Porsche Cayman

Porsche has been rather busy preparing their next round of new generation beauties, including the new Boxster and the future 911/991, but up until now, we haven’t seen any real information on the next generation Cayman. Revealed back in 2005, the Porsche Cayman will be entering its third generation in 2012, and recent spy shots reveal that the sports car is already undergoing extreme testing to prep it for its grand unveiling.

Although everyone is now focusing on the aforementioned new generation 911 rumored to debut this year at the Frankfurt Motor Show, a lucky spy photographer had the chance to catch a Cayman prototype testing in southern Europe. This prototype is rumored to be built on a new lightweight, turbocharged four-cylinder platform that is being shared with the new Boxster. The exterior design will be much more fluid, will add a new level of sportiness, and will keep its hard-top configuration.

The Porsche Cayman combines sublime handling abilities, brakes that beg to be pushed hot into a corner and a choice of two engines that will enthusiastically sing as they slingshot you down the straightaway. Some of our editors who have driven the Cayman extensively report that its well-balanced chassis could actually handle considerably more power, and it's suspected that Porsche limited the Cayman's capabilities as not to overlap with its seminal 911.

If there's a complaint, it's that the Cayman is priced considerably more than its competitors, especially when a host of desirable options are selected. But when it comes to providing a combination of all-around performance, sublime driver interaction, day-to-day comfort and desirable prestige, we can't think of a better car in this segment than the Cayman.