2012 Porsche Cayman

The arrival of the 2012 Porsche Cayman R is a cause for celebration for anyone who appreciates a high-performance driving machine.

The most recent edition of the Cayman, the 2012 Cayman R is an exquisitely engineered sports car that weighs only 2,855 pounds and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds with the traditional six-speed manual transmission. That performance improves to just 4.4 seconds with the PDK transmission in Sport Plus mode.

The Cayman R boasts 330 horsepower at 7400 rpm. It features a stripped-down design compared with recent models of the Cayman to save weight. Porsche opted to

install nylon tabs instead of door handles on the car's aluminum doors. The cabin contains fixed carbon fiber racing buckets instead of luxurious leather reclining seats.

The 2012 Porsche Cayman R features a mid-engine composition scheme, meaning the engine is mounted between the axles and behind the seats; the Cayman R is well-packaged for a mid-engine car. The Cayman's mini trunk up front contains 5.3 cubic feet of cargo space, and its back hatch includes 9.2 cubic feet of cargo space.

With its 3.4-liter flat six engine, the 2012 Cayman R is primed to hold its own against any vehicle in its class on the race track. The elegant flat six engine boasts the classic, incomparable Porsche sound. In the great tradition of Porsches, the Cayman R is fast and loud, providing the driver with an immediate, almost organic response.

The 2012 Cayman R is also a bit more refined and more stable than some of its predecessors in the high-performance class, with a feel that is less raw than other Porsches. This makes the Cayman R a fine selection for long road trips, not just toying on the track.

The Cayman gets great gas mileage for this type of vehicle, checking it at 20 miles per gallon in the city and 29 miles per gallon on the highway.

With its solid balance of race track proficiency and street performance, the Porsche Cayman R compares favorably with competing vehicles on the market such as the Lotus Elise and the Corvette Z06, although the Cayman is better on the road than both of those rivals.

The body design of the Cayman R makes it one of the most visually gorgeous Porsche models, with a retro-style body that brings up memories of the Porsche 550 and 904.

The Cayman comes with a standard warranty of four years or 50,000 miles.