TheOtherEric

What do you guys think about this pricing?

Boxster 2.7L = $45,000
Cayman 2.7L = $49,400

It's obviously very strange to price a coupe higher than its convertible counterpart. Just wondering if there's a rationale for this. This seems like a VERY risky pricing strategy.

Doug&Julie

I would argue for the difference between the Cayman S and the Boxster S, since the Cayman S has 15 more hp, but I find it hard to argue this price difference since the motors are the same, albeit the Cayman is listed with 245hp over the Boxster's 240hp. But I figured they would up the base Boxster to the same 245hp for next year?

That's my long winded way of saying I agree with you on this one...

ELUSIVE

Makes no sense to me. 100% backwards to every other company.
What makes the Cayman $4400 more than the Boxster? Isn't it pretty much the identical car?

Save $4400 and get a ragtop = good bargain. :-D

Doug&Julie

Well I would agree that a Cayman is not just a Boxster with a roof. There is a good deal more engineering into the Cayman because, as a coupe, it's stiffer, which allows for a different / firmer suspension, etc. But that extra engineering shouldn't equate to more money. Same money, maybe. But not more.

Dan V

It makes perfect sense. Porsche are squeezing every possible $ out of their customers -- profit above all else. I'm sure BMW are happy about it with the Z4M Coupe priced about the same.

TheOtherEric

So there are no features that justify the extra $4,400? I didn't want to say this until all the facts were in, but it sounds like Porsche has their heads up their butts.

Wouldn't any rational person save the $4,400 and buy the boxster, or save $5,000 and get a 400 hp corvette?? Seems like they're setting the Cayman up for failure.

mooty

there is no FEATURE per se that justifies cayman costing more than boxster.
it really depends on what you want to use the car for. if you track it, cayman is far better than boxster. there are also some ppl who actually hate convertables. so they will have to get cayman b/c if you add hartop to box, they price disparity almost disappears, then it's really just a visual thing.

i sure wish coupes are cheaper as that's what i like.

wushuhsu

Is Porsche's goal to "sqeeze every possible dollar of their customers" or is it to have happy satisfied customers who don't feel like suckers? It seems like Porsche is being short-sighted on this and focusing on short-term profit rather than long-term success. I know, for me personally, the lack of upgrades (other than price) to the 2007 Cayman S and the backwards step on horsepower on the non-S is making me look elsewhere for better value for my money.

Doug&Julie

True. If we stop thinking of the Cayman as a Boxster coupe, it's not as hard to justify. Although the base models are so similar, where the S models at least had more hp disparity. (..not to mention the differences we can't see..)

Keep in mind, too, that sticker price and "reality" price are two different things. I imagine that most base Cayman will go for pretty much the same price as the base Boxster. ..if not right away, certainly in a few months time.

andrew911

Maybe the rear hatch costs $4,400?

I remember reading that in the 60's (before I was born) the corvette coupes always cost more than the convertibles. In this case, I agree- the cayman should be priced the same as a comparable boxter.

I heard from a NYC salesman just this morning that the cayman is not selling well due to the "price premium" over the boxter among other things. It's too bad, becuase the couple of reviews I have read so far are raving about this car, and in fact I think I like it better than the carrera (unless we're talking about a loaded Carrera S convertable with the motor sound exhaust, which priced out at over $100K (!) at the dealer when I saw one in there- car looked awesome though).

All of it is moot to me, as I generally buy my porsches when they are about 10 years old and no sooner

-Andrew

BiggerTwin

I have read that Cayman sales are very strong but the new issue of Excellence raises the pricing issue in the editorial. If you want a convertible, the Boxster is a bargain and I wouldn't get a Cayman for the performance. I drove a Boxster S around Lime Rock a few weeks ago and while my Cayman S felt a little more powerful, the cars were awfully close. I wanted a mid-engine coupe and while I am always happy to pay less, the pricing wasn't an issue for me. Back in the 60s convertibles were a few hundred cheaper than coupes. In the 80s I thought manufacturers were raping us charging $5,000 more for convertibles. I don't think this was ever based on manufacturing costs but was rather based on what the market would bear. I generally prefer coupes and will buy them whether they cost more or less. For someone on a budget, get a Boxster and save the money.

As for the Corvette, I just sold my 400 hp C6 to get the Cayman S. The Porsche is the better car. While it will lose a drag race at the stoplight Grand Prix, it is much more enjoyable to drive and I have been told it is faster around the Nürburgring. Since I don't race at stoplights or Nürburgring, fun is all that matters to me and a Porsche is worth the premium price over a Chevy.

Alan

designman

Eric, where did that price of $49,400 come from? It's not on the Porsche website and they didn't issue a press release. It makes absolutely no sense unless they are raisng prices/performance on 07 Boxsters. Then again IMO it made no sense not to have the same engines in both Boxsters and Caymans.

TheOtherEric

Sorry, I should have linked to it. It is a PAG press release on 5/22/06 (last paragraph):
http://www.porsche.com/usa/aboutpors...&id=2006-05-22

designman

Eric, thanks, no problem. I should have been more thorough in digging out the press release. I figured it would have been under PCNA and didn't bother looking at PAG.

Rick Longano

All the scuttlebut about the price disparity netween the Cayman (base) and the Boxster sounds a lot like the complaining about the Cayman S pricing structure as compared to the Boxster S. I can't imagine linking any comparisons between any coupe vserus convertible. They appeal to 2 totally different markets. I would think that any consumer who knows what he (or she) wants would know whether he wants a convertible or a coupe. What would pricing have to do with it ? Are you guys telling me that you would choose differently between a coupe or a convertible based on price ?????