Vehicle: 2011 Porsche Cayman R with Bi-Xenon headlights and Lithium Ion lightweight battery
Price as tested: CDN$80405
Handling: “R” stands for Racing in every sense of the word. The same holds true for the Cayman R. What makes the Cayman R so special, even more so than the leading edge Cayman S. Light makes might. That has always been the clue on how to produce a great handling car. The R is 121 lb lighter than the S, all come without air conditioning, stereo and cupholders. When combined with Porsche’s usual array of exceptional suspension and chassis prowess, R handles like a knife slices through a butter on the track. If the S already handled like a digging, R handles like its no tomorrow with the suspension lowered 20mm. The result is a rear-wheel-drive midship sports car that handles like nothing else in the road. The cornering is flat while there are tons of grips provide through the 19″ wheels. While the suspension is firm and supple, it does transfer some of the road harshness into the cabin when driven through some harsh pavements. That”s the payback to the sublime suspension which tuned for a happy day on a racetrack. On the open road, R is equally happy when attacking all the corners and back-top twisties. Then add the most uninstrusive ESC, in the name of Porsche Stability Management (PSM), with high thresold. You can pretty much get the picture yourselves. If you can find a better steering than R, remember to leave a message on the “comment” corner. The steering is precise, sharp and responsive. All without the usual twitches one expects from a hardcore sports car. In fact, this R could well be the best handling car I have driven this year. The funny fact is, Boxster Spyder, which is basically the same execution but with the roof opens. Got the same honor last year. It is also the same fact that makes many competing manufacturers jealous of such a perfect setting. Its the same peerless road manners without losing any ride comfort, which is both great on beckoning open roads or exploring its track limits. While there are cars which have great handling, there are those which returned with poor ride quality. There aren’t many carmakers which are able to engineered such a happy compromise between edgy handling and sublime ride comfort as Porsche. Its an equally compelling driving experience at both driving environments.
Performance: Add 10 ponies while dropping 121 lb is exactly what Porsche has done to R vs S when it comes to its advanced 3.4 liter flat-6 with Variocam Plus. It takes the R from standstill to 100km/h in only 5 seconds with our 6-speed manual tester. Its slightly quicker with Porsche’s PDK, their marketing buzzword for the wonderful dual-clutch gearbox. While PDK does shift quicker with paddle shifters, the driving fun has to take the manual into full account. The clutch feel has to be the best in the business. There are a few engagement points for different driver with different preferences. On the other hand, the manual’s throw is sharp and precise. No fuss, no mess. All are perfectly engineered business so typical of a Porsche. In terms of powertrain, once again, excellent low-end right up to the rev range without any hestiation. The engine note is simply an entertainment to every enthuisast’s ears. World standard, all the way. 
Brakes: Porsche’s brakes have always been engineered with double the horsepower on its capacity. The desired result is the business’s best braking system. The stopping distance is short, while pedal feels solid and confidence-inspiring. Even after a couple of harsh stops, it remains fade-free, under any kind of conditions. ABS doesn’t kick in unnecessarily wrap up the whole dynamic equation.
Interior: The biggest highlight of R has to be its standard Alcantara + leather sports seats. It hauls on all the right places without feeling confining. The seats feel firm and well-planted when its time to play with the R. All the instrumentation gauges and center console are initutive, without all those gimmick B.S. Everything is about form-follows-function, which is a perfect driver’s car environment.
Talk about sports car. One would wonder whether you have to take only the toothpaste or toothbrush or neither of both. Thanks to Cayman’s mid-engined layout, which you won’t see any of its beautiful engine. There are two trunks for all your luggages. While the one in the rear won’t haul much, its the one in the front which is able to haul all the weekend getaway.
Conclusion: As it stands, the Cayman R is not only the best handling Porsche the other side of a race-breed 911 GT3-RS. Its pretty much the best handling car in the world.
That begs us to one question. Why would anyone get a 911 Carrera instead of a Cayman R? The Cayman R run rings around the 911 Carrera around the racetrack, its easily eat it for lunch on any skilled driver’s hands. On a straight line drag race, its as easily eat 911 Carrera for dinner. Perhaps 911 could well leave for those status seekers or, just say, leave the R for those who appreciate the full potential of an MR sports car.
Along with 458 Italia, Cayman R have joined the elite list as the best cars in the world. 
Competitions:
Nissan GT-R
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
Porsche 911 Carrera S
Porsche Boxster Spyder
Lotus Evora
OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2011 Porsche Cayman R
=====================================
Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 5/5
Overall rating: 5/5