- 2009
2008 Porsche Cayman
- Used Porsche Cayman
Porsche Cayman - What the Auto Press Says
The Cayman is generally regarded as a mid-engine masterpiece of performance and has a surprising amount of utility for a sports car. This Porsche is a dream come true for luxury sports car shoppers.
Enzo Ferrari famously said that convertibles were for playboys -- serious drivers go for coupes. With the Cayman, the fixed-roof version of its successful Boxster roadster, Porsche has opened a door for serious drivers to enjoy the storied brand at an entry-level (for Porsche) price. Like the Boxster, the Cayman features a mid-mounted engine, which allows for almost perfect balance. That balance, combined with the hard-top's more rigid structure, makes the Cayman a hot performer that some test drivers believe even rivals the Porsche 911. According to Automobile Magazine, it's "everything the 911 has not been for most of its career: confidence-inspiring, super-stable, totally balanced, quite forgiving, a gifted storyteller that is equally good at listening."
In addition to the base model, there's also a Cayman S trim, which has a slightly larger engine that makes 50 more horsepower. It also comes with a standard six-speed manual transmission and an automatically adaptive suspension, though both can be added to the base Cayman, making the base the model most reviews recommend.
- "Potentially... the Cayman S (named imaginatively for a breed of crocodile, not the remote Caribbean islands) combines the best of the Boxster and 911: the rigidity of a coupe body (like the Carrera's) combined with the superior weight distribution delivered by the Boxster's mid-engine layout." -- Car and Driver
- "The good news is that you don't need any options unless you want to get into the personalizing one-upmanship game. Sure, there are a few things you might want, like automatic climate control or satellite radio, but the basic equipment works well enough, and the expensive frosting doesn't much affect the basic goodness of the Cayman driving experience." -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Cayman Performance - 9.1 (Excellent)
In terms of performance, the Cayman ranks near the top of its class. "Mid-engine Porsches are some of the sweetest handling cars on the planet," writes the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Flick the steering wheel to lop an arc from a curve, and the Cayman simply waltzes through." According to Porsche, the Cayman S can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds. Read More
Cayman Exterior - 8.9 (Very Good)
Like the Boxster, its convertible sibling, the 2008 Cayman leaves reviewers pleased with its unique styling. According to Automobile Magazine: "The Cayman's exterior is very clearly derived from the Boxster's, and in fact most body panels back to the haunches are identical. Prominent round foglamps distinguish coupe from roadster in the front profile, and the Cayman side view -- not its prettiest angle, we feel -- is notable for the domelike steel roof and the unique side air intakes." Interestingly, some reviewers compare the Cayman to the 911. Read More
Cayman Interior - 7.2 (Good)
Critics agree that the Cayman has comfortable seats and plenty of cargo room -- two trunks, in fact. Even so, fussy controls and an overwhelming loud engine detract from the Cayman's appeal. Car and Driver explains, "The background whirring of belts and accessory pumps and the thrum of meaty 19-inch Michelins are noises cooped up by the Cayman's roof." Overall, reviewers are pleased with the Cayman's cabin, though some complain that it lacks certain common-class interior features. Read More
Cayman Safety - NA
Neither the federal government nor the insurance industry has crash tested the 2008 Cayman. It does, however, feature a wide array of standard safety equipment -- including traction and stability control, as well as six air bags. Read More
Cayman Reliability - 9.0 (Excellent)
The 2008 Porsche Cayman reliability score shown is the Predicted Reliability rating provided by J.D. Power and Associates. This score is based on trending the past three years of historical initial quality and dependability data from J.D. Power's automotive studies, specifically the Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and the Initial Quality Study (IQS). The Cayman comes with a four-year/50,000 mile basic warranty. Read More
