Porsche Cayman S India review, test drive

The plan was simple. Take the bullet-train-quick expressway down to Pune, jink right on reaching the city and then carry on via the picturesque Wai ghat to Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar. The route back down to Mumbai would be even better – via the lonely Poladpur ghat that snakes its way down the back of the mountain range in a tight set of rollercoaster-like dips and loops. And from Mahad, on to Mumbai. We would encounter all sorts of roads en route; speedbreakers and broken sections of road on the way out of Mumbai, flat-out sections on the expressway and every sort of corner, switchback and hairpin over the rest. 

Time for a pre-flight check/walk-around while the photographers take some detail shots of the car. Whereas the earlier Cayman looked a bit awkward, this car looks positively gorgeous. The nose, roof and tail are in perfect sync and I can’t help but be reminded of a whole host of Porsche racing cars from the 1960s, like the 906 and 908. It has the same feline, crouched look with the protruding shoulders. And bold details like the fenders and cutouts in the chin work really well too. Large 20-inch wheels also mean this example looks perfectly planted. The large purposeful-looking vents and splitters also tell you how serious Porsche is about good aero performance. It even has a hidden pop-up spoiler, but that does make the rear look a bit ungainly.