2012 Cayman R vs 1993 968 Clubsport

Bright yellow, outside tyres loaded up, rear squatting, nose pointing skywards, and one Andrew Frankel peeping out from behind the windscreen wearing a silly grin: that photograph convinced my 16-year-old brain that I must have a 968 Clubsport. Frankel didn't spare the superlatives in his superb Autocar review, either: "Hear this: on the road the 968 Clubsport not only outaandles handles its dosest rival, the Mazda RX7, but also every Ferrari, Lamborghini and even the Honda NSX" Blimey. The killer ingredient? "And it is because it has less grip that it is able to do so." For an impressionable teenager, dreams of sliding the Clubsport around with fantastical skill almost edipsed the one about the Sweet Valley High twins. But not quite ...

Anyway, to my mind this was now the ultimate Porsche. The 993 hadn't yet been launched, the 964 just seemed a bit strange and old (sorry, [ wasn't a 911-believer back then) and the standard 968 was roundly criticised for being a bit fat and soft. But from inauspidous beginnings, Porsche had gone back to basics and developed a lighter, more exciting and - get this - cheaper Clubsport mode! for dreamers like me and real drivers like ML Frankel. I devoured that test and many others for the likes of CAR and Performance Car. The more I read, the more I wanted it. Who needed a 911 when the 968 CS was so good and almost half the price?

That was 1993, but in 2012 the Cayman R asks the same question. The 911 is perhaps stronger than it's ever been, but so good is the mid-engined Cayman that it's wom the unofficial 'best handling Porsche' title for some time now. The R version just adds weight (ironically) to the theory. Harder, lighter, more powerful and more thrilling, it is blessed with sublime balance, serious performance and a relatively modest price - especially compared to the 991. The R is available from GBP 51,728, the marginally quicker 991 Carrera is GBP 71,449 and the Carrera S costs from GBP 81,242. So the 968 Clubsport and Cayman R are kindred spirits. What further excuse would you need to get them together to taste each car's unique approach to 911-bashing driving thrills?

The 968's transformation from chubby coupe to finely-honed hardnut was a thorough, but relatively simple, operation. The back seats were deleted, sound deadening thrown away and the electric windows and mirrors disappeared, too. A pair ofhard-backed seats, 17-inch wheels, a 20mm suspension drop and some suitably

garish graphics completed the transformation. At 1320kg the Clubsport is some 50kg lighter than the standard car and at GBP 28,975 it was a substantial GBP 6000 cheaper in 1993, too. The M030 option package - stiffer springs and adjustable Koni dampers, thicker anti-roll bars, 304mm cross-drilled front brakes, LSD - was an extra GBP 1300.

The result was a simple front-engined/rear drive coupe with a socking great 3.0-litre four cylinder engine producing 240hp and 2251b ft of torque, a six-speed 'box and handling balance, apparently, to make Ferrari weep. Having said that, Ferrari was making the 348 and the 512 at the time, so that's perhaps not such an incredible recommendation ...

Even in 1993 the 968 CS wasn't the fastest of sports cars and the Cayman R, predictably, is in another league. With a 3.4-liue flat-six producing 330hp and 273lb ft of torque, pushing just 1295kg, the R can hit 60mph in five seconds fiat with a manual 'box, and 100mph in 10.7- seconds. The CS needed 6.1-seconds and 15.3- seconds to cover the same yardsticks in contemporary road-tests. Of course, the appeal of these machines isn't their outright grunt, but the way they go about unstitching a ragged stretch of road - the poise, balance and sheer entertainment they throw up. So let's go and find a decent wiggle of tarmac and enjoy them.

I have driven a 968 Clubsport once before, but it was some time ago. only for about ten minutes and on pretty rubbish roads. This, right now, is the first time I'll get to really feel and hear what it's all about. Warren Smith's Clubsport is a beauty - Grand Prix white, hard-backed seats, no decals, 62,OOO-milesfrom new and with barely a mark on its crisp panels. lt almost seems a shame that it's out on a grubby winter's day for me to drive. Almost. This car doesn't have the M030 package, but that's no great problem as this is a pure road-test and the standard setup was reckoned to be brilliant for British B-roads. Being handed the key is a proper goosebumps moment for somebody who so idolised the Clubsport ... my expectations are sky high.

It still looks great to these eyes: compact and super-low, maybe a bit heavy on its springs, but there's no doubt it's a proper little road racer. The door feels solid old-school Porsche as it swings open, not featherlight. You have to drop your backside into the heavily-bolstered seat, then swing your legs in after. The seat is unbelievably comfortable and brilliantly supportive, and with the transmission tunnel above waist height you feel completely secure and locked in place. The steering wheel rim is really thick and feels great, and to your left there's a familiar 993-spec gear lever. It's got the same mechanical feel, too -like all the weight is in the top of the gearstick and as soon as you start to move it, the pendulum effect thumps home the change. If you're used to modern Porsches, the 968 does feel a bit of a classic, but it's in that happy period that has classic dimensions and character but very few compromises in terms of quality and usability.

That big four-cylinder engine starts with an unsophisticated and unapologetic boom. It's a bit of a shock, but I love how brawny it sounds. The pedals have a bit of heft too, and the steering is obviously assisted but much heavier than a modern 911 (or indeed Cayman R) rack. The Clubsport instantly feels ready for business.

THESE ARE HARDCORE PORSCHES WITHOUT THE THREAT OF REPRISAL OR THE EYE-WATERING COST

It's drizzly outside and so it's best to ease slowly into the CS experience. First impressions are dominated by the torque of the engine, the lovely throw of the 'box and how brilliant the driving position is. You feel right over the back axle. ready to feel and react to every squirm.

Once you acclimatise to the engine's meaty delivery you start to notice the details. The chassis is very supple (the photograph I still remember so vividly suggests it was the same when new, not just a result of aged and soggy dampers) and combined with that easy power delivery it makes for an unexpectedly relaxed driving experience. Somehow I'd expected the car to be all twitchy tum- in and high-rev energy, but actually the steering is beautifully judged and detailed, and the torque means you can surf along at a good lick without feeling any sense of raggedness. Longish gearing means you have to consciously decide to really extend the 3.0-litre engine, but it's worth the effort because it seems to smooth-out and deliver ever-increasing power up to the red line. Driven with concentrated commitment it actually feels more than the quoted 240hp.

However, for all its easy going brawniness, the 968 is still something of a challenge and there are some weaknesses, too. What really dates the 968 is the lack of structural rigidity compared to modern cars - the suspension does a decent job of smothering the road surface but the way the body zings and shakes over really rough sections belies its age. Maybe new bushes and dampers would help, but I doubt you'd ever cure the problem completely (other than by fitting a full roll-cage. Now there's an idea ... ). Frankel noted how the chassis placed a premium on balance and entertainment over grip back in '93 and in 2012 that decision is even more tangible. In these greasy conditions the CS is always on the cusp of a slide, moving slowly and predictably in the faster comers - thank God - but suffering from quite a lot of turn-in oversteer in the slower stuff. It's also very intolerant of botched downshifts where the revs aren't perfectly matched, locking its rear wheels and tipping itself into even more oversteer. .. it certainly keeps you busy.



Jump from CS to Cayman R and, sadly for all of us who can't afford a brand-new Porsche, it's revelatory. The R isn't just quicker, it actually does everything with more polish and clearer communication. The suspension is just brilliant. containing body roll effortlessly, sucking up the worst that the road can throw at it with stunning efficiency and allowing the Cayman to change direction with incredible agility. In the Clubsport you tend to drive every comer in parts - brake and downchange carefully, tum-in and wait to feel the nose bite and the tail stan to loosen, feed in some power, apply a bit of lock and off you go, smiling and grimacing at the technique and concentration required. The Cayman R is no less thrilling but merges all those constituent parts into something cleaner and faster. I've said it before, but the real joy of this car is how you can attack a road in it with total faith that it will do everything you ask of it, almost before you've thought of the question.

Driving the same stretch of road in these two cars is startling. The Cayman's creamy flat-six revs with honey-coated smoothness and although it lacks a bit in torque, the tap end has delicious bite. Beneath you the chassis seems so adept at reacting to your inputs, road surface and heavy comering loads that the challenge becomes finessing gearshift, braking and steering to the same degree, improving your technique with the encouragement of the rest of the package. Get it right and the Cayman R is almost magical and feels incredibly light and accurate. So good that the fun is dialled out? Not so. Of course you do start to crave more grunt to haul you out of corners, but there's such a depth of quality and more than enough adjustability to keep the driver at the centre of the R experience rather than just an amazed passenger. It really is a fantastic drivers' car.

The CS makes you work harder. It slides where the Cayman grips, it weaves and threatens to lock wheels where the R just sheds speed, the rear tyres fight to contain the torque available and fizz-up even at the top end of third gear corners (I think the limited-slip diff may be a wise option) and because it has no traction control it's all completely down to your judgement to keep things (not so) sticky side down. You also have to carefully manage the weight transfer through any given comer, in stark contrast to the Cayman R, which seems to carry no inertia at all. In other words, it's a real hoot, I can't pretend that the Cayman R isn't ultimately the more exciting car. Part of it is the pure performance on offer and the composure served up with such a light touch. But there's more to it than that - ultimately when you do.

2012 CAYMAN R

ENGINE: 3436cc, horizontally-opposed six-cylinder, water-cooled Venm
Compression ratio: 12.5:1
Max Power: 330hp @ 7300rpm
Peak torque: 272lb ft @ 4750rpm
Output per litre (hp): 96hp/L
Suspension: Lower wishbones, MacPherson struts, gas-filled dampers, anti-roll bar (front), semi-trailing arms, tarsian bars, anti-roll bar (rear)
Brakes: Ventilated and drilled discs, four-piston callipers
Wheels & Tyres: 8,5Jx19" & 235/35ZR19 (front); 101x19" & 265/35ZR19
Weight: 1295kg
0-62mph: 5.0 seconds
Top Speed: 175mph
Price (new 2012): GBP 51,728

1993 968 CLUBSPORT

ENGINE: 2990cc, in-line four-cylinder,water-cooled
Compression ratio: 11.0:1
Max Power: 240hp @ 6200rpm
Peak torque: 225lb ft @ 4100rpm
Output per litre (hp): 80hp/L
Suspension: lower wishbones, Mcpherson struts, gas-filled dampers, anti-roll bar (front); McPherson struts, gas filled dampers, anti-roll bar (rear)
Brakes: Ventilated discs, four-piston callipers
Wheels & Tyres: 7.5Jx17" & 225/45ZR19 (front); 9Jx19" & 225/40ZR19
Weight: 1320kg
0-62mph: 6.5 seconds
Top Speed: 157mph
Price (new 1993) GBP 28,750

THEY ACTUALLY GET BETTER AND MORE CHALLENGING THE HARDER YOU DRIVE THEM

get it moving around it's more predictable but also requires faster and more decisive correction, which means it's even more exciting. However, the 968 remains a seriously fun car to drive at any speed. Frankel and all the others who said this car was one of the greats were right. Don't go into it expecting thumping performance, amazing grip, total body control. .. just go in and enjoy the steering's subtle but accurate messages, the way it always settles into
oversteer when you stan to drive it quickly the fact that you have to really drive it. Do that and it won't disappoint.

So what do these two cars, separated by nearly 20 years and with completely different configurations, actually share! The answer took me some time to realise, but then seemed patently obvious: both are more accessible than their contemporary 911s, easier to drive swiftly, less obvious and even better balanced. They are hardcore Porsches without the threat of reprisal or the eye-watering east. However, that's not enough to capture the imagination and it isn't what has made them so desirable. They go beyand the everyman concept and actually get better and more challenging the harder you drive them.

The 968 has almost slow-mo transitions into oversteer, which will help the novice, but it needs real commitment and finesse to exploit its full potential. The Cayrnan R is the same. It's an easy car to drive at six- or seven-tenths but gets almost exponentially more exciting and more engaging the harder you drive it. For rne, that's what elevates it so decisively above the standard Cayman and Cayman S: it has more depth, listens more to your commands, let's you really dictate the way it dissects a road. The 968 Clubsport and Cayrnan R might be less of a conundrum than the 911 then, but they're near as damn it as enthralling and exciting and have hidden depths just like the rear engined icon. Both are sure-fire classics in the making

THE OWNER'S VIEW:
WARREN SMITH
After owning various air-cooled 911 s, the thought never entered my head I would own a front-engined, water-cooled Porsche one day. After all, the engine's in the wrong place! That was untill read Tony Dron's book on Porsche, and saw a great picture of a yellow CS at Spa. Dron really rated it and I guess it all started from there ... I checked out the web, went to see a couple, was amazed at the poor condition of them (both had suffered damage on track days) then forgot all about it for a while.

Some time later, whilst browsing Adrian Crawfords site, I noticed he had a Grand Prix white Clubsport for sale. I'd bought from him before so knew he sold good cars and bought it over the phone. I remember the revelation when picking it up: everything seemed just so right - the suspension and damping are just about perfect for fast B-road driving, nowhere near as hard as I would imagined, the weight and feel of the steering just seems extremely well-engineered. It's the not the fastest car on paper, but to dismiss it for that would be so missing the point. It's the satisfaction that you get from driving it and the way it seems to flatter my own ability. Dare I say it, it feels a far better car to hustle along unknown roads than any 911 of that era I've driven.

The biggest surprise is the sheer interest that it generates. It's the first car I've owned where people come up to me at petrol stations for a closer look and a chat. I also didn't realise the sheer respect for the CS in the petrolhead community. Park it next to a GT3 and just as many people will ask about the Clubsport. I will probably go back to air-cooled 911s at some point - as much for the sound of that lovely flat-six engine as anything else. If I do, 1'11 really miss my Clubsport. If I had the space or money for two cars I would never sell it.

WARRENON THE CAYMAN R
Wow, what a lovely car and a great colour. Every year I drive down to the Pyrenees with a group of friends and this would be perfect for those tight, twisty and spectacular mountain roads. Fantastic handling, feels very, very secure and has immense braking ability. Point-to-point it'd leave the 968 trailing. It's a huge step on in that respect.

Personally though, I'm not sure I'd want to keep it for a long time. The biggest problem (and maybe it's with all modern cars) is that it seems a little too insulated: I don't get that feel of what's going on like I do in the CS. In many ways it's so accomplished that it all most seems too good. Sounds strange I know, but that's how it felt to me. Maybe I just prefer older cars.




Story: Stuart Gallagher
gtpurelyporsche dot com

October 6, 2012, 10:15 am