LastMezger

Here goes...Cayman R will cook a Carrera on a road course and the 991 has a longer wheelbase and is bigger though maybe not heavier....

So my theory is that Cayman becomes more of the Porsche sports car offering (moving forward and in marketing) while the Carrera becomes a GT to compete with Vantage, 6 Series, etc...ie likely where more cars can be sold to an aging demographic that still has money.

GT3/GT2 etc...are the "super" cars for "enthusiasts" but the 991 is more comfortable/refined than current Carrera.

Discuss, flame, do as you will...

Carcam

I think you got it right. The Cayman R will probably be The track/sports car for the target group and the GT3's for the true serious track guys. The 911's are getting more and more expensive and as their target group ages, a more GT class will probably sell more for those that can afford them. We'll see.

jumper5836

Gearing and hp will always be neutered in this car. They will never allow it to take over the 911 in any way and especially on the race track.
The fact is that a 3.6l 320 hp 996 that weights at least 100-200 lbs more at the time could accelerate at the same rate as the specs say for this car. I thought a lighter similar hp car with today's technology would be much quicker. Proof that the gearing has been neutered.

Scott997

I think Porsche is catching on to just how many track enthusiasts have chosen the cayman platform over the 911 because its mid engine design and lower price tag. At the track this past weekend I saw 3 totally gutted race modified caymans, they are extremely fast when setup properly. It's a much less expensive alternative to a GT3 and Porsche has been kind enough to do the hard work for you already!

George from MD

I agree with the sentiment last posted here and believe more and more "true serious track guys" are opting out of the GT3 platform and looking at the Cayman. I'm one of them. You can get GT3 performance (or better actually) for a lot less money and, quite frankly, driving the Cayman makes me rethink the whole rear engine "thing". It's much easier to drive, far more forgiving and (IMO) just plain more fun.

I dearly love my track car (a 993) but the more I look at the Cayman the more I'm considering getting one as a track car. And while Porsche may seek to neuter the car there are a lot of folks out there who are "de-neutering" it and going faster for less. While I can pick up a nice used 997 GT3 for about the same money as a new Cayman an engine replacement costs four times as much. And I have a new car warranty.

And while I love my 997 too Porsche's habit of making it ever larger, heavier, more luxurious and complex is not endearing me to the model. I have a feeling the 997 GT2/GT3/GTS may become as revered as the 993s currently are- the last of a breed so to speak.

alexb76

Well, with the spy pic of the 911 interior, you might be right. It was Panamera console with dozens of button, and looked more like an Audi! So, unfortunately, you might be correct!

TerpsRED

I'm new to p-cars, but always adored the 911. I moved from a 2 seater sports car because i actually need the rear seats to toss the kids into. Otherwise the Cayman would have been #1 on my list. the 997 I'm in now is base, but is very easy to live with day to day. I'm not a track guy and I appreciate what a mid engine car has to offer. The 911 will always have that little something different. Be it nostalgia, or the jump seats that let's it stand out from the others in the lineup.

I do wish that Porsche would truly put out a Cayman with the engine it deserves.

sin911

I'm afraid of 991 loosing its touch as well. Gentlemen, I think the 911 platform is now growing up and wearing big boy pants... They may just move it into a "GT" class and keep Cayman/Boxster pretty much where it is with 2 seats and small chassis.

They should at least make a Cayman GT with a GT1 block high-revving engine!!!

alexb76

Regardless, they need to do something to Cayman, it's just NOT selling! When I was at Porsche this summer, the Porsche employees could NO LONGER order Cayman as company car!!! The head of Porsche club said that since 911 and Cayman are so closely priced, no one is buying Cayman, and hence company is not providing it as company car anymore!

Alan Smithee

Nothing new there. The 911 has always been a GT car. Porsche's less expensive models have been out-handling it since 1969, from the 914 to the 924/944/968 to the Boxster/Cayman.

Remember that the 928 was originally intended to replace the 911 as the GT car of the line-up. With its demise, the 911 has continued to fill the role.

The reason for slow Cayman sales is that it is awkwardly priced above the Boxster, and very close to the 911, thus making it a hard value proposition (not unlike the 914-6). And, like the 914/924/944/968 models before it, Porsche will likely continue to not fully develop the car to its full potential for customers, for fear of destroying the iconic 911.

cbzzoom

Meh.

It's just the Boxster Spyder treatment for the Cayman, it doesn't reflect any change in Porsche's strategy whatsoever. The Cayman will continue to be neutered, and perhaps most importantly they will keep racing the 911, not the Cayman.

I'll get excited when they release the Cayman 3.8 or the Cayman GT3 or when they enter the Cayman GT3 in Le Mans.

Mspeedster

It will be interesting to see how the Cayman R performs once the car mags get a hold of it. It could be neutered more on paper by Porsche Marketing folks vs. its real world capability. The Boxster Spyder already seems to be a match if not more for the base model 911s. No doubt Porsche could easily engineer the the Cayman/Boxster to out perform the 911, but such is not the model hierarchy.

I'd love the see the basic 911 (non-GT3) get an "R" treatment. Just take a C2S (no powerkit needed), strip off the weight, limit the options, tune up the suspension, add that classic Porsche logo-ed stripe on the sides, and keep the price about the same as a base C2S. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

StanThePorscheFan

No deniying that Cayman is a great track car. But its no 911. The two cars have been compared by numerous publications and 911 always came out on top. And Porsche will always make sure it stays this way.
About this Cayman R(ubish), just another Boxster RS, Spyder, etc sales gimmick. The changes are not radical enough to deserve an R, imo. Maybe an RS at best.

CBnAT

<Flame Suit On>

I really can't catch onto the looks of the Cayman, especially compared to a 911. Something just looks odd to me. I think maybe it is the stretched back window to avoid looking like a baby 911.

texas911

According to the 993 forum, the 997 is already a GT and not a sports car.