Hi folks,
Looking for some opinions...I posted this in the 911 forum
LINK

Basically my mind is made up on a Porsche, just not sure which one. I really like the way the 911 looks stock..I do also like the Cayman S..there is just something I am not too sure about in the rear. IMHO its not "aggressive" enough..the 911 has great lines..however for my budget I would probably have to get something a little older, probably something that is almost of out warranty and not having all the techy stuff. I THINK I am prepared to compromise on the 911 if I can get a almost new Cayman S. My concern is I may be "missing" the Porsche experience. Just curious about Cayman S is drivers opinions. My brotherinlaw has a 911 and he was given a boxster as a loaner. His opinion was that if he didnt look at the outside of the car, the boxster handled just as good as his 911. Also I do not have kids so I do not need a back seat.

BTW I love the way this Cayman S looks
link

Cheers

 

Both great cars with their own look. I saw a white CaymanS with black HREs lowered and it looked mean. I'm partial to the 911 but see value in both.

What will you be using the car for? DD, track, racing. Traffic? Which transmission do you like?

Good luck with the hunt and have a great time with it-

 

This will be my DD. I plan on getting a manual. I orignally did not plan on tracking it but after driving I could see myself doing it..It would be a blast in a Porsche...

thx for your reply

 

I recently bought a Cayman S (used) the dealer had a sweet 911 (a C4s) sitting right next to it that was still within my budget I went with the Cayman for several reasons but if I am honest with myself I kinda like having a car that is a bit less "mainstream" ... not that a 911 is mainstream but amongst my peers there are ample M3's, 911's, corvette's etc I now own the only Cayman.

I am in the process of putting it through the Techart GT Sport conversion to address the aggressiveness issue.

 

WOW, the Techart conversion is sweet! Not too crazy about the rear wing. How much does something like this cost??

 

911 all the way. Not even a question.

 

full GT Sport conversion including paint and install is around 10K. By not getting a 911 I am now having all sorts of fun putting the savings towards goodies for my Cayman... would have had to take the 911 stock (not that that is a bad thing I suppose).

 

I'd definitely choose the Cayman S over a regular 911. It's a much more rewarding car to drive, and performance wise, I'd argue that it's easier to drive the Cayman faster than the 911 around a track.

 

Thx SPF..I've heard this too b/c of the mid-engine design...

Cheers

 

Owning a gen 2 Cayman S I'm biased. I have also driven for one session my dad's Carrera S 997.2 which I found amazing but I definitely prefer the feel of the Cayman S. Plus I'd say that most 911s (except turbos and GT2-3s) have a hard time keeping up with me on the track. This car handles amazingly and for me there's something about driving an "underpowered" momentum car that can out-perform a lot of the more powerful cars on a track. Still there's something fun about a rear-engined car on the track but it seems more challenging. (I also like finesse in my driving and it feels like you need to man-handle a 911 more to get ultimate performance out of it. The Cayman S just benefits from being smooth.)

It's a no-brainer in my book compared to a 997.2 or 997.1S. I would think twice with a 997.2S but the price difference is huge! I'd trade for a GT3 of course.

Take a base Carrera and a Cayman S. Interiors are very similar . So what justifies the extra $17k between a Carrera and Cayman S? 25hp and rear seats? PCM?

The Cayman S is an amazing performance bargain when compared to it no doubt.

If I really needed rear seats though I'd be happy to drive a 911 as it's an excellent car, but besides a 997.2S, GTS or GT3, it would feel like a compromise in performance and driver enjoyment. To me the Cayman S is the real sports car of the 2.

 

I was in the same situation last year. I had my heart set on a 996 S although, after one lap in the Cayman S and I changed my mind fast.

I never considered a Cayman S until the sales rep at the Porsche dealership told me to take one for a drive. Between the three 996's I drove the Cayman S felt more sporty, lighter and the interior wraps you like a glove.

As for the track it all comes down to the driver ... I have seen both cars kick some tail.

Have fun with the search.