If there’s one car that a petrol-head desires, more than anything else, it is a low-slung, two-seat coupe. It almost necessarily has to be powered by a petrol engine, that sits somewhere in the middle, and makes a fair amount of power, all of which is sent to the rear wheels. And if you subscribe to this point of view, you most certainly have a Porsche that figures somewhere on your list of cars that you would sleep in, err… own – when the bank balance has the right numbers on it.

While the iconic 911 remains on most of those lists, there is something that Porsche has launched that promises the same sort of thrills, but at a bit of a bargain. The word bargain, of course, being used very loosely here. Remember, you’d still have to be a Porsche buyer.

Design

Visually, like all other Porsches, the Cayman looks the same as it did last year and the year before that and so on. But, this one does have a couple of badges proclaiming the GTS name. Just in case you do manage to miss seeing the appendage to the name tag, you just cannot miss the gorgeous black alloy wheels. Inside the cabin, there are a few more Cayman GTS badges sprinkled around for good effect.

Apart from that, the alcantara-lined trim, the snug fitting leather seats, the red stitching and the shiny centre console with all its neatly stacked buttons makes it a nice place to be. Add to that the compact steering wheel that sits well in the grip of your palms with paddle shifters for company, makes it a great driving set up.

Performance

On the move, the Cayman feels perfectly usable. Its small proportions, mild mannered engine, at least at low revs, and comfortable ride work well even in congested situations. Moreover, the short wheelbase ensures that it clears most speed breakers as well, having to crab its way across only a few unnecessarily large ones.

Out on the highway, is where the Cayman really comes into its own. Pull the pedal marked ‘-‘ behind the steering wheel a couple of times, build up the revs and let the music begin. Not only does it dramatically change the way it sounds, but it also hastens the way the engine reacts.

Past 5,000rpm the flat six hurls the Cayman forward and you tick past 200kmph with little effort or engine strain. The seven-speed PDK transmission shifts up seamlessly, to keep waves of power coming through smoothly. Flat out, the Cayman should hit a 100kmph in under five seconds and, if you happened to wake up one morning with an empty runway at your disposal, you could stretch it all the way to 283kmph.

Ride and Handling

But, this isn’t even the Porsche’s party piece. No. It is the way the small, nimble Cayman goes around corners. Chuck it into a corner and there is always a little more grip that can be explored at the next one. It is quite simply like the perfect, most lethal penknife that you can imagine, carving through corners with incredible efficiency.

The steering too is so precise that you can literally plot your way around a corner and tick off every intended point through it.

Bottom line

The Cayman has always been a great driver’s car and with the GTS, Porsche has packed in a few extra horses to up the experience even more. It is almost dangerously close to the 911 Carrera now, with 10 horsepower less. But, more importantly, it is also a good Rs 20 lakhs cheaper. It is time to scratch that 911 off the list and start building your savings for the Cayman GTS.

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