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From YourSITE.com Reviews & Road Tests It happens all the time; a guy starts out with a practical but sporty new car, then takes it to the track and becomes addicted to the smell of burning brakes and rubber. Thousands of dollars later, he's modified his car to the point where it's no longer habitable on a daily basis, has virtually no warranty coverage, and has actually lost value along the way. To make matters worse, underneath all of the expensive upgrades lies the chassis of a basic sedan. The smart money is on a true sports car out of the box. What we've assembled here is a collection of three cars that are not only drivers' machines but also civil enough to live with on a daily basis - as long as you don't go in and start wrenching around.
Audi's TT is the newest car of the trio, even if it doesn't look much different than the model it replaced. But beneath that familiar show-car shape lurks a ton of new technology, particularly the extensive use of aluminum bits in the chassis and body. Audi's goal was to increase overall rigidity while keeping weight to a minimum, and the new model weighs 3218 pounds, a full 200 pounds lighter than its predecessor. The old TT was a cozy affair, but Audi's designers added almost an inch and a half of shoulder width for comfort's sake. The new cockpit sports a totally fresh appearance - the look is a bit more real-world than the straight-off-the-show-car styling of the first generation - but it retains Audi's class-leading attention to materials and textures. It's the only four-passenger car in our group, but the rear seat is laughable - good only for wee bairns and friends you don't intend to keep. Audi offers two engines for the TT, and for this comparison we chose the 250-horsepower 3.2-liter narrow-angle V-6 over the standard 200-horse 2.0-liter turbo four. The TT 3.2 mates to a pair of 6-speed transmissions, a traditional manual or a dual-clutch automatic gearbox that Audi calls S-tronic. We chose the latter because we were interested in how it was tuned for this application. The Audi is the only car in this group to put power through all four wheels, even if the majority of it still travels through the front axles. The standard biasing sends 85% of the torque to the front, but as much as 100% can be transferred to either axle under extreme conditions, such as a total lack of traction at one end.
Porsche used the Boxster's revamp in 2005 as an opportunity to spawn yet another model. Essentially a tin-top Boxster, the Cayman arrived as a 2006 model in "S" guise only. For 2007, Zuffenhausen put the Boxster's base engine and 5-speed transmission in the Cayman to create a new entry-level model for those who found the Cayman S's price point a bit out of reach. The 2.7-liter flat six, nestled between the rear axle and the cockpit, puts out a respectable 245 hp. Despite its position as the entry-level coupe, the Cayman is every bit a Porsche. From the first time squeezing behind the wheel, it's understood that this car is made strictly for the unadulterated joy of driving. The driver's environment is all business, with the tach sitting front and center just above the steering wheel. The Cayman shares a fair amount of underpinnings with the 911, but thanks to its mid-ship engine it's arguably truer to Dr. P's earliest racing Spyders.
Like Porsche, BMW grafted a solid roof onto the Z4 roadster to broaden its appeal to track enthusiasts. Coinciding with the addition of the coupe in 2006, BMW swapped out the old aluminum 6-cylinder for a slick new unit that uses both aluminum and magnesium for the block. Displacing the same 3.0 liters, the new engine makes 255 horsepower (30 more than before) while at the same time shedding some 22 pounds. Matched to a 6-speed manual transmission sending the power to the rear axle, you have an iconic sports car setup. The Z4's styling blends classic proportions (long nose, short deck) with modern details (those polarizing flame-surfaced body panels). The design language is still causing schisms among BMW fans, but the coupe's bodywork effectively sheds the attorney's-wife veneer that the roadster wears. In fact, the only veneer on our test coupe was the swath of poplar that stretched from one end of the dash to the other. It is so old school, it makes us want to put on our driving gloves, light up a Cohiba, and slide some Miles Davis into the CD player. On the Road The fact that each of our three cars is German means they're equally at home stretching their legs on the Autobahn as they are carving the lanes of an Alpine switchback. But we are in Michigan - it's flat and straight and the po-po take their 70-mph interstate speed limit seriously. We opt for the two-lane blacktop that runs along the state's western shore, enjoying the drive in the country and through the occasional harbor town. It's nearly unanimous that the TT is the car to have for long-distance travel. Its suspension strikes an ideal balance between performance and comfort. (Models with the optional magnetic ride control let the driver bias damping toward either.) Its engine is lively at all points on the tachometer and, admittedly for such mundane driving as this, it's nice to be able to throw the shifter in "D" and concentrate on the music instead of the gearbox. The steering is also the lightest of the group, if not the most telling, adding to its laid-back demeanor. The Audi's sport seats are not only deep but offer superior adjustment, and the fat steering wheel both telescopes and tilts. If you can't find a comfortable driving position in the TT, chances are the state wouldn't grant you a license anyway. The view down the road is better than before - it no longer feels like wearing a full-face helmet the way the original TT did. The additional quarter glass seems insignificant and unnecessary, until you're sitting at an obtuse intersection looking back through it to make sure you aren't about to be plowed flat by an 18-wheeler. With the hatchback and folding rear seats, the Audi swallows a weekend's worth of travel necessities and still leaves room for souvenirs. As a practical, everyday car, that means you'll be able to bring home more than just your laptop and dry-cleaning. The Z4 Coupe emerges as a highly refined driver's car. On the open road, everything about it feels perfect. The engine is so smooth that you can almost smell the precision, and there is always power on tap. The shifter moves fluidly between its stops, and the steering feels natural. The brakes are firm and progressive, and the pedals are positioned just right for heel-and-toe downshifting. The BMW's cockpit is the most confining, but at least our car's light tan leather kept it from feeling claustrophobic. The wood dash adds to the sophisticated, somewhat retro feel - replace the modern three-spoke leather steering wheel with a skinny wooden piece and you could almost believe you're driving an XK120. The sport seats offer about as much side bolstering as a vintage Jag, but are exceptionally comfortable on long drives. The Z4 is proof that Germans don't get cupholders. Pop-out pieces appear from either end of the dashboard, but really, you're better off stuffing your container of whatever between your legs. Should you decide to use it anyway, be prepared to spill your drink and snap off the holder with your knees as you exit. Beneath the sloped rear glass that offers just a glimpse of the road behind you is a deceptively large cargo area; nearly as large as the TT, it managed to consume our two overstuffed carry-on suitcases, two laptop briefcases, a camera bag, a couple loose pairs of driving shoes, a helmet and a three-gallon wash bucket filled with detailing supplies. The Porsche is not a car you drive passively. It's a whiny three-year-old, constantly tugging at your leg for attention. The steering wheel twitches in your hands, informing you of the condition of the asphalt below; the seat taps additional road signals to your backside; the brake pedal pushes back with authority, as if to ask how committed you are to stopping. Like the BMW, it's rear window offers little in the way of a view. As if to punctuate this point, the rearview mirror is shaped perfectly to mimic the paltry outward portal. The Cayman feels thoroughly bored plodding down the road at 2000 rpm. With the valvetrain whirring around right behind you, you get the feeling the flat six would be much happier winding out. Drop a gear or two and you discover its two distinct personalities - the gentle one that lives below 5000 rpm, and the beast that thrives from 5000 to 7500. Push the pedal down when you're in the sweet spot and the sport seats absorb you as you rocket forward. Third gear at 55 mph sounds intoxicating, but drop to second at that speed and you discover nirvana. Despite its track-ready silhouette, daily life with Cayman requires few sacrifices. The front luggage compartment holds more that it looks like it should, plus there is a generous storage well in the rear. More endearing is the fact that it returned over 23 mpg in mixed traffic (better than a lot of sporty sedans), a lot of which included exploring the engine's various peaks and valleys. But while it's completely competent in the daily cut-and-thrust, what the Porsche really begs for is a challenging road.
On the track The whole reason we're driving these cars in western Michigan is to get them on a closed road course to seriously wring them out. Our test circuit, the 1.9-mile GingerMan Raceway in South Haven, is a popular venue for many club-driving events, and it also hosts a test-and-tune night every Thursday. With 11 turns and a couple of decent straights, the key to a good lap time is a proper balance of power, braking, and handling. With the trio of cars we've brought, we're not only after a fast time, we're also looking for the one that will allow a driver to develop and hone his skills. The first car out is the TT, and based on its light steering and lack of a clutch pedal the expectations are low. We start with the stability control on, but with all-wheel-drive on a warm, dry track there's nothing to be gained. Within a couple laps we're pushing it hard, and the ESP is clearly holding us back - it's overly eager, sending the nose wide as it scrubs speed at the apex. The 3.2-liter engine pulls briskly from corner to corner and sounds amazing in the process. The S-tronic gearbox, in sport mode, does a fair job popping off upshifts, so we leave it there. The experience is somewhat distant, but shifting with the paddles seems like more of a distraction than actual control. Next lap we ditch the ESP and find a bit more speed. Pushed hard, the TT still reveals its front-drive roots. It feels wrong to push it though a corner at its limits, but surprisingly the TT takes it. All four tires are screaming, the front ones more loudly than the rears, but the car holds the line and pulls through. The noise itself is partially disconcerting, but the absence of communication through the steering wheel is more troubling. The Audi's suspension is well suited to track duty, and the engineers have been successful in dialing out initial understeer. Eventually it creeps in, but by braking late and turning, the rear of the car can be persuaded to rotate. A bit, but not for long. As soon as you're back on the throttle the front wheels start pulling it through the corner, instantly killing the oversteer buzz. At least the brakes hold up. Even after numerous hard laps, the pedal is still high and firm. Top speed on the back straight reaches 94.6 mph before turn 1 demands our full braking attention. Lap after lap they deliver a predictable, solid performance. And that may be part of the reason the TT manages to turn in consistently fast laps, regardless of who drives it. Our test equipment records a best lap of 1:42.3 for the TT, with an average speed of 66.2 mph. In light of the other two cars, this comes as a surprise to all of us. What isn't surprising is the TT's 1.1 g of lateral acceleration.
The Z4 feels purposeful exiting the pit lane. The long hood suggests power aplenty, and the straight six delivers - so smoothly, in fact, I'm bouncing off the sport mode's hard rev limiter before I reach the first corner at speed. Paying a little more attention, I charge through the turn and immediately experience the stability control. The BMW's system is a bit more patient than the Audi's but still prevents any tail-happy shenanigans. The brakes feel as firm and direct on the track as they do on the street, at least for the first couple laps. Then suddenly, the pedal goes as soft as tofu. This can't be good, but I instinctively push harder and discover the brakes are still there after all, they've just moved to a new time zone. A couple more corners and the pedal settles in to its final depth. Despite its new position, the brake pedal delivers reliable, predictable braking for the rest of the day, though heel-and-toe downshifts are not nearly as simple as before. With the traction and stability nannies totally defeated, the Z4 Coupe can finally carry some exit speed. It can also be convinced to step its tail out, and if done properly it has enough power on tap to gracefully drift through the corners while the chassis remains neutral near the limits. The same suspension that feels so perfectly sporty on the street turns out to be a bit soft for the track. But once the tires are warm and the brakes have taken their set, it's very easy to find a rhythm with this car and get busy shaving tenths off of successive laps. The only glitch to its smooth operation is an occasional missed shift on the way up to third gear. The BMW turns a lap time of 1:42.2, averaging 66.2 mph and peaking at 96.0 mph on the back straight. Despite running Dunlop run-flat tires, it pulls 1.0 g of lateral force, a bit lower than the all-wheel-drive Audi.
The Cayman takes to the track like a homecoming. Like the BMW, it has a sport mode that sharpens throttle response, but pushing the Porsche's sport button also defeats the stability management system and sets the optional electronic dampers to a firmer setting. I start in normal mode to get a baseline feel, but it doesn't take long to discover it's really only for on-road comfort. After a lap I press "Sport" and back off the throttle momentarily to fully engage it. Back on the throttle the engine is more responsive, the suspension takes on a whole new attitude and its tendency to screw up your apex goes away. As I turn successively faster laps, the advantage of having most of the weight low and between the axles can be felt through the seat and steering wheel. The Cayman simply bites into corners and powers through them fully composed. It is neither tail-happy nor nose-heavy. The sounds from the driver's seat are the most rewarding of the group, especially when the revs are kept above 5000. On the cam, the engine makes the most wonderfully mechanical noises as it wails through the gears. Because the gearing is rather tall and the engine so willing to work at higher speeds, second and third gears are all that are needed here. Shifting to fourth on the back straight makes for two extra shifts and no real gain. The Porsche's large cross-drilled and vented brakes pull the same trick as the BMW - after a few hot laps the pedal falls deep to the floor but continues to work miracles at every corner. The steering is even more direct on the track than on the street, letting me know exactly what's happening, reporting back how much grip the tires still have, responding precisely to my most minute corrections. It simply takes whatever line you send it on. Trailbraking is more rewarding in the Cayman than in the other two. Go deep and turn and you'll be rewarded with a challenging but controllable exit. The rear wheels can certainly be set free, and doing so rewards the driver with some potentially long powerslides. The Porsche makes the circuit in 1:40.9 at an average 67.1 mph, reaching 99.9 mph on the back straight. Lateral forces max out at 1.1 g, proving its handling superiority.
At the end of the day, the Audi proves a very easy car to get in and drive fast, so long as you're willing to abuse it a little. If you're confidence level is still at the low end of the scale, the TT will probably help you step it up a couple notches. Ultimately though, it lacks the proper feedback and responsiveness to make a real driver out of a novice. It's a safe racer, and turns fast laps to boot. Its on-road manners need no apologies, but were left wishing we'd gone with the manual transmission. At least one of the controls would feel like it's under our direct command. The Z4 presents a greater opportunity to develop performance-driving skills. With rear-wheel drive and ample power, it's a forgiving and neutral track worker that will allow you to grow at your own speed. It has plenty of power to let you explore the outer limits, and its steering and suspension accurately convey what's happening beneath you. For daily use the BMW strikes a near-perfect balance between comfort and performance. The Porsche is the real track star of the bunch, deftly communicating all that's happening beneath you with the best steering and most visceral engine. In an era where so much of the tactile experience is engineered in, everything about the Cayman feels natural and correct. It is surprisingly forgiving if you drive sensibly, but has growing space in reserve should you wish to push your limits. Off the track the Porsche is a steadfast daily companion, and surprisingly thrifty at the pump. Sports car ownership is often stigmatized as a luxury for guys with more dollars than sense, but these three cars remind us why the genre even exists. Better yet, they deliver a full sensory experience that simply can't be matched by a warmed over econonbox, no matter how many tuner bucks you throw at it.
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