I suggest you a Porsche 911 Turbo ))

 

I have a 13 991S and a 13 Boxter. I can't say I agree with comments people make about the Boxter/Cayman handling better other than tight slow speed turns where the Boxter changes direction a little quicker. For me, the Boxter is a tad more predictable and easier to drive at the limit however the 991 is more fun because it moves around a little more and rewards the driver more if properly driven. Drive the Cayman because for me, it and the Boxter are a little to small on the inside. I am 6 ft 2in and can't get the seat reclined enough inside the Boxter.

 

+1. I will go further and say every car guy should have a 911 in his garage.
I never ever dream about getting any Cayman.

 

I'm on my second 911, and have owned two Boxster's. Not a bad car among them.

Since I'll be making the choice of a Cayman S or another 991 when my lease is up, I ponder the same question. For me the more spacious 991 is a little more comfortable, and the back seat while nice is all but useless. I'd rather have the rear trunk of a Cayman or Boxster. The 991 has a somewhat more solid feel, and it's look is iconic. I suspect it will also hold it's value better, even as the cost of entry is about $20K more, the way I'd configure it. The 981c fits like a glove and is quite nimble. My ego feels better in the 991.

My current thought is that the 991 is a great all around DD, as long as I'm careful where I park it, while the 981c is a bit more of a fun weekend sports car. While I might consider a PDK in a 991, it has to be a 6MT in the Cayman.

Decisions....decisions

 

Someone else has mentioned putting one of his 5'10" sons back there and others use the rear seats for their small children. And yet, others call them "all but useless". They may not be comfortable for a full-size adult, but are they truly "useless"?

 

Two different cars. Since you've said you're leasing and the payments are similar, I'll just go to a direct comparison, instead of worry about resale value, residual, etc. You're leasing, the payments are the same, you don't really care. I get it.

The 911 will be the better daily driver from an overall livability pov. It will be more comfortable and will hold more stuff and people. It's an amazing combination of sports car and GT car, so you likely won't be left wanting in the performance category at all, unless you're really crazy about the mid-engined format. And if it matters to you, it is as iconic as cars come and will give you an ear-to-ear smile every time you look at it. For me, it was a lifetime dream realized. Hard to compare that.

The Cayman S will feel comparable from an overall power pov, but will likely feel more balanced if you really drive it hard. Simply put, a mid-engined car is a better balanced car. If your primary purpose for the car is ripping it thru the twisties, this might be the better choice for you. If you don't care about the slight edge in overall daily livability, and aren't impressed with the 911's iconic status and recognizability, the Cayman S might be a better pure driver's car. I know many will argue that point...on both sides.

For me, there wasn't really any comparison. While the Cayman S is an outstanding car, it's not what I've always wanted. And luckily, the car I've always wanted (the 911) is still an absolutely outstanding car and easier to live with on a daily basis. Given I drive almost 100 miles/day, that was very important to me. Also, subjectively, I think the 911 looks a helluva lot better...and that matters a lot to me, too.

But either way you go, you'll be driving one of the best cars in the world. As someone said before, follow your heart and don't look back.

 

Not completely useless. They provide interior space so that the car, while still retaining a sports car feel, does not seem cramped. The seats are worthless for any adult - my slim 5'3" 21 year old daughter had to sit sideways for a short trip in the rear seats. When the car was new I was curious and sat my sorry rear back there - almost had to be rescued.

 

+1.
+1.
Sometimes the dream and reality don't relate.

I, personally, can't get the lowest of something. I'd rather have the best of something (or the best that I can perceive) - the Cayman S is as good a mid-engined car that Porsche will allow (thanks to their sales department). The base C2 is as slow as any 991 will ever be. Now that being said, I'm sure it will be as fast (if not faster) than any Cayman (maybe less the 'R' if one comes out in the future). But I've had too much fun in every Cayman I've ever driven to think that it would not stack up to a base 991.

Definitely drive both. It might be as fast as 10 seconds sitting in the seat of one car vs another. But - then you'll know, and won't have to worry about "what if"...

I will say this - I've seen more Cayman owners think "maybe I should have gotten the 911" than I have heard "Man, I really wish I would have gotten the Cayman instead of this boring 911."

Good luck!

 

 

911 all the way.

 

Don't know about you, but I always know what I want. I definitely have fulfilled my dream garage collection (for now).

The lowest 991 easily drives better than 95% of the cars on the street. I don't see anything wrong with a base 991.

 

This point is crucial to the decision .

The concept of (paraphrasing) "never dreaming of a Cayman" or "every car guy ought to have a 911 in his garage" does not take into account that if he has a base 991 he might just :
a) want an "S"
b) then want a Gt3 or a Turbo
c) might even want the 991.2

My point is that having a 911 is not an endpoint to wanting.

.... and
What if one already has a 911 or had one in his past but looks at the two new cars (991 and Boxster/Cayman) and ponders which made the most significant improvement over the last one .
That's where the Boxster and Cayman shine .

 

I have an observation to share that might be relevant.

I was at a trackday yesterday. There was a selection of cars. 50% of them were Porsches, a healthy mix of roadcars (carrera, gt3, gt2, gt3rs, gt2rs) to flat out racecars. ALL of them were 911's. NOT 1, not a single one of them was a Cayman or a Boxster !

25% were Ferrari, also mix of roadcars and racecars (meh, not my cuppa).

15% were Audi R8 (impressive on track !)

The rest were some Astons and Lotus.

No BMW M cars !


What does this tell us ? That the Cayman is the superior car ?

 

Says the guy with a 997.2GT3RS in his sig...

 

Enough! Stop!

For the purpose of this thread and every other discussion on this topic:

The Base 991 sucks, is slow, handles poorly, is a primary cause of impotence and baldness, as well as tomato blight, trench mouth, jock itch and bad breath.

Now, can I go back to enjoying my 991 C2?