I stopped by the one of the city’s Porsche dealers to look at the new 2009 Cayman S. This car has always fascinated me because it combines Porsche’s brilliant flat-six engines in a mid-engined layout. Taking the light, nimble chassis of the Boxster and making it lighter with a fixed roof and adding some nice curves.

Very few technologies offer both increased performance  and increased fuel economy, but the Cayman has two. The 2009 Cayman S comes with a new 3.4L engine with direct injection, raising maximum output to 320 horsepower – just 5 horsepower short of last years 911 Carrera. The second is the dual clutch gearbox – offering better fuel economy with it’s 7 speeds and more performance with it’s no-lift-off-the-throttle driving style.

The first thing I noticed about the car is how smooth the gearbox is. Having a twin-clutch setup means the other gear is always spun up and ready to be engaged. As you shift the cars, all you hear behind you is the engine powering up for seamless, fast shifts. There’s almost no feedback at all to the pedal and none on the shift lever. Shifting can improve in speed at the penalty of smoothness by using the “sport” and “sport plus” settings provided by the sport chrono computer.

There’s three ways to shift. The first is having the car do it for you. Boring but if I was stuck in traffic on the DVP, it’d be perfect. The second is in manual mode and using the gear lever. The third and final is using the buttons on the steering wheels. You might be wrong if you assumed they would be paddles, but no, they are buttons. Front buttons to shift up, back buttons to shift down. Honestly, paddle shifters would be a lot better. How a company like Porsche decided that this was a better way to go, I will never understand. This is a big minus for this transmission.

The car itself drives like few others. It has a masterful stance and so eager to turn and go in the direction you want. It’s hard to explain but coming from a 350z it corners a lot eagerly. You really notice less weight on the wheels and an ability to control the car with very few inputs. In the Z the steering is heavy, the clutch is heavier, and the car has to be manhandled into tight corners. The Cayman is the opposite – it’s like a slot car and can be put into the perfect apex every time. It’s hard to compare with a 911 Carrera since I haven’t driven them back-to-back.

A short drive is never very revealing, but it did give me some good insights. The default throttle mapping on the car is not very good. With the optional sport chrono computer, you can use the “sport” program to make the throttle more responsive. This is both immediate and noticeable. Frankly I can’t imagine having a Cayman S without this option. The default program has too much lag compared to my Z.

The next drive will be with the manual transmission and a better impression about the car’s handling.

A collection of affordable sports cars vs. the new 911 (non-S) has been brought together in Japan for Best Motoring. Watch the video below to see how closely some of these cars are matched on the track.

The video is at Racing Films. I’m not embedding it since it keeps ignoring my attempts to prevent it from autoplaying.

Tags: 911, BMW, Carrera, cayman, Honda, i35i, lap, Nissan, Porsche, race, s2000, track, Video

Two lengthy reviews from the motoring press seem to really like the new changes in the 2009 Cayman. Along with the well known addition of a dual-clutch gearbox and direct injection engine, additional options like a mechanical rear differential and retuned suspension really have these journalists keen on the Cayman:

Driver’s Republic: The Enemy Within

Winding Road: You Really Need a 911?

Today, Porsche unveiled their new mid-engine offerings. Still positioned below the iconic 911, the updated Boxster and Cayman models, now feature a facelift and the addition of direct injection engies and dual-clutch gearbox transmissions. These two technologies combined result in faster acceleration and better fuel economy.