Why is the Porsche Cayman such a MAGICAL thing to DRIVE?

SPOILER ALERT: it IS just simple physics, angular momentum, but oh what a difference it makes.
Picking apart the reasoning behind the way the Porsche Cayman drives I compare it a to spinning figure skater, and suddenly everything becomes clear.
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Disclaimer;
Some footage in this video may be edited and/or sped up for cinematic effect.
Some footage was also filmed on private land.
Copyright Disclaimer. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.

[@leonardos.1538]

Caymans should be a human right ! Greetings from Germany.

[@British99]

Having owned my Cayman for around 10 months, I also think that it is the best car that I have ever driven. In addition to the ideal mid engine layout and low centre of gravity, it is the feedback you get through the seat, the steering wheel and tyres that make it a great drivers car, at any speed. My Cayman is a daily driver, and as a key worker I have been lucky enough to be able to drive it through lockdown. It’s remarkably practical, especially for the weekly shop, and always put a smile on my face.

[@sidneybear]

Very well done....I've been a Cayman Porsche owner for 13 years now . I have never regretted buying this car for one minute...it's just a privilege to drive !!!!!

[@milogger7556]

It's so much fun to watch Cayman videos between you and MaxRevs. One is full of energy, the other is dry, witty commentary. I enjoy/subscribe to you both. Thanks for all the great videos! '07CS. 🍻🇺🇲🇬🇧

[@nickvangopoulosphotography6921]

I have a 2008 base Cayman 2.7 5 spd. I concur. It corners like a slot car. An amazing car. 4yrs of ownership and my lust for the 911 has subsided, makes me look at the Boxsters in a different light. Great video. Liked and subscribed. Keep the videos coming.

[@RichardBeds]

Very well explained. Of course in addition to the small radius of the pivot point, the centre of gravity is low too, thanks to the flat six engine configuration. I too have owned fast hatchbacks and front engined coupes, but the Cayman has an unrivalled balance and poise. It may not have the straight line speed, but as the saying goes “Straights are for fast cars, bends are for fast drivers”.

[@prof_tim]

Shhhhh! Don’t tell everybody or they’ll all want one! :) My Cayman is the most fun I’ve ever had with my clothes on.

[@a64738]

Yes.... EVERYONE do not buy the Cayman, it is a horrible car , instead go buy the 911 ;)

[@chriskgrigg]

Last year I drove my first ever Cayman - I couldn’t believe how amazing it felt to drive, exactly as you explain Mark. 6 months later I sold my very quick modified Focus ST and bought a 981 base. I absolutely love it, the Focus was fast but as a real drivers car, incomparable..... as much as I used to try and kid myself 😁

[@Si-Drive]

Great video, impressed you managed to explain this whilst behind the wheel 😆. I’ve had my 981 Cayman S for a week and a half, and I came from an M240i... completely get what you’re saying here. The mid engine layout and flat fix configuration are brilliant.

[@jb7052]

Watching these videos you have made really makes me want a Cayman. I already loved the exterior look of them but now knowing how well they handle makes them even more appealing. Good work👍

[@rd6781]

Always look forward to your videos and insights, Mark!

[@stevenbond1410]

I had a Cayman S 5 years ago and now watching your videos its making me want to buy one again , i must have another !

[@foxlake6750]

I was at a Porsche track, using their cars. Hopping back and forth between a 912 and a Cayman really showed the difference. The Cayman seemed easier to drive fast and gave you that confidence to go faster, it was balanced. I didn’t have any 911s pass me and I challenged a few 911 at times. The 911s had more hp and pulled on the straights and Cayman seemed to have more speed through the corners and better at late braking.

[@davidheavey7478]

Great video Mark, very enjoyable.

[@mattandallthings]

I own a 2.7 987. Have done for two years. Every day I drive it, I'm like a kid at Christmas. And that's after 2 years. It never gets old. I always thought BMW was the true drivers machine, but I was wrong.

[@TimWilliamsHD]

Love this! Serious food for thought 💭

[@chriss3594]

Awesome tech piece on physics. So many people do not understand science.

[@dromolog]

Very good points! Also a few important aspects that make a good sports car : Center of gravity, the boxer has a very low center of gravity. Even distribution of weight to all wheels due to mid engine configuration. The low center of gravity helps to maintain the later through the corners, producing grip. Enjoy your fine sports car!

[@koiffu1094]

Until I watched this video, I just always thought "mid engine position = good engine position." And, now, I actually know *why* mid engine position = good engine position. Really informative video and very worth the watch.

[@eddrosdick3724]

Very good explanation, thanks

[@maggygwire]

Having owned one for 10 years now I’d have to say it feels superb and some of that is down to the old fashioned mechanical feel of the car which isn’t replicated by newer more expensive cars

[@leecrooks5910]

Excellent stuff 👍 Fine video. Be great to get get some footage of the Goodwood session if at all possible ? Good luck anyways . Please keep the Cayman content coming - Loving it 👌

[@jamesradford4101]

I get it, my best handling cars was s2000, you might think front engine, rear wheel drive. But look closely engine is behind front wheels and driver is in front of rear wheels just

[@paulgreen2715]

This is probably the best video I've ever seen and probably the best tool I've ever had to convince my wife why I should buy a Porsche cayman. Cheers mate 👍

[@uweheinrich6784]

great video and introduction of the fundamental facts of the "magic"....Now consider part 2 (move the wheels closer to the corners of the car - longer wheel center to center distance), introduce mass shock absorbers for the engine + a better suspension + better steering rack....and all the pieces of the puzzle are coming together....

[@andrewf7822]

Good video Mark. I used to have an MR2 track slag. And when you exceeded the limits it would spin with no warning and no chance to correct.

[@warrenlucier5796]

I have a 2010 Cayman S and love the handling of this low cg and centered mass automobile and the rotation you can feel whilst pushing it.

[@rybol20]

Yes very good video. Thanks

[@davidcurzon8669]

Great videos you’re putting out here. MID REAR , don’t forget moment of inertia. I’m coming from a few MR cars, a few Lotus. Total mass has an effect of course. I’d expect the Porsche might have a better MOI as it’s so low slung with the flat six. I’m currently getting used to my second Boxster. This ones a PDK. Like you I’m still getting used to it. No pasm on this. Keep up the good work. Enjoy Goodwood.

[@7royboy]

Can’t wait to get back out and drive mine again!

[@TRONZ66]

Very much agree! The Cayman pivots around your hips. Its not just how light the rotational inertia is but also how low to the ground the CG is. Thank you flat six!

[@niwouackermann8517]

Very cool theory. Like the line of thought

[@rossbest2049]

That spec, blue with those alloys is perfect.

[@adrianwells769]

Yes to all that. The advantage of the 911 engine placement is there is more weight on the rear tyres for both acceleration and braking.

[@tristandrew5903]

Thanks for sharing, great scientific insight. I think this is effectively another way of altering the R than another factor, but imagine that the short wheelbase (less than a M140 and even a Fiesta) coupled with a fairly wide stance works in conjunction with the engine placement and radius to get optimal pivoting. For the Cayman all extremeties of the chassis are relatively close to the pivot point which helps stability as well as a low COG? (A front/rear engine bus with its front and back wheels 2 feet apart would turn on the spot but be massively unstable, a mid-engined limo would still handle terribly, a go kart blends the two well with short wheel base and balanced 'square' R)

[@tylerhollman587]

I have a 2007 Cayman that I got last year based off your reviews

[@kw8757]

I love my Cayman 2.7 and don't regret for a minuet not going for the 3.4S. I've had it 8 years and just replaced every suspension component including the anti-roll bars and Bilstein B16 coil-overs and had the gearbox rebuilt with new clutch and flywheel, now it feels better than ever. A work mate who has a BMW 135i can't, come anywhere near keeping up with me on the twisty lanes, by his own (bitter) admission.

[@MarkCup70]

🤣👍😎

[@a64738]

Unless you are doing actual race driving how fast you are on the track to not really matter, on the road what matter if the car feels fun and pleasurable to drive... It is actually no fun at all to drive a pure race car on the road that give record lap times on the track.

[@jaytan915]

Brilliant physics, thanks. Now I begin to appreciate the big deal in mid-engine cars.

[@kheetar]

Kudos for the succinct and well illustrated presentation. Physics aside, I'd like to hear your thoughts upon driving the Cayman with PSM completely disabled. Some of that "mid-engine magic" is courtesy Porsche Torque Vectoring, whereby the inside rear wheel is braked--even if you aren't touching the brake pedal. (986's without PSM feel quite different, need some trail braking to turn in sharply.) This function remains active despite pressing/holding the PSM button. If you listen closely with the windows down, next to a wall/canyon, you might hear the system chattering away. I believe the best way to actually disable all PSM functions (but retain ABS) is to unplug the Yaw Sensor. Check Planet-9 forum. Or forget you ever read this and go on enjoying the drive. Cheers

[@awedwardscleaningsolutions]

My mates just put a deposit down on an RS in your "perfect spec", minus the sunroof. I've been re watching your rs playlist from start to finish to get me by until we go pick it up lol

[@RobBoothAutomotive]

As a 718 Cayman owner, I totally agree. The only other car I've driven whereby this rotational axis being between the two front seats was so tangible, was in a Mk.7 Fiesta St.

[@MarkCup70]

Nailed it! Somehow Ford get the Mk7 to rotate around the gear shift, great things to throw down a road.

[@octane_adventureroca9581]

Have to say I used to have a cayman 2.7 a few years back and it’s still the best car I’ve ever driven had a couple of mud engined cars and cayman was far ahead a beautiful thing, now I have a young family so back enjoying hatches again. 😥

[@salami99]

this ideea is why im getting a cayman by the end of this month. I'm taking a risk shipping before test driving but i hope to feel like everyone else with my 981. if not then i give up haha

[@Tzadokite]

a different way to look at the physics involved when a car is making turn along a curve is to look at the forces on the front wheels and the rear wheels or the front axle and the real axle. the force on the real axle or wheels is given by F(r) = F(f) (D/UT), where F(r) is the force on the rear wheels/axle when making the turn, F(f) is the force on the front wheels/axle when making the turn, D is the distance between the front axle and the engine in mid-engine or rear engine cars or between the engine and the rear axle in front engine cars. U is the combined speeds of the stresses moving along the chassis, from front to back, when the car is making a turn and T is the time to make the turn. we see that if we take longer time to make the turn, then the force on the rear wheels is less compared to making the turn quickly or with smaller T. a larger D increases F(r) compared to a shorter D i.e the F(r) is lower for a mid-engine car compared to rear engine car. the whole point is to keep F(r)

[@powellj27]

Always great to see a video Mark and this was definitely something new. Really pleased you are enjoying the Cayman, I am still the proud owner of the mk3 RS. Sorry but I would bot swap for the Cayman. 😂

[@BEN-bw8cf]

your rs it's stock?

[@powellj27]

@@BEN-bw8cf no, it’s been modified. Running stage 2 map and all related hardware. Also use it as my daily driver. 👍🏻

[@robertredden1790]

Hope I will be similarly impressed with the driving dynamics of my incoming mid engined Lotus Elise. I had looked at Caymans but went Lotus this time as a weekend toy. Maybe a Cayman later

[@BEN-bw8cf]

respect for lotus👍

[@parvinkukar1259]

Agree totally and actually understood your explanation, maybe the maths degree helped. What I also find amazing is even at low speeds of 30mph it feels exhilarating through country road. The only other front engine car that comes close is the Mazda rx8

[@ddbuilds3038]

Great video 👍

[@MarkCup70]

Thanks man👍

[@mcgherkinstudios]

Cornering sleeper 😂 Next you’ll be pulling the bumpers off because they’re weight really far from the pivot :P

[@tristandrew5903]

The next time I'm screaming on the Waltzers (as you do) and the pikey says "Right you want to go faster?" I'll just stick my arms and legs out and say "Try telling that to angular momentum, bitch"

[@scooter6958]

I think having the petrol tank just in front of you as well helps as well depending on how full the tank is maybe 🤔

[@kw8757]

Yes you are right, all the heavy parts of the Cayman are kept within the axles, as central as possible. I can tell when I need petrol in my Cayman 2.7 just from the feel of the front end handling.

[@BeatPoet67]

Well, bikers have known all this for years ;) but great channel. I came across it while still wondering why the 987S was so cheap and the 2.7 was the same or more. Now I know. But equally the 981 has crashed in value recently. I like the purity of the original 987 and I'm sure it's almost as fun as a 981 on the road. Decisions, decisions...

[@MrRoyck10]

I recently part exchanged my rare BMW e86 Si 3.0 stra8 six for a base 987.2, whilst the Cayman handles extremely well the BMW goes like stink, aggressively responsive to throttle input and is far more easy to go fast but scary as it dances around cambers and potholes. The Cayman sounds more gruff, mature, stable and responsive only when provoked with the right pedal. I am still new learning the cayman, sitting on the engine as opposed to the rear axles of the BMW which is more exciting to slide but lacks composure on uneven surface. The two vehicles are similar on power with 265bhp BMW has more torque that is slightly noticeable but Cayman is my preferred choice as a sports car. I have not pushed the Cayman yet but the similarities are strikingly….Nice vids.

[@tylerhough9124]

I totally agree. They (at least mine; CS 6MT w/ PSE & Sport Chrono) drive like super cars thanks to the mid engine configuration but are more nimble, more practical and easier to get around in. The 300 HP gives you enough power to enjoy the capability of the machine while largely reducing the likelihood of getting cuffed for a speeding ticket 😅 I truly believe 987 Caymans will be highly revered as they continue into and through classic status.

[@stephenthomas5737]

Yes I think your point is valid.

[@cayman9815]

thanks

[@gundogsdirect]

I have the Cayman S Sport 231/700 and its a dream to drive

[@berndk.9741]

I love your scientific approach which explains everything very well.... To put it in more laymeas' terms: The Cayman will drive like on rails. No driver - except for only a very few - will be able to get even close to challenge this Caymans' cornering capabilities. I know I can't and I say that with about one Million MIles under my various Seatbelt(s). I put Michelin Pilot tires on my 2006 "S"-Model. And they feel like being glued to the road. I don't think, I'm jut cruising around in my car. I drive it hard and we both - the Porsche and I - like it. In earlier years (way earlier) I was taking part in races (Porsche Owner's Club / Corvette Challenge) and I didn't do all that bad (one 5th and one 6th place). So I'm confident to say that I know a thing or two about driving a sportscar the way it's meant to be driven. However... I just can't imagine drifting sideways through a corner in my Cayman... The idea of the thought already scares me....I'd have no issues doing that in other cars, but not the Porsche. Maybe I'm just getting old... *lol*

[@fxlltxtsearch]

Porsches seem very difficult to drift based on the engineering. Since i have picked up mine i have tested corners but find myself holding back as to be responsible to other drivers on the road but i genuinely wonder at what point in speed + angle will the slip angle throw the car off balance? The car is like a needle and I genuinely wonder

[@berndk.9741]

@@fxlltxtsearch Take your Porsche to a controlled environment like a snow/ice-covered or at least wet large parking lot and try it out there. A public road certainly isn't the place to figure everything out. Turn off the PSM and see what happens. A 911 will be more responding o the gas-pedal than the mid-engine Cayman.I'm getting old and my driving abilities are getting limited... Some 20 years ago I used to drive way more "sporty" than today. My 295hp Cayman S appears way more challenging to me now than a 355hp 911S did back in the day. So all I can say is: Try it out where it's safe...

[@morbsgti20vt83]

Mid engine layout is great 99.9% of the time right up to the very fine point when it bites and you get very little time to catch a spin.

[@erickbaka]

While true for some other mid-engined cars (I mean the MR2 is infamous for it), it's not true for Cayman. According to Chris Harris, what makes the Cayman so enjoyable is that it signals well in advance when you start to reach the limits of it's grip and is maybe the most responsive car ever for mid-curve corrections. In fact, you can easily modulate your angle through a corner by simply applying the accelerator!

[@morbsgti20vt83]

@@erickbaka I'm sure Chris Harris would be brilliant at reading those signals with his experience. I was basing my thoughts off a track day in a Boxster where I was nearly caught out unexpectedly (video of this if you search 'stuart's Bedford laps' at about 4 mins in) okay, I didn't spin, but it was a pretty instant loss of grip. No Traction control on the 3.2s I was driving. Not sure I would have caught it on the road.

[@MarkCup70]

I'm in no rush to go drifting in this thing 😁 Strangely, I never feel the urge, at all. In the M140i that's all I ever wanted to do, but I find the fun in this thing comes from just leaning on it and feeling it's movement and response. I'll give it a go at Bedford in the name of research though 🤣

[@davidcollin7466]

ive just bought a 987 boxster and im starting to get what you mean !!!

[@danieljackson2538]

James May has nothing on you mate 😂 great info though and I think you have made my mind up to get a cayman next. Keep the content coming 👍🏼

[@MarkCup70]

🤣🤣🤣👍

[@2smart3guys]

Would love if you would have discussed the scientific reasons for having wide and short wheel base of a car

[@pjay3028]

I'll see your Polar Moment of Inertia, and raise you with Yaw Moments. The yaw moments of the chassis, defined by centre of gravity location (longitudinal), and the wheelbase length, are optimal in a rear wheel drive car when the weight distribution is about 60% over the rear wheels, like a 911. This offsets the penalty in polar moment of inertia and means a 911 is at least as responsive as the Boxster /Cayman. Plus you get rear seats, better traction and better braking. Not to mention that a low polar moment of inertia makes a car more difficult to catch when it starts to slide because it spins out very quickly. Not great on the road.

[@MarkCup70]

Interesting point! Surely if it had merit Porsche would not be the only proponent of rear engine placement? Or have the rest of the sportscar industry/motorsports world, that all favour mid-engine, missed it just like I have?

[@pjay3028]

@@MarkCup70 as long as the regulations don't restrict tyre widths in a way that dictates a different solution there is no doubt that the ultimate racing car would be mid engined with a rear weight bias of 60% on the rear axle. This provides both the advantages of low polar moment of inertia and ideal yaw moments. The Cayman misses out on the maximum yaw benefit and the 911 misses out on the ideal polar benefit, but given the other benefits of the 60% weight bias, I would argue the 911 is the better choice. As to other manufacturers, I think people who buy these cars tend to be persuaded to buy cars that are "like race cars" more easily and being mid engined is easier to understand than an argument about yaw rates, so I expect that's an easier route to follow. Of course, if the mid engine road car does have a 60% rear bias, eg Lotus Evora, then that's ideal. My point really is that it is dangerous to just choose a single metric to base an entire philosophy on. There's much more to it than that.

[@MarkCup70]

Perfect, thank you, a well considered and thoughtful argument. You've got me thinking now... 🤣👍

[@bustermv]

Oh, to have open roads to drive a stick shift. Try metro DC or any area with a population above 50,000 and you will long for an automatic where you drive 98% of the time. Miss it, tho.

[@DarkstarDarth]

My bmw 128i has a 50/50 weight displacement and is technically a front engine vehicle.😄

[@theoknowscars5418]

The cayman is nice to drive

[@tylershelton7386]

So that’s it. I had just assumed it was magic.

[@chrisbaxter5041]

Would you say this is the best drivers car you owned and where do you go from here 🤔

[@MarkCup70]

Arguably it's the ONLY driver's car I've ever owned. The others were designed as volume products and tweaked to make them more driver friendly and hence have compromises. This was built from the ground up to be driven. Where to from here? I'm not sure I want to go anywhere else!

[@k9any]

@@MarkCup70 981 GTS. That's where I will be going

[@theraggededgeonboardfastes8461]

Front mid-engined as of late has been making waves in terms of the amg black series supplanting a rear-engined car as nordschleife production car record holder. The best way to a front-mid is a corvette which in addition is an ohv motor with a low deck height.

[@prof_tim]

@@MarkCup70 Exactly; it does what it was designed to do. I’m expecting my 987C to see me out, can’t think of anything that would do the job better.

[@mohdzakiahmad6075]

nicely proven

[@TheAnimammal]

A spinning ice skater does not conserve angular momentum. She conserves angular energy which contradicts conservation of angular momentum. Sorry to disappoint you.

[@MarkCup70]

I'm sorry to disappoint you by not at all being disappointed by what you've posted. I make these things because I like learning, and comments and debate further that aim. I assume you're referring to rotational kinetic energy? Could you please expand further rather than just saying I'm wrong? I don't recall saying angular momentum is conserved, merely that variation in radius causes variation in velocity. You dispute that? Please provide your reasons so I can see where and why I'm incorrect.

[@TheAnimammal]

@@MarkCup70 what is the prediction for the final angular velocity of a ball on a string demonstration of conservation of angular momentum which starts at 2 rps and has the radius reduced from 50cm to 5cm as is typical and has been done thousands of times in physics classrooms over centuries? (Convert to rpm so you can relate to it).

[@MarkCup70]

Assuming no friction, would that be 20 rps?

[@TheAnimammal]

@@MarkCup70 You must be an engineer. Engineers are taught that angular momentum is conserved and then simply neglect that and use real world equations which conserve angular energy and contradict physics and agree with me that angular momentum is not conserved but still manage to believe that angular momentum is conserved, like you do now. It is a delusion. If it speeds up as well as goes around a smaller circumference, then it must spin a hundred times faster. The reason it only spins ten times faster in reality is because the circle is smaller and it does not speed up as you imagine.

[@MarkCup70]

I get you now. Velocity doesn't actually increase, but the rate of rotation, the revolutions per second does. Hmmm. I should have researched a little deeper.