Am I going to regret buying a 911 instead of a Cayman?
09-01-2020 | 01:53 AM
#46
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will have another person sometimes. mostly myself.
typical pleasure drive will be an hour or two. I do want to take road trips in the car, which is kinda the point of this car for me. I figured the cayman with the trunk and frunk would be good enough. I’m guessing you’re about to tell me otherwise.
09-01-2020 | 01:53 AM
#47
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I briefly looked at Caymans while shopping for my first Porsche. The things that turned me off of the Cayman were:
- Tighter interior for a large guy (6' 2", 220 lbs). With the mid engine layout, the seat only goes back so much... 911 has lots of leg room and cabin space in general.
- Dash gauges only have 3 gauge circles instead of 5. The classic 5 gauge circle dash layout is a must.
- The mid engine layout is less intriguing than the rear engine layout. I want to be challenged and to earn the satisfaction of mastering a special platform.
- The mid engine layout makes DYI maintenance more difficult. Even though the 911 engine only reveals a couple cooling fans when you open the engine cover, the maintenance is still not bad at all when you learn how to take the bumper cover off.
- Oh yeah, and the 911 is the flagship.
09-01-2020 | 02:22 AM
#48
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From: California
ill never sell this cayman. If I buy a 911 its more likely to be an old cup car, and the cayman goes nowhere. Im still 110% satisfied with the 981 2.7 cayman, power and all, x73 and pse, 4 years later. And good value, get to keep the dollar difference (halfish?) for business and investments.
thanks for that. I never even considered the 2.7 cayman. I’ll have to find one and see if it’s got enough power for me.
09-01-2020 | 02:29 AM
#49
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From: MN
All good points mentioned here, but one thing you need to ask yourself is what stage of your life you're at now? Which then leads to "What do you want this car to do?"
While I haven't driven the 981, I can only imagine based on amateur and professional reviews that it is a great handling car, likely better than the 991. The go-kart feeling mentioned here is all true, I'm sure. It's got the size/weight advantage. Mid engine. Feels visceral with the engine right behind you. It doesn't get any purer than that. This may get me kicked out of here, but it's got all the ingredients for a fun car, like the Miata. Only this is better because it's a Porsche. For the car handling purist in me, I'd get the 981 based on performance alone. But only if I was younger, if I didn't have a family, if I had a second car, if <insert reason here>...which in my case, and I suspect for most people, means you're younger than the typical 991 owners. 991 owner who are looking for the extra space, extra rear seats, extra comfort, more financially stable, go-kart handling not as important but would like to indulge and thus able to get the 981 as a second (weekend) car.
I'm 56, and was a purist. Always wanted a 911. Not the 991 mind you...fell in love with the 993 Turbo a loooong time ago, but that ship has sailed. Family obligation always came first. My purist vision has softened a little with age, and finally got myself a used 991.1S recently, and fell heads over heels with it. I thought I was settling, but I'm not. My needs/wants have changed over time. Like you, I owned an E46 M3 several years ago. It was fun and raw, but I knew it was just a temp fling. I was holding out for the mystical 911. The 911 silhouette that truly belongs in a museum. You know that Porsche ad with the kid in a school that starts with this line "It's a funny thing about a Porsche..." that was literally me decades ago.
Bob Z, and a few others are correct...it sounds like you already made up your mind. You drove all of them and still fell in love with the 981. It has what you're looking for. Your gut feeling is usually correct the first time. Good luck.
While I haven't driven the 981, I can only imagine based on amateur and professional reviews that it is a great handling car, likely better than the 991. The go-kart feeling mentioned here is all true, I'm sure. It's got the size/weight advantage. Mid engine. Feels visceral with the engine right behind you. It doesn't get any purer than that. This may get me kicked out of here, but it's got all the ingredients for a fun car, like the Miata. Only this is better because it's a Porsche. For the car handling purist in me, I'd get the 981 based on performance alone. But only if I was younger, if I didn't have a family, if I had a second car, if <insert reason here>...which in my case, and I suspect for most people, means you're younger than the typical 991 owners. 991 owner who are looking for the extra space, extra rear seats, extra comfort, more financially stable, go-kart handling not as important but would like to indulge and thus able to get the 981 as a second (weekend) car.
I'm 56, and was a purist. Always wanted a 911. Not the 991 mind you...fell in love with the 993 Turbo a loooong time ago, but that ship has sailed. Family obligation always came first. My purist vision has softened a little with age, and finally got myself a used 991.1S recently, and fell heads over heels with it. I thought I was settling, but I'm not. My needs/wants have changed over time. Like you, I owned an E46 M3 several years ago. It was fun and raw, but I knew it was just a temp fling. I was holding out for the mystical 911. The 911 silhouette that truly belongs in a museum. You know that Porsche ad with the kid in a school that starts with this line "It's a funny thing about a Porsche..." that was literally me decades ago.
Bob Z, and a few others are correct...it sounds like you already made up your mind. You drove all of them and still fell in love with the 981. It has what you're looking for. Your gut feeling is usually correct the first time. Good luck.
09-01-2020 | 02:57 AM
#50
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I've been in the market for a 981 Cayman for 6 months now. I fell in love with a white one that a dealer let me take home for 24 hours, only to have it sold to someone else by the time I returned it. Since then, I've watched the prices go up from something reasonable, to essentially what a 911 costs. I've jumped on two great 981 CPOs that got sold to someone else within minutes of coming on the market. This week, the 981GTS at my local dealer just sold for $70k before actually coming on the market. My only choice would have been to buy it before actually seeing it, which isnt a game I am willing to play.
I am an adult, and half of this decision is about money and value for me. So is a 911 going to have as much fun, excitement, and personality in it as a 981 Cayman? From what I can tell, a 991.1 C2S/C4S is A LOT more car. The 991.2s are even more car on top of that. But is it going to have the same magic as a Cayman? Which am I going to be happiest with in a year from now? I've taken all these on test drives, and just didnt fall in love with the 911s the way I did with the Caymans. The 911s seemed much more grown up and less like they were chomping at the bit to go fast all the time. They seemed less fun. The problem is that I know Im in this for the long haul and its impossible to get a sense of livability during a test drive. Is my thing with the Cayman infatuation? Will the 911 grow on me? I am planning on driving this car A LOT, so is the 911 going to be better than the cayman in a year?
For reference, Ive had older fast BMWs before (2003 M5 and 2005 M3). They were amazing, but Im looking for something more out of the Porsche.
I am an adult, and half of this decision is about money and value for me. So is a 911 going to have as much fun, excitement, and personality in it as a 981 Cayman? From what I can tell, a 991.1 C2S/C4S is A LOT more car. The 991.2s are even more car on top of that. But is it going to have the same magic as a Cayman? Which am I going to be happiest with in a year from now? I've taken all these on test drives, and just didnt fall in love with the 911s the way I did with the Caymans. The 911s seemed much more grown up and less like they were chomping at the bit to go fast all the time. They seemed less fun. The problem is that I know Im in this for the long haul and its impossible to get a sense of livability during a test drive. Is my thing with the Cayman infatuation? Will the 911 grow on me? I am planning on driving this car A LOT, so is the 911 going to be better than the cayman in a year?
For reference, Ive had older fast BMWs before (2003 M5 and 2005 M3). They were amazing, but Im looking for something more out of the Porsche.
The question is whether the 911 is a better car for you.
From what you've said up above, the answer is probably no.
09-01-2020 | 04:34 AM
#51
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I would get a hardtop 911 over a cayman mainly because of the aesthetics. I just like the lines of the 911 coupe. Both cars provide an extraordinary sports car experience.
Please don’t believe the hyperbole and utter nonesense that gets thrown about these forums -mostly by people with an almost OCD compulsion to justify their purchase. These are mountain out of molehill people, and you can find them on almost any enthusiast forum from cars to guitars. That also goes for anyone mockingly calling the cayman a poor man’s 911. Again, sometimes nasty, insecure people need to hide behind a wall of douchebagery. I received more compliments on my 981 Spyder than any 911 I owned. Albeit, usually not from Cabrio owners parked at the club.
Performance wise, The 981 and 991 are both superlative, A nicely equipped Cayman S doesn’t lack grip or performance. And a similarly set up 991 is far from being a cushy GT car. Neither car enthusiastically pushed into an apex is a snooze fest. The cayman can feel a little livelier and lighter but the differences are not huge with enthusiastic street driving. On the track, the geometry of each car not to mention the rear engine vs mid engine setup will be more apparent but as someone whose first Porsche was an 84 911 Targa, I can state that the current 991 has almost none of that snap, trailing throttle oversteer that was typical of air cooled 911s. The current 991 is absolutely tame in comparison with handling characteristics that bely it’s rear engine setup. Another marvel of Porsche engineering.
My advice is to test drive both cars and pick the one that moves you. Both the 991 and 981 are marvelous rides. The only time I’ve felt regret is when I’ve had to get behind the wheel of something else. Fortunately, that only happens when it snows.
Please don’t believe the hyperbole and utter nonesense that gets thrown about these forums -mostly by people with an almost OCD compulsion to justify their purchase. These are mountain out of molehill people, and you can find them on almost any enthusiast forum from cars to guitars. That also goes for anyone mockingly calling the cayman a poor man’s 911. Again, sometimes nasty, insecure people need to hide behind a wall of douchebagery. I received more compliments on my 981 Spyder than any 911 I owned. Albeit, usually not from Cabrio owners parked at the club.
Performance wise, The 981 and 991 are both superlative, A nicely equipped Cayman S doesn’t lack grip or performance. And a similarly set up 991 is far from being a cushy GT car. Neither car enthusiastically pushed into an apex is a snooze fest. The cayman can feel a little livelier and lighter but the differences are not huge with enthusiastic street driving. On the track, the geometry of each car not to mention the rear engine vs mid engine setup will be more apparent but as someone whose first Porsche was an 84 911 Targa, I can state that the current 991 has almost none of that snap, trailing throttle oversteer that was typical of air cooled 911s. The current 991 is absolutely tame in comparison with handling characteristics that bely it’s rear engine setup. Another marvel of Porsche engineering.
My advice is to test drive both cars and pick the one that moves you. Both the 991 and 981 are marvelous rides. The only time I’ve felt regret is when I’ve had to get behind the wheel of something else. Fortunately, that only happens when it snows.
Last edited by Underblu; 09-01-2020 at 05:13 AM.
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09-01-2020 | 09:13 AM
#52
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I’ve owned a 981 Cayman S, 981 Spyder, and 981 GT4 among a 50th Anniversary 911 (991.1) and a Targa 4S (991.2). Did not like the 981S and traded it for a 987 Cayman R which I loved. The Spyder and GT4 are great but a bit fatiguing and cramped comparatively to most 911s. I didn’t much like the turbo lag or general power delivery of the 991.2S and I may be keeping the 50th Anniversary 911, which is the most powerful and most visceral Porsche I’ve owned, until I’m dead. Any X51 911 is going to excite beyond any expectation, as will the GTS. 911s have grip and traction that Caymans only dream of. Having said this, I do think a Carrera T manual is a better car than a GT4, or any 981 Cayman for that matter. It has GT4 power and speed, and all the agility and grip you could want. Just needs to be spec’d right which means no sunroof and AWS. Carrera Ts are decent prices these days and don’t suffer from turbo lag like all the other .2s.
09-01-2020 | 09:56 AM
#53
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The smaller turbos spool faster giving the base engine a linear feel. More so than the S and GTS. However there is still lag. There will always be lag with a turbo no matter how small a turbo or how little boost is being used. The higher the revs the less turbo it feels. Getting into the throttle anywhere above about 3500 RPM feels very similar to an NA engine. If one hates boost and lag the base engine is the engine which disguises it best.
09-01-2020 | 10:22 AM
#54
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Before i knew the difference between a 911 and cayman, when i first saw the 981 cayman driving in the streets of miami beach i thought it was the best looking car i ever saw. Id see what i later learned were 911's, (991.1) i liked the rear shark gills over the engine but it looked boring. The gaping side intakes on the 981 cayman looked like fighter jet engine intakes, the headlights look like a supercar carrera gt type car, the big glass rear hatch looked so good, and the red tail lights with the wing extending through them with the led halo glow was the best i ever saw...combined with the twin pipe center exhaust....i wanted one. I didnt know what it was until a year later i started trying to figure it out. Previously i was planning to buy a scion frs for the rwd manual transmission aspect to go autocross and do track stuff as id do in the racing sims. Eventually i learned what i saw was the new 981 cayman. It turns out they are cheaper than 991s which was great for me. Then i graduated, made some phone apps and ended up with too much money so i compared the two...and just going with a cpo 2014 cayman 2.7 was the option with more value and itd cut to the chase vs the toyota (already daily a 2005 honda ill never sell).
Now its 4 years of ownership later, best money i ever spent, best experiences being part of the pca, made some of my best friends through the club, every time i get in the car i think its the greatest thing ever, the sound, the shifter, slamming the brake pedal feels so nice, the heavy clutch is nice, the look is crazy, basically every time i drive it the car gets compliments, thumbs ups, i rev it for the kids on bikes giving thumbs ups, do the porsche wave to all porsches i see and they wave and blink lights back... i love not having sport chrono, i want the driver (me) to be mandated to blip for proper downshifts, no laziness possible. the 991 carreras look a little boring, but the turbo with its jet intakes looks cool. But its autotragic transmission only (skill-less) and all wheen drive, and a cpo is still probably 5x the price i paid for mine. And the 991.2s and up i dislike except for the led taillight. I dont want a small displacement turbocharged engine with power at idle. I want to be forced to drive at high rpms for any semblance of power, like the rsr and gt3 cars, and go deaf in the process. It keeps up with 997s at autocross, can beat them sometimes. At vir when i let a pro driver drive, it was passing 2 or 3 991 GT3s, likely beginners but the point is largely driver > car. Drive your favorite, dont care about horsepower, race cars use classes anyway.
ill never sell this cayman. If I buy a 911 its more likely to be an old cup car, and the cayman goes nowhere. Im still 110% satisfied with the 981 2.7 cayman, power and all, x73 and pse, 4 years later. And good value, get to keep the dollar difference (halfish?) for business and investments.
But that is just me. Yes pdk is faster (well only due to gearing, barely from upshifts), all wheel drive works in the snow, caymans arent real porsches, "next time youll get a 911?". The point is just buy your favorite model, transmission, options...and in this respect, dont care about anyone other than yourself. Get whatever will make you want to keep it forever, if thats a 992 or targa4 or touring or 718 with sport chrono then get it.
Now its 4 years of ownership later, best money i ever spent, best experiences being part of the pca, made some of my best friends through the club, every time i get in the car i think its the greatest thing ever, the sound, the shifter, slamming the brake pedal feels so nice, the heavy clutch is nice, the look is crazy, basically every time i drive it the car gets compliments, thumbs ups, i rev it for the kids on bikes giving thumbs ups, do the porsche wave to all porsches i see and they wave and blink lights back... i love not having sport chrono, i want the driver (me) to be mandated to blip for proper downshifts, no laziness possible. the 991 carreras look a little boring, but the turbo with its jet intakes looks cool. But its autotragic transmission only (skill-less) and all wheen drive, and a cpo is still probably 5x the price i paid for mine. And the 991.2s and up i dislike except for the led taillight. I dont want a small displacement turbocharged engine with power at idle. I want to be forced to drive at high rpms for any semblance of power, like the rsr and gt3 cars, and go deaf in the process. It keeps up with 997s at autocross, can beat them sometimes. At vir when i let a pro driver drive, it was passing 2 or 3 991 GT3s, likely beginners but the point is largely driver > car. Drive your favorite, dont care about horsepower, race cars use classes anyway.
ill never sell this cayman. If I buy a 911 its more likely to be an old cup car, and the cayman goes nowhere. Im still 110% satisfied with the 981 2.7 cayman, power and all, x73 and pse, 4 years later. And good value, get to keep the dollar difference (halfish?) for business and investments.
But that is just me. Yes pdk is faster (well only due to gearing, barely from upshifts), all wheel drive works in the snow, caymans arent real porsches, "next time youll get a 911?". The point is just buy your favorite model, transmission, options...and in this respect, dont care about anyone other than yourself. Get whatever will make you want to keep it forever, if thats a 992 or targa4 or touring or 718 with sport chrono then get it.
You can really hear the excitement in your description of your Cayman.
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09-01-2020 | 11:14 AM
#55
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If I could have both a 991 and 718 I'd do it. Was at the dealer yesterday and looking at the GT4 while waiting. I even looked into the used 981s last night!
Last edited by dannyss; 09-01-2020 at 11:18 AM.
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09-01-2020 | 12:19 PM
#57
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IMO you answered your own question already when you wrote this:
"I've taken all these on test drives, and just didn't fall in love with the 911s the way I did with the Caymans."
If you love the Cayman, buy a Cayman. Otherwise you're going to be asking yourself 'what if' every time you drive the 911. The cars you've stumbled upon may have moved fast, but if you're looking nationally there are a million places to buy one. I regularly see Caymans on CarMax, Carvana, here on Rennlist, planet9, 6speedonline, autotempest, in Panorama magazine, bringatrailer.com, pcarmarket.com, etc. Know what you really want and have the money ready to grab it when you see it. Good luck!
"I've taken all these on test drives, and just didn't fall in love with the 911s the way I did with the Caymans."
If you love the Cayman, buy a Cayman. Otherwise you're going to be asking yourself 'what if' every time you drive the 911. The cars you've stumbled upon may have moved fast, but if you're looking nationally there are a million places to buy one. I regularly see Caymans on CarMax, Carvana, here on Rennlist, planet9, 6speedonline, autotempest, in Panorama magazine, bringatrailer.com, pcarmarket.com, etc. Know what you really want and have the money ready to grab it when you see it. Good luck!
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09-01-2020 | 01:12 PM
#59
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im 6’3”. Already been in the cayman and barely fit. I mean barely, but comfortably. Seat is touching the firewall and only have about 1” of headroom. Not going to be able to have a helmet on in there.
will have another person sometimes. mostly myself.
typical pleasure drive will be an hour or two. I do want to take road trips in the car, which is kinda the point of this car for me. I figured the cayman with the trunk and frunk would be good enough. I’m guessing you’re about to tell me otherwise.
will have another person sometimes. mostly myself.
typical pleasure drive will be an hour or two. I do want to take road trips in the car, which is kinda the point of this car for me. I figured the cayman with the trunk and frunk would be good enough. I’m guessing you’re about to tell me otherwise.
09-01-2020 | 02:11 PM
#60
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