The Porsche Cayman is a rear mid-engined, rear wheel drive 2-seat sports car produced by Porsche AG of Germany. First launched in the 2006 model year, the Cayman is a coupé derived from Porsche's second and third generation Boxster roadster. Like the Boxster, most Caymans were assembled in Finland for Porsche by Valmet Automotive (the rest were assembled in Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart, Germany). Porsche's Deputy Chairman, Holger P. Haerter stated that the contract with Valmet Automotive will end in 2012, and the Cayman's production was to be outsourced to Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria. However, as Volkswagen assumed control of Porsche AG, production of Caymans and Boxsters after 2012 began in the former Karmann plant in Osnabrück, Germany, which is now owned by Volkswagen and also used for production of the 2012 Golf (Mk6) convertible.
For the 2017 model year, the Boxster and Cayman will be renamed as the Porsche 718 Boxster and Porsche 718 Cayman, reviving the historic 718 moniker while switching engines from naturally-aspirated flat sixes to small-displacement flat-four turbocharged units. The new 718 Cayman will also be repositioned with an entry price lower than that of the 718 Boxster, in keeping with Porsche's higher pricing for roadster models.
