2009 Porsche Cayman S

No, I didn't abandon my family to be with the Porsche Cayman S, but I was extremely tempted, taking several detours on the trip home to my tiny baby and my understanding wife. Nothing demands a joy ride like a Porsche. I know, I know: the 911 is iconically divine. But for my money, I'd rather own a Boxster or a Cayman than a tail-heavy and much more expensive 911. More specifically, I'd probably pick a Boxster S because of its opening roof and smaller price. Yet every time I see a gorgeous Cayman--or am exposed to the lusciously rumbly sound track filling its cabin--I become torn. I suppose it's very fortunate, then, that I'm not in the market for one of these cars. Sigh. I am a sucker for the Cayman's blessed engine note, slick shifter, excellent balance, sublime steering, fantastic brakes ... all of these items meld perfectly with form-fitting seats, a very attractive exterior, and surprisingly practical packaging, making this a car for which it's hard to surrender the keys. To paraphrase a January 2005 Automobile Magazine story in which we compared a Porsche Carrera GT, a Ford GT, a Lamborghini Murciélago, and a Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR: heaven is a Cayman (or Boxster) on forever empty mountain roads, with a permanently full fuel tank and perpetually perfect tires. Double sigh. Rusty Blackwell, Copy Editor