perfectlap

Check out this month's motor trend.
Porsche must be amused
They really go after the 997 evaluating it against the CaymanS, Z06 and the V8 Aston. Some very interesting graphics.
Big props given to the Chevy.
Also in the issue Ford GT 'spyder' and long muti nation tour in the Ferrari Scag.

Doug&Julie

I thought Porsche specifically forbade auto journos from comparing the two? Not that they can really stop them...

I'll have to look for it this weekend.

perfectlap

oh Porsche will not be happy. They flat out say that the Cayman is the first car that Porsche has built in 40 years that directly challenges the 911's status of the flagship car. The last line of one of the comparos ends with "The 911 is dead long live the Cayman" !
I think this article is first ripple. There will many magazines questioning the 997S cred (they all seem to point out how absurd the pricing of the X51 bump up). The Z06 comes out looking golden (spanked the 997s at Laguna) and beats it in all areas but braking. To boot, the CaymanS has yet to receive anything but glowing praise. SImilar performance for less money? They say the CaymanS is "the world's best handling Porsche right on the cover" next to a pic of the 911.

Doug&Julie

Well, I'm not surprised. And I think Porsche knows it. That's why the Cayman S only has 295hp while the base Carrera has 320 (or whatever).

I say put the same motors in each and if the 911 dies, it dies. It would be sad, but as long as the Cayman S stays as brilliant as it is...Porsche has nothing to worry about.

I'm going to pick it up on my way home so I have some reading for traveling this weekend.

Atlas_Croc

I feel the same way.......but I still think there is room for both.

Drop the base 997, and put that engine in the Cayman......or even the 3.8 for more $$$. Move the 911 more in the direction of being a true GT with lots of creature comforts, standard equipment, etc.

The problem here is that a Cayman with a 3.6/3.8L engine is a better sports car than the 911 is.......but Porsche just can't let go of the 911 being top dog in this column........but why does it have to be? Let the 911 become the potent GT and the Cayman be the potent sports car? Sooner or later somethings gotta give.

mooty

drop 500 lbs off cayman.
forget all the luxuries.
stuff in GT3 motor with LSD and lower gear ratio.
they will sell like hot cakes at $100k+

pstoppani

That is a good article. I noticed that they also point out how Porsche played gearing tricks to hold back the 0-60 times on the Cayman by putting in slightly taller 1st and 2nd gears... The engineers must really squirm when marketing tells them to "make it a bit slower" ...

Unleash the Cayman !

Blue S2

I'de love to get my hands on something like that!

1AS

Maybe next, Porsche will cut the roof off a Cayman, and raise the price another $10,000 and deny that they have recreated the Boxster. It would cost Porsche not one penny to have the engines be identical.
A Cayman GT3 however would be worth every cent. If they had a track package with bar and extinguisher, there would be a whole new racing series. AS

1AS

Jeff,
The simple answer is yes. When I drove a GT3 thru the Malibu canyons, I was not smitten. I like to have a practice track car (currently an Elise 190R), and the mid-engine configuration requires less compromise for that purpose. Most people don't use the GT3 for commuting, so the space dedicated to the vestigial rear compartment has limited value. While the GT3 was unquestionably faster than my upgraded Elise, I thought that the Elise would have been just as good thru the Canyons.

I have a fair amount of track experience in a Boxster tip ( wife's car) which I used to teach both my son and daughter(the only 2 of my 6 with an interest). The chassis makes it very easy to learn and recognize understeer and oversteer.
The Elise is less forgiving, as it is more likely to punish a mistake. But it's quick enough and accurate enough to encourage exploring the envelope. I think a Cayman GT3 would be even better- particularly if Porsche would honor the warranty.
For me, that works well as I like to get out about 6 times a summer to sharpen my continuously degrading skills. The ZO6 is an alternative, but goes back to front engined. However, it's weight distribution is superb, considering where the engine is. A ZO6 on race tires is an excellent track instrument. Turn-in is sharper than we are accustomed, and exit is looser, but overall really good on the C5 model I last drove. AS

mooty

i understand that cayman gear box cannot be regeared. if so, can i buy a boxster S box and stuff it in (in theory anyway).

Doug&Julie

Excellent idea and agree 100% here. And I'll even throw in the idea of boosting the Boxster S to the same level (hp) as the Cayman S. Keep a base model Boxster and Cayman for those who don't need hp (and to keep a lower price option), but otherwise share the motors accross the board.

So let's see... you'd have base models in coupe and convertible, premium convertible sports car (Boxster S), premium sports coupe (Cayman S), premium GT (911), and premium convertible GT (911 Cab). I think that covers a market better than fixing hp to price ratios. And no model get's embarrassed.

GG Allin

Why not just let the 911 evolve into a mid-engined car and drop the silly name "Cayman". It wouldn't be the first mid-engined 911.

Monique

You read my mind.

GT3 Nut

Huh?