Cayman S as a daily driver. Am I crazy?
03-24-2016, 11:24 PM
#46
First and foremost, I just want to acknowledge this is a lengthy post. It got much longer than intended. So if you stick it out and read everything: thank you! I hope you and others find it helpful.
I own a 2009 Cayman S that I use as a daily driver, and because it also happens to be my only car I don’t get much choice in the matter. (But I'm not complaining...
) I probably drive 30-40 miles on typical days, mostly on city streets but occasionally on interstates.My Cayman S has a PDK transmission. I don’t have PASM so I don’t get a “comfort mode” for my suspension, which I believe is slightly firmer by design than non-S Caymans. (Perhaps someone can verify this, if they know, or correct me if I’m wrong.) During the summertime I drive on 19” wheels equipped with lower profile summer sport tires, and during winter months I drive on 18” wheels with snow tires. My car has sport seats which have slightly larger bolsters than standard seats.
These are some of the items I can think to list which would affect how comfortable you would feel driving down the street in a Cayman.
Seats will probably have minimal impact on comfort, unless you have GT2 bucket seats or another bucket or race-type seat. I swapped my standard seats for sport seats, and I think both offer comfortable lumbar support and have equally cushy seating material behind your rear and back. Sport seats have bolsters that lightly hug your torso and the back of your shoulders, but that don’t wrap around your torso (or thighs) like a bucket seat.
Wheel size and tire type have moderate impact on comfort. Using smaller diameter rims with “thicker“ tires that have larger side-walls will provide a more comfy ride that feels less harsh/firm, as there is more air inside the tires to help cushion the car and help absorb bumps or unevenness on road surfaces.
Switching from my “thick” winter wheel setup to my summertime, larger rim, lower profile performance tire setup, I generally seem to feel more of the “bump” get transferred to me inside the car when I drive over uneven road surfaces. I also seem to hear more road noise, especially at highway and interstate speeds with my summer tires. But I presume that’s common for most performance tires. They’re supposed to provide high grip, not low noise right?
Speaking of road noise: that is one nit-pick I have about the Cayman. I wish Porsche would have included more sound dampening material, or something, to limit the road noise in the cabin. I occasionally feel the need to turn the radio volume **** a few clicks louder to hear songs as clearly as I would prefer. It’s not so bad you cannot have a conversation in the car, but don’t expect luxury sedan levels of ultra-quietness.
The ride of the Cayman S with standard suspension and no PASM is firm. You’re going to feel bumps in the road, and I don’t think a word other than firm would appropriately describe the ride. But I think it’s inappropriate to call the ride harsh or unforgiving. The ride has a kind of “pliable,” forgiving nature/feeling over larger bumps that is admittedly a little hard to describe in words.
It’s possible that driving over rough roads may give you pause, and may make you want to reconsider the route you use on your daily commute. Particularly if a normal daily commute consists of driving over things like poorly filled (or unfilled) potholes, train or light rail tracks that aren’t even with the road surface, or oddly shaped speed bumps. If you encounter these, just slow down. It’s not a big deal. The Cayman will take advantage of opportunities like those to remind you its ride is not luxury sedan smooth. But it does so in a fun sort of way that (in my mind) reminds you it’s a sport car capable of much more than a luxury sedan.
As far as the PDK goes, it makes the task of operating the vehicle and driving in traffic simple. It shifts for me and does so smoothly, without me having to worry about operating a clutch pedal.
On final thought is this. While the Cayman probably won’t draw a crowd like the Lamborghini Egoista, it does have the ability to turns heads. A few weeks back I had someone drive up to me in a MINI, in a parking lot, roll down his window and declare, “That is a beautiful car!” I have had passengers in other cars stick cell phones out their windows to photograph my car while sitting in traffic and occasionally driving down the street alongside me. So be aware the Cayman can draw occasional attention.
Ultimately, I would suggest driving several differently optioned Caymans if possible. Try S and non-S variants, Caymans with or without PASM, and even drive down a road that isn’t perfect during the test drive. With a little luck, I’m sure you’ll find one that’s just right. Good luck!
Last edited by SubtleChaos; 03-24-2016 at 11:41 PM. Reason: added links to pictures for illustration purposes
03-26-2016, 02:18 AM
#47
Track Day
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First and foremost, I just want to acknowledge this is a lengthy post. It got much longer than intended. So if you stick it out and read everything: thank you! I hope you and others find it helpful.
I own a 2009 Cayman S that I use as a daily driver, and because it also happens to be my only car I don’t get much choice in the matter. (But I'm not complaining...) I probably drive 30-40 miles on typical days, mostly on city streets but occasionally on interstates.
My Cayman S has a PDK transmission. I don’t have PASM so I don’t get a “comfort mode” for my suspension, which I believe is slightly firmer by design than non-S Caymans. (Perhaps someone can verify this, if they know, or correct me if I’m wrong.) During the summertime I drive on 19” wheels equipped with lower profile summer sport tires, and during winter months I drive on 18” wheels with snow tires. My car has sport seats which have slightly larger bolsters than standard seats.
These are some of the items I can think to list which would affect how comfortable you would feel driving down the street in a Cayman.
Seats will probably have minimal impact on comfort, unless you have GT2 bucket seats or another bucket or race-type seat. I swapped my standard seats for sport seats, and I think both offer comfortable lumbar support and have equally cushy seating material behind your rear and back. Sport seats have bolsters that lightly hug your torso and the back of your shoulders, but that don’t wrap around your torso (or thighs) like a bucket seat.
Wheel size and tire type have moderate impact on comfort. Using smaller diameter rims with “thicker“ tires that have larger side-walls will provide a more comfy ride that feels less harsh/firm, as there is more air inside the tires to help cushion the car and help absorb bumps or unevenness on road surfaces.
Switching from my “thick” winter wheel setup to my summertime, larger rim, lower profile performance tire setup, I generally seem to feel more of the “bump” get transferred to me inside the car when I drive over uneven road surfaces. I also seem to hear more road noise, especially at highway and interstate speeds with my summer tires. But I presume that’s common for most performance tires. They’re supposed to provide high grip, not low noise right?
Speaking of road noise: that is one nit-pick I have about the Cayman. I wish Porsche would have included more sound dampening material, or something, to limit the road noise in the cabin. I occasionally feel the need to turn the radio volume **** a few clicks louder to hear songs as clearly as I would prefer. It’s not so bad you cannot have a conversation in the car, but don’t expect luxury sedan levels of ultra-quietness.
The ride of the Cayman S with standard suspension and no PASM is firm. You’re going to feel bumps in the road, and I don’t think a word other than firm would appropriately describe the ride. But I think it’s inappropriate to call the ride harsh or unforgiving. The ride has a kind of “pliable,” forgiving nature/feeling over larger bumps that is admittedly a little hard to describe in words.
It’s possible that driving over rough roads may give you pause, and may make you want to reconsider the route you use on your daily commute. Particularly if a normal daily commute consists of driving over things like poorly filled (or unfilled) potholes, train or light rail tracks that aren’t even with the road surface, or oddly shaped speed bumps. If you encounter these, just slow down. It’s not a big deal. The Cayman will take advantage of opportunities like those to remind you its ride is not luxury sedan smooth. But it does so in a fun sort of way that (in my mind) reminds you it’s a sport car capable of much more than a luxury sedan.
As far as the PDK goes, it makes the task of operating the vehicle and driving in traffic simple. It shifts for me and does so smoothly, without me having to worry about operating a clutch pedal.
On final thought is this. While the Cayman probably won’t draw a crowd like the Lamborghini Egoista, it does have the ability to turns heads. A few weeks back I had someone drive up to me in a MINI, in a parking lot, roll down his window and declare, “That is a beautiful car!” I have had passengers in other cars stick cell phones out their windows to photograph my car while sitting in traffic and occasionally driving down the street alongside me. So be aware the Cayman can draw occasional attention.
Ultimately, I would suggest driving several differently optioned Caymans if possible. Try S and non-S variants, Caymans with or without PASM, and even drive down a road that isn’t perfect during the test drive. With a little luck, I’m sure you’ll find one that’s just right. Good luck!
I own a 2009 Cayman S that I use as a daily driver, and because it also happens to be my only car I don’t get much choice in the matter. (But I'm not complaining...
) I probably drive 30-40 miles on typical days, mostly on city streets but occasionally on interstates.My Cayman S has a PDK transmission. I don’t have PASM so I don’t get a “comfort mode” for my suspension, which I believe is slightly firmer by design than non-S Caymans. (Perhaps someone can verify this, if they know, or correct me if I’m wrong.) During the summertime I drive on 19” wheels equipped with lower profile summer sport tires, and during winter months I drive on 18” wheels with snow tires. My car has sport seats which have slightly larger bolsters than standard seats.
These are some of the items I can think to list which would affect how comfortable you would feel driving down the street in a Cayman.
Seats will probably have minimal impact on comfort, unless you have GT2 bucket seats or another bucket or race-type seat. I swapped my standard seats for sport seats, and I think both offer comfortable lumbar support and have equally cushy seating material behind your rear and back. Sport seats have bolsters that lightly hug your torso and the back of your shoulders, but that don’t wrap around your torso (or thighs) like a bucket seat.
Wheel size and tire type have moderate impact on comfort. Using smaller diameter rims with “thicker“ tires that have larger side-walls will provide a more comfy ride that feels less harsh/firm, as there is more air inside the tires to help cushion the car and help absorb bumps or unevenness on road surfaces.
Switching from my “thick” winter wheel setup to my summertime, larger rim, lower profile performance tire setup, I generally seem to feel more of the “bump” get transferred to me inside the car when I drive over uneven road surfaces. I also seem to hear more road noise, especially at highway and interstate speeds with my summer tires. But I presume that’s common for most performance tires. They’re supposed to provide high grip, not low noise right?
Speaking of road noise: that is one nit-pick I have about the Cayman. I wish Porsche would have included more sound dampening material, or something, to limit the road noise in the cabin. I occasionally feel the need to turn the radio volume **** a few clicks louder to hear songs as clearly as I would prefer. It’s not so bad you cannot have a conversation in the car, but don’t expect luxury sedan levels of ultra-quietness.
The ride of the Cayman S with standard suspension and no PASM is firm. You’re going to feel bumps in the road, and I don’t think a word other than firm would appropriately describe the ride. But I think it’s inappropriate to call the ride harsh or unforgiving. The ride has a kind of “pliable,” forgiving nature/feeling over larger bumps that is admittedly a little hard to describe in words.
It’s possible that driving over rough roads may give you pause, and may make you want to reconsider the route you use on your daily commute. Particularly if a normal daily commute consists of driving over things like poorly filled (or unfilled) potholes, train or light rail tracks that aren’t even with the road surface, or oddly shaped speed bumps. If you encounter these, just slow down. It’s not a big deal. The Cayman will take advantage of opportunities like those to remind you its ride is not luxury sedan smooth. But it does so in a fun sort of way that (in my mind) reminds you it’s a sport car capable of much more than a luxury sedan.
As far as the PDK goes, it makes the task of operating the vehicle and driving in traffic simple. It shifts for me and does so smoothly, without me having to worry about operating a clutch pedal.
On final thought is this. While the Cayman probably won’t draw a crowd like the Lamborghini Egoista, it does have the ability to turns heads. A few weeks back I had someone drive up to me in a MINI, in a parking lot, roll down his window and declare, “That is a beautiful car!” I have had passengers in other cars stick cell phones out their windows to photograph my car while sitting in traffic and occasionally driving down the street alongside me. So be aware the Cayman can draw occasional attention.
Ultimately, I would suggest driving several differently optioned Caymans if possible. Try S and non-S variants, Caymans with or without PASM, and even drive down a road that isn’t perfect during the test drive. With a little luck, I’m sure you’ll find one that’s just right. Good luck!
Cheers,
Geoff.
04-03-2016, 10:21 AM
#48
2nd Gear
Join Date: Mar 2016
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as good as it gets
Great post.I have enjoyed a very similar experience, am proud second owner for 3 years of gently used 2009 cayman s with pdk and sports chrono and navi .
I log about 4 hrs a week for work and look forward to 3 or 4 extended road trips a year .There is room for two soft golf bags and golf shoes under hatchback and all the luggage we need in the front
however I have always been wondering about articles i have read saying that the engine in the cayman s was purposely restricted by Porsche so as not to outperform the 911.
After studying about possible upgrades for the last year,i decided to have local performance shop here in komoka Ontario install larger plenum ,83 mm throttle body ,enlarged air intake and filter .
The most performance gains however were shown with the softwear upgrade and the expert tuning by the local RSP Motorsport.They were able to increase horsepower from 318 to 335 and torque from 275 to 295 ft lbs in the 4500 to 7000 rpm range as measuered with the dyno . I can feel the added zip and to me it was worthwhile .
Next I hope to embellish exhaust note and increase horsepower by another 10 with an exhaust modification.The shop says that the 987.2 is already so well engineered that it is hard to improve but even tho i do not track my car i have found these upgrades fun to read about and to do .
I hope to pass this car along to one of my sons in ten or twenty years,maybe all cars will be electric by then..
I log about 4 hrs a week for work and look forward to 3 or 4 extended road trips a year .There is room for two soft golf bags and golf shoes under hatchback and all the luggage we need in the front
however I have always been wondering about articles i have read saying that the engine in the cayman s was purposely restricted by Porsche so as not to outperform the 911.
After studying about possible upgrades for the last year,i decided to have local performance shop here in komoka Ontario install larger plenum ,83 mm throttle body ,enlarged air intake and filter .
The most performance gains however were shown with the softwear upgrade and the expert tuning by the local RSP Motorsport.They were able to increase horsepower from 318 to 335 and torque from 275 to 295 ft lbs in the 4500 to 7000 rpm range as measuered with the dyno . I can feel the added zip and to me it was worthwhile .
Next I hope to embellish exhaust note and increase horsepower by another 10 with an exhaust modification.The shop says that the 987.2 is already so well engineered that it is hard to improve but even tho i do not track my car i have found these upgrades fun to read about and to do .
I hope to pass this car along to one of my sons in ten or twenty years,maybe all cars will be electric by then..
04-08-2016, 07:18 AM
#49
Intermediate
Hello everybody!
I've got quite similar question, but with a little twist - how about daily driving Boxster 981? Anybody got experience driving in winter with the rag top? I've got a few Porsche's and I know even the most hardcore versions are really driver friendly, but I've never experienced living with the soft top version.
Any problems with snow and the soft top? Maintenance of the cloth suffering from road salt?
Thank you!
I've got quite similar question, but with a little twist - how about daily driving Boxster 981? Anybody got experience driving in winter with the rag top? I've got a few Porsche's and I know even the most hardcore versions are really driver friendly, but I've never experienced living with the soft top version.
Any problems with snow and the soft top? Maintenance of the cloth suffering from road salt?
Thank you!
04-11-2016, 10:16 AM
#51
2nd Gear
Join Date: Mar 2016
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I bought my 2009 cayman s from a dealership in Chicago over the phone after looking online for 6 months .It was fun to fly down one way and drive car home to ontario over 6 hours . I bought a second hand set of snow tires on nice 18 inch rims . I drive it every day except if there is a bizzard I can take train to work. I bought my car when Canadian dollar was worth 2% more .Now that US dollar is up 30% I imagine we will get americans coming up and buying a second hand Porsche in Ontario and driving it home. Getting thru border regulations is pretty easy . I imagine it would even be worthwhile to drive up here to do a performance upgrade like I did last month. I hope to add another 10 hp with performance exhaust to my car at local Killworth performance shop this fall and then my daily driver will be complete
11-11-2016, 09:21 AM
#52
Thanks guys for you input in this thread.
I am looking to buy my first porsche.After buying my current car 14 550i my work moved me to a different city and now every week I have to make 250 miles back and forth. The BMW is a great car for road trips but I don't have a parking there and I don't want to put so many miles on the car.In addition to that the drivers in that city drives like maniacs and I am a little OCD.
I am looking for a cheap car and will use it as a DD and make the BMW as weekend car. Since I live in middle east the temperature here is too high in the summer ( we average 100 degree in summer). The smart choice was a Toyota but I can't stand them and for the price of GT86 I can get a CPO Cayman S.
I want to know how much does the maintenance approximately cost every year ( I am averaging 750 miles/week) and are the caymans reliable in hot weather (Texas weather)?
I am looking to buy my first porsche.After buying my current car 14 550i my work moved me to a different city and now every week I have to make 250 miles back and forth. The BMW is a great car for road trips but I don't have a parking there and I don't want to put so many miles on the car.In addition to that the drivers in that city drives like maniacs and I am a little OCD.
I am looking for a cheap car and will use it as a DD and make the BMW as weekend car. Since I live in middle east the temperature here is too high in the summer ( we average 100 degree in summer). The smart choice was a Toyota but I can't stand them and for the price of GT86 I can get a CPO Cayman S.
I want to know how much does the maintenance approximately cost every year ( I am averaging 750 miles/week) and are the caymans reliable in hot weather (Texas weather)?
11-14-2016, 10:27 AM
#53
Instructor
My wife has daily driven her '14 CS for the last 3 years (~50K miles) here in North Texas and it has been flawless. She also tracked it 12 weekends over that period and we haven't had any work needed other than brakes and tires. Rock solid daily driver even in 100+ weather, just have something else available to fill in if you get any snow or ice.
11-30-2016, 04:01 PM
#55
My wife has daily driven her '14 CS for the last 3 years (~50K miles) here in North Texas and it has been flawless. She also tracked it 12 weekends over that period and we haven't had any work needed other than brakes and tires. Rock solid daily driver even in 100+ weather, just have something else available to fill in if you get any snow or ice.
If you're really going to drive 750 miles/week, it will get expensive to maintain since you'll need to do 3 services a year (10k mile intervals)
12-01-2016, 12:07 PM
#57
Race Director
Hello everybody!
I've got quite similar question, but with a little twist - how about daily driving Boxster 981? Anybody got experience driving in winter with the rag top? I've got a few Porsche's and I know even the most hardcore versions are really driver friendly, but I've never experienced living with the soft top version.
Any problems with snow and the soft top? Maintenance of the cloth suffering from road salt?
Thank you!
I've got quite similar question, but with a little twist - how about daily driving Boxster 981? Anybody got experience driving in winter with the rag top? I've got a few Porsche's and I know even the most hardcore versions are really driver friendly, but I've never experienced living with the soft top version.
Any problems with snow and the soft top? Maintenance of the cloth suffering from road salt?
Thank you!
No real problems with the soft top and the plastic window (and no rear window defroster).
The biggest problem I had was under some conditions the side windows would freeze up and fail to drop when I opened the door. This was not a real big problem until I went to close the door the top edge of the window would hit the aluminum rail of the top.
What I learned to do was to with the door open gently push down and wiggle the side glass while pushing the lower button to break the glass from from the ice along the window/door seal. Once the window would go down with the button then it would drop whenever the door was opened.
If the top had a lot of snow/ice on it and I was unable to drive the car long enough for this to melt and the top to dry when I parked the car if I left it parked long enough the heat could have water run down the side windows and refreeze.
But most of the time I drove the car long enough -- and aimed the dash vents to direct hot air up and back towards the top and rear window -- and in practically no time the top, rear window was entirely snow/ice free.
As with my other cars just in case in the Boxster I carried a long heavy duty tow strap with heavy enough u-bolts to allow me to connect the strap to the front or rear toe eye so the car could be pulled out of a ditch. Never had to use the strap.
I added about 80lbs of sand (in heavy plastic/canvas bags) in both the front and rear trunks.
At the local gas station (all gas stations really) a pallet of windshield washer fluid would be set outside and left outside year round. After a cold spell of freezing temperatures I'd pick up a couple of gallons of the stuff but pick the jugs with no ice/slush in them.
When driving down the road be sure to give yourself plenty of room between your car and the vehicles ahead of you. Obviously there is the issue of stopping in time should you need to. But there is alway to give yourself time to avoid the occasional sheet of ice that comes wafting off the roof of the car or truck ahead of your Boxster. You don't want this to hit your car if you can avoid it.
Whenever the temperature was not bitterly cold I would visit a DIY car wash with heated water and use the rinse setting to rinse the top and glass and body and wheel wells, brakes, wheels and radiator ducts. The heated water would rinse away the salt and melt the accumulated snow/ice. (See pic.)
Be very careful when leaving the car wash as the water dripping from other vehicles probably has the car wash lot/drive way nothing but ice.
After you rinse the car be sure you drive it enough and use the brakes enough to thorougly dry them. If you don't, and if you park the car, the brakes can rust up something fierce.
When the weather gets nice and the snow and ice are over with for the winter then at home give the car a through washing and rinsing using the garden hose to aim water at the underneath of the car, the bottom of the engine, the exhaust system, hangers, heat sheilds, suspension, drivetrain, etc. Just thoroughly rinse the car car.
12-01-2016, 03:56 PM
#58
01-09-2018, 01:00 PM
#60
Just get a radar detector