pedsurg

I'm not sure that debate will ever die down. The LSD issue does reinforce the Top Gear - Clarkson viewpoint on the deliberate handicapping or dumbing down of a given car.

It's also not just an issue of the cayman vr 911 either. A LSD exist for our 997; we just can't have it here in the good ole USA.


Jack

willr

Not developing and fitting an LSD wasn't dumbing down the Cayman - it was just Porsche deciding not to bother spending more money, when they could sell most of their output to people who would never need one. Same thing happens with all cars, except perhaps the Veyron or F1.

Now not selling LSD to 997 owners in the US - that's dumbing down...

pedsurg

Willr: With all due respect, it does seems "dumb" to me. This list has previously discussed the availability of LSDs for the boxster. If true, the cost of adaption to the caymen would be trivial, certainly a cost recoverable by "low cost" porsche option packages.

Also, the same thing does not happen in "all cars". This very thread has discussed low cost cars with available LSDs.

Jack
.

soltino

SCP= Sport Chrono Package


tino

willr

Jack,

IMHO the same thing does happen on basically all cars - they are designed to a price point and target customer group. So, many manufacturers fit an LSD - good on them - but I don't believe that any are "the best" that the engineers could do. An LSD might not even be the best way to get the most out of a car at a given price - compare the latest Ford Focus ST with the old RS, for example.

Has anyone actually fitted an LSD to a Boxster, then? And made it work with the latest generation PSM? Quaife advertise their torque-biasing unit, but who has actually bought one? Why don't I see all the after-market tuners selling this? Probably because it's not worth developing for the very limited number of people who would buy it...

pcar964

"why bother making it a real dry sump, most buyers won't care"
"why bother offering an LSD, most buyers won't care"

I understand this kind of thinking from a marketing perspective... however, I thought people bought Porsches because they DIDN'T WANT TO COMPROMISE... Apparently that's the difference between old Pcar buyers and new Pcar buyers. One group expects the best, the other expects "good enough for the majority of buyers"

pedsurg

willr: Fair enough. Any boxster owners out there with LSD installation stories?
Jack

carreracup21

The new Z06 is the same price range as the Cayman. What do you get ?
Dry Sump
505 hp Aluminum V8
LSD
Carbon Fiber body panels
6 Piston brakes

Porsche should offer performance options for the Cayman rather than creating a dumbed down version for all. The carbon brakes are interesting, but God help you when you have to replace them.

STLPCA

Wow, so that must mean the new Z06 has a much lower price than a 997, 997S or GT3 & yet offers your cited package of features unmatched by the Porsches. So, tell me why would any sane person choose a new Porsche over a Z06?

pcar964

Many people, including myself, would pick a Z06 in a split second over a 997, 997S, Cayman S, or Boxster S. The Z06 is simply in a different league performance wise, and sadly, quality wise when talking about the drivetrain. You can't tell me that because the Porsches have better fit and finish interiors than the Z06, that the quality is higher... Have you taken a look at the production of the Z06 engine/drivetrain? The design and materials used are apparently bulletproof. It's basically a C5R engine, which by the way, won LeMans.

The only model that competes is the GT3 imho. It might be a little slower around a track, but it's the only new Porsche model that still offers the quality I expect (except the TT, but that weighs as much as a truck)

willr

pcar964, I'd love an LSD on my Cayman and fewer compromises on newer Porsches, but that would mean Porsche ended up charging quite a lot more for them to keep the profit flowing...

As for the Z06, well we don't have it in the UK, but the C6 got a rather mixed review recently - of course they liked the engine, but chassis/suspension didn't work on our roads. Still, I'd be interested to try one...

BiggerTwin

It doesn't work that well on mine either. 400 or 500 horespower sound great to someone who doesn't have them but if the car gets unstable when you use them what good are they on public roads?

Alan

carreracup21

The point I was making with the Z06 was here is a car without comprimise. Yeah no doubt learning to handle 505 hp would be a challenge, but damn this is a serious machine with all the go fast goodies in a stock package. Hats off to GM for producing this car and keeping it under 100k. Heck, I think the list is only 67k . I love my Porsches , but I find it puzzling why they would not give the Cayman whatever it needed to reach its full potential. It seems the whole point to making a coupe version of the Boxster should have been to create a track rocket. At the very least offer a factory delete lightweight version with a dry sump, close ratio gearbox and a LSD.

Alan C.

Sounds like all the negative types are talking themselves into a Jetta.

As to someone saying parts for the Z06 weren't available, ever try to buy a set of rod bearings for a Boxter? Until recently you had to by a factory refurbished engine.

I'm with Carreracup21, build the best and let the cards fall. It would seem that Porsche could build a Cayman to spank a GT3 if they wanted to. Think of what the factory could do with an extra $30K on the Cayman. Deduct the cost of the Cayman drive train from the GT3. Do the same with the brakes. Put in a lightweight interior and drop the AC and sunroof. Then the Cayman S owners could say look what my car is based on!

Sorry, I forgot, we wouldn't have our refined ride with all the cushy stuff. "Hey Bill look at my Nav System, check out my stereo, feel the leather, how about these cute carbon fiber pieces". Wow Dan, is this the new 350Z?

BiggerTwin

No, I just want to point out that the same applies to the Corvette. The Porsche could use more power and the Corvette could use a better suspension. If the Vette had a few less creaks and a better suspension I probably wouldn't be here right now. I have the trick F55 magnetic selective ride suspension and on a bad section of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway the tires would break traction and the car move a little sideways whether it was in sport or tour. My Audi S4 has a conventional suspension and its tires never lost contact going over the same pavement. Unless you have a propeller and wings, all the horsepower in the world won't help you when your drive wheels lose contact with the pavement. I don't suggest a Jetta, I suggest the best balanced car you can find.

Alan