i am thinking of dumping my Turbo and going backl to a new boxster. did you go for the 2.7 or the 3.4 engine?

 

two very different beasts! 911 is iconic! Cayman R may be the best Porsche ever built. . . you're choice.

 

When I bought mine in 2009, I test drove both and chose the cayman.
For what it is worth, currently I am thinking of keeping my slightly modded Cayman as a track car, and getting a 991 to move the kids around!

 

Very good discussion. I would summarize that you need to drive them to determine what you like based on how you drive. Purpose of the car> DD or track or both.
If you can afford/justify (spouse); a track car doe track and a DD for roads. Now do you run long trips or drive city mostly? The variables in needs are the reason for so many choices.

 

Comparison of the 911 and CR mainly comes down to practicality, cost, and fun factor.

Practicality and cost are straightforward enough.

The fun factor is subjective. These cars are like two excellent flavors of ice cream, so people need to sample each car and pick the one they enjoy most. There's no right or wrong answer. I bet that if 100 car enthusiasts were asked to extensively drive both cars and pick the one they enjoy more, the votes would be roughly comparable for each car. If you added a third "undecided" category, I bet it would get a lot of votes too.

 

Shopping is fun and easy. Deciding is challenging. My bet the undecided choice would be selected very frequently.

 

A friend just bought a Cayman R with PDK and I test drove it extensively and I have to say that I really liked it a lot. I have a GT3, but for the everyday use and occasional track day, the Cayman R would be hard to beat.

 

Cayman S has the better balance and neutrality in handling. The 911 more power. I have had both and have a Cayman S now.

 

I'm a fairly recent Cayman S owner...I had 911's for 10 years prior...and for me, the Cayman is the Porsche I've been looking for.

I've always wanted a Porsche that felt like a high-end GT car. Not a hot rod for screaming light-to-light, but a sophisticated road car that could take on any experience thrown at it...high speed autobahn, curvy two-lane mountain roads, rainy night drives home from work,...whatever.

For me, the Cayman does it all and it does it better than the 911. More comfort, better handling, more...sophisticated.

Or maybe I'm just getting old...

Dave

 

I agree with this assessment. I think the Cayman, and the Cayman R in particular, will provide an all-around experience that is hard to beat. I love my GT3, but I wish I could have a Cayman R to go along with it. That would be the best of all worlds.

 

Hmm.. Don't see how a Cayman would be more comfortable/sophisticated than a 911 (997.1/997.2 vs the 987.1/987.2) given that the 997 had a larger interior and better finishes on the door/dash. Maybe the handling of the 987 is making you hallucinate a better interior/more room

 

Thoughts create perceptions and realities. Perhaps that is hallucination.
Handling and pricepoint do create perceptions. We all have our own reality.

 

I failed to mention that I had 996 models before the Cayman ('99 and '03). I really liked them; they had tons of power, looked great, and handled well. However, my last one had sport suspension (along with GT3 aero kit, sport exhaust, mods...) and it always felt 'creaky' and more like a 'hot rod' than a sophisticated GT car. I tried driving it on long road trips and always was exhausted by it. Around town it was a blast.

I really can't point to one thing about the Cayman S that satisfies me so much...it just seems greater than the sum of its parts. Last weekend I took a 300 mile day trip on crowded So Cal freeways and wide open mountain roads and at the end I felt like I could do a couple hundred more miles of it.

However, I concede that without owning a 997 I may be comparing apples to oranges...

Don't get me wrong...I love the 911! If I could afford it, I'd own both.

Dave

 

I had an '09 Cayman S with PDK and traded it for an '11 Carrera 4S with PDK. I loved the Cayman, but the 911 is better.

 

The 911 fit is very nice. Interesting comments with the comparison.