Str8 6

Hi folks

Are the revised 2009 Cayman S's any quieter than the earlier models? I have some hearing damage (tinnitus and hypersensitivity) and recently tested an '09 Cayman (not the S model) just to get a feel for the car.

I loved the chassis but the intake roar through the midrange under acceleration was too much for me. I'm not interested in wearing earplugs, so unless the 2009+ S is quieter than the non-S I will have to look at the apparently quieter 981. Don't get me wrong, I love the sound (I'm a sound mixer as well as an car enthusiast) but there is just too much of it for me.

Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks very much.

Macster

Intake noise is where its at, as Porsche can't up the loudness of the exhaust without running afoul of the noise laws in various markets.

So, unfortunately for you Porsche purposely arranges for some intake noise to make it to the cabin to improve the driver's experience.

BTW, I too have partial loss of hearing, tinnitus and hypersensitivity to some noises (TV/loud stereo noises are very irritating) and yet I do not find the engine intake noise of my (admittedly older 2002 Boxster or 2003 Turbo) to be a bother at all. Tire noise can be a bit of nuisance, especially in the Turbo, but not enough to put me off my cars.

You might want to test drive a similar optioned Boxster. My Boxster is a quieter car -- primarily in the road noise department but wind noise too (I never ride with the top down though) -- than my Turbo. If you could live with a Boxster instead of a Cayman you might find the Boxster's lower noise levels tolerable, more to your liking.

Str8 6

Thanx, Macster

Yes, I've wondered if the Boxster might actually be quieter than the Cayman, at least in this area of NVH.

With the Cayman, it's the intake resonance in the midrange that is too loud. As the engine revs out into the upper ranges it this specific noise seems to get quieter to my ears. The effect is similar to an exhaust drone but it definitely seems to be the intake resonance. I believe I've read that this noise has been purposely attenuated in the 981.

I had an MR2 many years ago that was also too loud for me. Thankfully, it was bought used at a low price and I was able to unload it at not too great of a loss. I read that Toyota was aware of the problem from the get go but it would have been prohibitively expensive to make structural changes to the car in order to quiet it down.

Thanks again

Spokayman

I have an '06 Cayman S and I can attest that it is mechanically "louder" than a 987 Boxster. What I hear in the Cayman is quite a bit of mechanical noise that I am guessing is primarily cam, cam chain, and related interior shafts, chains, etc.
I do hear some intake noise but it seems like a secondary noise compared to the mechanical noise.
I test drove a base 987.2 Boxster a few weeks ago and I didn't notice the mechanical noise at all.
There is something about the enclosed cab of a cayman, with the engine churning away about 12" from your right elbow, that yields a noise and vibration you can't escape.

scayden

The 987.2 cars, including the CS, are quieter than 987.1 cars. DFI and the lack of at least one timing chain may account for this. I recently test drove an 09 CS and found it to be way to quiet, or should I say refined, when compared to my 08 Cayman. It was a deal killer for me. While quicker than my car, it just didn't sound right to me (inside the cabin) and all the mechanical sounds my car generates is a big reason why I like driving it so much. Sort of just the opposite of the OP.

Str8 6

scayden,

Thanks for your input - I do appreciate it. Just to clarify - my objection isn't that I'm hearing noises I don't like, rather it is that they are simply too loud for my "tired" ears. The threshold of what is painful to me is much lower than someone with undamaged ears.

I love my 128i's combination of BMW straight six mechanical noises, the Getrag cogs and shafts turning, and the beautifully sonorous snarl of the exhaust - all at dB levels that don't hurt my ears.

I'd love to have the flat six equivalent of that, at similar volume levels.

I read in some Porsche release literature that the VarioRAM system was re-engineered in the DI engines with a goal being to attenuate the intake resonance - hence my thought that the DI engined Caymans might be a little quieter than the earlier models.

The car seemed loudest to me during the trip through the midrange; below 2k and above 4.5k rpm (approx) it was fine to my ears.