Stevie 911

I'm really lovin the new cayman s but was told optioning one out at $91,000 makes no sense. The rave reviews this car receives is based on the bang for the buck being in the $70k price range. After building a 2014 carrera s at $118k I guess I'm asking which makes more sense? Btw, this will be my first Porsche. any opinions will be appreciated.

LonnieR

To the tried and true, Cayman= not a real Porsche, 911=the icon.
It's that simple. From a driving standpoint, the Cayman is probably a better car in that you can get all the performance bells and whistles (like PDCC,PTV,
Sport Chrono, etc.
If this is your first Porsche ( not your first sports car and you have a lot of driving experience) I would go for the Cayman S. If this is truly your first honest to goodness sports car then you would be fine (better than fine) with a base 991.

BTW- You do not have to go to $91K for a Cayman S with all the goodies Leather this and that isn't necessary in that car in this age of space age synthetics that actually wear better than leather. You could easily get a really tricked out Cayman S for $81-85.

Just my .02.

bccars

I got the c2 now. No regrets.

Before I got the boxster instead of the 911 because everyone kept telling it was the better midengined platform and value for money, and I let myself rationalize the 911 from the picture. Always regretted that! Never truly loved that car like I adore my c2 now! Now I just follow my heart and don't listen to the numbers, the midengined rationale and stuff, I just got the car I lusted after.

destaccado

- White looks fantastic with the new Cayman and it's free
- 19's instead of 20's to keep the road noise down (free or ~$300 if you really like the Boxster S version)
- Proper 6-speed gearbox for free
- Full leather Sport Seats "plus" for $800 are a good value; look at what the sports seats do for resale on the 993 and it's nice to have a full-leather seat...
- Bose for $700 and a portable Garmin that's easier to use and update for $100 is a much better use of your money than PCM at over 3k...

- Skip "PDLS"; Bi-xenons are already a no-cost option vs the $1000+ they used to ask for. On top of that if you skip PDLS I'm nearly positive you don't get those ugly warts.

- None of the performance options are really worth the extra money from a value standpoint unless you're always moving between good and bad roadways in which case PASM is nice...otherwise you're probably better off putting that 2k towards PSS10 or something similar when the original wears out.

You can get a nice 6-speed Cayman for ~68k; add a couple froo froo things like the light design package, red belts, etc and still be under 70k with the must-have options.

If you're looking at spending 90+ on a Cayman - you're doing it wrong and you're never going to get a decent return on that investment. ...and if your plan is to spend 90k+ on a PDK-everyday P-car, do yourself a favor and get the much more prestigious and roomy 991.

hf1

If you ever plan to drive your car beyond 6/10 of its abilities -- which is where platforms (mid vs rear engine) start to differentiate and can only be done at the track -- then get the Cayman S. Those levels are more easily explored with the Cayman. If you plan to stay below 5/10 then get whatever car looks better to you or is valued more by the people whose opinion matters to you.

The Cayman/Boxster bargain vs 911 is especially compelling now with the 981/991 platforms. The 981 looks have been much improved and the 981S engine now is the same 3.4L engine found in the base Carrera.

If considering a new S for $120k you may as well go for the new $130k 991 GT3.

LexVan

Buy BOTH!

What I mean is buy this:

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...errerid=130056

You get BOTH the Cayman body with the 991S engine.

SanibelSpeed

When the Ferrari Dino debuted, Ferrari purists decried it as "not a real Ferrari". It turned out to be a much coveted real Ferrari that is highly collectible so disregard those so-called Porsche purists because no one cares what they think, not even Porsche AG.

Secondly, what's the difference between adding $28K in options to a Cayman S and adding at least that much to a base Carrera? If you really want to compare the two cars, configure a base Carrera with $8K in must-have options so that both cars cost the same $92K and then decide which car appeals more to you: the Cayman with all the bells and whistles or the base Carrera with few options.

WCE

The reality is the Cayman S (gotta be the S) is all the Porsche sports car most people will ever need. If the new model was available 18 months ago when I ordered my Carrera, I would be happily driving one along with $20k or so in my pocket!

SanibelSpeed

I totally agree - up to a point: The Cayman is smaller inside and doesn't have the use of the 911's rear seats. I went to buy a Cayman and found the seat too tight for me so that's how I ended up ordering a Carrera S. Both are great cars and it really comes down to personal preference and budget limitations.

JohnnyBahamas

A test drive in both will sort this question out for you just based on power alone.

For me, I'd buy the one with the most power.

Repeating sage advice offered by destaccado... "If you're looking at spending 90+ on a Cayman - you're doing it wrong...."

CarManDSL

The width of the interior and seats are the same in Boxster/Cayman/911.

Perhaps in the show room, one car had the stock Power Sports seats and the other had the Adaptive Sports Seats/Sports Seats Plus seats.

Nicoli35

There is simply nothing like a Porsche 911 Carrera. It's an ownership experience you will never forget or regret, imo.

extanker

90k ???ona cayman??????????????????????snap out of it

LonnieR

It might be telling knowing how many Cayman owners buy PDK vs 991 owners. Along with Ferrari's F-1 and Porsche PDK, I have found that there are alot of "new" owners driving these cars that never would have bought them in the past. They would have opted for some kind of Mercedes "sports car".

Not that I want to turn this thread onto a PDK vs. M7 discussion but going from 0-60 in .1 sec faster does not make it happen for me opting for PDK. I also wonder how many PDK equipted car owners wind up just putting the car in auto and never use the paddles after awhile.

Electrico

I had a 2009 Cayman and now have a 2012 C2S.

1) The Cayman was an awesome car. Loved it.
2) There is no way in hell I'd consider a Cayman/Boxster for $90K. Ridiculous. At that price, a base C2 is faster, and has all the 911 panache that the Cayman, sadly but unequivocally, lacks.
3) I cut my teeth on Porsche in a 914 when I was an 18-year-old kid. I LOVE mid-engine Porsches! My base Cayman 987 was an incredible car. I will likely own a 987 with a 3.8 sometime in the next few years. I plan on reliving my youth as long as they'll let me.

So take it from a guy who strongly is predisposed to love Caymans:

There is the 911, and then there is everything else. Until you own a 911 ... you have not.

"Yeah, I had a Porsche, but it wasn't a 911 ..."

First Porsche and you can afford $90K-plus? No question. 911. Take it from a Cayman lover.