Porsche Cayman: Your thoughts thus far?

[Full Canvas]

I was waiting for a certified Porsche "nut" to chime in. Now I realize it's the middle of the night in America!

Well then, we are off to the oblast. Some friends invited us to spend the afternoon at their dacha. It will be the first real sunshine since we left California.

I forgot how spoiled we are with the California sunshine most of the year. When we go back to La Jolla at month's end, I am certain that the streets will be crawling with new Caymans.

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[Full Canvas]

O.K. I couldn't resist. We are waiting for our friends to arrive and take us to their dacha. So, I found these bits about Speedster hardtops.

http://www.fibersteel.com/Hardtops.html

http://www.ricola.co.uk/hardtop.htm

So as not to completely hi-jack this thread's original question: I sure like the looks of the Cayman. Maybe I can wrangle a test-drive when we get back home to California!

I am a huge fan of mid-engine cars in general. I've owned one since 1968.
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[imageWIS]

I like it the Coxster. I think if they put the 911 Turbo engine in that thing and gave it a limited slip differential it would destroy the 911, of course Porsche is never going to do that. But, even as is, its still a great car, and I love the way it looks, nothing else from BMW / MB comes even close.

Jon.

 

[A Y]

I've seen surprisingly few Caymans on the road since their introduction: they may not be selling very well. I may have even seen more Turbo Cayennes than Caymans so far.

When I first heard about the Cayman, I was very excited. Then I read that they were putting essentially the same engine as the Boxster in it, and I wasn't interested any more. That engine suffers from rear main seal failures which are intrinsic to the design of the engine, and the engine does not tolerate oil starvation well, and may suffer significant damage from it. It seems like a fine car for tooling around town, but if you're going to run autocrosses or drive on the track, its engine seems to be its biggest liability.

--Andre

 

[Demeter]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

Porsche replicas are amusing in some ways. They also have MG replicas, which also are amusing because MGs, even in top condition, aren't particularly expensive. I suppose they are more convenient.

They also break down less.

 

[Demeter]

Originally Posted by Andre Yew

I've seen surprisingly few Caymans on the road since their introduction: they may not be selling very well. I may have even seen more Turbo Cayennes than Caymans so far.

It's probably because the Cayman, nice as it may be, is nothing more than a marketing gimmick. I could swear I went on this rant before, but here it goes again - the Cayman was made to fill a market niche. The Boxster is the entry-level Porsche, whereas the 911s and Carreras are pretty high up there. The Cayman comes right in the middle of the 911 and the Boxster in price, power, etc. It's the same as the BMW X3 or the Mercedes-Benz C320. They still have their makers' badge, but they hardly deserve it.

 

[A Y]

Originally Posted by meaculpa

The Cayman comes right in the middle of the 911 and the Boxster in price, power, etc. It's the same as the BMW X3 or the Mercedes-Benz C320. They still have their makers' badge, but they hardly deserve it.

I'm not sure how a Cayman equates to an X3. After Porsche became the world's fastest growing truck company, I would think a Cayman would be regarded pretty positively since it's true to the company heritage, even if they decided to hobble it a bit. Is it that Porschephiles were hoping for a Cayman with similar engine options to the 911?

--Andre

 

[Mark_Y]

Originally Posted by meaculpa

whereas the 911s and Carreras are pretty high up there.

Please tell me the difference between these two cars.

 

[Soph]

The Cayman has gotten tremendous reviews. It is what should be the flagship of Porsche in the modern age over the 911. Porsche fears to alienate existing 911 fans, but even the Porsche mechanics I've spoken to agree the Cayman design is the ultimate in Porsche after of course, the exotic GT ($400,000+++). The 911 can never entirely make up for its design/engine placement, although that is its appeal to some. The Cayman S is a beautiful machine, and with some modification to the engine output or if Porsche would ever choose to give the Cayman its do, the 911 would be in the dust not just in agility but also the glorius straightaway. Talk to the people at Porsche that are not trying to sell you something, and I think you'll find a love for the Cayman. The 911 will always have its fans for tradition and the thrill of trying to control a 911.

 

[Demeter]

Originally Posted by Andre Yew

I'm not sure how a Cayman equates to an X3. After Porsche became the world's fastest growing truck company, I would think a Cayman would be regarded pretty positively since it's true to the company heritage, even if they decided to hobble it a bit. Is it that Porschephiles were hoping for a Cayman with similar engine options to the 911?

--Andre

Well, I couldn't tell you what Porschephiles hope for, since I'm not quite in the loop with those things. I also don't doubt that the Cayman has had anything but warm welcomes among some, but I feel it runs against the company's philosophy to make something that is decidedly and deliberately mediocre for the sake of accessibility and wider consumption. That's all the Cayman is - just a peg in a hole.

Now don't get me wrong, business is business and in their place I would probably have done the same, but all I'm saying is that I could appreciate such a product, I could never fall in love with it. It's the same as Kiton making a diffusion line. Yes, there is brand recognition out there, so they decide to make the product more accessible, obviously at the cost of quality and attention to detail (this is whence I drew the similarity between the X3 and the Cayman). The passion that you would find in a GT3 or a Carrera GT just isn't there in a Cayman.

Technically, I suppose, there's nothing wrong with it - I'm sure it's a great car and can hold its own against an M3, an S4, an SLR, an XK and all those. Maybe it's just the 8-year-old in me talking.

Originally Posted by Mark_Y

Please tell me the difference between these two cars.

Here you go. I figure you mean the regular 911 and Carrera GT. These sites will probably be a lot more helpful than I would:

http://www.automallusa.net/2006/pors...fications.html

http://www.automallusa.net/2004/pors...fications.html

 

[Soph]

There's about a $12,000 difference in price between the Cayman S and the 911 Carrera, about $2500 for every second in the difference between their lap times around the Nordschleife. When it comes to pure performance, you have to ask yourself, why pay more? If you must, you can add active suspension, big wheels and tires, and the Sport Chrono package to the Cayman S and get a car that will lap as fast as a stock 911 S and yet cost less than a stock 911 Carrera. Plag ended. Nothing like facts over bravado. BMW designs can't touch Porsche, let alone what is 16 LeMans wins. Just imagine if the Cayman S was given the engine and some details it deserves.

 

[VMan]

I really do like the new Cayman.

BTW, my favorite Porsche?

Before:

and after:

 

[Nantucket Red]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

One of my personal favorite Porsches:

As usual, you hit the nail on the head. The Porsche 356A is my favorite too, Speedster or not.

 

[imageWIS]

Accept no substitute:

Jon.

 

[Soph]

Nice photo Jon.

Although I'd still go the convertible route, if you simply want performance
I would add active suspension, the larger wheels (always love the look also) and tires (grip), and the Sport Chrono package and get a car that will lap as fast as a stock 911 S and yet cost less than a stock 911 Carrera.