lajoiedp

Has anyone purchased a base Cayman only to regret they didn't purchase an S???

Zeus993

Hey - Joel Parker here. After much debate back and forth between the S and the base, I gave up the opportunity to pick up a Guards Red Cayman S MT, for a base Agate Gray Cayman PDK. I've owned it now just over a month and a half. The debate I had was probably what you're going through - the prestige, the extra power, the 20 inch wheels etc... but in the end what I really made my choice on was just HOW MUCH DARN FUN the base was without ending up in jail! The engine is a snotty little 2.7, short-stroke, ripper that loves it up in the 4500 - 6000 range. The other thing that sealed it for me was some of the expert drivers on the forums that tracked the base against the likes of Gt3's etc yet could take them in the corners. To best describe the base, I quote the singer Maria Muldar famous 80's hit, "It ain't the meat, it's the motion".

So far, no regrets (other than I can't take the top off like I could with the Spyder but that's another story)...

niche

Glad to hear about your experience, Zeus. I may be buying a 14 base pdk croc in agate next month!

Zeus993

Nice! What's the interior?

Mark Dreyer

This boils down mostly to driver skill, although as a long time mid engine guy, I agree that your platform lends itself to riding the tail of GT3's through turns. :-)

clutchplate

Owned a 13 base and now a 15 S so I've had both. Thought the base was more fun but it was because it was a manual with PSE and 19" wheels. Having more power in the S doesn't make it less fun, I prefer it but with desirable options the base can provide plenty of thrills.

MMMMalex

I think it depends on what car you're coming from, how power hungry you are and what you're looking for in the vehicle. I have a 987.2 Base. For me, coming from a 4 cyl Nissan Altima, the hp of a Base Cayman was plenty for me. If I was coming from a car with a greater amount of power, I may have been more keen on getting an S.

On the other hand, I'm not a very power hungry individual. I'm a big fan of light(er) platforms that have nice suspension setups with at least a decent amount of power. For me, the Base Cayman has all of those characteristics so I am pretty satisfied with mine

JSF101

had a 2010 Cayman w/PDK
absolutely loved the car
traded it in after putting 130,000 miles on it
regret letting it go, have been looking for another one as a second car
gas mileage was 30+ on highway but still great driving fun on track/autocross

lajoiedp

Thanks everyone for the comments/feedback. I'm going to test drive a 2014 base and S on Saturday. My gut tells me I'll be more than satisfied with the performance of the base (and save myself $8-10k in the process). I'm not planning on taking the car to the track. I'm looking for good acceleration, decent power and great handling. Something fun to drive as a daily driver.

niche

Black standard leather.

Lajo, good luck with test drives!

white rock

I just had a base 718 for a week, and that car has very respectable power. I would truly pic that one of the S for the price.

brownan

Base engines sometimes more charismatic than the bigger ones. Race car is a 2.9L and I love it. You can use more of the motor more of the time.

tlippold

When I was shopping for my 987.1 Boxster I test drove both base and S models. I ended up with the S for a few reasons.

1) I found the base to be a bit under powered
2) I preferred the 6 speed gearbox in the S
3) I preferred the larger OEM wheels ordered on most S models

Phil G.

I drove a base 981 Boxster prior to purchasing my S. It really had substantial punch and convinced me to buy a new Boxster. But since I figured I'd be keeping my car for a while, it was important for me to order the car exactly as I wanted it. So "S" it was in GT Silver with 6MT, full leather, PASM, PSE, 20"s etc. Car is wonderful - no regrets!

Suicide Jockey

Joel, I've been away and must have missed this post. Congrats on the Cayman! Love the color combo. If you've posted pics, I missed them so post them again

That's what I kept telling my ex!