Unless something has changed in the last month, there are lots of listings, but they are not selling. Check the completed listings....lots of cars with no bids, or cars that failed to reach reserve.

The last time I looked, there were perhaps 15 or 20 completed auctions, and not one single one sold.

If the planets align, I am hoping to get a left over '06 S in about 30 days, but the reports here of near invoice pricing on even 07's is very encouraging. I may see if can drive an S and non-S back to back, since the non-S is a pretty sizeable chunk of change below the S.

Brian

 

$40-$50 is nice 964 Turbo territory. Nice 964s are in the low 20s, and 993s in the high 20s low 30s easy.

 

i had a base boxster,and loved it(99)..i also had a 2000 boxster s..the s is better but in some ways i enjoyed the base more..i drove it harder..i recently drove the cayman s and was not that impressed..i then drove the base boxster and liked it more..to spend 50k plus,you may want to look at 993s..i own a 87 3.2 911..and it is more fun than the 2 boxsters and the 993 i owned..its really what you need..but for 20ish you can have a ball with a 911 and sell it in a few years and get close to your money back if not all of it.its fun to own different porsches,but after 911 ownership,it would be hard for me to go back to the boxster.j

 

Well, I'm just back from my first full day of Cayman driving, my OPC having lent me their 2.7 demo car for the day, and 100 miles of mixed driving thro the relatively quiet Scottish Borders. I am mighty impressed (just as well really as I have one due in a few weeks!) and it is a long time since I drove anything which fitted me like a glove the way this car does. I felt instantly at home in it, and settled down to driving it comfortably after no more than half an hour. This is the third one I have now driven, and my initial impression that it is the best chassis I have ever driven remains, it is utterly amazing, totally planted.

If I have a criticism it is that the engine could do with just a smidgen more grunt for overtaking, but I suspect the rather civilised nature of the power delivery perhaps conceals how fast you are going. With a noisy exhaust it would proably feel faster, as it is very quiet. It was less than fully run in too. The plain fact is though that no matter how much power and torque you have, you always want more. I can live with the 2.7 as it is, and indeed it is an encouragemtn to DRIVE it, rather then just blast about, in some ways it reminds me of how Porsches used to be.

For real world conditions though it is more than amply fast, and snicking between third and fourth is a delight (fifth is a mite tall for B roads), especially as it can hold corner speeds so well. My old 964 was certainly faster in a straight line, but required a lot more effort and bravery once you got up to speed, especially on the bumpy imperfect roads we have here. The Cayman just devours such stuff with gusto, very very impressive. And of course it is a lot more fuel efficient, the thirst of a hard driven 964 is alarming to a Scotsman's wallet!

So all told I'm still in love with the Cayman. Mine is due to be built next week, so I should have it in about a month, all being well. I can't wait!

McJohn

 

Thank you for the feedback, nice write up. Keep those driving impressions coming!!!!

 

Check out the November issue of Excellence. There's a good article on the base Cayman in that. Overall they seem to like the car very much, with an emphasis on keeping costs down by not ordering a bunch of options.

FWIW Julie and I drove a "stripped" base Cayman when we bought the '01 Boxster. The driving experience was significantly better (in my eyes), and despite the price difference, we made a real effort to figure a way to swing it. In the end, spending half as much as the Cayman won out. But I'll be looking for a used one as my next car.

Oh, and they're not slow. They're not FAST, but they're not slow. Perfectly livable and enjoyable at "normal" speeds, then a lot of fun when you get them wound up!

Also FWIW, when we priced out a base Cayman, the dealer knocked off $5k w/o even asking to begin negotiations. I've stated before that I feel dealerships are quietly adjusting their prices in reaction to all the feedback about "a coupe being more expensive than a convertible". The point is, there are deals to be had, I'm sure.

 

I did the same thing...I bought mine because it was as close to "stripped" as I could find in the color I wanted. I have own the car for a month and a half and haven't seen another on the road. I think $5k off is their price point. I thought it was fair, so two thousand miles later I am still looking for places to go "snicking" as McJohn would say and of course ..."cheerio"

 

you know if they'ed just make a 4cyl turbo as the base model ;-)

 

I agree with whatever 38D's avatar thinks! Wait a minute, I don't think I read his/her reply... Let me go back and revisit that post.

 

I love my base Cayman, end of story. I do not think she feels slow at all, but my only experience in an S was on a test drive. Can you tell a difference between the two, yes, and you should be able to, but I think the money spent on my base was one of the best choices I ever made.

 

Interesting you say this...just last night I was reading a book by Paul Frere on the Boxster development and he said that Porsche would not develop four cylinder motors again because, according to Porsche, nobody will pay big money for a four cylinder car (even turbocharged). So the Boxster would not come out with anything less than six cylinders. (..of course, it also helps that it's essentially the same motor as the 911s, just re-engineered to reduce hp.)

I guess that also means that we'll never see a sub $40k Porsche again...

 

I've never driven a base Cayman, and of course the only thing that matters is how you feel about the car's performance. The only thing that would give me pause before I paid around $55K for a Cayman is the competition. For example in mid '07 the '08 350 Z will be offered for around $35K, and it will have a 3800 cc engine producing 350 HP. Yeah, I know that the car will probably have an inferior interior loaded with cheap plastic, but I'm more of a performance guy, and the 350 Z should be quick. Granted that there are those who will only buy a Porsche for a variety of reasons, but many other car enthusiasts look at what you get for the price paid.

 

I have driven both back to back and the power difference of the S in noticable.

The question of "is a car fast enough" can only be answered by the individual purchasing the car. The definition of fast is different for every person.

I thought the 2.7L motor was sweet and sounded better than the S.

For the record, I bought the S, but I don't think the non-S is a slow car.

I think PASM is a must though - the non-PASM car had a weird oscilation in the rear and rode worse than the PASM car and did not turn in nearly as well.

Power vs. cost is a useless argument as you can always find a car that costs less and goes faster in a straight line. It just comes down to your priorities and what you consider fast enough for your tastes.

Bill

 

OK. Here is my review. I drove both today back to back. First The Cayman: I was a bit suprised the engine did feel athletic, first gear was really the only dissapointment (it felt anemic) 2nd 3rd 4th felt nice and eager although not POWERFUL it is deceptively quick and smooth. Brakes felt strong although they look small. Handling in the corners was fine but not as pinned down as the S with more body roll. I am sure the "sport package" would cure that and the six speed would be nice. I could get around fine in this car, would I always want more power.. yes but that really applies to almost every car. I agree you have to flog the car and choose the gears more carefully but it was truly nice and never felt strained in being close to redline often.Hmmmmm.

Now for the S. I have virtually eliminated the S beacuse of Price but I simply had to know if it would be worth saving for an added year for the down payment to aquire it. Well while it did not disappoint I still have mixed feelings, brakes felt about the same but I am sure would be better after repeated hard stops. The car felt flatter in the corners with the stock suspension, that was nice. Oh btw the S was on stock 18's while the Cayman on 19's. The 2.7 I think feels and sounds just a half point smoother and sweeter. Both cars had options I would not pay for. I don't care about power heated seats, navigation, etc. That makes these cars interesting to me because I WOULD want the sport package with 19's on the Cayman with Zenon's and Bose and self dimming. I could get by with the S stock with just bose, self dimming, and zenons. Price wise not really any deals for the base model 1-2k off. 3-5k off doable for an S.

Still thinking and planning........

 

hey FWIW, I was at the dealer auctions today and asked if they had any cayman come through, and they said yes, they were going for around 30