Porsche Cayman S

Road test

Spot on, Mr Devereux. Last month, our man in America drove the new Boxster, and surmised that the convertible - while brilliant - was eternally screwed, simply because the Cayman exists. Correct. I've just driven the new Cayman S and - well, it's not only the Boxster it blows out of the water. The 911 is in trouble too.

A big claim, I know, but the new Cayman really is that good. The two-seater coupe has just received the same mid-life revisions as its Boxster cousin and, while there's nothing revolutionary here, it all adds up to something quite astonishing.

There are new cleaner, more powerful direct injection engines - the S's 3.4-litre unit now develops 315bhp, 20bhp more than its predecessor and a handy 10bhp more than the top-spec Boxster - a gentle visual refresh (LED running lights, anyone?), and the options of Porsche's PDK gearbox and a limited-slip diff for the first time.

This is significant. It was long-rumoured that Porsche would never offer the Cayman with a diff because it'd tread all over the toes of the 911, but here it is... and it does. The Cayman was a sweet-handling car before; now, it's just about perfect.

Fire it through some long sweeping bends, and you'll have a near-religious epiphany. There's just no slack anywhere in the Cayman: the direct injection provides instant throttle response, the brakes and steering are spot-on, and the diff -a £700 option, but well worth it - gives you much more bite out of tight corners.

But even with all the traction aids on - and there are many - you still need to drive the Cayman properly to go quickly: slow into the corner, squeeze the power on, all those racetrack clichés. It's a proper sports car that you drive with your stomach tensed and palms sweaty. It wants to kill you, just a little bit, which makes the Cayman that much better when you get it right. Because it's then incredibly, savagely quick. Equipped with PDK and launch control, the Cayman S will hit 60mph in 4.9secs - exactly the same as a 911 Carrera.

You shouldn't go for the PDK, though. Yes, it's a thing of technical wonderment - and you'd probably even get used to the counter-intuitive shifts - but it just feels so plasticky and uninvolving compared to the rest of the Cayman. Give it a miss, and - unless you want your lower spine to resemble fine shingle - you probably don't need the optional 19in wheels and sports dampers, either.

But that's about it for criticisms. Sure, you could claim that it's expensive - get busy with the options boxes, and you'll be nudging 50k easily - but look at it this way: it's as quick as a base-spec 911, better-handling (whisper it, but it's true) and still 20k cheaper. Really need those tiny rear seats?

Sam Philip