Berger Singerman

You are right, the boxster is in a seperate segment, of which it dominates (overall). My son drives an e46 M3, and I wouldn't say they are horrible, but Porsche simply has no substitute when it comes to the most comfortable sporty feel. No, the buyers aren't exactly 'clueless' but, if you're in the market for an M3, the only reason a Boxster should/would be overlooked is because of practicality purposes. Anyhow, I agree that the Caymen will be something interesting and flashier than one would think.

911PSYCHO

Most M3 buyers that I know are quite passionate and knowledgeable - hardly clueless. The M3 is an extremely capable car with an impressive history in motorsport. The people that I know that purchased them did so because the car delivered a driving experience they were looking for and addressed their particular set of needs - practicality, price, whatever.

That said, the Cayman certainly introduces one element missing from the Boxster - a roof. That should help get it on potential M3 buyer's short list – something that I’m sure is of interest to Porsche.

-911PYSCHO-

mooty

"Some of you are way too hung up on power. ... This car is about one thing: handling."

THAT IS RIGHT ON. someone mentioned e46m3. i am sure it is faster then boxster S and/or cayman, but it will not handle anywhere close to box or cayman straight out of the box. and 3400# is very very very heavy. handling = lack of wt. try an elise, a stock elise out handles my moton'd gt3 just about any corner.

nyca

I like it, but not in silver.

nyca

where is the DSG?

wingless

Yes, that compares favorably to the Boxster S, at 2,965 lbs.

When I compare this vehicle to the other model I am considering, the MB SLK 55, these are the differences that are influencing my decision. BTW, the SLK 55 weight is 3,230 lbs. The pricing of these models is equivalent.

The MB electronics user's interface is head-over-heels above that provided by Porsche. Granted, I haven't tried the NAV offered with the Cayman, but this is a big issue to me.

The apparent absence of any sunroof is a minus, for the Cayman. Yes, more weight, up high, but the track time my vehicle will see is on public roads. I always open the sunroof to more air and light when driving.

The horsepower target for my next ride has been in the 350 hp range. The AMG has 362, with 0 - 60 in the sub 5 second range. Porsche is over 5 seconds, with 295 hp.

The MB Roadster feature is not a plus to me. Yes, top down motoring would be nice, but I am not attractive enough for a convertible. Now, my daughter, on the other hand, is another story.

The ability to configure exterior and interior colors on Porsche vehicles, except the Cayenne, is a big plus. The subset of available options that MBUSA offers to US customers restricts the 12 exterior and 11 interior ROW Designo colors to two combinations. They also don't differentiate the pricing between the SLK 350 and the SLK 55, even though the AMG starts with a better interior. Also, MBUSA does not permit US customers to select the Alcantara headliner option, which is a reasonably priced option in ROW vehicles.

The other disappointment I have with Porsche is that, after all this waiting and hype, they have decided to now only make images of the vehicle available. What about more images of the crocodile? Maybe they could include those in the next mailing?

wingless

The other significant factor, for me, is that the MB has a fully integrated telephone system. The dash numeric keypad is fully functional and the phone directory is accessible in several ways. Porsche dropped the ball very hard on this one, for US consumers. ROW drivers have an acceptable solution.

autobahnNY

Porsche figures are always conservative. This car really isn't about 0-60 anyway. The Cayman S is targeted at a totally different consumer base as opposed to the SLK55.

wingless

The 0-60 numbers are just a consistent way of comparing performance.

In what way? The size, weight, cost, seating capacity and performance are very similar.

In my example, these two are in direct competition for my next ride.

Porsh-uh

The double-clutch manual/auto (like Audi's DSG) is said to be coming in about 18 months.


0-60 numbers are not really a consistent way of comparing performance. They are a way of comparing how fast a car goes from a stop to 60 mph. Overall, this is a VERY small segment of performance. Walter Rohl lapped the Nurburgring almost 8 seconds faster than a Boxster S in a Cayman S. That's quite a bit. That measures performance. If the SLK55AMG could get within 10 seconds, I'd buy you lunch. Keep in mind, I am almost as big a Mercedes fan and I am a Porsche guy.

Of course, you are thinking, can you really feel 10 seconds difference on a track? I mean, you'll be driving to work, not on a race track, afterall. You'll feel it alright. With every shift, every application of the brake, every disturbance in the road, every turn, every time you push the accelerator down while your in the powerband.

A car is simply a tool. If you want your tool to deliver you back and forth to work every day and provide some driving fun, a lot of style, some serious go, and lots of looks from the ladies... well, the SLK55AMG is all for you.

If you want a tool to extract every ounce of joy you can get from a focused driving experience, get the Cayman S. It's that simple. The Cayman S is a much more focused car. The SLK55AMG is a fun-in-the-sun boulevard cruiser on steroids.

The Cayman S also happens to be the most beautiful car I have seen in a long time. I know that's all opinion, but I can't stop thinking about how gorgeous that car is. I think my wife is starting to get jealous.

Arkay

I've always found it interesting the emphasis that American auto magazines place the 0-60 numbers when compared to British car magazines like Evo & CAR. It's probably founded on the difference in the historical difference in car cultures between the U.S. and Europeans.

While 0-60 is a scientific measurement for comparing cars at road tests, IMHO I don't think it's very applicable in living day to day with a car. Unless of course drag racing from stop light to stop light is in your blood!

One yardstick that Evo uses that I find much more applicable is the exposure to danger measurement, which measures the time it takes a car to pass a moving articulated lorry (tractor trailer to you and me) at a constant speed (can't remember the speed). This is a better measurement of a real life situation that drivers face on public roads.

Then they take cars on road tests to a controlled environment like the Bedford Autodrome where they can test each car's handling, braking and acceleration characteristics. While a track is not the streets, it provides a more detailed basis for the scientific comparisons between cars. Of course they also take these cars on drives in public roads to Wales and Scotland to provide impressions on extended drives.

Overall, I find their methodologies to be more thorough and provides a more complete, and probably complete, picture than 0-60 tests and a slalom.

As for the SLK55 versus Cayman S argument, I don't really consider them to be equals. The SLK55, as pointed out already, is more luxuriously appointed as expected by MB's customer base and as all AMGs are, they provide gobs of power and really go overboard on over-engined cars like the SL65. The Cayman S provides less in terms of refinements and ammenities, but its raison d'etre is driver enjoyment from the point of feel through the steering wheel and the purity of the drive.

I don't expect many to take an SLK55 to the track and I also don't expect many owners to take a Cayman S for a cruise down Rodeo & Wilshire.

Personally, I think MB has done a superb job reengineering the SLK in its present form over the previous incarnation, a better job than the Z4 effort by BMW (and this coming from a long time BMW owner and enthusiast). It's compact, has power and the sporting characteristics have been turned up by more than a few notches...and it makes one hell of a good looking safety car for the F1 races.

But for my needs and desires, the Cayman S is highly preferred over the SLK55. In fact, while the Cayman S offers an intriguing alternative, I'm actually shopping for a 997S/AM V8 Vantage/Maserati GranSport and no MB product is on my radar screen. However, when my A8L lease is up, I would definitely consider the new S-class (whenever it shows up) because that's a segment that MB does very well...at least in my books.

Palting

Wingless, have you test driven either car? I know there is no Cayman S to test drive, but have you test driven a Boxster S? TheCaymanS/BoxsterS and the SLK55 look very simillar on paper, but they are very different animals. They do and will appeal to two very different consumer bases. They drive different, the drivng ambiance is different, the emotions evoked are different.

It seems you like the SLK55 better based on what you've read and your experience to date compared to the Cayman. I don't like the Cayman. The styling just doesn't appeal to me. It reminds me of a Chrsysler Crossfire too much. If you like the SLK55 better, get it. The SLK55 is a great car. However, to me, the Boxster S is an even greater car. That's why I chose it. I'm in one consumer base, it seems you're in the other. We're both happy .

DonW-Cape Cod

More CaymanS pics

wingless

Yes and no. The dealership does not have an SLK 55, but they do have an SLK 350 and they do have a CLK 55, both of which I’ve driven, one for the vehicle, one for the drive train. No, I have driven the Boxster S yet, but I will soon.


To me, the confusing aspect is all the feedback that these are not competitive vehicles targeting the same market segment. If that is true, what competitive vehicle exists for the Cayman S? If none, is it because there is no equal? There has been lots of good feedback, but for someone who appreciates fine machinery, on the street, not on the track, both look good to me and not just for style, as I like both. And yes, I want VERY good throttle response, which is why I was thinking in the 350 hp range.

It seems reasonable to conclude that a large factor in the quoted track time improvements with the Cayman S are caused by the excellent chassis.

Yes, the chassis on the Cayman S will translate to fun on the street and that factors into the reason for owning a vehicle like this.

The advantages and disadvantages I’ve previously identified still seem appropriate to me.

NC-P-Croc

When I decided to get a dual purpose track car/daily driver, I went for the E46 M3. 6 melted connecting rod bearings later BMW's abysmal customer service chased me right into a Porsche showroom (I changed the M3's oil before EVERY track event, approximate once per month, when I saw the bearings they pulled out I wasn't satisfied with 'you have your new bearings, see ya'. I wanted inspection of the crankshaft and main bearings). I had far more fun driving the C4S that I bought to replace the M3. I know its weight was heavier than a C2 due to front drive gear, I know that it wasn't the 'ideal' drive gear (4wd vs. rwd). It was a blast to drive. I liked the rearward weight balance better than the M3. I have not driven a Boxster on track, so I can't comment but the rotational capability of a mid-engine car is very appealing to me. I'm #1 on a my dealer's Cayman list, I'm currently vacillating between an older classic 911 (to be used as a 2nd car, and the one I've found is so pristine I could probably never take it on track) and the Cayman S as an 'only car' that MAY (I have pretty much given up the track habit) see a track now and then. I would not be interested in the least in a new V8 M3 (i.e. more weight) or any other big powerful Grand Touring-type of car (which to me the 997 is becoming, in addition to a high price that puts it out of my range).