Limited-Edition Porsche Cayman Offers Batmobile Looks

March 19 (Bloomberg) -- Imagine a Porsche recast as the Batmobile and you've got the look of the new Cayman S Porsche Design Edition 1. With swoopy lines enhanced by black-on-black paint, all-black interior and oversized silver wheels, it's the kind of ride the Caped Crusader would love.
This is a limited edition of the mid-engine, two-seater coupe, and my tester is No. 238 out of 777 to be made.
Yes, like you, I get the names of the Cayman and the Cayenne SUV mixed up (thanks, Porsche marketing!). While Porsche has only four models -- the other two are the Boxster and 911, and it's developing a sports sedan called the Panamera -- its ability to produce so many highly desirable variants is uncanny. The catalog is chockablock with add-ons, options and wheel choices that you might not need yet are so cool that any fool can see you simply must have them.
The Design Edition is a hyper-extension of this concept. It offers no boost in engine performance, yet the extra details and ``limited edition'' status potentially add up to a gotta-have-it machine.
The Porsche Design Studio has been around since the early 1970s, the brainchild of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, designer of the iconic 911. A smart marketer himself, that Ferdinand: These days, you can find anything from golf clubs to a luxury speed boat with the Porsche Design imprint on it.
One of the studio's first designs was a black wristwatch called the Chronograph 1, which serves as the inspiration for the Cayman Design Edition (though naysayers might argue it's really the desire for a fatter bottom line).
Pocket Knife
Undeniably, buyers will be part of a small club, as only 250 of those 777 will reach the U.S. The limited edition starts at $69,900, and included in the $10,800 premium over the Cayman S is a grab bag of Design Studio stuff, including a briefcase, a chronograph watch, sunglasses and pocket knife. Who says you can't take your car into the office with you?
Sorry, the accessories are just frippery, and we know it. Still, the body of the Cayman, with sensual rounded rear flanks, a beautiful sloping roof and a front end that's pure Porsche, looks amazing when dressed in tuxedo black.
Even the door handles and side air intakes are inky dark. There are also matte-black stripes, embossed with the Design Studio logo, running up the hood, back and sides. Some consumers will find them tacky, yet they're only obvious in certain light.
The 19-inch Turbo wheels are simply gorgeous on the car, though you can get them (and, yes, black paint) as an option on regular Caymans. The Design Edition also comes standard with active suspension, which lets drivers alter the firmness of the chassis.
Deluxe Interior
I adore the interior treatment. The leather is black, many metal pieces have soft-touch black paint, and the steering wheel, gear shift and handbrake are blanketed in dark, fuzzy-wuzzy Alcantara, a suede-like material. It feels luxurious, even a bit decadent.
My tester is missing a GPS navigation system, and the esoteric stereo system lacks a plug for an MP3 player. You can opt for the GPS, yet shouldn't advanced electronics be standard on the Design Edition?
There are no engine modifications. If the 3.4-liter, six- cylinder engine were tweaked for more power, I believe the Cayman just might romp all over the more expensive base 911. Porsche could have bumped up the 295 horsepower, giving a real taste of exclusivity. No dice.
Perhaps the best thing about the Design Edition is that it got me into the cockpit of the Cayman again. For some reason it's an oft-overlooked model, and I don't see a lot of them on the street.
Fast, Agile
It's fast, blasting from 0 to 60 in 5.1 seconds and hitting a top speed of 171 miles per hour. And the small size and mid- mounted engine, plus a weight under 3,000 pounds, make it extremely agile. Very Batmobile-like.
I first tested it on the incomparably winding lanes of Tuscany and later on a notorious road on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina that's dubbed the ``Tail of the Dragon.'' With some 300 turns packed into 11 miles, it's a dream road ruled by motorcyclists. Yet my Cayman S parried with some of the faster sports bikes, and by the end I had guys coming up and shaking my hand.
The Cayman really is a beautiful machine in the Design guise. Still, if you treat it for what it's really designed for -- slicing up windy roads in a blinding blur -- people outside the car aren't likely to be able to see what options you sprang for anyway.
The Cayman S Porsche Design Edition 1 at a Glance:
Engine: 3.4-liter, six-cylinder with 295 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque.
Transmission: Six-speed manual (standard) or five-speed Tiptronic S.
Speed: 0 to 60 in 5.1 seconds.
Gas mileage per gallon: 18 city, 26 highway.
Price as tested: $77,320
Best features: Beautiful body looks great in all-black.
Worst features: No engine upgrade.
Target buyer: The Porsche-ophile who wants to make sure he's got something different.
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