Abu-Dhabi based magazine “The National” takes the new BMW 1M and compares it against the Porsche Cayman R. With 330 horsepower, the Cayman R offers marginally less power than the 1M (340 hp), but to overcome the power difference, it weighs less: 1,408 kgs vs 1,536 for 1M.
The mid-engine placement helps the Porsche sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.8 seconds, slightly slower than the 1M and its 4.6 seconds. But the Porsche makes up the difference and more from 0 to 124 mph: 16.4 seconds vs. 17.8 seconds for 1M.
Porsche Cayman R is 1M’s toughest opponent. The car sports bucket seats, loops for closing the doors and no air conditioning or radio, keeping the weight very low.
So how do the two cars compares against each other? Let’s have a look at an excerpt from the review.
“The action of the shift in both is familiar, the 1 M’s retaining the slick springiness of its M3 sibling; quick but perhaps lacking that mechanical precision that marks out the shift in the Cayman R. If you’ve never used a Porsche manual gearbox, you’re missing one of the few remaining intimate man-machine interfaces in the automotive world. You can feel the gears meshing as the lever moves though the gate, the light clutch allowing you to jab though ratios swiftly, or languidly push the stick through and enjoy the feel. The BMW’s shift is good, but a poor relation to that in the Cayman R.
You’ll be busier with that gearstick in the Cayman R, too, as it requires quick feet and a busy hand to keep the 3.4L flat-six in its sweet spot. It demands revs as well, as the Cayman R only really feels quick above 4,500rpm. The 1 M feels quick everywhere, its turbocharged 3.0L straight-six endowing the short, squat machine with a real surfeit of power. It’s the flexibility that’s most notable compared to the more delicate Porsche. There’s a tiny bit of delay before the 1 M delivers its best but, when the power comes, it’s relentless and eye-widening. It sounds pretty fine, too, even if the turbocharging does mute some of the more thrilling engine notes.
The Cayman R also lacks the soundtrack you might expect. Even with the optional – and must-have – Sports Exhaust System fitted, it’s not that vocal. Press the twin-pipe icon button and the R’s timbre changes to one that’s deeper and richer but, just like the 1 M lacks the finer nuances that make the BMW M3 an aural joy, the Cayman R cannot live up to the sound from the pipes of its 911 GT3 relative.”
Author: Horatiu Boeriu
Source: http://www.bmwblog.com/2011/10/02/compa ... -cayman-r/