Porsche Cayman R: Take a deep breath

Nearly every Porsche has a Sport button, and the 2011 Cayman R is no different. It quickens the PDK gearbox’s shifts, tightens throttle response and allows a bit more slip. I should’ve paid more attention to those last two bits during our morning briefing.

On the rain- and occasionally hail-battered island roads of Mallorca, Spain, it took all of a quarter-inch of throttle travel to realize that the ultra-slippery tarmac partnered with the high-performance summer rubber were a match made in Hell. One minute, my co-driver (Motor Trend scribe and Autoblog alum Jonny Lieberman) was looking down at the route book; the next, he was staring at the sheer face of a rock wall. Whoops.