Brenda Priddy may not be a household name for most, but automotive enthusiast everywhere have seen her work either online or in print. Remember that last super hot spy shot of the next must have car model? Chances are it was Brenda behind the lens capturing those hard to get and in demand photos. Not bad for a mother of two who stumbled into the whole automotive spy photography world by accident in 1995.
[nggallery id=1]
Fast forward a number of years to today and Brenda doesn’t have to sneak around quite as much as she did in the beginning. Sure, you can still find her hiding behind a cactus with a long range lens now and then, but these days car manufacturers are courting her. After all, when you have relationships with all the major automotive magazines and blogs (each willing to pay good money for your photos), why wouldn’t a manufacturer want to be on good terms with you? Case in point, Porsche and the Cayman R.
Waiting Our Turn
Here at PorschePurist.com we’ve been waiting patiently for our turn at the Cayman R. We knew we were on the list to get it from the Porsche press fleet some time in the late fall of 2011, we just didn’t have an exact date. So, when enough time went by and we hadn’t heard anything from our friends at PCNA, we called to check in. What we found out was that we wouldn’t be getting the Cayman R at all. Unfortunately, the journalist who had it last was involved in an accident (someone blindsided him as he was leaving the airport). Fortunately, he wasn’t hurt, but the Cayman R for our region wasn’t so lucky and it’s now out of commission for good. So, when we saw Brenda posting pics of another Cayman R on Facebook we touched base to see if she wanted to share her experience with our readers.
Not Quite Spy Photos of the Porsche Cayman R
Unlike our other Porsche reviews, this one doesn’t contain text. Instead, it’s Brenda’s gallery of work taken while enjoying her time in the Porsche Cayman R. To showcase Brenda’s work, we’re using a new gallery feature we just installed. If you’re having any trouble viewing them in this new format, please let us know and visit the site directly to see them for yourself.
A special thanks to Brenda for sharing her work. She asked us to remind you that these images are all copyrighted. Hot-linking, copying or reuse on the internet, in print, or elsewhere, is not permitted without written permission from Brenda Priddy & Company. For more info about Brenda and her work you can either check out the Motortrend interview we linked to at the beginning of this article or see her Facebook page.
Following on the heels of the recently announced Porsche 911 Black Edition and Boxster S Black Editions, Porsche introduces a new, sporty and limited edition Cayman S arriving late this summer. The 2012 Cayman S Black Edition features a 10-horsepower boost and a long list of standard equipment at an attractive price.
This new mid-engine sports car is available in a wide range of colors, all of them black. Featuring a monochrome treatment with a black body and black-painted 19-inch Boxster Spyder design wheels the normally contrasting trim pieces from the Cayman S are also painted, wait for it, black for a uniform look: the side air intake grilles are painted black, as are the twin exhaust tailpipes and the model designation on the rear deck lid.
The monochromatic theme continues to the interior where black is the only available color, with aluminum and stainless steel used as accents. The brushed stainless steel door-entry guards feature Black Edition lettering, and the standard SportDesign steering wheel features twin aluminum-look spokes with a rim of smooth-finish black leather. Also painted black are the trim strips on the dashboard and around the six-speed manual shift lever or the gear selector for the optional Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) seven-speed double clutch transmission, while the instrument dials are black instead of the usual white. Two final touches are the Porsche crest embossed on the headrests and a limited-edition badge on the glove compartment.
Like the other Black Editions, the Cayman S Black Edition combines Porsche’s popular option packages to deliver additional value to customers. The black-painted exterior and interior touches are part of the Design package available on other Cayman models. The Convenience package, also standard, includes Bi-Xenon™ headlights with dynamic cornering function, auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors, rain sensor and automatic climate control.
The Infotainment package adds a touch-screen Porsche Communication Management system with navigation, BOSE® surround-sound system and XM® Satellite Radio with XM NavTraffic®.
The Black Edition’s chassis builds on the foundation of the Cayman S, which already features exceptional balance and handling. The lightest 19-inch wheels in the Porsche lineup are fitted 235/35 ZR 19 tires up front and 265/35 ZR 19 in the rear, providing a visually dynamic upgrade from the standard 18-inch wheels on the regular Cayman S.
A 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection, mounted in front of the rear axle, produces 330 horsepower – 10 more than in the Cayman S – while also delivering excellent fuel economy, particularly when coupled with the optional PDK transmission. With PDK, the Cayman S Black Edition will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 4.6 seconds with the optional Sport Chrono Package and reaches a top track speed of 172 mph while achieving EPA estimated fuel economy of 20 city and 29 highway (19/26 when equipped with six-speed manual and top track speed of 173 mph), the same as the Cayman S. In addition to reducing the 0–60 acceleration times by two-tenths, the optional Sport Chrono Package with PDK provides a launch control function and more aggressive Sport and Sport Plus shift strategies.
The 2012 Cayman S Black Edition MSRP is $67,500 which gives buyers added value on several levels considering the extra functional and visual upgrades and the enhanced power output.
If anyone had doubts about how successful the Boxster Spyder campaign is, then worry no more. According to Porsche, the new Spyder accounts for more than 1/3 of all new Boxster sales. Now, in an effort to capitalize on that success, Porsche plans to unveil a coupe version of the Spyder and call it the Cayman R.
Touted as a “purists” version of the Cayman S, the recipe for the Cayman R has very similar ingredients as the Spyder. Start with a Cayman S, shave weight, lower the suspension, add power, clad it with an appearance package including 19″ wheels and a dash of alcantara and carbon fiber, remove the A/C and Radio (which you can pay to get back as options), even the much maligned fabric door pulls are back.
Watch the Introduction Live Online
Recognizing the importance of new media and social networking (after-all, the Porsche Facebook fan page reached 1,000,000 fans yesterday) Porsche plans to live stream the introduction at 10:55 am PST or 1:55 EST. If for any reason the link above doesn’t work, simply type the following into your browser to watch. Pricing and delivery dates are TBD and will most likely be announced at today’s premier. The full press release and additional pictures are below. Enjoy! http://www.porsche.com/cayman-r-live
The Porsche alphabet reserves the letter R for very special sports cars: R for responsive and refined – but most especially for racy. The new Cayman R combines all these attributes without compromise. 55 kilograms (121 lb) lighter and with ten horsepower more than the Cayman S, the new mid-engine coupe from Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is designed for spectacular road behavior. With its specially adapted sports chassis, it provides an even more precise driving experience than the Cayman S. The Cayman R makes its world debut today at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
The new mid-engine coupé is powered by a tuned-up 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine developing 330 hp (243 kW). In the standard configuration it transmits its power to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox that propels the car from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.0 seconds. Or there is the option of the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) that reduces its acceleration time to 4.9 seconds. For even more impressive sprinting performance, the Cayman R can be supplied with one of the optional Sport Chrono packages, taking it to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.7 seconds. The new mid-engine coupe is capable of a top speed of 282 km/h (175 mph) with manual gearbox, or 280 km/h (174 mph) with PDK. Its NEDC fuel consumption is 9.7 l/100 km (29.12 mpg imp.) with six-speed gearbox and 9.3 l/100 km (30.37 mpg imp.) with PDK. The main aim during the design of the Cayman R was to improve the two-seater even further in its performance, driving dynamics and agility through consistent weight reduction. With a DIN unladen weight of just 1,295 kilograms (2855 lb) the Porsche engineers were able to reduce the power-to-weight ratio of the coupe with standard manual gearbox to 3.9 kilograms (8.6 lb) per horsepower, with the PDK version weighing 4.0 kilograms (8.8 lb) per horsepower. The largest savings were achieved through the use of lightweight components and doing without convenience equipment. As for the 911 GT3/GT3 RS and Boxster Spyder, an optional lithium-ion lightweight construction battery is also available. In addition, the top model in the mid-engine coupe is equipped with the lightest 19 inch wheels the entire Porsche range can offer. The complete rim set weighs less than 40 kilograms.
The Cayman R’s purpose and purist character can be seen at first glance. The extended silhouette of the bodywork, which has been lowered by 20 millimeters (0.79 in) compared to the Cayman S, combined with the distinctive fixed rear spoiler, the high-quality silver-painted wheels and numerous sporting highlights on both the interior and exterior, ensures an individual appearance. The black-framed headlights, black exterior mirrors and the “PORSCHE” lettering on the side – in contrasting black or silver, depending on the body colour – take design cues from classic Porsche racing cars.
Precisely this lettering was the trademark of the first Porsche with the “R” designation, the 911 R of 1967. It was created for racing sport use in a small series of 19 cars. The “R” was a prototype based on the standard coupé with a 210 horsepower Carrera 6 engine and, thanks to its many plastic components and extremely sparse equipment, weighed only 830 kilograms (1830 lb).
The new Porsche Cayman R will go on sale from February 2011. The price in Germany will be EUR 69,830 inclusive of 19 percent VAT and country-specific equipment items. Go to www.porsche.com/cayman-r-live to listen to the Porsche press conference broadcast live from the Los Angeles Auto Show starting 7:55 p.m. German Time.
[Source: PCNA]
Written on April 11th, 2010 at 6:10pm by Pepper Girl
I confess. I have yet to meet a Porsche I don’t like (and yes, that includes the Cayenne). That’s why when Porsche Cars North America told us our next press car would be their mid engine Cayman I was uncharacteristically hesitant. You see, up until now, wait for it… I wasn’t a Cayman fan. It’s true, not only was I not in love with the looks, I was tired of listening to all the complaining (from current Cayman owners of course) that Porsche was/is holding the power back on the Cayman so as not to cannibalize sales of the fleet’s flagship Porsche 911 (which it turns out is probably true, but more on that later). My opinion took a drastic 180 degree turn on a drive through the Orange groves of the central Florida on the way to Sebring.
Every time I saw a Cayman on the street, my immediate reaction was, Why?
Why did Porsche slap a hardtop on the Boxster and rename it? Why does the sum of all it’s potentially aesthetic parts still not combine to form an object of obsession (in my mind) similar to the silhouette of a sexy 911?
The answer it seems, is that I just never gave it a chance. Stubborn “purist” that I am, I had formed my opinion after a short introduction when the Cayman was first released and no one or nothing was going to change it. I would see a Cayman and simply dismiss it. In simple terms, a Porsche snob at his worst.
What changed things for me? Spending time with a 2009 Cayman S up close and personal. When Porsche first dropped the Cayman in our driveway, the first thing we did was go out and look, long and hard. Whether you’re a fan of a certain Porsche or not, it’s still a joy to go see a toy that was delivered to your doorstep for the sole purpose of driving and evaluating it. The only thing that could make it better is if it were a Porsche. Oh, wait. It is!!
The Cayman S From the front
and from the side, is all Porsche
It seems the only thing I’m having trouble with is a certain rear view.
Those extra high fenders have taken some time to get used to
However, at a slightly different angle the view is quite nice
If anyone is wondering why Porsche would have a 2009 model year in their press fleet, it’s due to the simple fact that there were basically no changes between the 2009 and 2010 model years (outside of a color option or two). Rather than incur the expense of replacing the ’09s with 2010s, they simply opted to keep the ’09s in the fleet. A somewhat boring, but understandable choice.
Which Porsche Cayman is right for you?
Before our Cayman press car even arrived, we had to make a choice. Just like ordering a car from a dealer we had to decide between a base Cayman filled to the gills with options and accessories or a “stripper” – a Cayman S stripped down to the bare essentials with just a few choice options. Hmmmm…
Turns out it wasn’t really a tough choice. Let’s see, a base Cayman with a 2.9 liter 265 horse power engine loaded to the gills with performance reducing, weight carrying options or, a somewhat stripped down Cayman S with 55 + more ponies (that’s 320 for those of you who are mathematically challenged) coming from a 3.4 liter power plant. We’ll take the Cayman S please.
Our Porsche Cayman S was equipped as follows:
Cayman S Base Brice: $60,200
Meteor Grey Metallic: $710
PDK: $3,420
Self Dim Mirrors and Rain Sensors: $690
Heated Front Seats: $500
Automatic Climate Control: $550
Bluetooth Interface for Mobile: $695
Bose High End Sound Package: $990
Floor Mats in Interior Color: $90
Universal Audio Interface: $95
With a destination charge of $950 our “stripper” Cayman S stickered out just shy of $70k at $68,890 (check out the Porsche Cayman S Sticker Price if interested). While not inexpensive, it is still $7k less than a base Carrera and $15k less than one equipped similarly to our Cayman. That’s a lot of additional money for only 25 more HP (the base Carrera has a 3.6 making 345 HP) and 3/10 of a second reduction in the 0 to 60 time (the Cayman S with PDK gets to 60 MPH in 4.8 seconds while a Base 911 Carrera will do so in 4.5). Both will take 2/10ths of a second off the time if you add in the optional SportsChrono (a feature we highly recommend and sorely missed in our tester).
It’s these seriously similar performance numbers that keep the Cayman conspiracy theorists in business. The cold hard truth is that if you put two similarly skilled drivers on a track going head to head (one in a Cayman the other in a base 911) with equal HP, the mid engined Cayman would probably win lap after lap. The balance is just that good.
To Option or Not to Option
When we expressed our surprise at the lack of luxuries included in our Cayman S test car we were quickly informed that this particular configuration was actually the most common order spec by both the dealers and consumers. Turns out it’s the right set-up. With few electronic bells and whistles, and none of the performance robbing weight that comes along with excessive accessories, the Cayman S is a joy to drive (not to mention much more affordable). Porsche’s mid-engine coupe loves loves being thrown into corners. Want to lose the back end in a corner? You have to try real, real hard (and remember to turn off PSM). The optimal weight balance that comes from the mid-engine design makes a better driver out of even the worst wanna be racers.
Storage space in a Porsche Cayman
Like the Porsche Boxster, we were pleasantly surprised at everything you could fit into the front and rear storage compartments of the Cayman. Similar to the Boxster the Cayman provides trunk space both front and rear. The front space easily holds two good size carry on pieces of luggage (plus a few extras) while the rear space held two large duffel bags, two pairs of shoes and a box of T-shirts.
To top it off, the Cayman offers storage areas the Boxster doesn’t. In the space where the Boxster top would retract is a storage shelf that with cargo net that makes easy work of a brief case or purse.
In addition, on each side of the rear luggage compartment are deep, covered hatches that we used to store all of our electronic gear we wanted to remain out of site when leaving the car locked for the night. In other words, no shortage of space and even more than one would expect.
Who or What does the Porsche Cayman Compete With
The most often heard comparison is Nissan vs. Porsche. While not quite as heated as the Porsche 911 Turbo vs. Nissan GT-R battle, the Cayman vs. 370Z is the one you see the most. In my mind, it’s not even a competition. Yes, yes, I know. The Nissan is almost half the price with comparable performance numbers. To me, it just doesn’t matter. If you’re shopping for a Porsche, you’re most likely not looking at a Nissan. If you’re looking at a Nissan 370Z, chances are – in most cases – you’re not looking at a Porsche. Nissan simply doesn’t have the intangibles that make a Porsche a Porsche: history; provenance; racing heritage; the list goes on.
Who is the Porsche Cayman Built For?
Anyone that wants an enjoyable, purpose built, focused and nimble sports car that is a joy to drive and easy to live with. Equipped withe the seven speed PDK, the Cayman works well just about anywhere. It’s fast and nimble enough to enjoy on the back roads or occasional track event, yet refined to the point where you won’t feel like you’ve gone 10 rounds after spending a day commuting.
Talk about buried treasure! The picture below was snapped by Asylum blogger Elizabeth Brady. Ms. Brady was fortunate unfortunate enough to be in Cape Hatteras, N.C. last week during Hurricane Ida. When I first saw the picture below I thought it was Jeremy Clarkson bashing on Porsche again, but it seems this Cayman was just an unfortunate victim of Mother Nature.
Email
