tincanman99

I was at the Porsche/Audi dealer on Saturday getting the oil changed on the Audi and was playing in the cars.

Forgetting the tiny back seats in the 911 it appears the 911's cockpit is roomier and is airier the Boxster/Cayman? Is it my imagination or no? Particularly in the Cayman it feels a lot lower with a lower windshield than the comparable 911. It feels like the 911 is more upright.

Any opinions?

winkingchef

As a tall person (195cm / 6'5") I can definitively say that I fit great in my 997.1 C4S cabrio and I do NOT fit comfortably in the Boxster or Cayman because I can't get the seat back far enough.

Qualitatively, there seems to be more shoulder/head room in my 911 over the Boxster as well, but I can't say for sure.

It's a bit heartbreaking actually, because I was very set on making a Boxster Spyder my next Porsche.

aj986s

I believe the structural cockpits between the 911 and Boxster/Cayman are fundamentally the same. The difference, as mentioned, is that 911 has more rear-ward seat travel. The mid-engine's bulkhead limits travel, and creates a more confined feel.

FI Flyer

The cockpit in the Cayman seems to offer a bit less legroom than that of my 911. I am six foot tall and in the Cayman my right leg necessarily rested against the edge (padded but not terribly comfortable) of the center console even with the seat all the way back. With the 911's driver's seat all the way back there is a bit more legroom (although even more would not be unwelcome -- but that was not what you asked about.) Of course, pushing the seat all the way back has a very negative effect on the usefulness of the rear seats for anything but luggage and, maybe, baby seats. Finally, both the Cayman and the 911 have excellent ceiling height.

The front trunk of my C4S is noticeably smaller than that of the Cayman due to the AWD. The trunk of the C2 is roughly the same size (maybe exactly the same size.) The rear trunk and over-engine under net storage space of the Cayman are probably as large -- and much more accessible -- than the back seat storage space of the 911. The Cayman also has two semi-useful storage compartments near the rear side windows.

All-in-all, I would say that you are correct that the interior of the 911 (excluding the rear seats) is more spacious and comfortable for someone of my height than that of the Cayman.

alexb76

911 has more room mostly due to rear seats. It is also easier for day to day due to rear seats IMO. Not sure how you can fit a big luggage into Cayman, but you can definitely fit one behind the seats in 911.

winkingchef

OK, so this thread made me curious and I am also a nerd, so I looked it up.

2010 Porsche 911
http://www.carseverything.com/259/20...nce-specs.html
front headroom (inches): 37.8,
front hip room (inches): 53.4,
front leg room (inches): 41.6,
front shoulder room (inches): 51.5

2010 Porsche Boxster
http://www.carseverything.com/259/20...nce-specs.html
front headroom (inches): 38.3,
front hip room (inches): 53.4,
front leg room (inches): 41.6,
front shoulder room (inches): 51.5

At first I thought I got it backwards. (less headroom might be from the sunroof)
I am *SURE* there is more legroom in the 911, but the numbers say otherwise.

alexb76

There's absolutely more leg room in 911, those numbers are proably at a reference seat position to equal both. Not only you can move the seat more backward, you can tilt it lower too. I also found LESS headroom in Cayman. You can't compare Coupe vs. Cab (Boxster).

PS. The above data must be an error. MSN Auto says the following for Cayman, it DOES say there's 41.6 legroom for Boxster, but I assume that's incorrect, can't believe there's 8 inches more in Boxster vs. Cayman.

- Front Headroom: 37.80
- Front Legroom: 33.50
- Front Hip room: 53.40
- Front Shoulder room: 51.50

winkingchef

My observations on leg room definitely back you up, but it's interesting to see the numbers stated by Porsche. However, I am starting to think that my other qualitative observations re: shoulder room and headroom may not be so accurate.

I wasn't able to find interior dimensions for the Cayman (except shoulder room which was identical to the Boxster).

alexb76

Weird Porsche website doesn't state any interior numbers. I could only find Cayman numbers from autos.msn.com as I stated, one number is wrong, I assume the 33.50 is correct for both, instead of 41.60.

yemenmocha

911 has INFERIOR headroom, including vs. the Cayman. I'm certain of this in actual sitting. The more you slide back the seat in the 911 for taller people (me), the less headroom there is because of the sloping roof in the 911. The gdamn mandatory sunroof in the 911 doesn't make things better. Cayman has no sunroof, and actually has more headroom for my seating position. Actually it is a critical distinction - my head DOES touch in a 997 coupe. My head does not touch the roof in the Cayman, or a 997 convertible.

911 convertible is different story - thin roof for more headroom when top is up.

Legroom is no comparison. 911 has more legroom.

Nugget

Only when comparing the same seat pitch. However, the rear seat space allows the 911 seats to recline further which yields more headroom if you're comfortable with the more reclined seat position. (some people are, some aren't).

yemenmocha

Well, I kindly disagree. It's an impractical measurement if it formally has more headroom. You should not be seated like a gangsta when driving in a spirited way, especially if you have 6MT. And I don't think that's subjective.

This is what really made me mad when I started looking at coupes - that I had to either recline and drive gangsta style, or I had to be so close that I had no legroom and my shins or knees hit the lower part of the dash under the ignition. Otherwise, my head hits the celing and I'd have to lean left or right, or get a crooked neck.

Nugget

We are all different shapes and sizes and have to find our own comfortable configuration. I think you're indulging in a little bit of hyperbole, though. Adding a little bit of a recline to a seat is a far cry from "sitting like a gangsta." Heck, it's required as soon as you put on a helmet for the track because otherwise the added depth of the helmet pushes you forward and away from the seat back.

When people say they find more headroom in the 911 they're not wrong, they're just accounting for this extra capacity which they enjoy either from necessity or from preference. It's not wrong and it is subjective.

Me? I'm 5'8" 145bs. The entire universe is built exactly for people my height and weight. I blissfully fit everywhere except in a Ford GT. Also, for the record, I hate driving with the seat reclined even a little bit. But that's hardly a universal opinion. Lots of people seem to prefer it.

todd.

No question, the 911 has more legroom. I went from a 997 to a Cayman S back to a 997. I'm 6'2" and was not comfortable with the LEGROOM of the Cayman S.

PHDX2

Can't comment from actual experience, but my sales rep indicated that, for those 6'0" and taller, the Cayman starts to become uncomfortable due to the seating position and layout of the cabin.