Back in 2011, Porsche unveiled the ultimate version of the previous generation Cayman, the Cayman R. It was lighter, more powerful, and faster than that generation’s Cayman S. Perhaps one day it’ll be become a highly sought after collectible. However, we’ve just heard about yet another possible emissions test scandal, this time in the UK. And yes, it involves the Cayman R. According to The Times, suspicion that something was up began during a legal case for an unrelated safety issue when the car was driven in second gear.
When in that gear, the revs would remain lower, thus letting the Cayman R’s 3.4-liter flat-six to produce less C02 than if it was driven off the line in first gear. This resulted in the car producing 221 g/km (grams per kilometer), while in the rest of Europe it was rated at 228 g/km. That 7 g/km difference meant the Cayman R was classified in a lower road tax level in the UK, which meant owners paid a 315 GBP yearly road tax, instead of a 540 GBP tax required for cars that emit 226-255 g/km. This rating system has since been replaced, but that doesn’t change the fact that something isn’t right here. In fact, this issue may involve more Porsches than just the 981 generation Cayman R.
Also from that same generation, this issue potentially affects the Boxster S, Boxster Spyder, and Cayman S. Up to 1,500 UK owners could have paid a lower road tax than legally required, but at no fault of their own. If so, the British treasury would have lost some 3 million GBP in revenue. For now, Porsche refuses to comment on the situation, blaming ongoing legal proceedings. Up until now, Porsche was only affected by the VW diesel scandal with, obviously, diesel engines. But the Porsche Cayman R and those other 981 generation models, are definitely not diesels.
