Ruf-Dan-Ruf

I'll wait till RUF turbo's it. Then it'll be cool

Dr. No

Right on. But the guys in marketing couldn't let that happen . . .

kkim

Cayman vs 993... all comes down to which you like more... alligators or turtles.

PedroNole

First, let's applaud Porsche for making a great car. Like it or not, it is worthy of the Porsche crest.

Second, it's a Cayman not a Carrera. I've had guys in Boxter's, older 911's and 996's pull up next to me and, surprisingly, tell me they've always loved the look of the 993.

Third, the 993 has much more "limit" in it than most of us will ever approach at the track. Even with the "old" technology, put more hp/torque in the car and how many of us would even think of trading??

So, here's how I look at it. The design of our 993's is unparralleled. The handling (with a few tweaks) is plenty for even most solo drivers on a DE weekend. The only way to really make our cars truly better from a performance standpoint is to add more hp/torque. Can the Cayman, Boxter, 996 or 997 owner say that?

Instead of getting a Cayman, 996, 997, Boxter S, etc., my next purchase is a supercharger kit. Then, I will truly have the best blend of form and function that Porsche can offer....for me.

DJD

I like the looks and the specs, but lets see how it holds up. Thats the real test!! We all know how well our 993s are built, lets see if the Cayman meets the same standards. I doubt it will.

Marv

Was that really a 997 or a 997S? The S is much faster with PASM.

Marv

Bull

That is really FUNNY. My God man, think about it....had we all been paying attention, we would have seen the 914 as the forerunner of the CGT!

texas911

Yes! Stock for stock, I think the 997 is a better driving/handling car. Now if you want to mod it up that's a different story, heck you can mod a Honda Civic into a race car. Go drive a 997S and tell me its not a good handling car, or dare I say better than the 993.

Don't get me wrong I absolutely love the 993, but to totally discount the newer Porsches as ill handling poser cars, that's just plain wrong.

PedroNole

First, remember that this started out as a Cayman post. However, since I did include the 997, I should have put a caveat in my post. "For the money," are the new cars that much better?

I'm not writing any of the Porsches off as poser cars. I actually said the Cayman was very worthy of the Porsche crest. I'm simply saying except for hp/torque, the 993 is pretty damn hard to beat...especially in the wallet.

texas911

The following are lap times for various P-cars around the N loop of the Nurburgring – most times are by Walter Rohrl, perhaps Porsche’s best known test driver.
What I think is fun is that the 997 times for performance chassis, PASM nl, PASM sport are all listed. The Cayman S time is included for your enjoyment.

7:28 -- Carrera GT, Walther Röhrl, Autobild July 2004
7:32 -- Carrera GT, definitive time by Horst Von Saurma
7:43 -- 996 GT3 RS,Walter Rohrl, MOTOR Magazine
7:46 -- 996 GT2
7:47 -- 996 GT3 RS, 381PS (2004)
7:49 -- 996 GT3 Cup
7:54 -- 996 GT3 (2003)
7:56 -- 996 Turbo
7:59 -- 997S (Performance Chassis) (Walter Rohrl - WHEELS June 2004)
8:02 -- 997S (Sport PASM setting) (Walter Rohrl - WHEELS June 2004)
8:03 -- 996 GT3 (1999)
8:05 -- 997S (Normal PASM setting)(Walter Rohrl - WHEELS June 2004)
8:11 – Cayman S (Rohrl, Autoweek 2005)
8:12 -- 993 Turbo
8:15 -- 997 (Walter Rohrl - WHEELS June 2004)
8:17 -- 996 C2
8:23 -- 996 C4
8:28 -- 993 C 2
8:32 -- Boxster S
8:38 -- 996 Carrera, 296 PS
8:46 -- 993 Carrera S, 285 PS

I think the neat 997 comparison data are
1) In the PASM Sport mode the 997S is only 6 secs slower than 996TT
2) The difference between sport and normal is 3 secs on 997S
3) The performance chassis option is 3 secs faster
4) The Cayman S is 6 sec slower than 997S (normal) and 4 secs faster than 997

DJF1

You said it brother! When I read the specs of the Cayman S the light so to speak went off in my head! Track car, Track car, Track car
I too wont part at least with one of my 993's which is probably my redhead queen for all the reasons all of you guys say... BUT lets face it. The Cayman S providing the engine can take it, its going to be a real track tool. We like it or not our 993's have the short chassis which creates all kinds of interesting behavior on the track. Yes you get a kick out of them when you drive them fast, but sometimes I have yearned for my old 968 and the balanced handling. Dont like the 4 banger music and its a turn off for me, but with 300hp, mid engine flat six coupe, I sincerely believe that the Cayman is the answer for the track to all the shortcomings of our 993's. If they make a lightweight CS version my wife is going to kill me Certainly in D class the Cayman S will be the weapon of choise...

Chris its time to start saving

SCMomentum

My 993 is the pinnacle for me but (on paper) the Cayman is a sharp looking car that fits the traditional mold of Porsche (IMHO better than the Cayenne). I'd love to have both but would never rid myself of my "museum grade artwork" for one.

901aero

I agree my 993 is my last. I think the Cayman is really a great looking car but I already think the 993 is as technologically advanced as it needs to be. Maybe even too much so for my tastes. I have to wonder if most manufacturers continue to "improve" their designs because it's the nature of selling new cars. Drive by wire, now steer by wire and electronic parking brakes are in the works. No thanks.

chris walrod

Every time I start saving, another irresistable group buy appears Dang it anyway..

zoomzoom

To compare the 993 with the Cayman is apples with oranges. The 993, at it's time, was today's 997.

In this regard, one has to think of the 993 as a "911" and realise that it is Porsche's "mass-market" flagship (the CGT is definitely not mass-market, although one could argue that you could never call a Porsche "mass-market"). The critique of the previous gen 911 (996) is that it devalued the Porsche brand given the mass-production and engineering aimed at the shopping mall. People wanted a Porsche coupe, and they had only one choice: the 996.

The Cayman should rectify a lot of the image problems of the 911. The Cayman will probably steal a LOT of sales from the 911 for people who want the latest "Porsche coupe" but would not appreciate what makes the 911 special nor be willing to pay the premium. Diminishing sales of the 997 will probably be more than made up for by the increased sales volume and profit margins of the Cayman.

Result? 911 image gradually restored to it's position as the flagship Porsche as they become rarer sights compared to the lower range model Cayman.

The 993? It will always be a 911.