Porsche Cayman S Black Edition (2011) first pictures

Worried that Porsche's stripped-out Cayman R is a little too hardcore, but still want its power increase and don't want to pay extra for air-con? Then you want the latest special edition Porsche, the Cayman S Black Edition.

Limited to 500 copies worldwide, the Black Edition features a range of minor tweaks beyond its dark paint, and top of the list is a tiny 9bhp increase to a Cayman R-matching 326bhp. The torque figure remains unchanged (at 273lb ft), but the 0-62mph time improves one-tenth to 5.1 secs, to sit neatly between the 5.2secs of the Cayman S and the 5.0secs of the Cayman R. Spec the optional PDK dual-clutch transmission and that'll drop to five seconds dead, and the extra-cost PDK Sport Chrono Package takes a further 0.2secs off the total. Top speed raises by a sarcasm-inducing 1mph, to 173mph for the manual, and 172mph for the PDK edition. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are unaffected by the Porsche Cayman S Black Edition's engine tweaks.

Boxster Spyder/Cayman R wheels don a brake dust-hiding black paintjob, and deliver an extra half-inch of extra tyre width to the road, and are an inch bigger than the 18s that come as standard on the Cayman S. Standard bi-xenon adaptive headlights complete the exterior transformation.

Inside, the Porsche Cayman S Black Edition gets sat-nav, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, and oddly, retains the standard partial-leather seats rather than a full helping of deceased bovine dermis. You do get Porsche crests embossed into the headrests though.

The Cayman R Black Edition is indeed black. The paint, wheels, dashboard and interior trim, seats, steering wheel, gearshift and dials are in the monochrome colour scheme, with an allowance for white lettering on the instruments and controls. The door sills carry stainless steel 'Black Edition' badging and there's a special Black Edition plaque on the glovebox lid to denote special edition status.

You can own a Porsche Cayman S Black Edition from September 2011, with prices starting at £50,420 for a manual model. Given the extras that Porsche includes, that price is less than if you attempt to specify a regular Cayman S to match the Black Edition (trust us, we've tried). So this car's saving grace is that it offers a bit of value for money if you're looking to pay homage to the Batmobile.

By Mark Hamilton