Jooniper

Originally looking for 981 Cayman GTS but so hard to find. I see some Boxter GTS with all the options I want, fair price.
Which car you guys prefer ?
the KBB retail price shows Cayman is 5-7000$ more with all same specs.

SharkB8

Personally, I've chosen Boxsters. Then again, I live in Cali...lots of sun (sans this year) and epic top down drives. YMMV

Gdub

It's a matter of preference open air or more rigid coupe. If possible drive each that should solve your issue. I like the Boxster but if the Cayman came with a sunroof that would be my choice.

SoCal-NSX

there are only 16 GTS nationwide for sale right now on Autotrader
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...=CAYMANh%7CGTS

Stick with your Cayman search...could save a ton of money though and have much more inventory to choose from if you expand your search to include the Cayman S

I'm might be looking into the 981 Cayman myself soon but wouldn't even consider a Boxter, but that's just me.

vbb

I generally am always going to prefer a coupe to a convertible...but I've been enjoying a lot of top down driving in the Boxster I picked up in March. We don't have year round top down weather, but we do have a good 9-10 months of it.

If you live in a location where you can really benefit from top down driving, I'd definitely consider it if I were you.

manifold danger

This used to be me. I always viewed convertibles as non-performance alternatives, intended for cruising and not focused on the driving experience.

All the way up until I got a 718 Boxster S as a service loaner for my wife's Macan. It also happened to be 74 and sunny that day. It was like inception; the idea that I actually liked convertibles was planted in my head and stuck there until I finally traded my M4 for a 981 Boxster GTS.

That said, I actually test drove a 911 coupe today and could easily see myself getting one in the very near future (the one I drove had a sunroof that let in a very generous amount of sunshine on a nearly perfect 82 degree day). I was actually originally in the market for a Cayman GTS, but quickly opened my mind to a Boxster when I realized how hard they were to find. I also almost pivoted last second to get a Cayman before driving out to get the Boxster... but really, that was only to save me an 18 hour round trip to pick up the Boxster from halfway across the country. Porsche has nailed the driving dynamics with the Boxster so well that it is pretty much imperceptibly softer than the Cayman, unless driven back to back. Especially with the X73; in fact there literally may be no difference at all if you find that spec, I'll let others weigh in. There really is no reason to not consider the Boxster unless you've just fallen head over heels for the lines of the Cayman (which I do understand), or you are a track rat. The lines of the Boxster are also exceptional (especially with the top down), and the open air experience if you have decent weather at least a few months out of the year makes it actually the more appealing car.

Knowing what I know now, I love the Cayman but probably wouldn't consider it BECAUSE they aren't available with a sunroof. I just know I'd end up wishing I had the option on every nice day.

Voyager6

To me, it depends on what you are going to use the car for. A mix of street/track driving, you want a hard top for safety. For around town, a Boxster is nice. It may have less exhaust drone as the trunk is walled off from the main cabin, whereas the cabin is open and any reverberations in the trunk will be heard in the cabin on a Caymn. Worse with aftermarket exhaust and PDK.

V6

John Ferguson

Owned a Boxster, Cayman S, and Boxster GTS. Still own / love my Boxster GTS and have first allocation for a Spyder making my preference clear. Top down driving is simply more pleasurable, a richer experience ... more deeply immersed in smells and sounds. My opinion might be skewed as I have ridden motorcycles for nearly 50 years.

If you want a Cayman a Boxster won't scratch that itch. Patience.

garfunkle

I have to have a convertible. I love the boxster and own one. And a 911 Cab.

The cayman is a better car. Don't care

pashapaul

Agree, garfunkle. Either you like a convertible or you don't - Cayman and Boxster are two different species

Selo

I debated hard between a GT4 and a Spyder, but the GT4 was the closest I was ever going to get to a new GT3 with a 6MT. As muvh as I enjoyed it, I'm not a track rat, and I missed the rag top. Turned out the ragtop was more important than the GT pedigree, so a after delivery I sold it and bought a near new Spyder.
If you have a gut feeling that you might like a convertible, especially if this is a second car, you ought to listen to your heart. Chances are you'll never look back.

hf1

Back-roads are MUCH more fun with the top down. Never even crossed my mind that a coupe would be better for the job — and I have a 996 GT3 too.

garfunkle

Also - off track, nobody but Niki Lauda could tell a difference in rigidity between the 2 or any other performance metric. If they testify otherwise, they are lying.

Selo

Ahem, well..... I am far from Niki Lauda, may he rest in peace, but after replacing the GT4 with a Spyder, and thus driving them extensively back to back, they do feel different. I find the Spyder to be a little more neutral and a little more supple. When my wife first rode in the Spyder she was wowwed, and exclaimed "how does a Porsche drive nicer than a 7series?". Not so with the GT4.

garfunkle

The Gt4 has Gt3 suspension on the front. You can't compare the feel of the chassis with this variable. With a Box/Cayman and the same trim with the same options - no lay person can delineate.