2012 Porsche Cayman S Sedan

The Cayman, depending on how you view it, is either a cynical way to make more money off the Porsche Boxster or the best sports car in the world. We tend to lean toward the latter. Yes, Porsche charges nearly $4000 more for the Cayman than it does for the Boxster, and yes, that $52,850 doesn't buy you nearly as much horsepower as you can get in a Chevrolet Corvette or a Nissan 370Z. But the Cayman, which is twice as stiff as the very rigid Boxster, makes up for its spec-sheet shortcomings with unparalleled balance and reflexes. It helps that the roof traps the wail of the boxer engine right behind your ears. The Cayman is not one of those cars that will allow you to pretend you're a great driver, though--it does exactly what you tell it to, for better or for worse. For those who seek more than the base model's 265 hp, there's the 320-hp Cayman S and, new for this year, the 330-hp Cayman S Black Edition. The hottest variant remains the Cayman R, which combines a hopped-up 3.4-liter flat six with a stiffer suspension. Like the Boxster Spyder, it spares no effort in shedding weight. There's no radio or air-conditioning, the door skins are made of aluminum, the battery is a compact lithium-ion unit, and the door pulls are canvas. The replacement for the five-year-old Cayman is not far off and will, we presume, be faster and more efficient (and possibly will offer a four-cylinder engine). For now, though, this is as good as it gets.