The damn Cayman S is just too good. I'm currently driving a loaner Cayman S and having a blast. Out of the box, the Cayman S is just plain nimble when compared to the 997S - but we all know that. The speed question is one that comes up all the time.

Anyway, tonight, on a wide open highway, I completely owned a 2007 911 S with full aerokit and sport exhaust. The 911 S tried as hard as possible to escape the jaws of the little Cayman S - to no avail.

Not street racing, but testing acceleration runs.

The 911 S simply could NOT pull away from the Cayman S. This was an astounding revelation to me. I thought for sure the guy in the 911 was going to smoke my little red loaner croc. Who had the last laugh? me!

So, lesson learned, and I'm proud to sing it from the rooftops - there is absolutely no shame in owning a Cayman S. In fact, it is definitely the wise man's choice over the 911 S.

And perhaps some more info:

I am fairly confident that when we first started messing around, the guy was dismissing the croc as a non-threat.

Once the croc was able to show an ability to pass, his ego got going, and things got much more aggressive - I could definitely hear him downshift and attempt to pull away. The sport exhaust sounded great.

Fact of the matter is, from 60 to about 110 mph, there was only a slightly perceptible gap opening up - perhaps a car length - which is not at all what you'd expect. For all intents and purposes, the 911 S was NOT pulling away, even with the driver of the other car grabbing for gears.

Doubtful?
Cayman S - 0-60 in 4.9 and the 1/4 in 13.4 @ 107 which yields 60-107 in 8.5 sec which works out to 318'

911 s - 0-60 in 4.3 and 1/4 in 12.8 @111 which yields 60-111 in 8.5 sec which works out to 293'.

Less than 2 car lengths

Any way you slice it, the croc is a real threat to the large ego'ed 911 drivers running around claiming superiority. I just had to prove it to myself.

 

I agree i drove one for a few days and thought to myself its supose to be slower but handle better it seems its not as slow as i thought. My main decision for my first porsche was between a cayman s and a carrera. So the cayman s is a bad little car.

 

Looking to step into my first p-car here pretty soon and I've been grappling with this very question. It's posts like this that me doubt myself in the 911 department--no offense, of course. decisions, decisions...

 

We just went through this decision process and opted for the 997. Nothing wrong with the Cayman of course, it is just a subjective choice and depends on what you personally prefer.

 

The 911 and the Boxter/Cayman are totally different cars.
About the only thing they have in common is the badge on the hood .
The 911 is as different from the Boxter/Cayman, as it is from an SLK or Corvette or Mazda Miata or whatever .

You either love the 'Eleven , or you don't .You can either afford one, or you can't . And if you can't , it makes the decision that much easier .

 

I did a short run with my friend's modded Cayman S a few months ago. I was ahead for about 1.5 car length from 0-75mph. His car has fabspeed headers + miltek mufflers (it sounds freaking awesome!) and my car had EVO headers + fabspeed mufflers for the performance parts.

I will definitely take vid clips for you guys if i have the chance to do another run with my buddy next time.

 

It all depends on what you're looking for, and Porsche marketing has done a wonderful job of giving us "options".

Boxster = best roadster out there! The savior of Porsche as we know it today (along with the Cayenne), but still dismissed as "only a Boxster, and NOT a 911"

Cayman = entry level admission into the Porsche hardtop club w/ a few pluses and only a few minor image issues; see following posts:
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ad.php?t=96277
http://www.tmz.com/2007/08/30/real-life-mean-girls/

911 Carrera (S): the icon, the legend; really a suped up Cayman/Boxster with different handling characteristics but similar engine (see this link here ) ; shares image with GT3 and Turbo (as well as the negatives that go along with those cars)

I say screw image and whatever everyone else thinks, and buy what makes YOU, as the owner and driver, happy.

 

I really like the Cayman S driving experience. It does feel more tossable than the C2S and didn't push as much.

So why did I go w/ the 911? Because it's a 911.

Not only that - I don't like the Cayman interior very much. The full leather in the 911 is sooooo much nicer IMO.

The hp difference was a factor as well. Did you race against a Tip? It shouldn't have been that close.

Finally - since this is my first p-car - had I gone w/ the Cayman I would probably always had that slight bit of doubt about not getting a 911.

Gotta agree spyder - go for what you love.

 

I have to agree a 911 is a great car and performs for what it should.

 

My mind was made up, and I was getting a Cayman S. But my wife, the voice of reason,chimed in. She told me to get the 997S because she knew I would eventually want to trade the Cayman S in for it within a year or two. If I was going to get a Porsche, I might as well get what the one I've always dreamed of. I wasn't going to argue with her, and I have not regretted the decision to go with the 997S. I still like the Cayman S too.

 

I have no doubt the Cayman is a fantastic car, but I didn't even drive one before I bought my Carrera S. I've dreamed of a 911 since I was in college. For me it was the 911 or nothing.

 

Same here, except I saw one when I was 12 and didn't know what it was 'til 3-4 years later.

 

Interesting...I drove both extensively and went back and forth so many times its ridiculous. My inevitable conclusions:

Cost. Get this out of the way, a base 911 and a cayman S are nearly priced. Mine was listed at 72k MSRP. Sure the savings of a base cayman versus a 911 is significant but a loaded cayman S versus a stripped 911 is pretty insignificant. 911 owners love to say its cost, but that is BS. There are a huge number of cayman owners that just prefer the car.

911:
Good : its an icon. No one can ever fault you for getting the 911. In effect it is a safe decision. Great car no doubt.
Bad : its an icon. After driving both cars I feel the 911 is living on its reputation and not its peformance (strictly speaking of the base 911).

Cayman
Good : It feels like a sports car, if that is what you want. The 911 feels more like a sedan compared to it, especially the 997. The driving experience for me was superior. Again, its more of a true sports car than the 911 which seems more like a GT car. The handling is better and its good a for a driver with limited skills such as myself. Its mid engine, enough said.
Bad : Power is lacking no doubt. But again, lets be real its pretty darn slim compared to the 911 as the original poster point out. So I am willing to overlook this. Image issues are a problem for me as it is smaller and is subject to the "girls car" criticism.

My conclusion. Truthfully, remove the porsche logos and icons and I think the cayman is the better car and more fun on top of it. If you are a true driver or wanting to learn to drive and track it (as my case), I just find it to be better. The 911...well lets face it, a good % of people drive it like a grandma anyway and ultimately it is just a poser car at that point.

All of this being said, I bought a cayman S. Do I regret my decision? Depends on when you ask me. If I am inside the car, nope...no regrets. But admittedly I am image conscious and would like the more masculine car as well. So sometimes I do regret not going for the beefier 911. My solution? Well...I will just add in a 911 or another car (possibly a Ferrari) for those times when I want a more manly ride.

I will say this, I see a lot of guys dissing the cayman who apparently have not even driven one, making comments strictly based on numbers and cost. That to me is the ultimate poser and someone who has no interest in what the Porsche experience is all about.

 

For the money a 997 costs I would get a Cayman S and a 964 to use as a hobbyist.

IMO the 997 looks better and is more enjoyable when you kick the tail out and drive like mad. The Cayman is a more balanced and neutral ride.

The real performance difference of the two cars is in top end where the 911 has a clear advantage.

 

Hozer,

As a former Boxster owner, I totally understand what you are saying re: conclusions and image.

I miss my perfectly balanced, mid engine car. The 911, though, is a legend, and it just gets better with time. While I autocrossed and tracked the Boxster and pushed it, I felt I hit the limit with it. It was so easy to drive and inspired so much confidence!

The 911 is so different! It demands respect and you, as a driver, have to earn it. The great thing is, once you master it, you get to turn off PSM, and then move up to a Turbo or GT3/GT2!

Overall we're fortunate to have so many choices from Porsche! The 911 is an icon and the benchmark for sportscars. The cayman is on its way....