At 40k you will have a larger selection of M3s. I think you will be restricted or forced to buy something you may not want in terms of P-cars. The M3 is a great car. Get an exhaust and some competition wheels and the car is great looking and a lot of fun. The V8 is really nice but you're gonna want it to sing.

No fair HotHonda, you have one of the sickest M3s out lol.

 

I've had all three.... Can't say any of them are not A+ automobiles but all drive differently. I can't remember much about the cayman. I just remember that it was a brilliant handling machine. It could be a bit pokey in a straight line, but was a great little car. Did not work for me as a daily driver. Needed 2 inches more legroom.....

The 997.2S was a cool car. Ultimately, it did disappoint me. My Cayman was used, so I paid less and expected less. My 997S was also a bit pokey in a straight line. It could put up some good numbers, but is overgeared, so it pulls sorta weakly. In my instrumented GPS tests, it is neck and neck with my M3, but the M3 has a greater multiplier effect via gearing, so it feels faster. The DFI engine had a flatter torque curve than the earlier 997.1, so it felt slower too. Inside, all my P-cars felt crappy, but I did not go for the full leather. I'll never make that mistake again. I just got ribbed incessantly by everyone who sat in the car. Lot's of "hey, even my hyundai has leather door panels" I told them FOAD! It still stung. 997 does not handle like a cayman. Lots of on-power understeer. Steering gets pretty washy at 9/10ths. Lots of sawing at the wheel. Cayman does not need that much input. 997 has 4 more inches of usable leg room and is the other reason why my Cayman is gone. Oh, and the 911 has a clutch that is very weak. Be warned. You'll rarely hear of a half-shaft or diff breaking on a porsche. On the M3, the clutch is very strong. You can damage the drivetrain if you are inclined to be a hooligan. I only mention this because if you like to play with the drifting crowd, you'll want an aftermarket clutch in the 911. My cayman was rather gutless in torque, so the clutch was not noticed.
My current car is a 2012 M3 coupe with perf. package. Sorta the "perfect" all round car. No weaknesses at all. Simply put, I can do things in my M3 that were not possible with my 911. (friction circle was much fuller) The cayman can exceed the M3 on the handling end, but loses in grunt. The brakes on the M3 initially feel great but be wary on tracks. The p-cars brakes are rock solid. Way better in fade resistance. The M3 has a better ride, better isolation, better comfort, better electronics, better stereo, better seats, and tracks better on highway. The steering can be a bit robotic, but has plenty of feel. It just isn't tactile. You can absolutely feel that BMW chose to put a few layers of insulation between you and the driving experience. The trade off for that is that it is quiet, comfy, and when you arrive at your destination after a 5 hour drive, you don't need motrin and a massage. I used to fall out of my 997 after a 5 hour stint behind the wheel. Reliability was good in all vehicles. They all rattled a bit, but they sounded like high quality rattles..not like pieces of tin cans. More like fine leather squeaking/rubbing.

So, you need to be on this scale:
Tactile<---LOTUS------CAYMAN-----997-------M3----C63-----S4---->Comfort

Move the slider back and forth to where your priorities are. I'm ordering a 991S, and from what I've heard, they hit the nail on the head. They moved the slider a smidge to the right and made the car feel like a $100K vehicle and traded some tactility for some anti-fatigue. I'll pick up an elise to punish myself a bit (and smile), but run the 991S as a daily.

 

thanks for all the feedback guys. You have not made it any easier, since it sounds like all 3 are great cars. I am currently leaning towards the CS or M3. I am also considering getting a small loan on my GT-R and using the proceeds to buy an early CS.

Thanks again for all the advice

 

I'd say Cayman as well. I have a 07 Cayman 5-speed up for sale for at the moment, I would definitely look into the possibilities of taking your GTR and add cash on top. But It seems like you're looking into a Cayman S..

 

I had an E46 M3, 07 Cayman S, 07 911 S, and just purchased a 10 Cayman S. I had always wanted a 911 and it was as incredible as everyone says, but for me something was missing. The Cayman just had such a great sense of purpose and felt right in every respect. Like others have said, I think you'll be able to get a really nice Cayman for your budget, whereas the 911 might have some issues. That said, even if you were looking to spend a little more, I would still recommend the Cayman. Now a 997.1 GT3 on the other hand...

Good luck with your search.

 

996tt? with the right suspension/alignment its a awewome car
yes there getting dated, but with that motor and the 911 platform its just amazing

 

+1 cayman s

 

As much as I love the Cayman S, you're still not going to be able to have a lively drive exploring the limits of the car unless you're pushing well over the speed limit. For an engaging drive at sane speeds, the BRZ/FRS seem to be the editor's flavor of the month.

 

I don't understand why so many of you are not into 997. Duh, it s a cayman section.

To me, 997 is the best of the three from performance, reliability looks and value perspectives.

M3 is more practical
997 is more pure
987 is more agile

With 40k, you won't find a clean 997. Between cayman s and m3, I would take the m3. Except u hv a gtr already which is too close to m3 in practicality. Cayman s may suit you better to get the visceral experience as long as you find power to be adaquate.

Or trade in you gtr for gt3 all together.

 

I currently own a Cayman S and have owned the E9x M3. Both 2 different cars. The suspension and overall handing of the Cayman S is amazing, as well as the six speed tranny. The Cayman S is a real drivers car. Don't get me wrong I love my M's still and will definitely have another one in the future. That V8 with exhaust has such an amazing sound and the handling on that car isn't far behind the Cayman S in my opinion.

 

This.

If you are going to keep your GT-R, I'd recommend the Cayman S. Beautifully balanced fun car to drive. It does things differently.

If you were to trade, I'd recommend an M3 as a decent compromise of good performance, with more comfort.

 

I have an 06' launch vehicle (all top options) Cayman S if interested. Located in NorCal with most of the RS350 updates and Cayman R appearance improvements. PM me if interested.

 

E92 M3 is an amazing car. If I had more garage space, I would of kept it when I purchased my Turbo.

 

I just sold my e90 m3 and replaced it with a 987.1 Boxster S. While the m3 is a great balance of practicality and performance as others have already noted, since this car was my weekend fun car and I already have a dull DD (Lexus hybrid), I opted to forego practicality and maximize driving feel at legal speeds.

 

Like everyone else has said, If you need practicality go with the M3 and if you want more of a weekend car go for the 997 S. I've driven both and both are amazing in their own way.

That said I just sold my M3 for a 997 Turbo and couldn't be happier.