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The Porsche Cayman is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive 2-seat sports car produced by Porsche AG of Germany. First launched in the 2006 model year, the Cayman is a coupé derived from Porsche’s second generation Boxster convertible. Like the Boxster, most Caymans are assembled in Finland for Porsche by Valmet Automotive (the rest are assembled in Zuffenhausen near Stuttgart, Germany). Porsche’s Deputy Chairman, Holger P. Haerter confirmed that their contract with Valmet Automotive will end in 2012, and the Cayman’s production will be outsourced to Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik of Graz, Austria. (Panorama, 2008)

Development and First Generation
After two years of development, the first model of the coupé to be released was the Cayman S. Photographs and technical details were released in May 2005, but the public unveiling did not take place until the September Frankfurt Motor Show. The S suffix indicated that this was a higher performance version of a then unreleased normal model. That model, the Cayman, went on sale in July 2006. A motorsport-tuned model, the Cayman RS, is rumored to have been tested at the Nürburgring that same year.

The Cayman coupé and the second generation Boxster convertible shared the same mid-engined platform and many components, including the front fenders and trunk lid, side doors, headlights, taillights and forward portion of the interior. The design of the Cayman’s body incorporates styling cues from two classic Porsches; the 550 Coupé and the 904 Coupé. Unlike the Boxster, the Cayman has a large hatchback for access to luggage areas on top of and in the back of the engine cover. The suspension design is fundamentally the same as that of the Boxster, but features revised settings appropriate to the increase in chassis stiffness resulting from the Cayman’s fixed roof.

The 3.4 litre flat-6 boxer engine in the first generation Cayman S was derived from the 3.2 litre powerplant that was used in the Boxster S, but featured cylinder heads from the Porsche 997 S’s 3.8 litre motor which have the VarioCam Plus inlet valve timing and lift system. A less powerful but more fuel efficient version, the 2.7 litre M97.20, powered the base model. The use of these new powerplants exclusively in Caymans ended in MY 2007 when Porsche upgraded the Boxster and Boxster S.

A 5-speed manual transaxle is standard on the normal Cayman, while a 6-speed manual is the default for the S and an option on the normal. An electronically controlled 5-speed automatic transaxle (Tiptronic) was also available on the S and the non-S version (The 2009 models replaced this option with a seven-speed “PDK”, Porsche’s dual-clutch robotic manual transmission). Other options include active shock absorbers (ThyssenKrupp Bilstein GmbH’s DampTronic, rebadged as PASM by Porsche), ceramic disc brakes (PCCB), xenon headlights (Hella’s Bi-Xenon) and an electronically controlled sport mode (Sport Chrono Package).

Cayman S Porsche Design Edition 1
The Porsche Design Edition 1 is a Cayman S model designed by Porsche Design, commemorating the 35th anniversary of Porsche Design. The all black car features a black full leather interior including seats, dashboard, and door trim as well as black Alcantara steering wheel, gear change lever, handbrake grip, and headliner. The DE1 also is fitted standard with the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), 19-inch 911 (997) Turbo wheels with 235/35 ZR 19 front and 265/35 ZR 19 rear tires, unique Porsche Design script on the instrument dials, stainless steel entry plate engraved with “Porsche Design Edition 1″, all-red rear taillights, custom vinyl exterior black-on-black graphics, and a numbered plaque on the glovebox cover. As with all PASM-equipped cars, the body is lowered by 10 mm (0.4 in). Standard equipment includes an elegant briefcase containing the Flat Six Chronograph, a pocket knife, a pair of sunglasses, a pen, and a key ring – all in black, even the knife blade.

777 vehicles were produced as 2008 models. It went on sale on November 2007 in Germany, followed by the US in January 2008. Base price is 58,600 Euros and USD 69,900 in the U.S.

Cayman S Sport
Porsche also announced the production of a limited edition Cayman S Sport, to be available in October 2008 as a 2009 model. It features a freer-flowing, louder, exhaust, which raises power from (295 PS (217 kW) at 6250 rpm to (303 PS (223 kW) at an identical 6250 rpm. The Cayman S Sport comes in Bright Orange and Signal Green (from the Porsche 911 GT3 RS), as well as Carrera White, Speed Yellow, Guards Red, Black and Arctic Silver. The Cayman S has striping on the sides, black 19-inch wheels and an Alcantara steering wheel directly from the 911 GT3 RS. The instrumentation loses its hood. The body is lowered by 1 cm. 700 were to be made for the worldwide market.

Cayman R
Billed as the “definitive mid-engined coupé”, Porsche’s new lightweight Cayman R, stripped of 55kgs and fitted with a more powerful engine for even better performance. Priced from £51,731, the mid-engined coupé produces 330 bhp, an increase of 10 bhp from the 3.4-litre flat six-cylinder, direct fuel injection boxer engine. With a six-speed manual transmission, the Cayman R charges from a standstill to 62 mph in five seconds, two-tenths of a second faster than the Cayman S. With the optional seven-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission and Sport Chrono package, says Porsche, the sprint is reduced to just 4.7 seconds.Top speed is increased by three mph to 175 mph with the retuned engine, or 174 mph with the PDK. According to the sportscar firm, the Cayman R has been created for just one reason; “pure, distilled driving dynamics”, producing a driving experience “even more precise than that of the Cayman S.” “The main objective in the concept and execution of the Cayman R was to improve the already energetic two-seater through a systematic reduction in weight, thereby increasing performance, driving dynamics and agility”. The extra performance didn’t come cost-free, however. Although weight savings were achieved through the use of lightweight components, the air-conditioning system and stereo were also removed and a slightly smaller 54-litre fuel tank was fitted. The R comes with a limited slip differential and lightweight 19in alloy wheels as standard. Also setting the R apart are the application of “Cayman Aerokit sports styling”, fixed rear spoiler in contrasting colour and black-framed halogen headlights.

[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_Cayman]