Benjamin Choi

yea not sure what these dudes are smoking here, but the cayman S is just as fast as an n/a carrera is it not?

it's a fantastic car that drives well, but it's problem is it's not a 911. sad to say, but hey heritage counts in this toy/luxury material game.

JimB

It does. That's why I wish they would keep building the 911 as a pimped out sports/GT car and evolve the Cayman into a ***** out, stripped down pure sports car. I think there is room for both.

shustermeister

I may have had that same loaner from Hendrick, too. The handling of the car and the interior design is top notch, but it didn't feel like all 295hp were there. My C4S with 320hp and much more weight seemed to have much more "go" than a 25hp difference would indicate. Maybe the torque difference made it feel that way, but it just didn't jazz me on the street like I thought it would. On the track, probably a much different story and I might like it more than the 996. Haven't had that opportunity yet, though.

Porsche_Smile

not driven one... but would like too.....

arenared

One problem is the first two gears are taller "on purpose".

rleeq

Check out the December issue of Car and Driver. It has an article about a Cayman conversion that includes a 3.8 liter engine upgrade. It pushed the cost the TT level but not the performance.

Steven C.

I didn't care for it. Too small and cramped feeling for me. Had the normal slow version which didn't excite either.

GreggT

You are kidding right?
It's just individual opins of course.......but I think the CaymanS is a hoot......if I had room in my garage for another Pcar, it would be there.
Too small?.........I'm 6'2".....and it's fine.......too confining?.......hey it's a 'sports car', the 911 has become a GT touring car.
Don't think I'm down on 911.....have 3.
Cayman handles beautifuly........like they say, when approaching that corner, don't brake, just turn.
Need more power?.......I can not remember a car I've had that I couldn't say that.........anyway, keep the RPMs up anf the Cayman is plenty of fun.....just my opin.

UCrazyKid

I am completely serious. I have owned 2 S2000s and they both handle as well or better than the Cayman. Build quality was better, maintenance was cheaper, and the engine didn't run out of breath so quickly as the Cayman. Oh and it's a convertible and again costs $15K less.

GreggT

Must have been just been the car I drove.....dlr demo
Didn't feel tight at all....handled poorly......on hard acceleration, the rear was hopping all over the place.
Like I say, must have just been the car.

arr0gant

Putting an S2000 in the same breath with a Cayman S?
You're totally ****in' hi

tooloud10

The S2k handles as well or BETTER than the mid-engined Cayman? You're nuts.

...and the engine runs out of breath quickly? I'd rather my car ran out of breath than have no breath at all for the first 5k RPM. We are talking about the HONDA roadster, right?

As for the "it's a convertible" comment: Porsche has had a Cayman convertible for years, called the Boxster, so I'm not sure that's an advantage. It sure wouldn't be for me, as the only reason I never owned a Boxster is because it was a convertible.

The MX-5 competes with the S2k. Neither compete with the Cayman.

lanny

I agree- I owned a boxster and actually liked everything about the cayman s better than a 996 but no back seat for my little guy and that won out. I have never felt more connected to a car than the cayman and it was every bit as quick as the 996. When jr is driving his own car I have no doubt that I will get one.

Blackness

I've driven a Cayman S twice. Once as a loaner for a couple of hours while I had new tires put on. And once at RSR3 in the "Test Drive a Cayman" scenario. Both were Tips, and the loaner had less than 200 miles on it so I took it easy in it. But the RSR3 drive was better. The instructor was holding me back a little (mainly telling me to brake way too soon). But when he got in the driver's seat, it was very eye opening.

It's not a 911 and I wouldn't want to swap mine for a Cayman. But it's a hell of a car. I can understand why there is such a debate about Porsche needing to develop it as their racing platform to combat the F430 onslaught. I would certainly love to have one as an addition to my 911.

Barn996

My youngest son arranged for me to test drive a Caymen S for my birthday last summer at the local Porsche dealer. Brand new, low miles, black on black, and I would say it was one of the best cars I have ever driven. The power was well matched, the brakes fantastic, and the overall handling was superb. I could own one in a heartbeat and probably will at some point.