Doug&Julie

I've never seen one either (glass partition).

As for the heat, technically the Boxster's soft top goes over the motor and almost into the trunk, and I'd never had any problems with the heat in either of mine. ..nor with the hard top on. There IS a cover that has a flap between the "trunk" and the "shelf" in the Cayman. That might help. Otherwise, I don't really think it'll be a big deal.

And I'd guess that the hatch should be quite squeek free. Consider that it's built in a strong frame, which itself is completely surrounded but metal structure. It's not like the old 944s that were all glass or even the 928 that had thinner "framework" aound the rear glass areas. Also, and as a further comparison with the New Beetle, the hatch design (and length) is similar to it, and we never had any squeeking problems with Julie's New Beetle hatch. It felt quite solid.

Further pontificating....since the Cayman actually does share a number of components with the Boxster, I would think the "bugs" have been pretty much worked out of this car already, and those who jump on the first runs of the cars should find themselves in a pretty reliable vehicle. Of course that's all theory...

Man, I'm dying to see one!

Bob Prosser

Don't know what to tell you. I just read about the glass partition between the cabin and storage area in the latest (Sept. '05) issue of Road & Track. Maybe you sat in a pre-production model? Maybe they decided they needed one after summer testing?

As for the squeaks and rattles, I just was thinking of a 993 Targa I used to drive.

Doug&Julie

Ah, good point. Did they EVER get that worked out?

designman

Doug, I was talking about the Boxster trunk itself which is separate from the cabin. In the Cayman, the trunk and cabin now appear to share the same airspace. A glass partition would seem to solve the problem if there is a problem. Anyway, just speculating and am wondering how they addressed engine venting in the new design, if it's different. Heck even the console glove box and engine cover get plenty toasty. And even though my AC blows plenty of cold air, you can feel the engine heat working against the AC.

Doug&Julie

I guess I never noticed that. I DO remember how warm the trunk area got, but never felt it in the cabin. Maybe that's why there's aluminum trim in the parcel shelf area of the Cayman? The Cayman's coverings DO look more substantial than the flimsy coverings the Boxsters have now...perhaps that was done to help with heat insulation? Surely Porsche thought of this?

Still dying to see one in person!!!

Giorgio_Pazuero

Surely the first few hundred new cars come with the flaws.. but I dont think the Caymen will have many, since it will be sharing engines with the Boxster - and im hearing they will retune the 3.4 996 engine and use it for the highest trim model Caymen.
I would say, depending on your budget, and portrayed image, it would be hard to answer this question. The 997s are gorgious cars (I drive my wife's nearly every week) but the Caymen look like they will an interesting treat - abit less gorgious, but more flamboyent and playful. So it depends on what you want, and what you want to spend. My wife's 997 cabriolet ended up at around 105 grand when we were done with options....and its a manual... So im sure you already know where you can get with Porsche options.

I'd say, always go with the purest...i.e the 911...
- but ofcourse i haven't been exposed to a caymen yet.

Boxsterund914

Cayman or 997? I am curious as to why anyone would actually prefer a rear engine sports car over a mid-engine sports car.

I think that Porsche has done everything it could to get away from the 911 design. It is also my opinion that Porsche's "fan base" or enthusiast base won't let them move on without significant financial sacrifice. Can you imagine any serious engineer or manufacturer taking a "clean sheet of paper" approach to a new performance car design and starting with the assumption that a rear engine design is the best choice? I hear the comments from those who say they need a rear seat, and that desire should of course be accomodated, but in the flagship product of a "performance car" manufacturer? It seems that in the design hierarchy of a sports car that "people packaging" would be farther down the list of priorities. After all city buses put the engine in the back due to having "people packaging" as the primary design consideration, this would hardly seem to be the basis for a sound approach to performance car design.

The 997 has a great performance "image" and is an interesting, if somewhat anachronistic compromise, but the Cayman promises to be a great all around performance car. The Cayman design uses the 911 as a pedigree but not a prison. Put the same powerplant in both and let the chips fall where they may.

You do, though, have to respect the ability of the engineers at Porsche to be able to so effectively overcome the inherent shortcomings of the rear engine design. Imagine what that training/discipline would allow them to do with a better design concept. I repeat, Put the same power in both cars and let the chips fall where they may. Who is threatened by this? and why?

Bob Prosser

Well put. It'll be interesting to see how this car evolves and how Porsche keeps the rear-engined 911 as top dog. Or ... is their master plan a slow segue to an all mid-engined product line ('cept the front-engined 4-door offerings -- present and future). Is the Cayman paving the way for an 8-cylinder, mid-engined Carrera? Or is a 911 symbolized by its rear-enginedness? Maybe the Cayman, standing in the shadow of its big brother, will be an overachiever.

Sean

One possibility is that Porsche puts the 3.8L engine in 2007 base Carreras. This would keep the performance margin vis-a-vis Cayman S at a comfortable distance.

There is precedent for such a move...the 2002 switch from 3.4L to 3.6L (after the Boxster S got a 3.2L in 2000).

It would be great if Porsche buyers could just choose their engine like they choose their paint color. Engine-to-sample, anyone? Please make mine a Cayman with dry sump GT3 powerplant.

Jim Michaels

I agree with Bob. Very well put, Boxsterund914. It seemed like Porsche was ready to end the rear engined line 20 years ago, but people just kept buying the weird things, so they kept building and selling them, somehow managing to reduce the rear engine deficit along the way. Air cooled and rear engined was a great idea at one time, but that time has passed. Air cooled was the first to go, and rear engine will eventually pass, but it may take another 20 years. My first Porsche was a 944; easy to learn to drive fast. When I first went to a 911, I had to learn how to drive all over again, and I'm still learning. My current 911 is my last because I'm too old to learn new tricks. I'm hoping the Cayman will at least make me look like a better driver.

Michael1

While I agree mid-engine is the better layout, I wouldn't be so quick to predict the demise of the rear engined 911. Many Porsche cars have come and gone, but the 911 remains. If history is any indication, I have more confidence the 911 will be around in 20 years, than the Boxster or Cayman. Remember the 914, 924, 944, 928,...all gone. These were all excellent designs in their own way, and yet, they are not with us today.

...just some food for thought.

Michael

Boxsterund914

All too true!

There are many who have major ego investments in the nine-eleben and will trash talk and downgrade anything else that comes down the "porsche pike". They will say, as they always have, that the "place name of interesting Porsche anything here" is not a "real" Porsche. Or they will call anything that is priced at less than a nine-eleben as an "entry-level" Porsche, thereby denegrating it as they elevate the old 911 design.

In some ways I feel sorry for the engineering department at Porsche. They have such huge talent but are strapped to an old design due to being "type casted". Friends, please don't let friends continue to drink the 911 koolaid It is a great car, a true performance icon! But get a grip! let's move on.

Bob Prosser

Hey, just an FYI ... a client of mine in Phoenix (Cragar) just called to say they saw the Cayman test mules running around north of Phoenix in the hills. Some more testnig in triple digit temps?

KBS911

Interesting comments regarding the impending demise of the venerable 911. The Cayman is definetly intriguing, however to put things in perspective the 911 is still one of the top performing sports cars in the world, regardless of the slam on it's engineering. That applys to international endurance racing as well. Then there is that familiar shape. To me there is nothing more understatedly elegant, yet purposefully agressive than the 911. A timeless and beautiful design that still remains a performance benchmark for the sports car world.

designman

We can talk all we want but Cayman will have to do the obvious--sell. I think it's more than just a new model. It's a work-in-progress research experiment. I believe it was deliberately set up to be measured carefully against the C2.

The favorable press at this point is incredible. I can imagine both sales extremes, good and bad. And if it does sell well it will be very interesting to see who buy it. I have to believe both Boxster and C2 sales will be affected. How much so with the latter will determine how far it goes unless it conquers from outside the Porsche loop.