Porsche's Cayman has never been the performance machine that enthusiasts had hoped for - largely because Porsche never wanted it to cannibalise its own 911.
When the Boxster-based compact mid-engined coupe was first launched in 2005, its 3.4-litre six-cylinder boxer engine made a mere 217kW in Cayman S form but since then it has been raised to 235kW and there's also the race-inspired Cayman R that makes 243kW.
Now there's a Black Edition Cayman S that offers more power than its standard sibling but sadly it refuses to move the power game ahead, its 243kW output putting it on par with the R.
Porsche will make just 500 examples of the Black Edition, which also sets itself apart with lavish specification as well as black exterior paint to match the bigger 19-inch black-coloured Boxster Spyder wheels.
The edition is powered by the same 3.4-litre engine as the Cayman S, but output has been bumped up by 7kW to 243kW at 7400rpm, while torque remains unchanged at 370Nm at 4750rpm.
According to claims, the 0-100km/h sprint time improves by a tenth of a second to 5.1 seconds in six-speed manual form and 5.0s with PDK dual-clutch transmission and that can be further reduced to 4.8 seconds if you order the Sport Chrono package and use its launch control. Top speed, meanwhile, increases by 2km/h to 279km/h (manual) and 277km/h (PDK).
The blackness of the exterior also finds its way inside in the form of black partial leather seats with Porsche crest on the headrests and black colouring for the dashboard, instrument dials and cluster and gear selector.
To drive the message home further, the door entry guards are emblazoned with “Black Edition” lettering and the glove compartment lid has a badge confirming its limited edition status.
Toys include a Sound Package Plus infotainment system, Bi-Xenon headlights with dynamic cornering function and LED daytime running lights.
Porsche has informed us that a limited number of Black Editions have been allocated to South Africa.