E 46 M3 vs Cayman S

Dont even consider the Cayman .. Im car shopping myself and the M3 is on my list ( ive had one in the past)..

Cayman is a chicks car..test drove it today..if you were to want a Porsche get a certified C4S or something similar.

J

 

I would consider the Cayman, it's an awesome car. I don't think there's been one car magazine that hasn't absolutley loved it. M3s are great cars too, tough choice

 

You said you LOVE your M3 and LIKE the Cayman, so why are you considering changing? You obviously agree with the "perfect car" sentiment.

I know from lots of experience what an awesome car a Boxster is, and keep reading mag after mag talk about the Cayman in nothing but glowing terms, with one review even calling it the "world's best sports car" (see TTAC), so I don't think you would go too wrong with one. But obviously you need to spend some more time behind the wheel on a curvy road before you would believe that.

Or stay put. If you think you have the perfect car, then you do.

As for the "chick's car" comment... nothing like insecurity to make people feel threatened. lol That chick's car will spank 99.9% of the cars out there on a track, and that includes every generation of (non turbo, non GT) 911 but the latest. And probably some of the latest.

 

I would stay with the M3 i am in love with that car.

 

wasnt refering to performance..it looks like a miata on steriods..like the boxster..they look feminine to me...for same $$ I would instantly go buy a Z06 which would spank the boxster/cayman

you guys woould actually get a cayman over a certified C4S ? Im not bashing I just really cant get my head around that.

 

I'd buy the Cayman. I just sold an E46M3 and it was a very solid car but left me wanting. The car is very balanced but it is so fat. It felt heavy when I bought it and about 500lbs heavy when I sold it.

The fit, finish and balance of the Cayman is terrifc compared to a 996. Feels light on it's feet.

 

buy a used boxster s as an additional toy.

imho, the cayman is pretty neat but way overpriced for what is essentially a hard top boxster.....i think buyers are going to get creamed at resale time.

 

The Cayman is a precision road/track instrument.

My own bias here: A C4S is the least appealing 911 to me. It has the extra weight of the AWD without the turbo to help muscle it around. In anything other than inclimate weather, a RWD car will be much more fun and rewarding to drive hard. (I had a 996TT) Sure, it has the fatter BEhind, but the Cayman back end has the 911 back end beat, IMO.

A Z06 is another story entirely. Different set of considerations, but that wasn't one of his choices.

 

I'm searching for the right E46 M3 coupe right now. If I was in your position, I'd try to find a '01-02 996 Turbo for $65k.

Have you thought of supercharging your M3?

 

the used turbo is a good idea.

 

I would consider other porsche's first but the cayman is pretty sweet. (hitched a ride in a black one a few weeks ago) have yet to hear anything negative about it either (until I came here..)

 

Have you considered supercharging the M3?

Oh, I see that Jay said the same thing already.

 

I've always thought of the next step up after an E46 M3. The 996TT makes a lot of sense as a next car. 120 more HP than the E46 in stock form, and easy to mod. All years are basically bullet proof.

 

Caymen's are cute and so are VW bugs. The M3s is a guys car. That's enough to keep me away.

 

stay with the M3,
and use the extra cash do supercharge it..
or get a boxter..
to me the cayman. is overated.. but thats my opinion.

 

I don't think that anyone can really answer that question for you. A lot depends on your financial situation and what you'd like to do with your money. I'm assuming that you can afford the extra $35k, but only you can decide if that's the best use of your money. Either Porsche would be a great car to have, but then again your M3 is fantastic as well. You're in a situation that a lot of people would love to be faced with. Enjoy whichever vehicle you end up going with (or staying with)!

 

We live in a wonderful time where there is crazy number of awesome cars out there, for all tastes and preferences. You will find folks to gush over any of the cars mentioned, so it really gets back to what YOU want, not what we (the whining, opinionated motoring public) recommend.

 

Keep the M3, visit Will Turner and make your car a much more entertaining ride.

 

Keep the M3, and tune it (if funds are there).

 

I have an m3 and recently spent some time driving a freinds caymans. The M3 is more of a bruiser. Great for long trips too. The cayman has a harder ride is more toylike. The cayman would probably be a better track toy, but then its still a streetcar. The numbers say they are the same but the n3 feels much quicker, it has some real punch, the caymans delivery is so linear there is no noticable power runup or peak.

I would go for keeping the m3 and get a lotus elise for the 35k. That way you have both a blaster, and a track toy with the fcar for early weekend drives.

My f-car gets me up early on a weekend for a mind blowing blast, the m3 is for general driving with target of opportunity blasts. A cayman wouldnt wake me in the morning either. A lotus would be more fun than all on the track.u

 

The Cayman is a great car, and even if you do decide to stray the M3 and go with the Porsche...you will not be dissapointed! Just read one magazine review and you have read them all, I dont think one journalist has a negative vibe on the Cayman...it's that good. But...the E46 M3 has an excellent aftermarket following, so instead of dumping more money into a new car and getting a stone-stock Cayman, you could try supercharging your M3 and having a really fast street machine that can do it all. Go drive the Cayman for an extensive amount of time and when you get out, you should have a decision in mind.

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