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Video: 2008 Porsche Cayman S

03:08 min
By Cars.com Editors
May 13, 2009

About the video

Cars.com's Mike Hanley takes a look at the 2008 Porsche Cayman S. It competes with the BMW Z4 and Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class.

Transcript

(upbeat instrumental music starts) (bright instrumental music starts) Hi, I'm Mike Hanley with Cars.com. And I'm here with the 2008 Porsche Cayman S.
It's related to the auto makers Boxster Roadster, in the features of mid-engine design, that makes this car perfect for carving corners. But it also features a surprising degree of utility for a car this size. (bright instrumental music continues) With the Cayman S light curb weight's stiff body structure, and mid-engine layout, the car really has great balance through corners. And it encourages the driver to push the car harder than they might something else. The ride is pretty firm but it's not bad for what this car is all about. Kinda rough on really rough pavement. And there's also an optional, Porsche Active Suspension Management System. And what that is, basically an even firmer sports settings available to you. So, if you really want to drive aggressively, you can get that system. If you're someone who likes to see the engine in your car, you're gonna be out of luck in the Cayman S because I'm sitting on it right now. There's a 3.4 liter flat-six cylinder underneath me. It makes 295 horsepower, 251 pounds feet of torque. And that's good for zero to 60 time of 5.1 seconds, according to Porsche with the manual transmission. That's pretty impressive performance. It also comes with decent fuel economy for a sports car of 18/26 miles per gallon. There's room for two in the Cayman S. And the driver gets really good views forward, thanks to the cars low hood line. Rear visibility is a bit restricted over the shoulder, 'cause the large pillars but it's not that bad for a car this size. And overall material quality is pretty nice in here. You have nice materials up on the dash. What's not quite as nice is the center stack. It's starting to look a little dated for a modern car like this. And even though this has an estimated price of about $67,000, there are some features absent that you might expect. Like, fully powered seats, steering wheel, audio controls, and there's also no input jack for a portable MP3 player. (bright instrumental music continues) One of the side benefits of the Cayman S mid-engine layout is that it has two cargo spaces. There's a 9.2 cubic foot area under the rear hatch, which is good for holding smaller bags. And it also has a 5.3 cubic foot front trunk, which can hold two duffel sized bags or small suitcases. Kind of like this one here, sits right in. So, you have enough space for two people to bring enough things for a long weekend trip. (upbeat instrumental music continues) So, the Cayman S starting price of $59,100, there are cars that offer more power, like the M3 or Audi S5. They're also better daily drivers. But the Cayman S is more about escaping the daily grind than driving in it. And if you're looking for a car that offers a lot of back road fun, this one will give you quite a thrill. (car revving) <v Narrator>For additional information on this car or any other, go to, Cars.com and our blog, Kicking Tires.

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