Now that's funny.

I'm not a huge fan of the new fog light design, but I'll reserve judgement on the car until I get a chance to drive one.

 

i hear what everyone is saying here (i think) and both sides are correct because although there are some plastic parts in the interior of the 993 (a lot of them) it does not *feel* (or smell) like the generic modern (plastic) japanese interior you get in a honda/mazda/toyota (not that there is anything wrong with them). there is no mistaking the 993's interior for that of a honda accord. now, the newer porsche's do have an interior that is a lot more japanese and i think that is the point that some are trying to make.

 

Owning an aircooled Porsche isn't really a stepping stone for me personally, it is the only car I've ever liked since I can remember. When I brought my first 993 C4 to the dealer for the harness recall they gave me a brand new Boxster S TIP loaner.
The boxster is a car I would never consider for myself or even my S O, but I drove it off the lot with the intention of railing it HARD. That I did, taking it on a local romp over Mt Tamalpais here in Marin, anmazing and challenging drive at speed. I pegged it in second and kept the RPM around 6K for the romp. The car handled brilliantly, only once was I able to pry it loose in the twisties. I know the mid engine cars are a better design that Porsche has detuned for obvious reasons. The Gayman is most likely a ripper, but alas like the Boxters, it lacks the lines, smells, sounds...soul of what a Porsche is to me. for now...

 

There are really only two choices:
1. Porsche makes the Boxster, 996, Cayenne, 997, Cayman, Panamera, etc...and turns the financial horror that was the 964/993 era into the most profitable car maker in the world.
2. Porsche gets bought up by GM or some other giant

Like it or not, their goal is to make money. If you're going to hate the Cayman, you should be hating the 997 and Boxster too because they all have the same interior, goofy fog lights or not.
The real question for me in the case of the Cayman isn't air vs. water or one plastic over the other but rather what would be the best way for me to spend $58900. I can think of a few other P cars I'd rather have for that kind of cash.
That said, you should really hear a Cayman before you decide you hate it. It's pretty mean.
c

 

with regard to plastics. i know japanese cars are full of plastics. but i rather have the plastic int of a miata than any porsche plastic (pre or post 993). have you seen the interior of 200k miles beat to **** miatas? parked outside, rain and wet, rats infested and all. the dash doesn't crack like porsches do.

ok, off the plastic subject.

i know cayman at 60-70k may be over priced, and as chris m said that for the money, there are lots of other porsches he would rather buy. but note that the comparison isn't valid (not direct to your chris, but to most porschepiles). you are comparing a new car agains the price of a depreicated car. if 993 are available new today, it would be about 150k to bring it to market (labor and all, acoording to several porsche insiders). now, some of us may still feel 993 is better than 996, box, cay or even gt3 blah blah, but how many of you are really willing to cough up 150k to buy a new 993?


the forward edge door end caps, for example.

Not saying that no one else's opnion matters, but I think that someone who actually owns both and has lived with both has great crediblity in being able to fairly and objectively assess both.
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LOL, you are shrewd. the front edge door end cap, i know exactly what you are talking about. how about the thing you pull to open the engine lid and the fuel filler door. those are real cheap hard brittle plastics. the hinge on the fuel filler door is crap. the door strap stop is a joke. now to be fair, the rubbering grommet that surrounds the door hinge in 996 997 are weaker the the tissue i blow my nose with. the plastic on the turn signal switch is beyond hope.

i have owned a lot of p cars. 911. 964, 928 993 996 987 c7s. you know, they are all good in different areas and they all feel different. some may like one more than other. that's great to have choices. i can tell you how each of them feel, drive, smell, how easy to do oil changes on, the prob each model has blah blah, but i rahter just enjoy the drive ;-)

conversely, hold the price of 993 at today's value, a 10 years old 993 is about 30k or so. move foward to 2016, a cayman may be 10k. now compare a 10 yrs car agaisnt a 10 yr old car. 30k vs 10k. is 993 really that cheap and bang for the bux? is cayman really overpriced? i dont know. just food for thought.

 

How many of you being so mean have actually driven the Caymen?
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LOL, that's why it's so fun here.
i drove and own one.
i am not going to give up my GT3, oops, i actaully sold it by mistake (sold twice)... buying a 3rd one.
maybe this time i will get the color right :-)

pcar 964 isn't all that mean. i think he's agreeing that the newer cars are BETTER by objective performance std. but they often lack the feel/personalities of 993 964 911 so forth. i like to add my opionion in that the newer cars do not lack personalities, they just have a different one and drive differently. for example, an accomplished driver can go very fast in early short wheel base 911's by drving sideways. today, no one drives 993GT3 sideways expect to finish well. i drive my gt3 with a serious attitude. but i drive my cayman sideways a lot. it's contrallable and different fun. try to do that with any modern 911 (964 and later). you should call the amublance first. see different personalities and different fun.

 

See, somebody understands me

 

I see what you're saying about new vs. used. New car has zero miles, a warranty, and it's the dealer's problem if something breaks. A $60000 993TT could have any number of problems come up at any time that you'd be out a small fortune to fix.
As far as what to buy for that amount of $, I was assuming that this was the ONLY $58900 you have to spend, which would be the case if it were me, not an extra $58900 to buy a daily driver with. And having not owned all the models you have Mooty, there would some other ones I'd like to have before coming to the Cayman.
I've seen this phenomenon already; there are at least 2 people in our local PCA region that are VERY interested in the Cayman and both have owned all manner of new Porsches since the 70s from the original 911 Turbo to 964 Cup Cars to 993s. These people, like Mooty, are always excited about the next Porsche and are ready to buy when it comes out. I'd say these people are the true purists and have been hearing this "the new model sucks" crap for decades.

c

 

Thanks, John, but it has nothing to do with shrewdness and everything to do with just a tiny bit of common sense and a modicum of rational objectivity (redundant?).

 

whatever they owned at that moment seems to be the best car(s) for them. I have a 993 now and had a boxster S for a while... for me , 993 is the one....that unique driving experience... a car that's very fulfilling for me.

 

Your assessment of the potential future value of used Caypersons is consistent with the "disposable" feel of Porsche's latest entry-level offerings.

 

I think the boxster coupe is overpriced. Decent profit for porsche though.

 

the "disposable" feel of Porsche's latest entry-level offerings.
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not just entry level offerings.
my GT3 feels very disposable to me as well. already gone through two.

 

cayman topics should be "banned" from this forum ...

(i like cayman ... not bad feelings).

However, everytime CAYMAN apears here , is like you mess with the others people mother ....... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yes, let's ban all topics that stir debate.