Porsche Cayman S PDK Review: Infernal Affairs

Porsche Cayman S PDK Review: Infernal Affairs

With Porsche now under the arm of the Volkswagen Group, there's bound to be civil unrest between the Stuttgart brand and VW's Audi arm when it comes to some niches. Raymond Lai plays umpire to decide which brand makes the better compact sports coupe.

OneShift Editorial Team
OneShift Editorial Team
28 Feb 2011
What we like:
pros
Audi: Strong performance from engine
pros
engine soundtrack inspired by the ur-quattro's
pros
traction and stability of quattro. Porsche: Sublime steering
pros
the Porsche badge
pros
handling balance
pros
it has a flat-six sitting behind your ears
pros
superb PDK gearbox
What we dislike:
cons
Audi: No S-Tronic model yet
cons
steering lifeless next to the Porsche's
cons
ponderous gear change. Porsche: Hefty steering at parking speeds is a bit of a chore
cons
can handle even more power
cons
expensive options


The TT RS' pretty exterior is matched by its beautifully crafted cabin. The interior not only looks good thanks to its intricate design details but feels good as well with perceived luxury and the use of high quality materials and switchgear playing their parts for the latter. The TT RS' cabin has been enhanced with an all dark grey interior trim scheme, even more leather, bespoke instruments, side sills with TT RS logos, that lovely gear knob, alloy pedals and flat-bottomed steering wheel among other stuff. The test car had optional two piece buckets that look like the sports seats in the R8 - they not only look brilliant but also hug you snugly in the corners. The Audi manages to squeeze a pair of seats for miniscule human beings at the rear, but you'd have to be a kid or some one really short to fit in here.

The Cayman's interior in comparison, is just functional and lacks any design flair. The dials, with the rev counter taking centre stage are laid out in traditional Porsche style but everything else look and feel a tad nondescript. The controls and switch gear are clearly labeled while the ergonomics are spot on but you just don't feel the sense of occasion like you do in older Porsches or in the 911. The Cayman doesn't offer any extra seats at the rear but it does offer an additional luggage area behind the engine in addition to the one up front.

While the TT RS comes fully loaded with a list of luxuries and standard kit, you'd need to tick many boxes on the Cayman S' optional extras list to spec it up to be as well equipped as the TT RS. These options will cost you up to five-figure sums, I must warn you. Porsche though, offers an unmatched five-year free maintenance programme with every official car, which means you'd only have to pay for gas and tyres for the first five years of Porsche ownership.

Fast, pretty and nimble the TT RS may be, it doesn't have the raw edge of the Cayman S. The Porsche just have more poise in the bends and is easily the more rewarding to the keen driver. Moreover, the Cayman S is endowed with that special Porsche sports car heritage that its competitors lack. There's the snob factor as well - you can't deny that having keys embossed with the Stuttgart coat of arms in your pocket will give you a bigger feel-good factor than those with the four rings. When it comes to compact sports coupes, Audi can certainly still learn a thing or two from its Porsche stablemate.

Credits: Story by Raymond Lai Photos by Yang

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