Porsche Cayman (2012)

 

Overview

The 2012 Porsche Cayman carries over mostly unchanged, since Porsche will be rolling out an all-new model within a year or two. As it gets ready to send off the current Cayman, Porsche has released a limited-edition model this year. Dubbed the Porsche Cayman S Black Edition, 500 of these Caymans will be sold worldwide, making it even more exclusive than the 987 model run of its Boxster S Black Edition stablemate. The Cayman S Black Edition features black paint, a black top, black safety bars, black air intakes, black 19-inch wheels, and yes, even black exhaust pipes. The black motif carries over to the interior with aluminum and stainless steel accents.

Porsche offers two different engines with three different power outputs on the 2012 Cayman. The base Cayman is powered by a 2.9-liter 265-hp and 221 lb-ft of torque F-6. Step one level up to the Cayman S and you get a 3.4-liter 320-hp and 266 lb-ft of torque F-6. The limited edition Cayman S Black Edition, and stripped-out and track-ready Cayman R share a 3.4-liter 330-hp and 273 lb-ft of torque F-6.

For 2012 Porsche will continue offering two transmissions on the Cayman. The standard transmission is a six-speed manual. Available on all trim levels, the fantastic Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebeseven-speed dual-clutch automatic is also available.

The Range

Body Style: Coupe
Engines: 2.9L, F-6; 3.4L, F-6
Transmissions: 6-speed manual, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
Models: Porsche Cayman, Porsche Cayman S, Porsche Cayman S Black Edition, Porsche Cayman R

What's New

Porsche has only made minor trim changes to the 2012 Cayman. The biggest news for 2012 is the limited edition Porsche Cayman S Black Edition. The Cayman S Black Edition features black paint, a black top, black safety bars, black air intakes, black 19-inch wheels, and yes, even black exhaust pipes. The black motif carries over to the interior with aluminum and stainless steel accents. Porsche will only build 500 of these murdered-out Caymans. The only other news to report for 2012 is the addition of Ipanema Blue Metallic and Peridot Metallic to the Cayman's color palette.

Exterior

The 2012 Porsche Cayman's interior doesn't undergo any major changes this year. Ipanema Blue Metallic and Peridot Metallic are two new colors Porsche has added this year. The all-new limited edition Cayman S Black edition is differentiated from the rest of the Cayman lineup with a black exterior motif. The 2012 Porsche Cayman S Black Edition gets black paint, a black top, black safety bars, black side air intake grilles, black 19-inch "Spyder" wheels, and black twin exhaust pipes.

Interior

The two-passenger Porsche Cayman coupe only sees minor trim changes for the 2012 model year. All 2012 Caymans are now available with a SportDesign steering wheel as an option. The 2012 Cayman S Black Edition gets a unique interior with a black theme, that's offset with real aluminum and stainless steel accents. The Cayman S Black Edition also gets auto-dimming mirrors, an automatic climate control system, a Bose surround-sound system, as well as XM satellite radio with NavTraffic.

Performance & Handling

Porsche offers two engines with three different power outputs on the 2012 Cayman. The base Cayman is powered by a 2.9-liter 265-hp and 221 lb-ft of torque F-6. Step one level up to the Cayman S and you get a 3.4-liter 320-hp and 266 lb-ft of torque F-6. The limited edition Cayman S Black Edition and track-ready Cayman R share a 3.4-liter 330-hp and 273 lb-ft of torque F-6. Each Cayman is available with the choice of a six-speed manual transmission, or Porsche's PDK seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. In our testing a PDK-equipped Cayman R accelerated from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds, and earned the number four slot in our 2011 Best Driver's Car competition, just behind the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Nissan GT-R, and Ferrari 458 Italia.

Safety

As can be expected in any car designed to handle the high speeds of the German Autobahn, safety was a concern for Porsche with the 2012 Cayman lineup. The 2012 Cayman includes six airbags including a front driver and front passenger airbag, and door-mounted side-curtain airbags for added accident protection. Some other standard safety features on the 2012 Porsche Cayman, Cayman S, Cayman S Black Edition, and Cayman R includes anti-lock brakes, traction control, and electronic stability control.

EPA Fuel Economy

Cayman: 19 mpg city/27 mpg highway (manual); 20 mpg city/29 mpg highway (dual-clutch auto)
Cayman S: 19 mpg city/26 mpg highway (manual); 20 mpg city/29 mpg highway (dual-clutch auto)
Cayman S Black Edition: 19 mpg city/26 mpg highway (manual); 20 mpg city/29 mpg highway (dual-clutch auto)
Cayman R: 19 mpg city/27 mpg highway (manual); 20 mpg city/29 mpg highway (dual-clutch auto)

You'll Like

    Driving MT's fourth-best driver's car of 2011
    Great fuel economy for its class
    Quick-shifting PDK
    The 911 as it should be

You Won't Like

    Doesn't have the 911's prestige
    Pricey options