For 2009, Porsche has been busy working on renovating the 911 series. Next to adding more powerful, and yet more fuel-efficient, engines, a highly sophisticated PDK double-clutch system has been developed. There’s also the new seven-speed manumatic gearbox and a better all-wheel-drive system for the new 911 models.
But it doesn’t stop there, Porsche has now totally redone the Boxster and the Cayman with various new features - some of which have been borrowed from the 911.

[Source: driving.ca]

Flogging the new Cayman S up and down the twisty, hilly roads of Spain’s Andalusia region is like opening a much-desired gift on Christmas after having “discovered” it a few weeks earlier in the spouse’s secret hiding place: The surprise is gone, but it is replaced by the anticipation of finally getting one’s hands on something badly wanted. The Cayman - whether the base version or the higher-performing S - was already a blast to drive; the ‘09 models are just that much better.

Design-wise, changes to what Porsche calls the second-generation Cayman are subtle - primarily new front and rear fascias with larger headlights plus integrated direction indicators and new LED rear lights. The daytime running lights are where the fog lamps used to be. Inside, the centre console is new, and there are fewer controls cluttering up the area. The air conditioning controls are improved, as are the audio, communication and navigation systems.

Under the rear hood, however, are brand new engines similar to the units in the new 911. The base Cayman sees the boxer six’s displacement increase to 2.9 litres from 2.7, with a 20-horsepower up-tick to 265. The 3.4L engine in the S benefits from Direct Fuel Injection, resulting in a 25-hp bump to 320.

That these engines are more fuel efficient - by 11 per cent in the base model and by 16 per cent in the S when hooked up to PDK - than last year’s versions with Tiptronic is a bonus.

While the chassis and suspension of the 2009 Cayman remain more or less the same, Porsche says the setup has been adjusted for the extra horsepower while still offering a higher standard of all-round comfort. The tester was also fitted with Porsche Active Suspension Management, an electronically controlled damper system. With rain in the hillsides and roads often slick with dirt and mud from the numerous farms that dot the area, a lesser car could easily have been a nightmare to drive quickly.

Not the Cayman S. It tracked beautifully in the plentiful ess turns, transitioning from corner to corner with nary a wiggle. Even when exiting a corner and meeting a local coming the other way, taking his share of the narrow road out of the middle, altering the line produced no negative effect - the sports coupe simply steered itself out of the path. Backing things up were the S’s heroic ABS-equipped brakes - four-piston calipers on 318-millimetre-diameter front discs and 299-mm rears. Porsche’s stability management system now comes with Brake Assistant and a brake pre-loading function.