The younger brother
Last month, we celebrated the Porsche Boxster’s 25th anniversary with a collection of 1/43 scale models. This time, Francisco Mota focuses on the coupé version, the Cayman - born eight years after the roadster.
Porsche's Cayman, documented by Francisco Mota.
Porsche’s Boxster was the car that saved the German sports car manufacturer from bankruptcy, when launched onto the market 25 years ago. It was an instant sales hit and has run through four generations of consecutive technical evolutions to the present day. The small two-seater, with its flat-six mid-engine, became one of the most popular sports cars in the world, taking Porsche into a new and profitable market segment. It also brought a new tranche of buyers to the brand, both younger and less affluent, and this was a very important achievement, as some of those drivers would later became owners of more expensive Porsches as a result.
From the first concept car through to the latest 25th Anniversary limited edition, the Boxster has been continuously updated, both in terms of technical solutions and styling.The Boxster ran side by side with the 911, each car improving with every new generation.The two models shared consecutive platforms and many components between them, even if, looking from the outside, one would not
immediately guess that. However, sharing as many common parts as possible was the most important strategic choice made from the start of the project. One car would not live without the other.
When the first generation Boxster was coming to an end and the design and development of the new second generation began, Porsche’s marketing and product departments came up with an idea that would take those synergies to a new level. Always a brand looking to increase efficiency and profitability, Porsche commissioned some market research to find out if a new closed model, based on the Boxster, would find favour.Would anyone would be interested in a new small two-seater coupe, something of a junior 911, keeping the mid-mounted Boxster engine? The result was encouraging enough for the go ahead of the new project to be given, and so the Cayman was born.
Today, it may look surprising that it took no less than eight years for Porsche to take this opportunity for building a third model series, based on the same platform and engine. However, one must not forget that Boxster sales were so strong, since market introduction that Porsche had to commission part of the manufacturing to an outside company,Valmet in Finland, as from 1997. Clearly, in the early times, the company was not in a hurry to launch another model series.They were busy enough producing Boxsters to fulfill the order books they had from customers who wanted their new car.
Porsche launched the Cayman coupé in 2005, eight years after the presentation of the first Boxster and, for this new model, technology production specialist Valmet received the entire production order.The expectation was that the Boxster would outsell the Cayman, so the Finnish company was the ideal partner for the job.Years later, this strategy changed, when Volkswagen Group took hold of Porsche AG. From 2012, all Porsche production made byValmet was transferred to Osnabrück, in Germany - a VW facility that was not working at full capacity.This site is actually quite famous amongstVW aficionados, as coachbuilder Karmann built several of its models based on VWs there, such as the Karmann Ghia, as well as special body versions, for example the Golf Cabrio.
Contrary to popular belief, the Cayman Islands did not inspire the name for the new Porsche model series. Both the car and the islands were named after the caiman, a member of the alligator family.To make that message clear, at the time the Cayman entered the market in 2005, Porsche adopted four caimans, at Stuttgart’s Wilhelma Zoo, as a publicity stunt.
A NEW SPORTS CAR
Inspired by 550 Spyder special-bodied coupés that raced at Le Mans in the sixties, and by the 904 GTS, the Cayman’s styling is obviously a Boxster derivative in shape. However, only the doors, front bonnet and front wings are common parts with the Boxster MkII.The other body panels are unique to the coupé, including the big hatch that gives access to a luggage compartment with double the capacity of the Boxster.
To keep costs to a minimum, the Cayman’s floorpan remained unchanged, in spite of the extra stiffness provided by the steel roof.This meant that the total weight was only 5 kg less than the Boxster. It could have gained more, had Porsche re-engineered the platform, taking out some of the reinforcements needed for a roadster like the Boxster, but unnecessary to a closed car like the Cayman. However, the eventual weight saved there would have meant more money spent, and this was not a Porsche ‘modus operandi’.
The biggest gain in the Cayman was the dramatic
increase in torsional stiffness - the shell was twoand-ahalf times more rigid than the Boxster's and only 7% less than a contemporary 997-generation 911. Due to its shape, the Cayman's aerodynamics were better than the Boxster's too.Therefore, instead of the roadster's pop-up rear spoiler, the Cayman features a moveable small rear wing, shaped as the classic 911's ducktail, only much smaller.The interior styling and ergonomics were similar to the Boxster's, from the dash to the seats. It only differs in the splitlevel rear luggage compartment.
The Cayman's evolution ran in parallel with the Boxster's, from the roadster's MkII model series, using the same engines, with slightly higher power outputs.The basic Cayman had a 2.7-litre flat-six engine, at launch, with 236 bhp, while the Cayman S version had a 3.4-litre flat six with 292 bhp. However, this was only the beginning.The Cayman's higher body stiffness and a sportier positioning than the Boxster, gave Porsche further opportunities to develop variants that were considerably more powerful than the Boxster.
Through the years, the Cayman would gain its own identity - it was no longer just a coupé version of the Boxster.We will come to that in detail, later, when we gather our 1/43 scale model collection.
THE FIRST GENERATION
The first Cayman to be available was the 2005 Cayman S, featuring the 3.4-litre flat six engine from the 911 and an interior finished to higher standards than the equivalent Boxster MkII.The biggest visual difference between Boxster MkI and MkII was the replacement of the L-shaped headlamps that not everyone loved. Cayman MkI was lucky enough in this respect, because it started life with the much better-looking, new-shape headlamps.The coupé also had a different front bumper compared to the Boxster's, with rounded fog lamp inserts.The side air intakes, behind each door, featured vertical slats. Minichamps released a high quality diecast in period, with all these details perfectly reproduced.The red model features rims with five double spokes, disc brakes and red calipers.The rear side features a double central exhaust pipe and an excellent rear wing.The cabin is finished in black, the default choice for many buyers of the real car, but one that does no favours to any scale model collector. A dash with all the instruments and knobs in the right place can just be seen, as well as two correct sports seats. The luggage compartment is visible through the rear window. It is a very neat model indeed.
The next model we sourced is probably the slowest driven Cayman in the world. It's a ‘Follow Me' car, used in airports to lead aeroplanes whilst taxiing from the runway to the terminal.This one is painted in the typical chequered black and yellow pattern and served at Hannover airport, as can be confirmed by reading the decals on the doors.The model is another Minichamps creation and features a cradle on the roof, with all the signs and warning lights needed for this function.Apart from that, it is based in the same set of parts as Minichamps red Cayman S road car, only featuring different style wheels.The Porsche Centre in Hannover supplied the car, as can be read in the rear window and over both rear wheels. It also has road plates, so one can imagine that the airport service was just a temporary publicity stunt, before the car was released from the airport onto the local Autobahns and its unlimited speed zones.
GENERATIONS TWO AND THREE
The second generation Cayman, known as type 981, was unveiled during the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, and it followed the same basic changes introduced to the 911 and Boxster. It had a new body with longer wheelbase, wider front track, electric steering, and a redesigned interior that matched the firm's contemporary 911.The new Cayman was again available as a basic model with a 2.7-litre engine, or a 3.4-litre for the Cayman S. Norev modelled the Cayman S MkII as a diecast and we picked a yellow version for this story.The front bumper shows the
major changes, compared with the first generation. The pair of side air intakes that feed the engine have a completely new shape, closely inspired by the 918 Spyder hypercar, also used on the third generation Boxster. Norev correctly reproduced the new wheel styling, with large five-spokes and perforated disc brakes with red calipers.The new style rear lamps and new rear wing look very close to the real thing. The model kept the iconic central double pipes. Overall shape is slightly different, compared with the first generation Cayman, Norev paid close attention to that.
The second generation Cayman was the first to receive a much more radical sports version, the famed GT4, featuring a 3.8-litre engine with 380 bhp. It followed the same recipe as the 911 GT3, even sharing the front suspension.The entire car was tuned to excel in both road and track use and it really was quite an experience to drive it around the roller coaster Portimão racetrack, during the press launch, as the author is lucky enough to confirm.
Schuco modelled an exact diecast replica of this 2015 yellow launch car.The changes to the regular Cayman are easy to spot, starting with that racecarlike adjustable rear wing and much wider front bumper with bigger air entrances.The multi-spoke wheels are also bigger than in the standard Cayman’s and the side air intakes have a different shape, to collect more air.The rear also features bigger diameter double tailpipes.
We photographed this yellow car together with a white GT4 Clubsport.This was the trackday version that would also be available as a ready to race machine. It is a Minichamps release and it is very instructive to observe the changes from the road version to the racecar. It has lowered suspension, Michelin-marked racing tyres with racing rims, black rear wing and red towing rings, front and rear. Looking inside the cabin, we can find a complete roll cage, racing seat with six point harnesses and not much else, after all this was a car just for track use.
Porsche launched Cayman MkIII in 2016 as type 982. It looked very close to the previous generation, particularly in the front end.The rear section featured a so-called ‘East-West’ reflective red line that connected both tail lamps.The model’s commercial designation changed to 718 Cayman, as a nod to the sixties 718 Porsche racing car.The most important change in this third generation was the new engine. For the first time, the Cayman featured a four-cylinder unit, a flat-four turbo, available in two capacities- 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre - both more powerful than the naturally aspirated flat-sixes they replaced. However, not everybody was happy with this change as several prospective buyers said that, without the classic flat six, this was not a true Porsche anymore. Most of them changed their minds after the first test drive with the new car.The improved handling put the car in an allnew level of performance.
Porsche kept the unblown flat six for the new generation 718 Cayman GT4 version, now a 4.0-litre unit delivering 414 bhp. Minichamps reproduced this one as a 2019 model year, featuring all the small differences it has, compared with the previous version.Wheel design is new, the rear features the new Boxster and Cayman tail lamp arrangement and there’s a small splitter in the front bumper.The rear wing was re-profiled, as was the bumper under it. An excellent scale model, representing the current Cayman generation.We probably should have chosen a different colour though.
RACING VERSIONS
Porsche never intended the Boxster to go racing, even if some national series accepted racing prepared versions.The Cayman, on the other hand, was born with a racing career in mind, both on track and rallying.We have a few examples of scale models that represent the Cayman’s racing life.
The first one is a gorgeous Hankook-sponsored machine that raced in the famous Nürburgring 24 hours race.The base model was a MkI Cayman, however, regulations were very liberal in 2007, when the car was entered in the race and finished in the 4th place overall, driven by Uwe Alzen, Jürgen Alzen, Christian Menzel and Christian Mamerow. It was only beaten by two 911 GT3 RSR and a Viper GTS-R, proving that the mid-engine layout was a strong advantage. Regulations allowed for an enormous rear wing, plus a longer front bumper and enlarged wheel arches, covering racing tyres. The model looks as menacing as the real thing, with those chromed wheels, big tail pipes and diminutive wing mirrors.The rear wing support is a photo-etched part that looks intricate and fragile, but it is strong enough.The rear window features rectangular openings to let hot air from the engine compartment - that’s because the car used a 911 GT3-derived racing engine. Minichamps made this as a resincast in its Nürburgring series, adding an exotic touch to this collection.
ROAD AND TRACK
Porsche and its racing department spent some time fine-tuning the Cayman GT4 for customers to drive it in racing and rallying events. Preparation for track use was according to GT4 class rules - this is the closest to street legal cars that a GT model can compete. Porsche sold it as the GT4 Clubsport version, as we’ve seen before with the ready to race white scale model car.
Many privateers around the globe, not least in Germany, use the GT4 Clubsport in various series. We’ve picked up a resincast model by Spark that reproduces the car raced in the 2016 Nürburgring 24 hours.This GT4 Clubsport features a very nice half-grey, half-yellow livery with race number 170. This was a car entered by famous factory supported German racing team Manthey Racing.The model features two aerials on the roof and a small transponder, the rest is close to standard Clubsport, with great looking rims, disc brakes and calipers.The rear window is finished in smoked plastic and there’s a panel in the small side windows that shows race position at any time. Looking inside the cockpit, the racing seat has two safety nets each side and the standard roll over bar. German drivers Christoph Breuer, Lars Kern and Christian Gebhardt finished in 23th position, winning the SP-X class - one of
many in this unique race.
Porsche also built a rally version, available for customers who prefer road racing to track activities. This rally Cayman GT4 Clubsport is eligible for the R-GT class in every official rally event, from national series to World Rally Championship.The car was given its début by multi-talented driver Romain Dumas and co-driven by Denis Giraudet in the 2018 WRC Rally Germany.As we can see in Spark’s release, the car was not officially entered in the event, using a VIP status, instead of a race number.The number 70, in big white digits over a black roundel, on both doors was there to mark Porsche’s 70th anniversary in 2018.
The model is very similar to the track version, except for the slightly higher suspension and smaller wheels, with a different multi-spoke design and rally tyres. Obviously, this GT4 Clubsport has two racing seats, instead of one and a slightly different roll cage, as rally regulations demand.There’s also an air scoop on the roof, to feed fresh air into the cabin.
The livery is somehow reminiscent of old psychedelic schemes used by old Porsche racing 911’s in the seventies. It suits the Cayman GT4 Clubsport very well.
The Cayman still has an important role to play in the sports cars offered by Porsche.The Boxster has always outsold it, but the small coupé has managed to create its own place and seduce many buyers. For some of those, the mid-mounted engine made for an even better drive than a 911, due to a better weight distribution. However, Porsche was careful not to allow the Cayman to get too close to the 911, so it would not take customers away from the most expensive, and bigger profit margin generator.The current generation Cayman is fast approaching its last days, Porsche will soon unveil a new generation. Some sources say it will be an electric car, so it will be the end of a chapter, for some, or the start of a new one, for others. DC
Porsche and its racing department spent time fine-tuning the Cayman GT4 for customers to drive it in racing and rallying events. Preparation for track use was according to GT4 class rules – this is the closest to street legal cars that a GT model can compete in.