Dr.Bill

My CPO'd Cayman GTS will be listed for sale as soon as I get some photos.

I have tried other cars over the years - Mercedes, Audi, McLaren, etc. Still keep coming back to Porsche. But I like sports cars and handling. Not old enough to need more than two doors & two seats yet. The most recent non-GT 911 I would consider is the 997 GTS. For me, the 991 (in non-GT3 variants) is too much like a luxury sedan.

randr

^^^largely agree with this - I would not go for a 991.1 - The 981 S/GTS is a better vehicle in terms of handling and feel. (The 991.2 is a totally different beast tho - but out of the OPs budget).

I'm also not a fan of the C63AMG - it has no finesse, feels heavy - more of a muscle car TBH.

I'm with you, if you like to drive cars, and you want to use them you nearly always end up in a Porsche.

As an afterthought there might be some sharp pricing on the AMG GT........

Patriot

For what it's worth, I went from 6 years in my 987.2 Cayman as my daily driver (102k miles) to a 2015 991.1 with 3k miles, and have never looked back. I did pass the Cayman on to my son, so it's still in the family. I wanted a 911, and I found one like new, with $30k discount off MSRP.

Zeus993

I agree with you John on this one BUT with some qualifiers.

1. The R8 - V8 is an exceptional mid-engine car for the money. And after that and the Cayman, what's left to look at in the mid-engine platform but Lambo's, Ferrari's and McLaren's, all with HUGE upticks in price and...

2. A 987.2 Spyder (possibly a 981 GTS) performs better speed wise than the V8 and...

3. The R8 V8 is a heavy AWD car, very simliar to a TT, drives no where close to the mid-engined 981. The R8 I drove had the gated MT and the car very VERY planted, as does the TT, but lacked the nimbleness of the 981. (did I say it's a bit of a "pig" or did I just think that... ).

Marine Blue

There in lies the problem with Porsche. Once you have been exposed to them it becomes very difficult to justify buying anything else. Like most car enthusiasts I find myself looking at other cars after a few years of ownership, usually at the 2.5 - 3 year mark I start looking at other cars. The fact that I'm now at 6.5 years in the Spyder speaks volumes about the car. I haven't found anything that I would want to replace it with. Even my wife puts up a fight when I talk about selling it, she loves it too.

I am a big fan of Mercedes products, I have always admired their build quality and how planted they feel at speed. Considering their heft I think they also handle well, not great but good. I have owned a few so I speak from experience when I say they just aren't a Porsche. I haven't owned BMW yet primarily because I haven't been wowed by any of their offerings. There's always something missing in the overall package that prevents me from pulling the trigger.

My point is that you should try all of the cars you're considering and then pull the trigger on the one that makes the most sense.

Zeus993

And, to support your case, I'm back looking at Spyders...

Marine Blue

That didn't take long! 981 or 987?

Zeus993

Not exactly sure Afshin, but for the money and the steering feel, and maybe a few mods thrown in, you just can't beat the Gen 1. Would love to drive a 996 / 997.1 / 997.3 GT3 for bit too.

JCtx

I considered all the cars you mentioned (plus some others), and ended up with a fully-optioned 2016 Cayman GTS PDK (new), and couldn't be happier. And it's not like I'm a Porsche guy and therefore biased. This is my first (and probably last) Porsche, so hardly a fan overall. But I'm a fan of this car. It finally had the right ingredients in GTS trim to lure me in, and most bugs worked out on the 2016 model. Unlike you, I dislike both turbo and S/C sports cars. Good luck.

baege

thx...curious what dont you like about s/c cars?
..

JCtx

I don't like any form of forced induction on my sports cars. Much prefer the linearity of a normally aspirated engine, even if less powerful. But between the 2, I dislike S/C more due to the annoying whine, especially at heavy loads. But they have better sound, due to no turbo muffling. MUCH rather have neither.

baege

funny I was also thinking lately how I am not a big fan of supercharger whine....but I also find there is a whine in 981s upon deceleration that is also somewhat grating....Ill admit I might be a little picky...

Noah Fect

Man, that's crazy talk. Unlike a turbo, a supercharger really is a "replacement for displacement." That whining sound is what AWESOME sounds like.

white924s

I feel like most Porsches have a bit of a whine off throttle (but it goes away if you open up the throttle). I haven't driven a ton of supercharged cars, but I generally prefer the sound of a Porsche engine to some supercharged alternatives. Perhaps the exception in my mind is the F-Type - and there the exhaust is so loud that it covers up the supercharger sound (with great V-8 music and crazy burbles and pops)

JCtx

The whine from our flat 6s is awesome, but very different from a S/C, especially under heavy throttle. I much rather hear the mechanical music from the engine than screechy S/C whine. When I went with my daughter to Bondurant recently, the Hellcats were deafeningly loud if you were in front of them. And not the pleasant variety. Sounded like you were scratching a chalk board with your nails, amplified 100 times. The exhaust was nice, but no way I'd ever buy such engine.