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Quick Spin: TPCRacing Cayman S Turbo picks up where Porsche left off

Dec 29, 2009 Object

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Porsche, Quick Spin

When Porsche introduced the Cayman in 2006, one thing was abundantly clear: Porsche had muzzled its midship coupe to prevent cannibalizing 911 sales. Despite a more favorable weight distribution and an unflappable chassis, the Cayman lacked the power to exploit its excellent underpinnings, even in “S” guise. So like its Boxster sibling, the Cayman was destined to play second fiddle to Porsche’s iconic rear-engine flagship. From a business perspective, Porsche’s decision made sense. For enthusiasts, it was yet another bitter pill from Zuffenhausen.

When the Cayman underwent a refresh, there was always hope that a turbocharged variant would be included in the line-up. Predictably, that never happened. So the Cayman continued to stand on the lower/middle rung of the Porsche ladder, offering less power and a lower price than the 911. The Cayman could dance. It just needed an extra bit of oomph.

That’s where Mike Levitas comes in. Mike is the brains behind TPCRacing of Jessup, MD. Born of a family of automotive tinkerers, Mike spent most of his formative years learning about turbos and turning that knowledge to race cars - fast, reliable race cars that won championships. Like most other Porsche enthusiasts, Mike thought the Cayman could use more power. Turbocharged power. But unlike most of the marque’s devotees, Mike made it happen.

Photos by Frank Filipponio / Copyright (C)2009 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Quick Spin: TPCRacing Cayman S Turbo picks up where Porsche left off

Quick Spin: TPCRacing Cayman S Turbo picks up where Porsche left off originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: a-lower-price, another-bitter, cayman, caymanturbo, entry, mikelevitas, porsche, tpcracing, tpcracingcaymansturbo

Total Croc: Porsche suing popular shoe company over naming rights?

Nov 10, 2009 Object

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Government/Legal, Porsche, Humor

Porsche AG is known for vigorously defending its intellectual property. It’s understandable, as the company has spent more than half a century building its performance-oriented automotive brand around design patents, logos, and the company’s familiar vehicle nomenclature. Crocs, Inc., on the other hand, is a shoe manufacturer credited with introducing the world to low-cost injection-molded foam footwear. Crocs does not build cars… um, thankfully.

What Crocs did do was name its popular sandal the “Cayman” (pictured at right). Of course, this set off all the alarms at Porsche as that name is already trademark registered by the automaker for its two-seat sports coupe. What followed next was expected… in mid-May, Crocs received a letter from Porsche notifying them of the alleged trademark infringement. At the end of July, Porsche filed a notice of injunction in German courts against the European use of the Cayman name by Crocs.

While we realize that few of our readers would ever confuse a pair of Crocs’ Cayman with the Porsche Cayman, one has to wonder if Porsche is taking this a bit too far. Rumor has it that the Cayman Islands in the western Caribbean are monitoring the situation and already working on their own legal defense… Hat tip to Freddy for the lead!

[Source: Deadline Watch]

Total Croc: Porsche suing popular shoe company over naming rights? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: a-bit-too, are-monitoring, automaker, cayman, cayman-islands, copyright infringement, copyrightinfringement, crocs, mitsubishioutlandergt, trademark, trademark-infringement

REPORT: Norwegian Porsche importer makes horsepower, taxes conspicuously disappear

Nov 4, 2009 Object

Filed under: Car Buying, Performance, Europe, Government/Legal, Porsche

Although the Porsche Boxster and Cayman are built right next door in Finland, in neighboring Norway, the sportscars are subject to heavy tariffs due to their relatively high engine output. But according to reports from inside the Scandinavian country, the local importer has found a solution that apparently manages to bring down the price without consequence.

The Norwegian specifications for the entry-level Porsches show that the Boxster produces just 211 horsepower - a significant drop from its 255hp stock spec - while the Cayman is down to the same from 265. The benefit is that by coming in under the cap, the Porsches receive significant tax cuts: the 211hp Boxster saves the equivalent of over $15k, while the 211hp Cayman saves nearly $19k. You’d have to figure that these horsepower cuts, while financially advantageous, would have a negative effect on the cars’ performance, but according to the chart, acceleration figures and top speeds remain the same: 0-100 km/h in 5.9 seconds for the Boxster and 5.8 for the Cayman, topping out at 263 and 265 km/h respectively.

Assuming the numbers don’t lie, clearly something is rotten in the state of Norway.

[Source: BilNorge.no via WCF]

REPORT: Norwegian Porsche importer makes horsepower, taxes conspicuously disappear originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: 211hp, a-friend-via, california, cars, cayman, chevrolet cobalt, finland, norway, porsche-cayman, porsches, remain-the-same, saturn

Spy Shot? Porsche Cayman Shooting Brake revealed?

Aug 7, 2009 Object, video

Filed under: Spy Photos, Performance, Europe, Hatchback, Porsche

Yes, well, wouldn’t this be something. We’ve heard rumors and innuendo concerning the supposed Porsche Cayman Shooting Brake. In many ways, a shooting brake (also properly spelled with a hyphen — shooting-brake) is the perfect vehicle. Small and light like a sports car, but capable and practical like a station wagon. Combine chocolate with peanut butter and voila! A most excellent product.

Is this for real? Probably not. The first one spotted, the black Cayman Shooting Brake, was most likely a cardboard and tape job hacked together to allow engineers easy access to the engine bay. Maybe Porsche broke down and shoved a much needed turbo (or two) into the Cayman’s rump. But hey, maybe, this really is a leaked photo of Porsche’s first ever shooting brake (or something from Rinspeed?), and not just an ambitious but ultimately fake Photoshop. Wouldn’t that be sweet?

[Source: World Car Fans]

Spy Shot? Porsche Cayman Shooting Brake revealed? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: 2009 ford f-150, a-cardboard-and, a-friend-via, afternoon, cayman, hacked-together, into-the-cayman, m coupe, sports

Spy Video: Porsche Cayman Shooting Brake caught on camera phone?

Jul 8, 2009 Object, news, video

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sports/GTs, Wagons/Estates, Videos, Hatchbacks, Porsche

Camera phones are turning into quite an asset in this business, as readers of various automotive news sites across the interwebs and around the world have turned into legions of spy photographers. In this instance, one such reader-turned-paparazzo (apparently in Italy, no less) caught on video what appears to be some sort of Porsche Cayman Shooting Brake test mule.

Looking something like the product of a one-night-stand between said Porsche and either a Volvo C30 or an original BMW Z3-based M Coupe, the supposed mule is wearing all black, but apart from that, it appears to be undisguised. Of course, this could be a one-off made by someone with no official connection to Porsche (Rinspeed, anyone?), but then again, it could be a harbinger of a model to come. What do you make of it? Follow the link to view the spy video and voice your opinion in our comments section below. Thanks for the tip, Bill!

[Source: Top Gear]

Spy Video: Porsche Cayman Shooting Brake caught on camera phone? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: a-friend-via, a-one-off-made, cayman, entry, opinion, porsche, shooting brake, since-the-role, spy video, top gear, topgear, video, view-the-spy

Jay Leno filming Star in a Reasonably Priced Car for Top Gear?

Jul 8, 2009 Object, video

Filed under: Lifestyle, UK, Celebrities, Rumormill

Citing an unnamed though supposedly reliable source, the boys at Jalopnik are reporting that Jay Leno - fresh from his appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed where he’s believed to have piloted an awesome McLaren F1 GTR up the hill - was spotted filming a Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment today with the blokes from Top Gear. What are the chances we’ll get surprise appearances by Leno’s Tank Car or EcoJet?

Assuming this rumor turns out to be true, we fully hope that Jay can properly represent American gearheads by outlapping Jamiroquai lead singer Jay Kay, who currently sits atop the Star leaderboard after knocking Simon Cowell off his perch as the quickest celebrity in Britain.

Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Jalopnik]

Jay Leno filming Star in a Reasonably Priced Car for Top Gear? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: cayman, jay leno, jay leno top gear, lifestyle, pebble-beach, perch-as-the, shooting brake, top gear