Hi all, I have a couple of cars that I have tracked once in a while (California and Abarth 500) but for various reasons I prefer not to track either one of them too much any more. After a lot of consideration I have now narrowed down my possibilities for a (mostly) track day car to either a Cayman S or a Boxter S. Do any of you have any experience with either of them on a track? I imagine a Cayman would be better but the saving in the UK for a very similar car is approx £5 -10k which is not bad at all on 2 year old cars.... I am looking to buy either car with no more than 3 years old, PDK with paddles although I can add them later (at a cost) and that's basically it. Should I be looking out for specific options on the cars as it will mostly be tracked? Obviously I don't care about Sat Nav and other comfort things ;-) Thanks a lot
I reckon a Cayman S is your better option of these two, unless open air motoring is something you really want. I would also strongly recommend you invest in an enlarged and deepened sump as both of these models can suffer oil starvation problems with the standard OEM sump when combined with sticky tyres. Here are some of many available: http://www.autofarm.co.uk/parts/engines/sump_extension http://www.lnengineering.com/deepsump.html
Thanks for your response but is it really worth the difference in price? I don't care about open air motoring on a track but if I can save some money and spend it on more important things I wouldn't mind.... Did you drive them on a track? What was your impression?
I don't know about England, but many tracks and clubs in the US do not allow open cars without cages on tracks. As a matter of safety, I would not drive an open car on track days anyway. I've seen too many off track excursions end in roll overs. I would suggest you get a Cayman R. If not, get an S with PASM and limited slip dif. Dave
Problems that only showed up under track conditions were sorted-out during the 2009 facelift. Oil starvation under high G-force, and over heating of power steering on the track. For track use- make sure its 2009 model year or newer! ( you'll see 2006-2008 at much lower prices as a result)
ED: you can't go wrong with either car. just depends on whether or not you want a coupe or a rag top. for sure get the "s". and i advise you NOT to test drive a 2013 with pdk, as once you do, you will not be happy with any other vehicle!
I've seen roofless cars such as Caterhams racing at Knockhill, but they all had built-in roll bars. I don't know how cars such as Boxsters would fit into track regulations here. Even so, if a car with a roll cage rolled over in the gravel traps, I would worry about the bars sinking into it and the weight of the car forcing the driver's head into the gravel. I'm extremely bias though... I've been in a collision resulting in the total loss of a car before and I just generally feel a little uneasy about convertibles as there is simply less metal around you. All the best, Andrew.
here's a great example of things going all pear shaped for a Boxster driver. with proper safety equipment, he walked away. (notice the hardtop came loose at the windshield header...don't just put on a hardtop and think you're safe!) [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIjNa4XjbLE[/ame]
I have a 2008 Cayman S with 6-speed manual transmission and my wife has a 2011 Boxster S with PDK. Originally the Boxster had the shift buttons, but I hated them so much I paid the extra $1500 and had it converted to paddles. My wife can drive a manual, but not very well, so we bought the Boxster so she could drive it on the track without having to learn heel-and-toe or worry about when to shift. She just leaves it in automatic mode. I have not tracked the Cayman S, but I do drive it fairly hard, without being crazy, on curvy roads. I have autocrossed the Cayman S, so I have an idea of how it handles at its limits. So here are my impressions of the Boxster S for the track. I think it is very rigid and doesn't give up very much to the Cayman in handling. If you were racing you would want the Cayman (and it would need to be the R), but for just having fun on the track the Boxster is quite wonderful. I have driven it on the track in auto mode, and while it generally goes into the proper gear in that mode, it tends to do some of its downshifting in the turns, which slightly upsets the car's balance. You will want to do the shifting yourself. Unlike the fixed paddles in your California, the Porsche paddle shifters move with the steering wheel, so if you need to move your hands on the steering wheel you will not be easily able to find the paddles if you need to shift in a turn. You can use the console-mounted shift lever to shift manually in such cases. The 2011 Boxster S is slightly faster than the 2008 Cayman S, but the Cayman's engine is so free-revving that I actually prefer it. Maybe that apparent difference is related to the two transmissions. But the Boxster S is very sweet anyway. The point made by others about rollover safety is valid. The Boxster does have integral roll-bars, and it is accepted in stock configuration in Porsche Club driver education events. But a coupe is undoubtedly safer. Personally, I think the Cayman is much prettier. But my wife needs an occasional "convertible fix," so she had to have a Boxster. By the way, it's Boxster, not Boxter; the word is an amalgam of boxer (the engine is a flat 6) and roadster.
To the OT: consistent reports that the electric steering in the Cayman has the best feel of those in the Cayman, Boxster, 911 lineup. (981s and 991s use the same system, right?)
The most fun stock vehicle I've ever driven was a Boxster Spyder. It is significantly different than the Boxster S. I haven't driven a Cayman R yet, but I have my doubts that it's any better than the Spyder. I would, however place the Cayman S above the Boxster S.
