Cayman – Porsche’s Machine For Driving  

‘Ludique’ – a French word which has no exact translation in English. ‘Playful but with an underlying serious intent’ is one interpretation, and in 2005, this was very much how testers and owners found the new Porsche Cayman. Few cars then, and certainly not its most obvious rivals, could match the fun factor of a model which went and steered with such precision that anyone driving it felt like Mario Andretti. Yet the Cayman simply used Porsche’s existing technology and expertise and combined them with unshowy but thoroughly imaginative styling. In all respects, the Cayman was a classic in the Porsche mould. How did Porsche come to make this paragon?

It all began in 1991, when the Porsche board gave its approval for engineering director Horst Marchart’s audacious proposal to build two models from a common chassis. This was already standard practice for generalist multi-national manufacturers but would be an unprecedented departure for a small independent sports car maker. However, as we now know, Porsche’s gamble paid off handsomely: the successful launch of the mid-engine Boxster in 1996 was followed a year later by the equally celebrated appearance of the 996, the familiar 911 comprehensively re-engineered for the new millennium.