MJones

Cayman R Stuttgart. The Porsche alphabet reserves the letter R for very special sports cars: R for responsive and refined – but most especially for racy. The new Cayman R combines all these attributes without compromise. 55 kilograms (121 lb) lighter and with ten horsepower more than the Cayman S, the new mid-engine coupé from Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is designed for spectacular road behaviour. With its specially adapted sports chassis, it provides an even more precise driving experience than the Cayman S. The Cayman R makes its world debut today at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

.The new mid-engine coupé is powered by a tuned-up 3.4-litre six-cylinder engine developing 330 hp (243 kW). In the standard configuration it transmits its power to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox that propels the car from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.0 seconds. Or there is the option of the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) that reduces its acceleration time to 4.9 seconds. For even more impressive sprinting performance, the Cayman R can be supplied with one of the optional Sport Chrono packages, taking it to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.7 seconds. The new mid-engine coupé is capable of a top speed of 282 km/h (175 mph) with manual gearbox, or 280 km/h (174 mph) with PDK. Its NEDC fuel consumption is 9.7 l/100 km (29.12 mpg imp.) with six-speed gearbox and 9.3 l/100 km (30.37 mpg imp.) with PDK. The main aim during the design of the Cayman R was to improve the two-seater even further in its performance, driving dynamics and agility through consistent weight reduction. With a DIN unladen weight of just 1,295 kilograms (2855 lb) the Porsche engineers were able to reduce the power-to-weight ratio of the coupé with standard manual gearbox to 3.9 kilograms (8.6 lb) per horsepower, with the PDK version weighing 4.0 kilograms (8.8 lb) per horsepower. The largest savings were achieved through the use of lightweight components and doing without convenience equipment. As for the 911 GT3/GT3 RS and Boxster Spyder, an optional lithium-ion lightweight construction battery is also available. In addition, the top model in the mid-engine coupé is equipped with the lightest 19 inch wheels the entire Porsche range can offer. The complete rim set weighs less than 40 kilograms.

The Cayman R's purpose and purist character can be seen at first glance. The extended silhouette of the bodywork, which has been lowered by 20 millimetres (0.79 in) compared to the Cayman S, combined with the distinctive fixed rear spoiler, the high-quality silver-painted wheels and numerous sporting highlights on both the interior and exterior, ensures an individual appearance. The black-framed headlights, black exterior mirrors and the "PORSCHE" lettering on the side – in contrasting black or silver, depending on the body colour – take design cues from classic Porsche racing cars.

Precisely this lettering was the trademark of the first Porsche with the "R" designation, the 911 R of 1967. It was created for racing sport use in a small series of 19 cars. The "R" was a prototype based on the standard coupé with a 210 horsepower Carrera 6 engine and, thanks to its many plastic components and extremely sparse equipment, weighed only 830 kilograms (1830 lb).

Told you so

MJones

Webspecial here:
http://www.porsche.com/microsite/cayman-r/usa.aspx

911SLOW

Looks nice.
Is it lighter or the same vs spyder?

And no clubsport version with cage, I thought they would offer that.

And who writes the brochures for Porsche nowadays??
" Are you already looking for a cupholder for your coffee? Don’t bother. You won’t be needing caffeine anyway.No air conditioning system either. That’s right. Why? The weight saving of 26 lbs (12 kg) speaks for itself. By preserving the windshield with grey top-tint, however, we have made one minor concession."

: )

cfjan

I'm all for more higher performing models, but it is basically the Cayman version of the Spyder. Not sure if it deserves the "R" model name...

kyrocks

Love the new color...otherwise disappointed with the "improvements". We all know they could make this car much much better. Oh well...not for me...but maybe for my wife? Hmmm.

jumper5836

It definitely doesn't deserve an "R". It comes nowhere near what the 911 GT3 "R" is.

Jon70

Spyder: 2811 lbs
Cayman R: 2855 lbs

Given the Cayman only saves 10 lbs on a Boxster and the Spyder had more potential weight to lose given the loss of the motorized roof, the Spyder was likely to weigh less than the Cayman R.

Nizer

No CLs:

jumper5836

That's a good thing!

GrantG

I was expecting/hoping for a lightweight hatch and rear window.

CBejbl

Looks pretty cool, but when Porsche has to work hard to keep it from outperforming any 911 variant, what's the point?

jumper5836

Total weight savings of 121 lbs (55 kg)

Alum doors -33 lbs (15 kg)
A/C delete -26 lbs (12 kg)
Seats -26 lbs (12 kg)
Wheels weigh 88 lbs (40 kg) total, the 19” Carrerra S wheels weight in at 100 lbs so let’s say it’s a savings of -12 lbs (6 kg)

Not sure where the other -22 lbs (10 kg) came from, stereo and speakers, cup holders? Or are they including the optional lithium-ion lightweight battery or PCCB’s in the weight loss program?

MJones

Yup, just another parts bin special!

NJ-GT

This is what I have from the Boxster Spyder:

GT2 seats: -26.5 lbs
wheels: -11 lbs
AC Delete: -28.7 lbs
Radio Delete (7 lbs), smaller standard battery (41.2 to 35 lbs): -13.2 lbs
smaller fuel tank (-15.4 lbs of fuel): 0 savings for comparison purposes
Aluminium doors: -33.1 lbs
RS door panels: -2.2 lbs
Total savings: 114.7 lbs

The remaining 6 lbs probably come from removing the motors for the rear spoiler as the Cayman R uses a fixed spoiler.

With the manual roof and aluminum rear deck, the Boxster Spyder saved an additional 46.3 lbs.

Targa Tim

not special enough, just another pay-more-for-less Porsche model.