2006 Porsche Cayman XR

Although the 911 has been the staple of Porsche's lineup for over three decades, the debut of the Boxster in 1997 ushered in a new era of the more affordable Porsche convertible. With its compact, midengine layout and formidable handling prowess, the flat-six-powered Boxster quickly became one of the best-selling cars in the luxury roadster segment. Seeing the need to bridge the gap between the Boxster and the 911, Porsche created the Cayman S. In short, it's a hardtop version of the Boxster. The two cars share the same basic design, which means a midengine layout, rear-drive, two seats and a curb weight of about 3,000 pounds. But leaving it just at that would be a disservice. Porsche designed the Cayman S to take a more hard-core approach to performance. The Cayman's engine is more powerful, its suspension tuning is stiffer and it offers more sport-oriented options than the Boxster. The Cayman S also boasts better versatility thanks to its hatchback design. Under that rear hatch, there's 9.1 cubic feet of storage -- twice that of a Boxster. And under that storage space, ahead of the rear axle, is the Cayman S's 24-valve four-cam 3.4-liter flat-six engine. Based on the Boxster S's 3.2 six, the Cayman S's 295-hp six draws its inspiration from a variable intake manifold, cylinder heads imported from the 911 Carrera S, and the 911's VarioCam Plus variable valve timing and lift. The engine snaps the Cayman S to attention just off idle, and lays down a flat field of peak torque -- 251 lb-ft -- between 4,400 and 6,000 rpm. Adding a roof to any structure is a sure way to add stiffness, and Porsche tuned this law of physics to the Cayman's advantage. The car's newfound structural unity -- it's twice as resistant to flex as the Boxster -- allowed Porsche to play with spring, strut and antiroll bar settings to have the car engage corners much more aggressively, but still maintain ride quality. This midengine, two-seat hatchback comes in one flavor, the Cayman S.