Cayman S vs F355

Probably one of these apples and oranges comparisions, but both these cars are on my radar screen. Anyone care to opine, especially if you have first hand experience. Seems price range they are in the same arena (late model S).

Interested in overall driving experience, power, handling, etc.

Thanks.

 

Price range is the only thing similar. The Cayman is on par with a well sorted 308/328. Seriously.

 

I thought you had to be a hair stylist or an interior decorator to drive a Cayman or Boxster.

 

I owned a 355 and I test drove a few Boxter S a year ago

Porsche = reliability
Porsche = higher quality interior
Porsche = better ergonomics
Porsche = Easier to push towards limits
Porsche = Feels slightly faster but not sure if it is.
Porsche = See them everywhere

Equal = Fun to drive

F355 = Less depreciation
F355 = Better looking
F355 = Much rarer
F355 = Higher maintenance
F355 = Sounds infinitely better
F355 = Its a Freaking Ferrari FTW

 

Or dating one.

 

I agree 100%

I priced out a Cayman S and a Vanquish.
Then I bought my 2000 456M with 14K on the full service documentation for $30K less than the Cayman. The Vanquish didn't do it for me.

A new Turbo is a different story.

 

It's a perfect sports car for the wife ;-)

 

Ok, I just want to be sure here - is this a Ferrari forum? It is difficult to tell at times....

 

I bought my 1998 355GTS F1 new 7/22/1998. The Cayman S loaded with a DSG gearbox was a great driver, but IMHO it doesn't hold a candle to my 355.

Here is a picture of my car at Penske-Wynn after it's 30K service.
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The fact that they cost the same now is a big plus for the F355. If you want a fun daily the Cayman would be fantastic.

I'm not knocking the Cayman, it is a fantastic car but when it's still depreciating and costs the same as an F355 it's tough to even think about.


Rob

 

Apples to oranges...i have owned both a 355 spider and boxster S in the past. The 355 is an exotic- it is not an everyday car...engine out belt service, repairs, etc can be extremely costly. It would be a good race at the track and both are fun to drive. Driving the Ferrari is an event and you will get noticed. The porsche is just a car, the Ferrari is a Ferrari....

 

Surprising how many of us have gone down this very same path...I, too, looked at a Cayman S a few years ago.

BTW, the legroom was shockingly short in supply for a German car....

 

Yeah, when you start to get serious about a car it seems natural to look around and see what the same money would buy in a competing marque. I have a Lotus Exige 240S that I don't think will be matched in sheer driving engagement, but I saw a 2010 Cayman S at a track recently that was pretty impressive on about every front, and seemed to handle nicely. Great looking car in my view as well, and I like the idea of mid-engine vs the 911s.

Still the 355 GTS is getting to be an obsession for me....I am working through the possibilities to get to the inevitable I guess.

This is my sports car progression in the last decade - Triumph TR6, Ferrari 308, Lotus 240S, (fill in blank). Seems like the 355 would follow - no?

 

Perfectly said !

 

Had a Cayman S. It's a great car, no complaints except for the fact that it suffers from a dearth of power relative to other modern cars in it's price range. Honestly, though, CS's drive so nicely that I never really missed it.

BUT...my (admittedly pretty highly modded) 348 kills the Cayman S in terms of total experience. I drove a couple of 355s before I committed to the 348 and, while they are not as raw as the car I have, they will still deliver a vastly different experience from the Cayman S. Much more involving and Italian! A 355 will sound better, too!

 

Someone on here said it before....

What did you dream about as a kid.....

Were you A., dreaming about being a doctor in nice safe, sterile environment working within very predictable parameters with very reliable and predictable equipment, or B., were you dreaming about being a matador, figuring that you might get a set of horns thrust thru your backside from an unruly bull once in-a-while?

 

LOL...yeah, that was me...I forget which thread that is buried in but your paraphrasing is pretty much on the mark. The question was "What did you want to be when you grew up".

 

When i was a kid, and if I had anytime between school and my part time job as a dishwasher, I was dreaming about blondes and brunettes, and not about some matadors. Hey, that was just me.

 

I really like the idea of a 'standard' Cayman as a daily driver.

I'd have a 348 as my fun car though.

Hypothetically speaking, of course... I'm some time away from affording either - let alone both - of those cars.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

I would certainly have either a Cayman or a Cayman S as a daily. As the older ones w/ low miles continue to depreciate, the idea will get even more attractive.

 

I drove a Cayman S extensively and have a "well sorted" 328. I've also driven a 360 a bit. I actually think the Cayman S is better (better handling that is) than a 328, but not as good as a 360. My guess would be that it handles the same as a 355.

That said, the reason I have a 328 is because when I went to buy a Boxster S (sister car to the Cayman S), I was struck by the relatively high price and went around to see what I could get for about the same money. To my surprise at the time, I could get a 328 for the about the same amount (actually, less). No brainer for me. Bought the Ferrari instead. Absolutely no regrets.

Unless you intend to daily drive the car, get the 355 (and the only reason I say this is because of the attention it would get in daily use, the hassle of parking it, low overhang on the front, people come up to you fairly regularly to talk to you about it and in daily use there will be times when you cannot spare the time to talk about the car and thereby come off as a jerk, etc.) In California Porsche's are a dime a dozen and no one cares you drive one so it's fairly incognito and few people will ask you about it.

 

Drove both the Cayman S and the M Coupe and neither felt faster than my 348TS SS. It doesn't matter what the stats are, you cannot replicate the feel of a well tuned Ferrari of any model.

 

I have had 9 different porsche's over the years - I have a current 997 C4S which I am selling to get the 355. I also have a 1988 3.2 Targa. While I am no expert I have owned a boxster S and Cayman. I agree you cant compare the cars but if there is a comparison the 355 is a 993 twin turbo which many consider the best porsche ever (for me its a tie between that and a 79 turbo). That being said - the cayman and boxster series are the Mondial of the Porsche world - just note the same. My advice - buy a 911 if its a daily driver and buy the 355 if its not.
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Thanks for all the comments. I am not looking for a daily driver, that is what Toyota's are for.

So, the Cayman is a nice car (easily past the 3x8s in my view) but yeah it will lack that soul of the 355 I am sure. The maintenance issues of a 355 I hope are offset somewhat by what I think is very little further depreciation. Even with 360s falling further, not convinced it will influence a 355 much more.


Hmmmm....what else should I consider? 360, logical yes, but I would have to change my wardrobe - like that would happen.... 348, somewhat logical yes, but then there is the group therapy. To be continued....

 

For what its worth - if you buy a good 355 it wont depreciate. The Cayman will drop like a rock. If you factor all the costs the 355 is probably cheaper overall. Its also inexpensive on insurance.