Valarr

I'm the present owner of a '04 Z4 3.0i.
Made the mistake last month of test driving a Cayman S...well now I simply "must" have one.

I still can't quite believe how expensive the car is (especially the options, & I used to think BMW was bad as far as everything being an expensive option).


So for those whom already have their cars, any must have options?
ATM I am just considering Bi-Xenon's & the preferred package, for a $62.18k MSRP (& non-metallic paint, undecided on color).

Anything I would miss a year later?
I still regret not getting Bi-xenon's on my Z4 that I ordered so I don't want to do it twice.



Anyone seen yellow up close? I saw one from a distance...from the pics it looks good, but I wonder if one would grow tired after a year...

mooty

MUST HAVE?
xenon, that's pretty much it.

Trj

Think about the sport wheel its $250.

Trj

Correction: Sport Steering Wheel.

BiggerTwin

Drop me a line in January 2007 but I don't anticipate growing tired of it. The base car is so good that don't really need add anything if you are looking to keep the cost down. I regret not getting the thicker sport steering wheel but for $1,000 I wasn't going to buy it sight unseen. I also had a 3.0 Z4 with sport package and the Cayman S is a far superior car.

Alan

arenared

For a thousand bucks on a steering wheel, I'd wait to see the 997 GT3 pieces (Alcantara) first.

Jim Michaels

I think the desirable options depend on owner preferences. The options fall into categories related to performance, comfort, convienence, and appearance. Caymans have been ordered with no options all the way to over $40k in options. The bi-xenons are great for roadside deer spotting, and are thus a safety option. Otherwise, the options I ordered are all performance related. My friend ordered only PASM and Sport Chrono on his Cayman. I ordered those plus Sport Steering Wheel and Sport Seats.

ventoGT

The car looks incredible on the 19" Carrera Classic wheels....best option for the buck in my opinion...

pstoppani

xenons

PogueMoHone

If you take resale into account:

Xenons
PASM
Sport Chrono
Navi (maybe)

Cars without those options will be harder to move, and the more people understand the benefits of Sport Chrono and PASM the more required they will be. I know, I know lots of people think the Sport Chrono or PASM don't add anything...go try them in the ice and you will see their magnified effect, transferable to dry conditions, though less pronounced.

A tip.

Troll the dealer websites and see how they are equipping their new cars for inventory. Contrary to popular believe, they don't load the cars to find a "sucker", they load them to find a buyer.

Atlas_Croc

Welcome!

Yes, you will pay more for a Cayman.....but a Porsche is a Porsche and you just can't get close to it's feel, finesse, and all around performance by paying less.

There is nothing really "needed" on this car......it is so much fun in any guise.......just pick what is of value to you.

I have driven base models with nothing all the way up to fully loaded with PCCB, PASM, SC, etc., etc., etc........and you know what?......IMO most of the so called performance options aren't worth the money spent over a stripper. The base suspension with 18" wheels is one of the best combos out there and is well beyond the capabilities of 99.5% of the drivers out there.

Xenons, sport wheel, sport seats, and sport shift are nice options to have if you like them.
PASM.....I passed, don't miss.
Sport Chrono.....nice sometimes, aggravating other times, clock "wart" is ugly IMO.....I passed, don't miss.
Bose......nice, but not as good as I thought it would be.

Bigger wheels?.......again, IMO they don't do a lot over the stock 18"s. In a track environment they may offer slightly more grip at the limit.....but most professional drivers preferred the 18"s for their better feel. If you like the looks of them, go for it......be aware though that they make the ride a little stiffer on the street and the car is pretty stiff to begin with.

Good luck with your choices.....

dertub

Xenons
Thicker steering wheel
Sport seats
Chrome tail pipe ext. (I don't like the stock ones)

The standard wheels look fine and 18s will provide better road feel and direction than the 19s.

designman

I agree with Atlas. The only must-have options are the ones you want. And the ones you want should be determined by your own research and preferences. Personally, I think the options market is motivated mostly by profit, not product benefit.

Gator_86_951

I am thinking the same thing right now. I am contemplating buying a cayman and I don't see the value in any of those features at least for me. Keep in mind I am coming from my grad school / undergrad car which is an 86 951 which doesn't have functional air conditioning or a functioning stereo at the moment. It will be seing 944 super cup duty in a little over a year.

This would really only be a daily driver car. I would maybe on a whime take it down to sebring once or twice. I have the 951 to drive like a maniac.

Tbred911

does anybody have any specs on the wheel weights between the stock 18" cayman s style rims vs the 19" carrera 5-spokes?