Porsche Cayman S

The arrival of a new Porsche model is a major event in the automobile industry. Porsche is the world's only volume sports car manufacturer in the world, selling 88,000 cars in the year to July of which 3,811 were sold in the Middle East, and its original 911 is still an industry icon after many decades in production.

The Cayman S therefore has a strong heritage to live up to, and surpass. AME Info was included in an exclusive test-drive the week before the official worldwide launch on November 26, which took the elite of regional motoring journalists to Oman to put the Cayman S through every variety of road likely to be encountered in the GCC.

In concept the Cayman S is a mid-engine sports car, like the Boxster, but it has an external shape for aero-dynamics more reminiscent of the 911 with its sweeping tailgate. Internal refinements are of the highest level as you would expect from the school of Porsche design.

Mid-engine stability

Having an engine mounted in the middle of the car is rather like having a large, heavy weight in the centre of the vehicle to hold it down at speed. This really works well, and gives the Cayman S a feeling of rock-solid stability at very high speeds, important in a vehicle that can move from 0-100 kph in 5.4 seconds and reach 275 kph.

One complaint about the 911 is that its rear-engine tends to over-weight the rear of the car, and clearly the Cayman S addresses this problem, while delivering superior performance to the mid-engine Boxster.

The Cayman S comes with a choice of six-speed manual or five-speed automatic gearbox. To a man the motoring journalists preferred the manual option. This is the way to get the very best performance, but the Triptronic option on the automatic gearbox gives you gear-change controls on the steering wheel like a racing driver.

Overtaking is a joy in the Cayman S. You have effortless power to move swiftly past anything in your path, and the room required for overtaking safely is consequently reduced.

Unique styling

In terms of styling the fans of Porsche will not be disappointed by the Cayman S which has its own identity and does not just look a hybrid between the Boxster and 911. The front of the car is distinctive and its smooth lines and chiseled features are from the heritage of the greatest sports cars and not just the Porsche stable.

Inside, the school of Porsche design tends to minimalism but the hand-tooled leather upholstery and Bose audio system is to the highest of standards. Porsche design has become famous in the art world, and adds a special touch of its own.

Indeed, for $54,500 this represents awesome value-for-money in a prestige sports car. You get a highly-refined, true sports car from an iconic brand, and it is hard to see how the Cayman S can fail to be a huge hit with buyers in the Middle East in search of a classy status symbol.