The size of the new cars is often blamed for the lack of overtaking in modern Formula 1. F1 cars today, are multiple times bigger than they were in years gone by. In fact, I recently heard that the wheelbase of a modern F1 car is the same as a Rolls Royce Phantom! How true this is, I couldn’t tell you, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Road cars too, are getting bigger. Customers are demanding better safety, more equipment, more space, longer range. All of this “more” has to go somewhere, so the cars get bigger, heavier and bloated.
According to a popular motoring podcast, the new Porsche 911 is the size of a bus! And much as I love them, cars like the Ferrari 599 and F12 are not exactly small either. These cars are big, but they can manage their size because they are engineered to do it. But, recently I drove a little Porsche Cayman S… and I liked it. More than I thought I would.
The Cayman is a nice car
The Cayman is a nice car, but never really popped up on my radar. Which made me wonder why it is that this thing put such a smile on my face? It’s not the fastest, best looking or best handling car I had driven this week. However, something about the way you could throw it around in a playful manner, just put a smile on my face. Lots of brilliant cars are absolutely incredible, but can’t always manage that. Smile factor, is probably one of the most important criteria in a sportscar, and the little Cayman had it in spades.
But why? Then it hit me…. The little Cayman was… well…. Little! Just the fact that it is comparatively tiny made everything it does feel exaggerated. It feels faster than it really is. The chassis pivots more sharply thanks to its short wheelbase. It makes you want to drive it rather than overpowering you to the point where you’re just hanging on for dear life.
What about the trade-off
What about the trade-off though? A small car must mean impractical and cramped right? Well actually, no? The packaging on this car is incredibly well thought out. You have 2 boots, one at the back and another in front. The cabin has loads of space for driver and passenger too. Yes, it’s only a 2-seater, but cramped and unusable, it most certainly is not!
Sometimes, less is more. I think the little Cayman proves that. It’s probably why I love cars like Lotus, TVR and my ever-project Harper. They’re not the best cars in the world, but they are FUN. And Driving fun is what a sportscar should be all about.
This particular Cayman S is the Black Edition. A very rare, numbered limited edition – More info on the Black Edition available HERE.