TO a lot of aspiring Porsche owners the prospect of driving anything but the fabled 911 is something of an anathema and leads to many a turned up nose.

Of course the German marque's flagship flier is an unmistakable classic which is steeped in racing tradition.

But to stubbornly shun the 911's stablemates for the sake of a bit of sports car snobbery could be cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Because, if you are not hung up on history and can forego a back seat which is of little practical use, then the Cayman is an absolute belter of an alternative - and it's about 15 grand cheaper!

A positive pup compared to it's bigger sibling, the Cayman has only been around since 2006 and, I'll grant you, the name doesn't inspire misty-eyed awe.

The performance, however, will leave you watery-eyed in disbelief as this two-seater coupe gives the 911 a good old run for it's money.

The Cayman is a real slingshot of a sports car offering explosive speed and excitement in equal measure.

Even in this basic 2.9-litre, flat six guise it's pace is sure to get your heart racing.

With 265bhp at the disposal of your right foot you will be able to charge from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds and hit a top speed of 163mph.

As you'd expect, acceleration is instant but unbelievably smooth, with Porsche's seven-speed semi-automatic PDK gearbox (a £1,961 option) shifting up with impeccable timing and no power loss.

The PDK system replaces Porsche's old Tiptronic gearbox in the sescond generation models and, combined with improved engine technology, also offers significant improvements in economy and emissions. Hence, you'll get 31mpg on average and C02 emissions of 214g/km.

Steering is sharp and responsive while the awesome grip means you will be able to take full advantage of the Cayman's impressive agility on twisty roads without any worries at all.

The powerful brakes and six airbags offer that extra peace of mind - which means you can simply relax and enjoy the sheer fun of driving this slick speedster.

And you will be doing so in some style, too, as the interior spec is not too shabby. High quality materials all round give a luxury feel and generous standard equipment includes part leather trim, climate control and a sound system with an easy-to-read five-inch screen and MP3-compatible CD player.

As ever with Porsche, the extras you can add are almost infinite and include bluetooth and handsfree phone connectivity, iPod and USB options and the ubiquitous satnav.

All of these can be managed with the impressive Porsche Communications Management system via an easy to use 6.5 inch touch screen mounted in the centre console which came as a £1,945 option on my test model.

The BOSE surround sound system was also a stylish touch but again not cheap at £899.

Slightly less desirable - and perhaps indicative of a Porsche desire to cater for the more dodgy tastes of the Premier League chav - was the colour scheme on my motor.

The Carrera White bodywork and Ocean Blue full leather interior (a £3,054 option when combined with fully adjustable electric seats) were fine - but I had to do a double take when I clocked the 18 inch Cayman S alloys.

Upgraded from the standard 17-inch ones at a cost of £717 these would have looked the part but for the ‘Guards Red' paint that they were sporting at a further cost of £991.

If I was going to spend an extra grand on pimping up this baby I think I could find better ways to do it than to add red wheels - thus giving it something of a boy-racer look which is far from befitting a Porsche. Oh dear, just a few days behind the wheel of the Cayman and I seem to be exhibiting some of that sports car snobbery myself!

Either way, red wheels aside, this is certainly a looker and unmistakably a Porsche.

The sleek lines are familiar and undoubtedly take a a lot of their cues from the 911 and - with the trademark side air intakes, headlight clusters and wide set rear - provide an imposing and suitably aggressive look.

You could even arguably be getting a more prestigious car than the 911 if you plump for the Cayman.

How so? Well, Porsche are currently only making around 10,000 of the two-seaters a year as opposed to 27,000 of the bigger model, so you're unlikely to see as many other folk behind the wheel of one.