roofline narrows as it plunges between the voluptuous rear fenders.

To classify the Cayman S as merely the coupe version of the Boxster does disservice to both vehicles, each of which is unique with its own special characteristics.

For the Cayman S, those special features include an interior that combines luxury-class materials with the controls and support required by the enthusiast driver and spirited passenger, whether they are traveling across the country with a surprising amount of luggage or hustling down a winding stretch of road.

[Porschete]

Porsche: llega el Cayman S
El nuevo superdeportivo de Porsche, el Cayman S, debuta oficialmente en el Salón de Frankfurt. Junto a él estarán algunas de las creaciones más recientes de la marca, como los 911 Carrera 4 y 4S Cabrio.

Redacción Terra Autopista

El lujo, la exclusividad y la deportividad más exacerbada se dan cita en el estand de Porsche, que desvela en Frankfurt el superdeportivo Cayman S. Por supuesto, este modelo cuenta con propulsión trasera, como mandan los cánones de la marca germana.

Se trata de un impresionante biplaza, con un motor de 3,4 litros. No es un propulsor cualquiera: esta nueva mecánica, con 6 cilindros opuestos, anuncia una potencia de 295 CV. Las prestaciones que ha revelado la marca dejan sin aliento; el Cayman S es capaz de pasar de 0 a 100 km/h en 5,4 segundos, mientras que su velocidad máxima es de 275 km/h.

Su comportamiento promete ser espectacular. El chasis se ha fabricado en aluminio, con el fin de no comprometer la robustez, ni la resistencia a la torsión de la carrocería. El sistema de estabilidad Porsche Stability Management, incluido en el equipamiento de serie, se encargará de que las curvas se digieran sin esfuerzo. Además, el agarre al suelo está asegurado gracias a sus impresionantes neumáticos que, opcionalmente, pueden montarse sobre unas llantas de 19 pulgadas.

Aunque se ha empleado la plataforma del Boxster, la suspensión es diferente. Los amortiguadores tienen un tarado más firme y las barras estabilizadoras son más gruesas. Además, el centro de gravedad es un poco más alto, debido a la estructura del techo y a la amplia luneta trasera.

El portón esconde un maletero con 260 litros de capacidad. Bajo el capó delantero existe otro compartimento para el equipaje, con 150 litros.

Este deportivo, que cuenta con una transmisión manual de seis velocidades (hay disponible un cambio automático con cinco relaciones, el Tiptronic S), llegará a los concesionarios el 26 de noviembre. Su precio no está al alcance de todos los bolsillos: cuesta 64.192 euros.

Un poco antes, el 22 de octubre, se pondrán a la venta las versiones cabrio del 911 Carrera 4 y 4S, que también estarán presentes en Frankfurt. Su precio tampoco es, precisamente, asequible: el menos potente (el 3.6 con 325 CV) tiene un importe de 92.865 euros, mientras que la versión de 3,8 litros y 355 CV cuesta 103.073 euros.

Este dispositivo es el mismo que emplean los Carrera 4 y 4S Coupé, que también estarán en Frankfurt. Aunque los puristas prefieren estas versiones, los cabrio, con un conjunto de lona replegable que apenas pesa 42 kilos, se llevarán muchísimas miradas.

[Artrech]

Pesa 1340 KG!!!

Menos mal, ya m habia asustado cuando lei en varios lados que pesaba mas de 1400 KG.

Saludos

[Damocles]

Hay que tirar a un lado a los competidores del 911 por eso se miente , a mi me gusta bastante.

[Porschete]

Porsche Cayman S - all the detail

September 19, 2005 As we’ve known for six months now, the Cayman is the name of Porsche’s new Sports Coupé based on the Boxster model series. Ranking between the Boxster S and the 911 Carrera, this mid-engined two-seater sports car is powered by a 3.4-litre 295 bhp horizontally-opposed six-cylinder acce-lerating the Cayman S to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds and providing a top speed of 275 km/h or 183 mph. The car was publicly shown for the first time at Frankfurt Motor Show and will no doubt be one of the luxury design company’s most popular models in the coming years. Benefiting from its supreme body stiffness and superb balance of weight with the power unit upfront of the rear axle, the Cayman S is a genuine driving machine able to lap the Nord-schleife, the Northern Circuit of Nürburgring, in just 8:20 minutes – faster than the Boxster S and only a bit slower than the 911 Carrera.

New Design with that Well-Known Porsche Look

The Cayman S stands out as a genuine Porsche at very first sight, boasting classic design features reminiscent in part of the Porsche 550 Coupé introduced back in 1953 and the Porsche 904 Carrera GTS Coupé, a legend to this day. At the same time the new Sports Coupé stands out significantly in its design and proportions from both the Boxster and the 911.

The front end of the car with its separate foglamps is just as characteristic as the side-line with air scoops upfront of the rear axle, the strongly curved roof, and the rear section slowly tapering down to the bumper. The rear end, in turn, is dominated by the large tailgate per-fectly accentuated and rounded off by the sweeping lines of the rear wings and the dual tail--pipe extending out right in the middle.

Six-Cylinder with VarioCam Plus Valve Management

The six-cylinder horizontally-opposed power unit featured in the Cayman S is based on the 3.2-litre carried over from the Boxster S. The cylinder heads, together with VarioCam Plus camshaft and valve lift adjustment, come in their entirety from the 911 Carrera, VarioCam Plus thus making its debut for the first time outside of the 911 model series. This elaborate valve management not only ensures supreme output of 295 bhp (217 kW) at 6250 rpm and powerful torque of 340 Newton-metres (251 lb-ft) between 4400 rpm and 6000 rpm, but also provides superior fuel economy of just 10.6 litres/100km equal to 26.6 mpg Imp.

Sports Chrono for Even Better Performance

The Porsche Sports Chrono Package is tailored to the driver wishing to use the potential of the Cayman S in every respect. Offering even more powerful engine control maps and ma-nagement strategies, the Sports Chrono Package pushes the car’s extreme limits to the ut-most. The visual symbol bearing clear testimony to the Sports Chrono Package is the ana-logue/digital stopwatch on the instrument panel allowing an absolutely precise comparison of driving dynamics down to the last hundredth of a second. On a race track like the Nordschleife, Northern Circuit of Nürburgring, the supreme perform-ance ensured by the Sports Chorno Package means even quicker lap times, the Cayman S equipped with Sports Chrono lapping Nürburgring an impressive three seconds faster than the same car in “regular” trim.

Sporting Suspension for Supreme Agility

Compared with the Boxster, the chassis and suspension of the new Cayman S comes with even firmer and more sporting springs, dampers, and anti-roll bars. This particular set-up, combined with the neutrality of the mid-engined concept, the extremely stiff body and per-formance-oriented 18-inch tyres, ensures supreme agility on the road in virtually every situ-ation. And a high standard of active safety is virtually built in from the start, Porsche Stabi-lity Management (PSM) starring as a regular feature in the Cayman S.

A Very Special Option on the Suspension: the Active Damper System

A further highlight comes as an optional extra: Porsche Active Suspension Management or PASM for short. This enables the driver, at the touch of a button, to choose either a sporting but comfortable or an ultra-sporting and dynamic damper setting, improving either the car’s already high standard of long-distance comfort or the supreme quality of driving dynamics.

Reliable Brakes Free of Fading – and with Ceramic Brake Discs as an Option

Cross-drilled, inner-vented brake discs measuring 318 millimetres (12.5”) in diameter at the front and 299 millimetres (11.8”) at the rear ensure exemplary stopping power in the Cayman S. Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) available as an option come with even larger brake discs measuring 350 millimetres or 13.8” in diameter and are made of a special ceramic material for even lighter weight. The big advantages in this case are an ultra-high and consistent frictional coefficient as well as wear reduced to an absolute mini-mum in everyday motoring.

Six Airbags for Supreme All-Round Protection

The Cayman S naturally offers the supreme standard of passive safety so typical and cha-racteristic of every Porsche. Full-size frontal airbags for the driver and front passenger, just as one example, ensure superior safety in a head-on collision, while a thorax and a head airbag provide the same kind of protection in a collision from the side. The brand name for this unique safety system is POSIP (Porsche Side Impact Protection) further supplemented by side impact protectors in the doors.

410 Litres (14.35 cu ft) Luggage Capacity in Two Luggage Compartments

Offering a total of 410 litres or 14.35 cu ft luggage capacity, the Cayman S has everything it takes for all your leisure time enjoyment. Whether it’s your diving equipment or a snow-board – virtually everything fits into the car, with up to 260 litres or 9.1 cu ft of luggage space beneath the large tailgate.

Added to this large luggage compartment at the rear, there is the front luggage compartment offering another 150 litres or 5.25 cu ft, not to mention several large and, in part, lockable storage compartments for all kinds of smaller odds and ends.

Unique Design in that Typical Porsche Style

In its design, the Cayman S clearly boasts all the styling elements of a Porsche re-interpreted in a very different look. The new face of the car, for example, is characterised by the asym-metric headlights moved far out to the outside and is further accentuated by large air intakes at the side accommodating the foglamps and position lights integrated in slender trim bars.

The Cayman S comes as standard with clear glass H7 main headlights in projection techno-logy, with bi-xenon headlights available as an option.

The lines of the car from the side accentuate the particular position of the mid-mounted en-gine as well as the compact body of this exceptional Sports Coupé.

The side view is dominated by flared wheel arches extending far out and rising higher up to accommodate the car’s wheels, as well as the strong curvature of the roof tapering down to the low and dynamic rear end. The side air scoops clearly bear testimony to the Boxster, but nevertheless add a new and unique touch through the vertical slats stretching elegantly from top to bottom.

A further new and unique feature is the special design of the newly developed 18-inch wheels reminiscent in their look of the Carrera GT. And over and above these standard wheels, the customer has the choice of four 19-inch wheels varying in their rim design.

The rear lights and the exhaust tailpipes in the middle of the car also reveal the link between the Cayman S and the Boxster. Each of these features highlights the new design language, with a clear focus on muscle, excitement and tension. This special look is further accentua-ted by the sweeping rear wings literally “flowing” above the tail lights and the horizontal trim bars merging into the specially designed dual tailpipes to the left and right.

Lots of Room at the Rear

A truly unique feature of the Cayman S is the extra-large 116 x 90 centimetre (45.7 x 35.4”) tailgate integrated into the rear end of the car. Stretching in a muscular, sweeping flow into the roofline, the tailgate offers generous access to the luggage compartment at the rear.

This extra-large luggage compartment is subdivided into two levels separated visually from one another by a stainless-steel trim strip. Luggage capacity at the rear is 185 litres or 6.48 cu ft up to the bottom of the window, with an even more significant 260 litres or 9.10 cu ft when using all the space available up to roof level.

Capacity of the second luggage compartment at the front is 150 litres or 5.25 cu ft, as in the Boxster. In all, this gives the driver up to 410 litres or 14.35 cu ft of luggage space, the Cayman S thus offering not only supreme sportiness and performance, but also a new standard of all-round function and practical value.

Superior Aerodynamics: Drag Coefficient 0.29

Featuring a drag coefficient of 0.29, the Cayman S ranks way ahead of the competition also in terms of aerodynamics. The know-how making this superiority possible comes out clearly in every detail, various improvements reducing lift forces on all four wheels by 14 kilos or 31 lb on each wheel in comparison with the Boxster at a speed of 270 km/h or 167 mph.

At the rear this strong downforce is mainly a result of the new split wing moving up appro-xi-mately 80 millimetres or 3.15” as soon as the car exceeds a speed of 120 km/h or 75 mph. Contrary to a spoiler of the type to be found in the Boxster, a split wing of this kind keeps air resistance to a minimum while generating powerful downforce through the specific angle of the wing. And, finally, these aerodynamic benefits are rounded off by the underfloor cover extending almost completely from front to rear and side to side.

Fast-Revving Six-Cylinder Featuring Porsche VarioCam Plus

The power unit in the Cayman S is Porsche’s first six-cylinder outside of the 911 model series to boast VarioCam Plus technology. Based on the 3.2-litre engine of the Boxster S, the power unit featured in the Cayman S comes with the same cylinder heads as in the 911 Carrera, the Cayman S thus combining powerful muscle and acceleration with superior top-end per-formance and low fuel consumption: In the EU composite test, Porsche’s new Sports Coupé consumes only 10.6 litres of premium plus/100 km, equal to 26.6 mpg Imp.

And it almost goes without saying that the new Cayman S outperforms both the EU4 Euro-pean emission standard and the LEVII standard in the USA.

Power transmission in the Cayman S is provided by a six-speed manual gearbox ensuring a precise and ultra-short gearshift. Tiptronic S automatic transmission comes as an option, the five-speed automatic transmission unit in this two-seater Sports Coupé boasting new hydraulic and electronic management with all the benefits of the variable gearshift programs carried over from the Carrera.

Chassis and Suspension: Sporting and Firm

The chassis and suspension of the Cayman S is based on the same overall concept as the suspension of the Boxster S, but is far more sporting and dynamic in its overall set-up. This specific configuration in conjunction with the very strong, torsionally and flexurally-resistant bodyshell gives the Cayman S a new standard of driving behaviour and sports handling ne-ver seen before – sporting performance with superior safety reserves, but without neglec-ting driving comfort in any way.

These handling qualities in general as well as the car’s lateral acceleration in particular are further enhanced by the mid-engined concept with its ideal balance of weight front-to-rear. Indeed, this superiority is cleared confirmed by the Cayman S fast lap times, with the car lapping the Northern Circuit of Nürburgring in just 8:20 minutes.

As an option the Cayman S is available with Porsche’s electronically controlled Active Sus-pension Management (PASM) lowering the entire car by 10 millimetres or almost 0.4” and enabling the driver to choose two different suspension set-ups at the touch of a button: The PASM Normal set-up activates a sporting but comfortable configuration, the PASM Sport set-up makes the suspension extra-sporting and dynamic.

High-Performance Brakes Finished in Red

In its basic features and components, the brake system is the same as in the 911 Carrera and Boxster S, thus offering brake power and resistance to fading of the highest calibre. At the front brake power is generated by four-piston monobloc fixed callipers acting on inner-vented brake discs measuring 318 millimetres or 12.52” in diameter. At the rear the Cay-man S likewise comes with brake discs measuring 299 millimetres or 11.77” in diameter and also featuring four-piston monobloc fixed callipers. All four callipers are finished in red as a particular sign of distinction.

As an option the Cayman S is available with Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes or PCCB for short. This brake system excels above all by its four extra-light ceramic brake discs en-suring a high and consistent frictional coefficient without the slightest delay and keeping wear to an absolute minimum under regular driving conditions.

Porsche’s Sports Chrono Package for Even More Dynamic Performance

The Sports Chrono Package is yet another unique and exclusive Porsche option also avail-able on the Cayman S. Giving various functions of the car a particularly sporting and dyna-mic set-up, the Sports Chrono Package modifies both the car’s engine management and Porsche Stability Management (PSM), as well as the shift behaviour and the gearshift speed of Tiptronic S and the particular characteristics of Porsche’s active PASM suspension, where fitted.

As a result, the Cayman S responds even more dynamically and directly to the gas pedal, offering the driver even greater freedom when driving to the limit thanks to the car’s more sporting and dynamic set-up.

Using the Sports Chrono Program, the Cayman S Sports Coupé laps the Northern Circuit of Nürburgring another three seconds faster than usual.

Passive Safety with that Supreme Porsche Standard

Offering supreme structural stiffness all round the passenger cell, the Cayman S has every-thing it takes to ensure passive safety of the highest standard. Apart from three-point inertia--reel seat belts complete with belt latch tensioners and belt force limiters, two-stage full-size airbags on the driver’s and passenger’s side come as standard. A further standard feature is the POSIP Porsche Side Impact Protection System comprising, inter alia, a thorax and a head airbag on each side of the car, again in the interest of extra all-round safety.

La moza NO se incluye de fabrica...

[gamab]

Sin duda lo mejor es "la guia" que viene con el coche :-P