Thanks guys for the great advice! I actually printed out your comments so I won't forget them come time to buy. After ten years of no creature comfort in the 308 I'm definitely willing to move up and have functioning A/C, some suspension and a decent sound system. No more retro cars for me, getting too old for that.
Interesting to speculate. If Porsche were to really put out a version of the Cayman that takes full advantage of its obviously superior layout, then maybe it would reach cult status. I chose a Cayman over a 911 as would some. The majority? Hmmmm. Dave
Here's a great link with a nice set of side-by-side photos (12 shots) Cayman vs 911. Very cool! http://www.autorivals.net/sportscars/2010caymanvs2010carrera/2010caymanvs2010carrera.htm First time I saw a Cayman parked next to a 911 back in 2006 I told me wife that the low sleek one must be a special more expensive racing edition of the standard 911. I just assumed from my days at Ferrari, that lower, smaller, and sexy lines meant it would be more expensive. LOL
Dale, I don't have to guess. There is no accounting for bad taste, right? BTW, I've already passed the "getting" stage. I'm there! Dave
After a few more days with my Boxster S, I am going to go out on a limb here and say the Boxster/Cayman may be the best cars in Porsches current lineup (sans their specialty cars). That is not a slight against the 911, but more of a recognition of how incredibly good Porsche is at making mid engine cars. The more time I spend with my Boxster S, the more impressed I am with its abilities. Of course, I shouldn't be surprised, the fact that Porsche somehow turned a REAR engine car into one of the greatest sports cars of all time--the 911-- is a credit to their engineering ability. Also, for all the potshots taken at the Cayenne, it is IMHO, SUBLIME. I have driven the new Cayenne on the same backroads with the same vigor I would my Ferrari or Boxster and have been more than impressed with its tossability. Its abilities defy the laws of physics. It is dumbfounding. People may not like the idea of Porsche building an SUV, which I can completely understand, but the car stands very well on its own merits. Porsche engineering is on another level.
I read much of the model specific Fchat items most days and would love to have a 430 or 612. But that's not in my future. I am blessed to have my Cayman, which is my dd. Last night reminded me once again how wonderful they are. I had the car out on some of the fine southern Lancaster county "sports car" roads. The balance is special and, while the 2.7 in my car is not a monster, it has plenty and the car's capabilities far exceed mine.
Just finished a few days in a Cayman R. I really missed the additional power of the 911 3.8 Power Kit. Great chassis, requires a manual and not the PDK, tiny cockpit, lots of cargo room.
I drove a Cayman R a couple of times at an autox track at a Porsche Driving Event. I was also able to drive it back-to-back with a Cayman S and a Boxster S. Then at the bigger track, I was able to drive a 997/911, Panamera and a Cayenne. I do agree that the Cayman/Boxster chassis is awesome and feels better balanced to me than the 911. For the track, there's no doubt what I would choose as a stock car: the best balanced handling layout - in this case, Cayman/Boxster. I even prefer the Cayman looks better than the 911. But why do I own a 911? With a need for occasional passenger seats and space for a dog, I have found my 996 to be the best bang for the buck sporty daily driver car (996 with 130K miles) during the past 3-4 years. Bottom line, I think the preference would depend on functionality. In my current case, I'm fine that Porsche is positioning the 911 as more of a GT car. Besides, I have the mid-engine 328 for a more raw drive and a 944 Rothmans race car for an even more raw (and well-balanced) track weapon. Last comment: In recent years, Porsche is perhaps pushing the envelope of rear to mid engine transition further by making the Carrera GT a halo high end street car offering. Prior to that, they labeled a mid-engine race car and its homologation models a 911 (GT1). Now, they are about to produce the 918 - again another mid-engine high end (above the 911) production offering. I'm hoping they continue the trend of such models as Boxster Spyder and Cayman R.
Porsches are surprisingly practical daily-drivers. I wouldn't hesitate to use a 911, Boxster, Cayman, etc as a DD. Reliable, fun to drive, plenty of space for luggage, groceries and anything else you may need. They are great cars. Yet, I always get laughed at by friends when I call Porsches practical... You DD a Boxster S, so you know how practical it is!
A Porsche can definitely be practical and I'm not talking about just the Cayenne either. I jokingly refer to my 996 as my SUV with emphasis on the "sport". Here's a photo on one of its weekend errand runs - bike on top, five bags of pea gravel on rack and various items in the back and front trunk. Sometimes, even a dog in a crate is found on the rack. And with snow on the ground, my 911/996 keeps on moving. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
For me, if I were to ever buy a Porsche, it most likely would have to be either a Cayman R or Porsche 911GT3 or perhaps 911 Turbo or even a low mileage used GT2 RS. But after driving Ferrari, a used Ferrari 430 blows away most any Porsche in my book except for the 959 or Carrera GT.
It's almost all a badge thing, a GT3, GT3RS, GT2 has nothing to envy of a F430. A GT2RS makes a F430 a silly toy. As far as looks then the Ferrari is more exciting to look since its a rare sight, but I equally like a 2010 GT3RS.
Yeah, didn't have a choice there, but I was driving it sideways at about seventy miles an hour. The force definitely helped.
Mine is a C2. Good set of snow tires would go a long way. I use all weather tires (Nokians) which are not the same as all season tires.
I sold my Cayman to get a F430. I wouldn't be surprised in a couple of years I buy the then 'new' Cayman model and the Ferrari goes... For me the Cayman is one of the best cars ever.
Great to see that car being used and driven. How has it been reliability and maintenance wise as a daily driver? I really wouldn't mind getting a 996 in the near future if all my stars aligned properly, and there are some greats deals out there right now.
FWIW, I have found my Boxster S to be extremely practical. Granted, I can only take one passenger, but the two trunks are large enough to accomplish most tasks. Indeed, the front truck seems to have been engineered precisely to fit two pieces of medium sized luggage or an enormous amount of groceries I take the car everywhere. In fact, In the last two months I've put well over 3K on her. Porsches are just fantastically engineered vehicles. They are incredibly user friendly and practical. As friend of mine said with his tongue only slightly in his cheek. A Porsche is the sports car you take when you have to get from point A to point B; The Ferrari is the car you take when arriving at point B is not that important. I will always be a die hard Ferrari fan and I think it is the ultimate in automotive entertainment. However, as an instrument of speed, performance, practicality, and utility, nothing compares to a Porsche.
+1 And the Cayman has even more storage space than my Box S. But you can't put the top down on a Cayman.
Highly recommend it as a DD especially at current prices. Other than regular service/tires/battery/etc, I've had to put a new coolant tank, one variocam actuator and alternator wire connector and airbag seatbelt switch. Low cost parts item (relatively) except for $900 actuator. 130K miles on original engine and clutch.
