The 2012 Porsche Cayman continued the idea from its first generation: to be a mid-engine sports car to be used as a daily driver and a track-day car at the weekends.
The history of the mid-engined cars from Porsche goes way back in history. In the mid-’70s it tried the market with the 914 Targa, but the low powered vehicle was not very well received by the market. In 1996, Porsche decided once again to add a new base model for its lineup and introduced the Boxster. This time, it gave it a better engine. Due to its success, in 2005 a second generation was introduced. This time Porsche listened to its customers who were looking for a lighter version and introduced the Cayman S to the market. It was more powerful than its sibling, the Cayman, and unlike its previous generation, both versions were introduced at the same time.

The well-proportioned car featured a mid-engine and a flat and low front side. The greenhouse was sloped rear with a big window, right before the rear deck-lid. The car featured two trunks: one in the front and one in the rear, behind the engine bay. That led to a 425 liters (15 cu-ft) of luggage capacity, an increase by 10 liters (0.35 cu-ft) over its predecessor. The side air-intakes for the engine were bigger.

Inside, the Cayman S featured two sport-bucket seats. The dashboard was slightly tilted toward the driver. The instrument cluster featured three dials with a digital display on the right side.

The top-model was the Cayman S with a 3.44-liter engine that was mated to a 6-speed manual and the same option for the automatic transmission as the base model. There was an option for a PDK (double-clutch) automatic gearbox with 7 speeds.