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Dom Nathan and his 2006 Porsche Cayman.

Dom Nathan and his 2006 Porsche Cayman. Photo by Jessie Casson.

Wheel Love: a 2006 Porsche Cayman

Dom Nathan shares what he loves about his 2006 Porsche Cayman, both as a daily drive and on the track.

The Cayman is one of two Porsches that I own.

I have a 2001 Porsche 911 Turbo which was on my list of dream cars ever since I was a kid, and the 2006 Cayman.

Both of them are analogue, manual sports cars. I like that they’re old enough that there are no big screens. There’s just a slot to put in a CD and the air con unit, and I love that. I don’t want all of that tech. The analogue experience is what I’m after. 

Dom with his 2006 Porsche Cayman
Dom with his 2006 Porsche Cayman. Photo by Jessie Casson.

I have actually never turned the stereo on in either of my cars. They’re sportscars, I just want to listen to them. 

I bought the Cayman about a year ago because I wanted a track car, and one that could also be my daily drive. It had to be a rear-wheel drive, manual, naturally aspirated and fun, but could survive the track.

I found this Cayman which had had the engine rebuilt by the previous owner. He’d also done a whole bunch of motorsport upgrades, including putting a cage in it.

The Cayman isn’t anything like the Turbo, performance-wise. It’s not wildly fast, but it sounds awesome, it feels fantastic, it handles great. I love them both. With the Cayman you can wind it out at legal speed, whereas the Turbo is wild. Second gear goes to 130km/h. You only get one shift, and you can’t even redline it. But also, because the Cayman is set up for the track, it’s really raw.

The inside of Dom's 2006 Cayman.
"It's an analogue, manual sports car. I like that it's old enough that there are no big screens." Photo by Jessie Casson.

 I try to take it to the track once a month. I’ve learnt heaps, but I think I need someone to press me out of my comfort zone. If you don’t keep pushing, you can’t find the limit.

I like to change the oil after every two track days. That’s a lot, I know. Most people would do it every six months to a year. Even my mechanic says I don’t have to do it that regularly, but I just feel that when I take it to the track I’m beating on it, so I want it to be checked.

I take it to a motorsport shop and every time I take it in, they go around and check every bolt underneath to make sure I’m not about to pop something. They often find stuff, so it’s not like I’m being completely paranoid.

"The Cayman sounds awesome, it feels fantastic, it handles great. I love it."
"The Cayman sounds awesome, it feels fantastic, it handles great. I love it." Photo by Jessie Casson.

This story is from the Spring 2025 issue of AA Directions magazine.

Jo Percival

By Jo Percival
Jo Percival is the Digital Editor of AA Directions magazine.