Hi,

I am thinking about getting a 2009+ Cayman or Cayman S in the next six months or so. I currently drive (and love) an E90 BMW 330xi with a manual transmission, which I have had since new. Prior to the BMW, I had a 2004 Infiniti G35 MT.

I love the BMW, but was disappointed in the Infiniti - which is why I ended up trading after only owning the car for a couple of years. To be specific, it was the engine which was disappointing as far as I was concerned. It had plenty of power, but was definitely unrefined at higher revs. By way of comparison, the BMW engine is silky smooth throughout the rev range, and is a real pleasure to operate.

I will be taking a couple of test drives myself to judge, but I would like the opinion of current owners on questions I have on the power train:

• Given that it is mid-engined, I realize that significant engine noise will be transmitted into the cabin. That is fine. What is important to me is that engine remains smooth throughout the rev range. Is vibration a problem with the Cayman engines?
• Is the smaller engine in the base Cayman sweeter? All other things being equal, I would prefer the S model given that performance will be stronger.
• Is the sport shift worth getting? One thing I liked about the Infiniti was the short, mechanical feel of the gear shift, and I would hope that the sport shift would provide a similar feel.

Thanks in advance.

 

I don't think there is a problem with vibration in the Cayman engine; as for smoothness thru the rev range, I guess that depends on your definition of smoothness. When the variocam kicks in around 4K RPMs, the engine sound goes from great to glorious.

The sport shift is a popular option/mod.

Sounds like you really need to take a good test drive in one.

 

Like you, I am currently shopping for a Cayman (or possibly '06+ Boxster), and have driven several, S and non. I may not be the person you want to ask on the engine smoothness issue, as my most recent sports car was a 350Z, and I thought the VQ motor made a nice sound. With that said:


The Cayman is no noisier than other fixed roof sports cars. Engine smoothness is subjective, and the boxer six does make a distinctive sound. I would rate it as smoother than the VQ - YMMV.


Again subjective, but I would say the base engine is a bit smoother. In addition, the clutch effort of the base car seems to be lower. OTOH, you can certainly feel the extra torque of the S. However, the difference isn't night and day, but the S commands what I regard as a disproportionate premium in the used market.

The shift linkage in the current-gen ('05+) Boxster/Cayman is a significant improvement in terms of precise feel over the older cars. However, it isn't up to the standard of the G35/Z. In fairness, given the length it has to reach back to the transaxle, one probably shouldn't expect it to be.

As was noted by the previous poster, you really need to get out and drive several used examples and make your own judgements. I have found significant differences in the driving experience of these cars, based apparently on the level of care taken by their previous owner(s).

 

I have a very similar car ownership experience as yours, but also own a 2007 Cayman S, so I hope I'll have some relevant points for you to consider.

• I am the original owner of a 2001 330i. Love the car, love the steering feel and engine smoothness as you mention.
• I owned a 2003 Infiniti G35 coupe. Nice to look at, but somehow it just didn't do it for me from a driving perspective.
• Traded the Infiniti in on a 2002 Porsche 911 C2. Beautiful car, great power, great engine sound and smoothness. Disappointing steering feel. Very poor, floaty base suspension. Didn't like the extreme-rear-bias weight.
• Traded the '02 911 in on my '07 Cayman S. OMG. What a car. Great engine sound and smoothness - like my 911 - with a >7K redline. Drives likes its on rails, even more so than my BMW. First car I can legitimately say I enjoy driving more than my 330i.

I think I will always own a BMW, probably a 3 series. I also think I will always own a mid-engine Porsche like my Cayman. The two vehicles are similar (engine smoothness & refinement, handling balance) but also very different (Cayman S has incredible sporting capabilities, grip and agility).

If you like sporting BMW 3-series, and didn't like the G35, I suspect you'll love the Cayman S.