BiggerTwin

I agree with you and think Porsche made a mistake in this regard but I can understand their misguided desire to "protect" their icon car. I would have rather seen them put the Carrera S motor in the Cayman and let the cars both be all they can be. After driving all the new Carreras except the C4S, and the Aston Martin DB9 and a Ferrari 550 Maranello, I actually preferred the total package in the Boxster S but wanted a coupe. If Porsche charged Carrera prices for the Cayman S with a Carrera engine I would have bought it. Only time, and consumer demand, will tell if Porsche's decision to limit the Cayman's power was a wise move or not. While it will cost a little more than if the factory did it, RUF will have an engine swap available for the Cayman S.

BiggerTwin

The more I think about it the less sense it makes. GM puts the Corvette engine in the GTO and while a few Corvette owners complain, how many people buy a GTO instead of a Corvette because it has the same motor for less money? If a 911 owner or potential 911 owner prefers the Cayman S, I don't think a few tenths of a second on a 0-60 test will sway their purchasing decision. Likewise, if some potential owner wants a 911 will they get a Cayman instead because it is a few bucks cheaper or few seconds faster around Nürburgring? I think Porsche is leaving money on the table by artificially restricting the performance and price of the Cayman. I don’t think they are losing any sales since there really is no substitute.

For those looking for status and exclusivity instead of pure driving pleasure the Aston Martin V8 Vantage is a very compelling alternative. While I don’t know other people’s financial condition, the enthusiasts who post on the Porsche boards seem to have enough money that a $10,000 or $20,000 difference in price between the cars won’t be the deciding factor in a purchase decision. If the Aston had a little more steering feel and that elusive X-Factor I might have cut back a bit on my daily driver to buy it. As it is, I preferred driving the Porsches even if the Aston might make better garage art and a better chick magnet to those of us who are single. With Aston Martin challenging in the image department, I think Porsche would be wise to focus on the enthusiast drivers and offer the best they have whether it be rear engine with jump seats or mid engine without.

caf

The problem is that by refusing to compete with it's own car (the 911), Porsche makes the Cayman less effective against every other manufacturer's car as well.

I think that's a bad move. I love the Cayman styling and mid-engine concept. I would pay a Carrera price to get the car I want--a Cayman with the 3.8 liter engine.

JJayB

Or a GT3 motor
I've heard that the modularmotors are about 10k and there isn't a lot of cost difference between a 3.4 and 3.8.

jumper5836

Still not good enough to beat the new Audi RS4, which did it in 1.25.something
A full second faster then the Cayman

Also the website says 126.2 but on the show it has it as 1.26.7

yetis

RS4 Baby! Was on fence, but this little show put me over.

996FLT6

5 second difference in a short track is like Carrera S would be 45-50 car lengths away. Also compared to plain jane vanilla '99 996 3.4 lump why the cayman s is heavier?Regards. Mike

996FLT6

Delete my post I musta drank too much yesterday. Regards. Mike

alex911s

Well if you see the episode when they compared the M6,AMV8 and the carrera S, killed both of them by 6 seconds and 84mph ave speed on wet. So I doubt that the M5 would be faster than the cayman especially on the track. btw thanks for the links

ked

This debate occurs in some form or another whenever Porsche brings out a new model. I recall the '65 911 being panned because it exhibited less dynamic handling (than the 356) & the 2.0 motor was "flat" compared to the 1600cc SC.

Did anyone expect Porsche to introduce the CayS w/ a drivetrain that overpowered the chassis?
I've observed that almost all new cars w/ very high perf. produce nearly equivilant perf metrics (0-60 or -100, top speed, Gs, slalom speed, lap times, braking), or can be tuned to produce any target #s you want (just insert $s). A glance at the posted laptimes confirms - they're spread over 3%. To me, unless you are racing (or racing for bragging rights), it is quibbling (maybe I'm just getting old?), & even then, racing ain't what it used to be because of the business's demand for balanced competition.

Anyway, the distinctions among cars for the cogniscenti has moved beyond metrics. To rephrase biggertwin's cogent points...
"I find handling, feel and "character" more important than going from 0-60 in 4 seconds. I was just judging the cars on how they felt on some twisty back roads. Porsches feel good at all speeds... If you are looking for an extraordinarily well balanced car that is engaging to drive, the Cayman S"

Those of us who have driven many Porsches over many years can all add to his sentiments, and it is those aspects that time reinforces rather than diminishes. The buyers that demand a hotter CayS will be getting them from tuners. As the years unfold the base CayS perf will improve. When the surge of initial buyers has passed, & if there is demand adequate for the factory to make a good business case of it, we will see higher perf levels - a CS version - maybe even a factory track program. Meanwhile, you can count on them to turn out some kinda NA 911 that "outperforms" it...

I think Porsche wants to sell every sports car enthusiast in the world at least one car in their life. However, they make absolutely sure that every new model manifests the non-quantifiable character that makes Porsche enthusiasts want to ALWAYS own one (or 2 or 3...). That keeps 'em in business over the long haul. I like their values (if not the prices!).
cheers!

JJayB

[QUOTE=ked]
I think Porsche wants to sell every sports car enthusiast in the world at least one car in their life. However, they make absolutely sure that every new model manifests the non-quantifiable character that makes Porsche enthusiasts want to ALWAYS own one (or 2 or 3...). That keeps 'em in business over the long haul. I like their values (if not the prices!).
cheers![/QUOTE

Porsche decided to capture sales from outside of their traditional markets with the advent of the Boxster and 996. They are NOW trying to regain that important enthusist market they blew off for more sales. The CayS is a step in that direction. They found that the new buyers attracted from other makes are fickle and want good value for their dollar. Right now that is going to be a tough sell for Porsche. The neuvo Porshe owners want cup holders and stereos and buy a tip becaure they can't shift. I don't think you can compare these new owners to the past because most will be out of their cars when the lease expires. Sorry for the off topic.

JustinL

Clarkson implied that the Cay wasn't available with a LSD. This can't be true and it sure looked like that stig lap really suffered because of it.

STLPCA

Unfortunately, it is true.

Shane O'Neill

I'm afraid this is just another example of the Cayman being dumbed down to the benefit of the 911.
Shane

worf928

You ain't kindin'!!

The other night I picked up my TT from service at my Audi/Porsche dealer and got to see their PCNA Cayman sitting outside fresh off the truck and still wrapped in white. Right behind it, also fresh off the truck, was a 997 with a factory aerokit and ... wait for it... a Triptronic.

The Cayman was looking good. The 997 looked good too. The aerokit works nicely visually except for the huge wing. Too much.

To ramble on: I too would pay a 997 price for a C7S with a bigger motor. And I don't want no stinkin' NAV. I don't want PCM. I will not have TV(-like) screens in my car. At least you can order a Cayman without PCM. Give me switches I operate with my hands only. Not switches that require eyes off the road.