Racy, raunchy, rambunctious – whichever word is most fitting, the “R” that appears on the back of certain special Porsches has always been worthy of one thing: Respect.
The Cayman recently became Zuffenhausen’s latest product to wear the coveted R badge, which signifies a more hardcore car for petrolheads and track enthusiasts. With 8kW more power and up to 55kg less weight than the Cayman S (and a 90 grand dearer pricetag), the Cayman R is the raunchiest and most purist version of Porsche’s small mid-engined coupé. It sells for R839 000 minus options which, in Porsche terms, is almost affordable.
Most of the weight-shedding involved replacing the steel doors with aluminium ones and swopping the standard seats with light sports bucket versions, along with extra-light alloy wheels. Additional grams were saved by ditching the cupholders and replacing the steel interior doorhandles with a strap, but these are mostly symbolic as the weight saving’s miniscule.
If you’re looking to shave that extra tenth off your circuit laptimes Porsche can ditch the aircon and radio too, which gets rid of an additional 15kg.
The extra horses in the 3.4-litre flat-six engine are liberated by means of tuning and a freer-flowing – and better-sounding – exhaust, or you can optionally order a full sports exhaust system (a R30 540 option which was fitted to our test car) offering an even more hardcore acoustic experience.
The lowered chassis is coupled with shorter, stiffer springs and customised anti-roll bars on the front and rear axles, while the extremely light wheels reduce the unsprung weight to further improve driving precision.
Like the first R-badged Porsche, the racing 911 R introduced way back in 1967, large Porsche lettering across the lower flanks none-too-subtly identify this as the king Cayman, while other visual cues are the 20mm lowered ride height, fixed rear spoiler (other Caymans have an adjustable one), more pronounced front spoiler, and silver-painted wheels.
The sports seats are comfortably padded but there’s no backrest angle adjustment (another weight-saving feature), only a fore-aft movement, but Porsche can set the seat to your liking on delivery.
Output of the normally-aspirated 3.4-litre engine has been upped from 235kW to 243kW although torque stays the same at 370Nm.
The rear-wheel drive Cayman R’s only available as an automatic, which some might argue isn’t exactly purist but this is no ordinary automatic. It’s Porsche’s revered PDK dual-clutch seven-speeder which synchs with the engine in an almost telepathic chemistry – like a pair of expert dancers doing the Bolero. There are paddle shifters if you prefer being involved in the gear-changing process, but in automatic mode the shifts are so quick and intuitive, with an enchanting throttle blip on downchanges, that even the most ardent traditionalist won’t miss a clutch.
Not to mention that PDK enables quicker acceleration times than a manual. In our Gauteng performance tests the Cayman R, equipped with the optional Sport Chrono Package which comes with launch control, took just five seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint. That’s not bad at all for a normally-aspirated car at high altitude, and not much shy of Porsche’s 4.7 sec sea-level claim. The 13.2 second quarter-mile time is impressive too, and identical to what we achieved in a far more powerful (but heavier) Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera.
There are more than enough g-forces to delight and this Cayman pulls with satisfying gusto, with an impressive top speed of 280km/h. The fixed rear wing and redesigned front spoiler improve downforce over the Cayman S, giving the car rock solid directional stability at high speeds.
The ride’s firm but not unbearably so, and the Cayman R’s not an impractical car destined to spend its life only at track days. It’s civilised enough to commute with, although the low ride height requires driveway entrances to be tackled with some care.
But the car’s preferred playground is a racetrack or twisty mountain pass, where it clings to curves like a swimsuit clings to Tori Praver (Google her). It’s a beautiful thing to drive, with minimal body roll and surgically precise steering that creates an intimate car-driver connection.
It has plenty of power without feeling overly intimidating, and a rear axle differential lock limits wheelspin out of tight corners so you can boot the throttle nice and early. It’s all accompanied by a most entertaining howl, as if the engine’s gargling on Stroh rum.
My only grievance is that the brakes, while very effective, feel a little spongy and don’t have the initial bite expected of a high-performance car.
VERDICT:
The Cayman R may not be Zuffenhausen’s most powerful car but it’s debatable whether any Porsche is more fun to drive.
The R badge makes no false promises and this Cayman delivers the necessary purist driving experience: strong (but manageable) power output, superlative driving dynamics, and an evocative sound. At a price that won’t necessarily make you choke on your bratwurst. -Star Motoring