Porsche's New Predator

The small German automaker refuses to take anything except the longest possible view of the business. Porsche will not go public in this country because it believes reporting financial results each quarter, as required by American regulations, prompts incautious action; the company only reports results annually.

The 2006 Cayman S coupe, a highly-anticipated new model among Porsche's traditional offerings.

Perhaps the best demonstration of Porsche's conservatism is the calculated infrequency with which it brings new model lines to market. Unlike competitors BMW or Mercedes-Benz, the company has only three core nameplates: the 911 sports car, Boxster convertible and Cayenne sport utility.

But Porsche recently announced that a rare commodity--a new Porsche nameplate--is about to hit the market: the Cayman S coupe, which will go on sale next January for $58,900. The 2006 Cayman is a hardtop version of the Boxster with enough styling modifications to merit a new name. It will cost more than the Boxster but less than the 911.

The Cayman will use a 3.4-liter, 295-horsepower, six-cylinder engine that can send the car from 0 mph to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. The highest-end Boxster, in comparison, uses a 3.2-liter, 280-hp engine. The Cayman's top speed is 171 mph, and it will use the Boxster S' six-speed manual transmission, with modifications that shorten shift travel and make it more precise (a five-speed automatic transmission will also be available).

Styling tweaks complement the higher horsepower in differentiating the Cayman from the Boxster. The Cayman's unique styling features include curvaceous rear fenders, fog lamps integrated into the front air intakes, special side air intakes, an automatically-extending rear spoiler and dual tailpipes.

Under the Cayman's hatchback is a rear storage area with twice the size of that found in the Boxster. This is an important addition, considering the Boxster is a fun toy but a bit impractical. The added storage room is a dose of prudence that seems fitting for a conservative company, and the added horsepower and racy looks are the sort of delights we expect from Porsche.