Bruce In Philly

I just drove my buddy's new 2014 Cayman PDK base. Wow.

None of you here want to hear this, but that car is way more of a sports car than my 2009 C2S.

My C2S is a manual, his was PDK

Transmissions: I like a manual, period. The PDK is refined and in manual mode, shifted so smoothly and quickly I was shocked. In my mind, it is the best automatic that I ever experienced by far. By really far... I was amazed. Don't kid yourself by its unique internals, it still is an automatic.

Overall driving experience: The Cayman is a sports car. A silk-smooth sports car, but a real sports car. My C2S is a bit fat and odd. The handling of the Cayman is like it is on rails... the C2S is great and sharp, but the Caymen is razor sharp. The mid-engined layout is superior to the rear engine layout... it just is. I had a Boxster 2000 S and it drove very similar to the Caymen although the Caymen is more refined. Both cars handled better than the C2S. Th Cayman did not have PASM. My C2S has PASM and I find the springs just too soft and spongy with the shocks doing the work... not a "balanced" configuration of shock and spring like the Cayman is IMHO.

Power and response: C2S wins hands down. 275 vs 385 is no comparison especially in low end torque... the C2S's power is just there, all the time, at almost any RPM. However, I felt the way the Cayman's power came on... maybe it was more traditional as I grew up with... a growing torque curve... it felt better. But I still love more power.

Creature comforts: C2S is better all around, better layout, better ergonomics, with a better sound system but..... I like the wrap around ****-pit feel of the Cayman better.

Sorry folks, but Porsche's "lesser" products are better given my value system. I always said my 2000 Boxster S was more fun to drive and more of a sports car than my 2009 C2S and the newer Caymans are too.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

997xpress

Try a 991S - like to hear your opinion. Big difference from the 997.2.

Ynot

OP, nothing wrong with your assessment, I came up with the same conclusion when I drove both the Cayman and Boxster for two days. I know a lot of 911 guys don't want to hear or believe their 911 is less sports car then it's younger brother. I prefer the 981 interior to the 997 interior, especially the 997.1, it's out-dated. I've been called a troll a couple of times when I said, the 981 is better. lol

I've driven the 991, S, and C4S, it's the same. It feels heavy and big compared to the 981 Cayman/Boxster. It's just faster.

3Series

Props to the Cayman. That's my first choice for a P-car, especially the 981. Unfortunately/fortunately, I need the rear seats.

SpeedyD

Meh, I don't need rear seats. Drove bunch of Caymans and they never thrilled me. Felt under powered, underwhelming overall. Really wanted to like them given "used-for-used" at much lower price point (and lower price to me is a big selling point). 911 is already a light car and difference between them in weight is about 2:1 made up for in power (<8% weight diff vs. >18% power diff in S models). I think people drive Caymans closer to 9/10ths on public roads, helps "shrink" the car. If you drive a 911 up at same capabilities, similar feeling. In the end, look at the people who drive/test cars for a living. They will have the 911 variants. All praise how great the Cayman is, but I think it is just a fantastically engineered mid engined car -- deserves praise, but for me, doesn't quite grab my pocketbook. There are literally dozens of mid engined cars I'd take over a Cayman...

Also, just to put it out there, the dynamic instability in a 911 has let that car outperform (HP vs HP) many, many cars... once honed-in, it is actually an advantage. Much like modern fighter jets have aero instability as their baseline, allowing some computer intervention to re-balance, there are sometimes advantages to apparent "disadvantages".

Just some friendly thoughts :-)

robh75

+1

I always liked the Cayman, lusted after the 987 for years, but when I was in a position to buy I needed (well, wanted) the rear seats for several reasons, mostly to be able to drive it more often! Plus, the 911 is so unique and has such a history. Otherwise Cayman is a wonderful car. If I didn't care about rear seats, Cayman (987) or Boxster (981) would be my car. But, for the overall package, the 911 is my car of choice.

mattyf

Cross posted this in a different thread the other day.

I drove my buddy's Cayman GTS up the ACH Friday. The Cayman GTS is an amazing car. Getting into a new car always takes some time to adjust, especially one my friend just picked up in Jan. But the Cayman is so predicable, so effortless, no drama in the corners, it made getting the feel for it almost instant. The car was made for eating turns. Trail braking also felt more confident, didn't feel like the car wanted to switch ends when braking hard into a corner.

I like to think of myself as a manual purist too, but the latest PDK transmission is nothing short of brilliant: instant rev matches, the throttle off gurgles. I found myself enjoying it much more than I had expected.

I got back in my 997 and it felt a little old. The suspension was harsher, steering jiggly and the *** all wiggly in the turns. Then I realized, as much as I loved the Cayman I would really miss the dance of the 911.

I think I need both

scorcherjf

Well I don't think 911 drivers are that deluded into thinking their cars are "better" than a Cayman or any other car for that matter. I was deciding between my C2S and a 987 Cayman Black edition last year and while I liked both of them, the practicality of the C2S outweighed the better handling of the Cayman. I was coming from a prepped RX8 (I know I'll get crap for this) but that car out handled both of them - it was just down a lot on power and refinement. In the end I wanted something unique, sporty, powerful, but still practical and the C2S won overall (since it's my only car).

The Cayman probably represents the best mid-engined car that you can daily drive but honestly if I wanted a mid-engined car for track use I'd go with a Lotus Exige. The prison cell feel of the Cayman was really the number one reason why I decided I couldn't live with it. That, and the rear grip at corner exit felt so great in the 911. For a pure midship design, there are better choices than the Cayman. The RX8 for example has the engine, occupants, transmission, and fuel tanks all within the front and rear axles. Same with a Lotus Exige and Honda S2000, and all of those cars have double wishbones to boot. The Cayman still has the transaxle hanging out the rear and still has to make do with McPherson struts all around

So in my humble opinion - if you want a sports car that still has rear seats, great visibility and doesn't have the engine up front, you can't do much better than the 911. If you want a midship, there are plenty of options besides the Cayman.

Para82

Had a 2014 Cayman PDK in my garage for 36 hours, couldn't wait to get it out of there. They are fantastic cars, just not for me.

Ynot

So I am not crazy, I said the same thing and everyone on the forum told me to take it in to check after it's already been checked. The new 981/991 feels more stiff and more stable. Cars gets better with time, it's just the way it is. Still love my 997 but I have to give props to the 981/991.

SpeedyD

No. The 997.2 is very stable and stiff in corners. 997.1 has a bit of front-end float but there was an update to the .2s that addressed this. Noticeable difference.

If steering (including in .1) is jiggly/has issues beyond this front-end floatiness, however, it really needs to be checked. 991 steering was a clear step backwards based on any reviewer you read/listen to. Not all cars "get better" with time, some are just required to adjust for EPA requirements. There is zero performance/driving feedback benefit to electric steering, simply a 1%-2% improvement in fuel economy because the electric motor only operates when you're turning.

The 991 will feel more "stable" much like a Ferrari 599 feels more "stable" than a 458 -- the 599 is a GT car. The 991 is more GT-oriented.

Other than the 991 GT3, I'd take an Audi R8 over any 991 ... given the direction Porsche went with the 991 it would be an easy decision. It was not the same when comparing the R8 to the 997(.2).

ejs1

Also need the rear seats. Two seaters are in practice very impractical. At least for me.

Really like the design of the new Cayman, though.

SpeedyD

Hah, just realized something... the description of steering being jiggly... just realized this is likely the difference between getting road feedback through the wheel vs. the more deadened electric steering.

I think Porsche has done the right business move, however. There is definitely a market for a slightly softer, more GT-ish car with the Porsche logo on it. Nothing at all wrong with that, but excellent given steering feedback is one of the key defining traits of the 911, the gap between it and other marques is certainly narrowing.

sleepy

Great write up. Honestly I would pick the GT4 over a similarly priced 991.

Is this your first time experiencing a dual clutch gearbox? If not, how does it compare to other ones?

caitov

I almost bought a new Cayman S w/PDK a little more than a year ago before deciding to go with my 997.2.
I really liked the Cayman and thought it was very agile, quick, and all the other superlatives normally used to describe it. But I kind of likened it to a ballerina compared to a linebacker. At the end of the day the 911 was just more for me. More visceral power and handling - plus IMO a much better appearance (and backseats are a plus).

But then again this is coming from a guy who tells people I probably enjoy driving my '88 Carrera more than the 997.2