RichAA

Thanks, me too. And at that angle, it's harder to see the allroad-size gaps above them

tomc_mets

Was it Jeremy Clarkson who said driving a Cayman says "I can't afford a 911."
Seriously, drive as many Porsche models as you can, diff trim levels too. They're all great. Your pulse rate will let you know which one is the one for you. Enjoy the hunt. Post pics when you find the one...T

Hurricane

I am sure a Cayman would be a lot of fun. I am obviously partial to the 911 but either would be a lot of fun - test drive both!

Now as far as the cost, consider looking lightly used, perhaps CPO. You can save a ton in early depreciation and won't have to worry (much) about paying for luxury options another owner already paid for. You can find a very nicely loaded 911.1 for much less than a new one.

911 = more power, rear engined, small back seat, lots of heritage, stunning looks
Cayman = mid-engined, cheaper, still has Porsche DNA

I live in Northern Virginia (commute each day to downtown DC) and have PDK and love it. I actually look forward to driving my car on the way home - it is so much fun! If your heart is with a manual, get a manual. PDK is different than any other automatic I have tried, though - it is incredibly fast shifting and actually a joy to manually shift (paddles) - although I rarely do so. I am hard on clutches so PDK was the transmission for me!

I don't have it on my 911.1 S but if I was buying new I would consider it. If you don't track it, will it really matter? You probably wouldn't notice not having it, especially coming from a Saab Turbo.

I don't have it on my 911 S and don't really need it. (While I certainly wouldn't mind having a 4S LOL!). I drive in the rain just fine. For winter weather, I swap on a winter wheel set and drive in the snow. It's a blast to drive in the snow, even with RWD only!

I bought mine lightly used with 18 way seats - the previous owner paid much more than I did LOL and he got to eat the depreciation. If value is important, consider lightly used or even CPO. (Note, I am on the fence about buying new vs CPO so I could go either way on this one. Your dollar will without a doubt go much further on a lightly used or CPO one.

Between those two I would get a used 911 GTS (or even a 911 S). You will get lots of opinions here. I am a fan of having the sport Chrono. I don't have the SPASM (just PASM) and don't miss it. If you don't track you car you probably won't miss it. I do have the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) - you will get lots of different opinions here - but I find that it keeps the car level in corners and really gives a nice ride. Also, if you are on the fence, you will never shift as fast as the PDK will. But if you like manuals, you might not find PDK as engaging.

You will get as many opinions on this as there are people on this forum. I love my NA flat six and I love the sounds but if I was buying new, the turbo (with additional torque, HP) would not bother me in the least. The 991.1 has PSE as an option and it sounds amazing. When it is not turned on the car is very quiet (relatively speaking). I have not heard the 911.2 PSE in person (only videos) but it seems to sound fine from what I have heard. So bottom line, if I was getting used or CPO, I would have not problem with the NA flat six. If I was looking new, I have no objection to the turbo motor.

I'll say that I have no regrets with my car - I have had it for over two years now and love it more than any car I have ever owned. I came from 15 years of driving Corvettes (I had a C5 and a C6, both bought new) but the Porsche experience has been really special. So much fun to drive!

pitt911

you will be happy with either choice. better choice is to try both. Buy used cayman S/GTS and in couple of years buy a used 911 S or the other way around . By avoiding buying new and the big depreciation hit, you can try multiple cars for the same money

TheEngineer

I definitely agree with tomc and the others who recommend driving multiple cars before choosing. I considered both the Cayman and the 911 but felt a little too cramped in the Cayman. On the manual versus PDK front, I was coming from a manual and have always disliked automatic transmissions (and really hate CVT's) due to the "slush box" feel you get from a torque converter. I test drove a PDK and was blown away. So I ended up with a PDK equipped 911.
Besides driving multiple cars, my recommendation is to buy lightly used. These cars tend to be very well cared for, the Porsche CPO program is quite good, and the $ savings are significant. See STG's thread for many examples.

Carsly

I'd consider a low-mileage CPO 911 which gives you back seats for the occasional times you'll want them, phenomenal power and handling and timeless looks (sorry Boxter / Cayman aficionados). The GTS models seem to be a good value and I'd weigh that against a nicely spec'ed C4S. Yes, 4wd does matter - even with traction control - providing that extra margin of safety and awesome wide-body look.

I also live in the NYC burbs and opted for a tip 996TT. I'd offer it's the best value for money available in recent Porsche lineage.

Buteo

I have both a 991 and a GT4. Both are great cars.

The 991 is a magnificent coupe; a rear engine GT imo. We've taken ours on plenty of trips to the mountains and even an 8 hour trip to Omaha. Quite a bit of room, comfy seats, decent mpg and a superb ride.

I know the discussion is focused more on a Cayman GTS/s, but I've always enjoyed the mid engine layout on the track. I know this is personal preference, so I won't go into it too much. But as a track car, the Cayman is a blast. And added plus is that it can be had at a cheaper price. Mods can also be cheaper.

And just for some thought if you think a GT4 would be a good fit, there is a post in the GT4 section of a gentlemen running 7:29 at the ring with minimal mods- I believe none of them being power adders. For reference (because I had to ask) "Sport Auto did 7:32 in GT3 (cup2) and 7:34 in 991.2 S (P-Zero). Supposedly the new P-zeros are really good, but still, if the .2 S was on Cup2s, it might have been faster than the GT3."
__________________

tomc_mets

I drove the base and thought "Not bad". I drove the S, and it was kismet. Had to have an S. This is a multiple choice test with no wrong answer!
T

Stil_1

I think official ring time is 7:25 for the GT3 now, driven by Timo Kluck, the same guy who did the 7:37 991.1 time. I think he's a porsche factory driver though and has a lot of time on the track.

http://fastestlaps.com/models/porsche-911-gt3-991

I am curious what he would get on the GT4 since he seems to get the fastest out of these cars on stock settings. Sport auto could only get 7:44 on the 991.1S as an example. I think there is still more to be had on these cars compared to the sport auto times.

Back to the original thread. I was looking at a Cayman GTS (Would like to have a GT4, but didn't want to pay over msrp at the time) and a 991.1 4S.

Since I would be both tracking and daily driving mine, I tested them both out at a track and at dealership test drives before picking. While the Cayman was really good in the turns and nimble, I found the 911 could get power to the ground earlier in the corner exit than the cayman and felt overall a faster car, unless you plan on autocrossing a lot. I preferred road course tracks.

In the daily driving scenario, the 911 was a more pleasant ride, even with SPASM, it felt more compliant than the Cayman GTS in normal mode. In Sport mode, it was very stiff.

Living here in WA state, we get moderate rain most of the year, and found the 4S to have really good traction even in heavy rain with the Pzeros. I also find the PSM is a lot less intrusive than the traction control on my old M3. PSM will allow your rear end to kick out a bit before bringing things under control. This is in Sport setting, not sure if that has an effect. The M3 would cut power way before you even approached the limit of traction.

PDK vs. MT. Since I daily drive in rush hour every day, PDK made things a lot easier. I also really like the sound of the upshifts in the PDK with PSE/Switchpath on. Sounds very racecarish. The same can be said of the Cayman and it's shifting sound with PSE. The manual box on either car was really nice too when I test drove them, shifts were smooth and easy to switch quickly, both up and downshifting.

For my uses which consisted of Track use and daily driver use, I found the 991.1 4S more to my needs.

Your needs may be different depending on how you intend to use the car.

evergreenbar

Traded last month a '14 Cayman S with 6spd for a '14 Carrera S with PDK. Both were CPO and the warranty on both were/are hard to beat. Due to my aging knee and hip the switch to PDK was a no brainer. These are two very different cars. The Cayman was truly a car you could thrash and the gear box was the best I've ever driven, bar none. IMO it is a true sports car. The C2S
especially with the PDK is more of a GT cruiser. With PSE it is the most fun you can have with your pants on! The previous advice to drive both is excellent advice. I bought the Cayman with a CPO to 10/19 with a $10K discount to build price, but got stupid lucky with the C2S with 11K miles, a $56K discount to build price and a warranty to 6/20 thanks to STG thread-so don't discount CPO.
In any case you will be thrilled with either choice. These are FINE cars. Good Luck.

tgcrun

I'd get a base 991.2 with a manual transmission and limited options. With PSE, 14 way seats and the premium package (it gets you heated seats but is cheaper than just getting heated seats), you can probably negotiate a price in the low 90s. You'll have a great car without a lot of frills. Of course, since no dealer will have one like this in stock you'll have to order it.

Fred2

You need some seat time in the cars. Take some test drives.
I thought I wanted a Cayman, but the cabin felt cramped, and having the engine 6" behind my head was annoying. The 911 felt much bigger/ more comfortable.
Don't rule out a CPO car, as you can drive one for a year, and then trade it in on another if you think that it is not a perfect fit.
I had a PDK car, and now a M/T one. The PDK is great on track, but I kept on driving it as an auto.

Crester

Umm... I drive my 911 daily and it's my only car... so B.S. on your #2 point.

Selo

I can be unbiased as I've had 2 911's, first a 997 base cab, traded for a special ordered 997.2 GTS cab which I sold last November, and I currently have a Cayman GT4.
I think if you're asking the question as to which you should go with, you've got to go with the Carrera. It's an itch you've got to scratch. It's the alter to which all sports car paths lead. If you're already sniffing around, ultimately you're going to need to have the experience.....go ahead and do it now. The Cayman is a great car, especially the GT4, but it's an adjunctive experience to the 911. it doesn't replace it. Once you have the 911 experience under your belt you might choose to stick with it, maybe you'll move on. But it's a necessary part of the education of an enthusiast and you won't regret it.
Like I said, I currently have a GT4 and I truly think it's a long term keeper. But I still consider myself a 911 driver......temporarily without a 911. But there's no doubt in my mind I'll own another before too long.

shake-em-on-down

I've owned both. Love the Cayman but love the 911 more (it's the icon, right?). Is the 911 worth the GBP75k more than my base Cayman cost me - well, no, but if I wanted to save money, I'd have bought a VW compact.