Porsche Cayman S

A Blue-Blooded Valentine

 

Vital Stats

Engine:                                3.4L Flat-6

Power:                                 325 HP / 272 LB-FT

Transmission:                     7-Speed DCT

0-60 Time                           4.7 Seconds (0-62)

 

Top Speed:                          175 MPH

 

Drivetrain:                           Mid-Engine, RWD

 

Curb Weight                        2,910 LBS

 

MSRP:                                $88,220 (as-tested)

I need you to understand what it's like to drive this car. I'm not talking about your ability to comprehend the words on this page or process the figures that surround the 2014 Porsche Cayman S, but rather what it feels like to take control of a car conceived, designed, engineered and manufactured to set your prefrontal cortex alight with all the glee a Zippo typically reserves for pine needles marinated in jet fuel. From the instant you put your tail in the driver's seat, the Cayman sets about impregnating your veins with a full and varied spectrum of ludicrous emotion. It's not like taking the family pickup to market, I can tell you that much.

For 2014, the next-generation Cayman features many of the same styling tweaks first displayed on the coupe's drop-top cousin, the Boxster, though a spate of mechanical changes, more power, less weight and better efficiency join the party to further differentiate this model from its predecessor. And while additions like rev-matched downshifts and electronic power steering help push the Cayman into a new era, one fact remains unchanged: This is one of the best driving cars on the market. Period. Bear with me and I'll try to explain exactly why that is.

Engineers stretched the Cayman wheelbase by nearly 2.4 inches and widened the front track by 1.6 inches, and the result is a car with all four wheels pushed well to each corner. Thanks to shorter overhangs front and rear, total vehicle length has grown by a manageable 1.3 inches from stem to stern. That means it will take a keen eye to spot the machine's swell. Instead, onlookers are likely to first take note of the dramatic upkick from rocker panel to air inlet. Porsche calls the feature a "dynamic recess," and the contrasting black inlets really do shuttle air to the flat six mounted mid-ship.



Up front, the Cayman S splits from its more demure Cayman sibling with larger front air inlets framed by black plastic strakes instead of the standard body color treatment. Base models are left to suffer with a black front splitter while the S trim gets a bit of paint on the lower aero. Around back, the two can be separated via the exhaust outlet, where the Cayman uses one tip and S gets the double barrel treatment. Otherwise, the stern looks awfully familiar. Boxster fans will recognize the integrated lip spoiler stretching from tail lamp to tail lamp across the rear deck. The vehicle's mechanized spoiler, meanwhile, has grown in surface area by 40 percent to increase downforce at higher speeds.

This youngest of the Porsche sisters is still the fairest of them all, 911 included.

Designers did move the windscreen forward by nearly four inches, resulting in a finished product that looks a bit less like someone simply tack welded a roof onto the company's entry convertible. Still, the two cars share more than a few strands of DNA, and despite protests from engineers and designers alike, shoppers will inevitably look at the pair's third generation as two shades of the same hue.

As if that were a slight. This car is drop-dead gorgeous in the flesh. With its lusty flanks and new, optional 20-inch wheels, the Cayman looks more mature than ever. While purists can hem and haw all they like, the truth is the youngest of the Porsche sisters is still the fairest of them all, 911 included.



Meanwhile, the cabin has remained largely untouched for 2014. Drivers will welcome the addition of new sport seats. The thrones manage to thumb that fragile line between support and comfort, serving up fantastic lateral support without cutting off circulation to the body's more sensitive environs over a long haul. If I could afford it, I'd have them for every seat in the house, toilet included. Standard trim serves up a set of manually adjustable buckets with Alcantara inserts, though our tester came rocking power adjustable seats dipped in leather. European buyers, meanwhile, get to option up to a set of carbon fiber, fixed-back race buckets capable of bonding the seat of your jeans to the car's chassis on a molecular level. Unfortunately, the gear doesn't pass crash safety in the US, though we hear Porsche is working on that one. Keep your fingers crossed.

The base Cayman is now twice as rigid as the Boxster and substantially stiffer than even the 911.

Otherwise, the Cayman cabin features redesigned air vents, and the option sheet now comes packed with a 12-speaker Burmester sound system. By some engineering wizardry, the system turns out some 851 watts of power while tipping the scales at a scant 14.3 pounds. Regardless of whether or not you opt for the black-art stereo, odds are you'll appreciate the extra interior room over the second-gen Cayman. For 2014, the model boasts a total of 15 cubic feet of cargo area, up a little over half a cube overall. In addition, the longer wheelbase delivers a bit more leg room as well.

As with most Porsche products, it's what you don't see that separates Cayman generations, starting with the chassis itself. The body shell is now 44-percent aluminum for the first time. The move slashed body-in-white weight by some 103 pounds while increasing torsional rigidity by a baffling 40 percent. What does that mean, exactly? Porsche says the base Cayman is now twice as rigid as the Boxster and substantially stiffer than even the 911, making it one of the most rigid sports car chassis in the world.



Both the 2014 Cayman and Cayman S bring extra muscle to the table. Our S tester came with a 3.4-liter flat-six engine pumping out 325 horsepower at a screaming 7,400 rpm and 272 pound-feet of torque from between 4,500 and 5,800 rpm. More impressively, the six can wrap its tach all the way to 7,800 rpm before hitting the limiter. While a six-speed manual transmission is standard equipment, our machine came equipped with the nutty-good PDK dual-clutch seven-speed transmission. Those who stick with the row-your-own can now look forward to rev-matched downshifts when in Sport mode.

Hit the key and that menacing flat six barks and snarls before settling into a smooth idle.

Engineers also turned a keen eye on helping the Cayman S get down from speed, and as a result, the coupe now features the same front brakes as the mighty 911 itself. With stiffer four-piston calipers, better cooling and larger 13-inch front discs, the clamps had no trouble shouldering two days of hard driving through the twisting hills of southern Portugal, complete with a morning of bashing around the Autodromo Internacional Agarve – a fiendish track used for Moto GP events and Formula One testing. Carbon ceramic brakes are also available, offering up lifetime durability in non-track use as well as a substantial cut in unsprung weight. Porsche says going for the carbon discs can pull as much as 52 pounds from the brake system's total mass.

But again, all that information doesn't so much as utter a syllable about how it feels to pilot this car. Slide into the driver's seat and the 2014 Cayman wastes no time in serving up what might be the perfect driving position. Those excellent buckets situate you high enough to deliver plenty of visibility with all but the tops of both fenders clear from view. Hit the key and that menacing flat six barks and snarls before settling into a smooth idle. If your heart hasn't started beating to match time with the flat six by now, you might want to get the organ checked.



Under civil driving conditions, the PDK gearbox is content to prattle along with nearly imperceptible shifts. Under deceleration, the drivetrain can also kick into a coast mode to save fuel, and an auto start stop system means the driveline keeps from sucking down gas while the car is at a stop. Kick the two-door into Sport mode, stiffen the optional adjustable suspension, crack open the available sports exhaust and the car opens up like the maw of some hyperactive sea beast, whipping from comfortable tourer to mountain crest hellion with a few button presses.

The Cayman S can clip off a 0-60 run in a shave under 4.7 seconds on the way to a terminal velocity of 175 mph.

Those of you who started bellyaching when you first heard the Cayman now comes with electronic power steering can politely shut your faces. The tiller is as precise as you're likely to find on any machine, delivering excellent feedback with plenty of communication. If you don't know what the front wheels are doing in the Cayman S, you can't blame the car.

If you don't know what the front wheels are doing, you can't blame the car.

The PDK really is the only "automatic" transmission I've had my hands on that can accurately anticipate which gear I need to be in for whatever assault on proper driving I'm attempting to execute at that particular moment. The shift logic is something from another future, one where there's a little German gnome clinging to your brain stem and barking commands at the gearbox via HAM radio. Go for the wheel-mounted paddle shifters and the hardware pops off blistering shifts that hit like a telephone book to the lower back. As a die-hard defender of the manual transmission, I can honestly say this tech is driving bliss.

Get the Cayman S out on a track and it's immediately clear what Porsche has cooked up with this car. The platform is incredibly forgiving, turning even butter-fisted yokels like myself into competent lappers. With a little prompting, the Cayman will rotate in a nice, slow, even breakaway before squatting on its haunches and popping out of a corner. Those massive brakes tolerate regular sieges without drama or significant fade, providing a confident pedal with excellent initial bite. That's true even after a handful of hard laps trying to chase down a 911.

If this all sounds like a love note, it should. The 2014 Cayman S isn't just good. It conjures explicative-laced smiles from your lips like a bucket draws water from a well, but that doesn't mean I'm a smitten man. As lustworthy as the Cayman S is, kitting one out to the level of excellence found in our tester will see you spend some serious cash. It doesn't take much strolling to walk right up to the $90,000 barrier on this car. While the base MSRP of $52,600 is more manageable, the Cayman S starts at $63,800, and by the time the dust settled on our tester's price tag, we were looking at $88,220, including a $950 destination fee. Getting frisky with the option sheet puts you in deep waters prowled by the likes of hardware like the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, as well as plenty of sheetmetal decorated with letters like AMG, M and even CTS-V.

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Electric Hybrid Car

The Opec oil crisis of the early 1970s, Jeffrey Kaffee, a former commercial pilot, remembers, led to huge frustration at long petrol queues. Lesson learnt, years later Kaffee became a Prius owner. Then, last week, he moved on to General Motors' new plug-in electric hybrid, the Chevrolet Volt.

Kaffee was on holiday in Florida when the car came in to his local dealership, in Denville, New Jersey. The sellers flew him back for the day to take the silver-coloured five-door saloon for a spin.
"We drove it a lot," he said. "The car was on all day. It was after 2 o'clock when I  was finished for the day and I looked down and it had half a battery to go. It was doing fine."
Impressed by the test run, Kaffee, who is now an estate agent, decided to make the car his main commuting vehicle.
The Volt is the first extended-range electric vehicle to be made for the mass market by one of the big US carmakers, and hits the streets at the same time as the Nissan Leaf, an entirely electric hatchback.
Both cars are being marketed as green alternatives, with Nissan running adverts showing a driver getting hugged by a polar bear. The two electric rivals began shipping out last week, in limited quantities to selected areas, including California, Texas, New York, New Jersey and Washington.
Unlike initial experiences with electric cars in the 1990s – when General Motors ended up recalling and crushing the entire fleet – the Volt, first unveiled at the Detroit auto show four years ago, is seen as an important part of GM's comeback.
Early indications are encouraging. The car has received gushing reviews from car magazines, and more than 200,000 people have signed up for more information about the Volt on the company website.
The Volt's additional small petrol engine is seen as a safeguard against the "range anxiety" - the distance it is possible to travel on a charged battery - that is associated with 100% electric vehicles.
Even Kaffee, who initially signed up for both vehicles, had reservations. "The Leaf is a great car around town but you can't really take it on an extended trip," he said. "You wouldn't want a day when you are out there and you are out of juice."
So far availability of the Volt has been limited; 160 cars were shipped last week, and only 10,000 more are planned for all of next year. So there are waiting lists.
There were reports last week that some showrooms were charging a premium of as much as $5,000 over the manufacturers' price.
The Volt manages between 35 and 40 miles on a single charge before the petrol engine takes over, extending the possible range to about 380 miles. It takes about eight hours to fully recharge the battery on the standard American 110-volt household outlet.
The price of the car starts at $41,000 (£26,000), which is relatively expensive in the US, but sellers say the price is dictated by the $15,000 cost of the battery pack. Customers in the US are, however, eligible for a $7,300 tax credit, bringing down the price to about $33,000.
The Leaf is reported to be able to travel about 100 miles on a single charge. The car sells for just under $33,000 and also qualifies for a $7,500 tax credit, bringing down the price to about $25,000.

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'BURNING DESIRE'

Brit and Ivor Novello award winner Lana Del Rey today released the video for 'Burning Desire'. It was written and composed by the singer songwriter and will feature as the title track to a special film called 'Desire' starring Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis, which has been created by Jaguar and the award winning producers Ridley Scott Associates.
The 'Burning Desire' music video was filmed on location in South East London at the infamous Rivoli Ballroom, a Grade II listed former cinema that was transformed in the 1950's and is the only remaining intact ballroom from its period in London.
The distinctive venue's eclectic mix of neo-classical, deco style perfectly complements Lana's original style. In the video she is seen wearing a vintage Ghost floor length silk dress as she performs the track.
Lana Del Rey said:"Film has always been so precious to me and I'm so proud to be a part of what Jaguar have envisioned for their new car with Damian Lewis. Making art means making tough decisions. I do believe you create your own life path and that you will be rewarded for following your passions - and sticking to it. It's just good to know now, with people like Jaguar and working with them, that I'm not the only one out there with such strident, creative beliefs."
Lana Del Rey's collaboration with the luxury car brand was first announced last September, with the singer performing the song for the first and only time to an exclusive and intimate audience at Paris's Musee Rodin at the global reveal of the F-TYPE. The F-TYPE is the first two-seater sports car from Jaguar since the iconic E-type was launched 50 years ago.
Ian Armstrong, Global Marketing Communications Director, Jaguar said: "Lana Del Rey is a world-class singer songwriter. In this video, she has used her unique ability to conjure, reflect and then reinterpret an aesthetic from a different era both for herself and for the F-TYPE."
The film that features the track tells the story of Clark (Damian Lewis), who delivers cars for a living, running into trouble after a chance encounter with a mysterious, young woman (Shannyn Sossamon) in the middle of a lawless desert. Directed by Adam Smith, this is a story of betrayal, retribution, passion and greed. The film will be released in Spring 2013.

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Aston Martin Vanquish

Aston Martin unveiled the Project AM310 Concept at the Concorso D’Eleganza at Villa D'Este on the shores of Lake Como, Italy. The concept showed how the future successor to the DBS would look.Aston Martin later announced that the concept would be put into production as the all new Aston Martin Vanquish.

2012 Aston Martin Vanquish rear view

The exterior styling of the Vanquish is an evolution of the DBS with many styling cues such as the elongated side strakes being inspired by the One-77. The boot lid includes an integrated rear spoiler designed to look as if it is impossible to make; this was done on the orders of Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr. Ulrich Bez. The car has an exposed carbon fibre skirt showing its all carbon fibre body. The Vanquish uses the new Generation 4 VH chassis which is lighter and uses more carbon fibre than the Generation 2 VH used in the DBS.

The car features an all new interior based on the one found in the exclusive Aston Martin One-77. The standard interior is trimmed in hand stitched leather and alcantara available in a range of colours. The centre stack features an improved infotainment system over the one found in the DBS. The car is available as either a 2-seater or 2+2.

The Vanquish uses an upgraded version of Aston Martin’s flagship V12 engine with a power output of 573 PS (421 kW; 565 bhp) at 6,750 rpm and torque of 620 N·m (460 lb·ft) at 5,500 rpm. Like most Aston Martins, the engine is front mid mounted with the power going to the rear wheels. It uses a fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves. The Vanquish uses an updated touchtronic2 transmission, Aston Martin's automatic gearbox, and unlike the DBS is only available as an automatic. It will be the first Aston Martin available with launch control.
The brakes are ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 398 mm (15.7 in) six-piston callipers in the front and 360 mm (14.2 in) four-piston callipers in the rear. The suspension is a lightweight aluminium front sub frame with hollow castings with independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers in the front and independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers in the rear. It has a three stage adjustable adaptive damping system including normal, sport and track modes. The tires are Pirelli P Zeros, 255/ZR20 in the front and 305/30 ZR20 in the rear.
As part of Aston Martin's 100th anniversary celebration, a Vanquish was airlifted onto the helipad of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on January 17, 2013

 

 

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2013 Jaguar XF

Jaguar's 2013 model year-mania continues with the XF series that gains a similar suite of updates to the larger XJ saloon that we told you about in a previous posting and then some more, including the introduction of the new Sportbrake that will start from £31,940 when it goes on sale in the UK later this year.

As with the XJ, the XF continues without any alterations to its design for the new model year, but with many changes under the hood.

The executive model's engine lineup is expanded with two new forced induction petrol powerplants, a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 delivering 335hp (340PS) and 450Nm (332 lb-ft) that replaces in some markets the naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8, and a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four rated at 237hp (240PS) and 340Nm (251 lb-ft).

The 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel range is now available in 161hp (163PS) and 197hp (200 PS) outputs with the latter replacing the existing 187hp (190PS) output engine.

These engines join the existing line-up of 3.0-litre V6 Turbodiesel and Supercharged 5.0-litre V8 petrols.

We should mention that not all engines will be available to all markets (i.e. the 2.0-liter turbo petrol in the UK), while the estate version of the XF will be offered at launch exclusively with diesel powerplants.

For 2013, Jaguar is also expanding the use of its new 8-speed automatic transmission with a start and stop system to all gasoline and diesel engines across the range improving emissions on the V6 Diesel engines by six per cent and on the supercharged V8 petrol by up to 11 percent.

The range topping 503hp (510PS) XFR can now be enhanced with an optionally available new Speed Pack that is equipped with revised engine and gearbox calibration, a new front aero splitter and a new rear wing. With this package, the XFR can reach an increased limited top speed of 174mph (280km/h) instead of 155km/h (250km/h).

Jaguar has also replaced the Bowers and Wilkins system with a new Meridian audio system.

As with the 2013 XJ, Jaguar is expected to release country-specific details on the XF in the coming months.

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BMW launches new version of sports utility vehicle XI at Rs 27.9 lakh

: German luxury car maker BMW today launched all new version of its entry level sports utility vehicle X1 with price starting at Rs 27.9 lakh (ex showroom Delhi).

The company, which sold a total of 9,375 units in India in 2012, said it is looking to grow its sales amid tough market conditions on the back of new model introductions and new dealerships.
"This year we are looking at a certain growth in India. This will be on the back of new models such as the new X1 and 1 series which will be launched towards the end of the year," BMW Group India President Philipp von Sahr told reporters here.
He said the 1 series would be assembled at the company's Chennai plant and will be the sixth model to be assembled in India.
The new X1 is powered by a 2-litre diesel engine and will be available in three options with the base model priced at Rs 27.9 lakh and the other two priced at Rs 32.5 lakh.
Commenting on the market conditions, von Sahr said the overall economic situation doesn't look promising but the company was looking to sell more cars than last year.
"We will be adding new dealerships and this will give us new market," he said.
BMW has so far sold 5,435 X1s units in India since its launch in January 2007.
The base model of the new X1 would be more expensive than the earlier model by Rs 40,000 and BMW India will no longer offer petrol variant of the X1.

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Face-lifted BMW X6 Launched

   

           

Priced at Rs 78.90 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the xDrive40d Diesel model and and Rs 93.40 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the xDriver50i Petrol model, the new BMW X6 will look at further expanding its niche customer base with looks and features that now make for a more compelling purchase option

If ‘Beauty and the Beast’ have ever managed to harmoniously merge into creating a single product , it would most certainly have to be the BMW X6. Presented to the world as a Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) and selling in India since 2009, this oxymoron of a vehicle despite being the brand’s least selling utility vehicle in the country has played a key role in building the brand’s reputation as one that can in fact design cars that are worth drooling over.

Operating in a very niche upmarket utility vehicle space with no real competition the X6 recently progressed into its second generation look  and now replaces its predecessor looking more aggressive, flamboyant and curvacious than before.

The face-lifted BMW X6 is now on sale pan India and presents a more expressive Sports Activity Coupé demeanor with modified details such as standard fog lights now set in matt finish surrounds, a higher and more lateral position that emphasies the width of the vehicle, a three-dimensional modelling of the frame and a newly designed kidney grille that stands out at the front of the vehicle. 

Having done away with the bi-xenon lights for the 2013 model, the X6 is the first vehicle in this segment to be fitted with adaptive LED headlamps as standard. Also visible are the 19-inch light alloy wheels featuring a double spoke design in bi-colour.

A massive 4.4-litre V8 for the the xDriver50i petrol model and an in-line 6-cylinder diesel engine for the BMW X6 xDrive40d will now mobilise the new X6 producing 408PS and 306PS respectively. Both models get a standard 8-speed sports transmission including shift paddles at the steering wheel. The Dynamic Performance Control feature is a standard fitment across all versions of the BMW X6 as is the intelligent all-wheel drive system xDrive system.

Even the insides have undergone special treatment with better quality leathers for the four-seater model. The luggage compartment volume of the Sports Activity Coupé is 570 litres and can be extended to up to 1,450 litres by folding down the rear backrests.

The 2013 X6 obviously benefits from the Driver assistance systems offered through BMW’s ConnectedDrive system and will be available in two exclusive packages for customers. The Innovation Package enhances driving experience through Adaptive Full-LED Headlights, BMW Head-up Display and BMW Apps, while the Luxury Package is designed specifically for customers with a focus on comfort. The package includes special Comfort Seats with Lumbar Support, Active Seat Ventilation and Seat Heating.

Speaking at the launch of the new BMW X6 Philipp von Sahr, President, BMW Group India said, “There are SUVs and there are coupes, but there is only one BMW X6. This vehicle is like no other. It unites apparent opposites, such as size with agility and sportiness with elegance. It’s a sports car that also feels at home when away from the road. That is why, we have created a separate vehicle category for the BMW X6 – the Sports Activity Coupe. These three words encompass everything that makes the BMW X6 so special and this is apparent at first sight. And there is another certainty. The new BMW X6 will definitely attract attention, wherever it goes.”

Priced at Rs 78.90 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the now better displaced xDrive40d Diesel model and and even heftier price tag of Rs 93.40 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the xDriver50i Petrol model, the new BMW X6 will continue to sell as a CBU (Completely Built-up) unit here in India and demand a handsome price for its enigmatic on road persona among other personal merits.


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