MotorMouths

To emphasize the seriousness of the Cayman R as a sports car, it comes standard without air conditioning or stereo system. Porsche engineers lowered the R’s ride height by 0.8 inches, and added custom anti-roll bar and stiffer springs.

The Cayman is brilliant — arguably a better performance car than the 911. Yet in 2010, Porsche sold only 675 Caymans and 647 Cayman S models. Is the Cayman doomed to be the hairdresser’s car with a roof? We hope not, because the Cayman R is stunning to drive.

The Cayman R is not a compact equivalent of the radical GT3 RS—you could easily use this car on a long trip—but it is a better, slightly faster Cayman. The R imparts an instant sensation of man-machine harmony as soon as you get behind the wheel.

Love everything the Porsche Boxster offers but wished it was a coupe instead of a convertible? Then the 2012 Porsche Cayman is the car for you, offering the same lightweight body, mid-engine dynamics, and powerful drivetrains.

The 2012 Porsche Cayman R is an excellent car for fast driving on winding roads, but in daily use it can prove a little uncomfortable.

For the 2011 Porsche Cayman, thrilling performance and handling more than make up for a cramped cabin and a price that can elevate quickly with options.

Fixed wing, big wheels, dropped stance, retro-lettered flanks – the Cayman R is a license to kill your license. In summation: it’s fast, it’s flawed, I loved it, so will you.

The Porsche Cayman R has all the earmarks of the Total Package. If there was ever a proper cliche to be used, “telepathic” is it. Weighty without being cumbersome (à la Lotus Elise) yet smooth and frictionless. It’s – dare I say – better than the big boy 911.

The 2012 Porsche Cayman R is not an appliance; driving it is like piloting an oversized go-kart, and it offers one of the best blends of power and handling for the money.

The Porsche Cayman responds to driver inputs in the same manner as a race car but it doesn’t bounce over bumps or wear you out with an oppressive ride. It is comfortable, nicely finished, entirely livable in traffic and will accommodate your need for modern conveniences.

Porsche has built a better Cayman. Louder, lighter, faster, brasher, and featuring what might just be the world’s finest steering mechanism, the Cayman R is a diminutive dream machine.

No matter your driving skills, the Cayman is always predictable and forgiving, yet fast and sophisticated enough to satisfy the experts. This Porsche also feels bulletproof.