[Jazzbass]

I was reading the news and stumbled across an article from Italy about the new Boxster coupe. Cayman. This is the name Porsche has decided to name one of the best ideas they've had in years - the new Boxster coupe. I just hope this means that Porsche spend their entire budget on R&D and only had about $1.50 left over for marketing.

Funny thing is, "Cayman" was the name Ford used for a model of thier Festiva they sold in parts of Europe, so you know it'll have a little extra panache there.

Oh well. The still look like really cool cars. I guess I'll have to get mine with the model badge delete option. "Cayman? Nope, this here's a Porsche 987 Coupe".

[Noah]

Is Cayman a reference to the Cayman Islands?

Porsche is batting one thousand when it comes to new model names...first it was a meat seasoning, now it's an island in the Carribean with advantageous tax laws.

[michael lang]

Chris

Is there a way that article can be translated into english?

Mike

[mroberts]

Try this:

http://babelfish.altavista.com/

I've had luck with it before.

[Jazzbass]

Originally Posted by michael lang

Chris

Is there a way that article can be translated into english?

Mike

Here is a poor attempt at an English translation of the article (I am not fluent in Italian). Should be better than the online translators, though.

It was an economy car from Ford, and it will be the furture Boxster Coupe. Even in Stuggart, sometimes, they make mistakes...

Cayman: The Porsche with the name of a Fiesta

It will be called Cayman and, in the intentions of the house of Stuggart, it will devour a new share of the market with the voracity of an aligator. More to the point, at times Porsche makes mistakes: Cayman is the same name used for one of the most widely sold cars in Italy, one of the old series of the Ford Fiesta - a car just not elite enough to share the name of a supercar.

Sure, the Cayman wouldn't have to be anything extravigant - only a closed version of the new Boxter, a project which has been talked about for quite some time. But always trade of a Porsche. (?) This would constitute the entry level coupe the brand has lacked for many years after the end of production for the not particularly regretted 944-968. The Boxster in fact reaches extensive levels of customers, even though circumscribed in the niche of the luxury spider. But it is not an alternative to the base model Carrera - a task that would therefore be up to the Cayman.

The introduction of the new model is scheduled for the end of 2005 or the first few months of 2006. The versions, for how much can be understood from the few rumours leaked, will be same ones as those of the Boxster - therefore we would have top of the line "S" model with 280 cv. However, they also have a motor more powerful than that, when prepared and adapted, would allow to you take full advantage of the highest qualities of this coupè at the track.

Aesthetically the family feeling is obvious even from the camouflages seen in turn. The car seems to have the formulation of the Boxster in the front and posterior parts, and the Carrera in the lateral line - the mix apparently a very successful one.

I love phrasing of other languages - particularrly where the 944-968 were referred to as the "not particularly regretted" (non particolarmente rimpianta 944-968).

[Mike W]

Originally Posted by mroberts

Try this:

http://babelfish.altavista.com/

I've had luck with it before.

Note: Altavista's translation only swaps one word for another in the language translation you choose, so there is no change for sentence structure. Sometimes it gets words completely wrong. However, it is still an excellent tool and can be fun when deciphering what the sentence/page is suppoused to say.

For all you "Googlers" out there, here is the link to their translation page. I believe it uses the same or similar software and has the same issues.

http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en

PS: The car looks really cool, but I wish Porsche would stick to using the "Type" number (911, 944, or mmm 959, etc.) and/or something from their racing past (Carrera, Targa, etc.). IMHO, Geeze, I mean the "Porsche Hill Climb" would be a better name. At least the german word for it, which is currently escaping me.

[Mike W]

D'oh, 4 minutes too late. But my PS still stands.

[Jazzbass]

BTW, does anyone see the pattern emerging? Carrera, Cayenne, Caymen. Sounds like they're taking a page from Chevy's marketing book with the whole "first letter is always the same" thing (think Caveleir, Camaro, Corvette, Corsica, Cobalt, Corvair). Personally, if there is one company I want Porsche to emulate, its Chevrolet .

[Mike W]

Originally Posted by jazzbass

Personally, if there is one company I want Porsche to emulate, its Chevrolet .

So you want average engineering and sub-par interior bits?

[Trak Ratt]

Originally Posted by jazzbass

It will be called Cayman and, in the intentions of the house of Stuggart, it will devour a new share of the market with the voracity of an aligator.

Did you guys miss this:

Cayman also cai•man n. pl. cai•mans
n : an alligator-like reptile of Central America and South America having a more heavily armored belly [syn: caiman]
Any of various tropical American crocodilians of the genus Caiman and related genera, resembling and closely related to the alligators.