Driving the Cayman S

I just spent the last two days in Atlanta at the Cayman S ride and drive for Porsche salespeople. This car is incredible. We each got to drive the car for about 40 minutes on the streets andcounty roads around Atlanta. The torque of the engine is very strong. You don't want to take it out of second and third gear. The sound of the exhaust is fabulous. This also keeps you in second and third gear. You want to hear the engine rev. With the added torque Porsche has put taller gears than the Boxster in first and second. And it works beautifully. It pulls hard in all the gears all through the RPM range. The car is very quiet as far as wind noise and tire noise are concerned. And while cruising at normal speeds the exhaust noise is low. We got to drive the car on a track they had set up that was very tight and made the chassis work and it preformed flawlessly. The drivers from The Porsche Driving Experience were our instructors. We got to do a comparison drive in the BMW M3 , the Nissan 350Z, the Mercedes SLK and the new Corvette. In my biased opinion the Caman Skilled all the others. None of the others pulled as hard coming out of the turns and did not come close on braking. Even the Corvette. It felt like the only way to get the power out of the Corvette was to almost abuse it. The engine felt soft when rolling in on the throttle while coming out ofthe corners. The BMW was the closest competition and it didn't stand up in my opinion, and this coming from a former die-hard BMW salesman. I went to this event expecting to drive a Boxster S with aroof and a little more power and came away with a new appreciation for the engineers that design these awesome cars. They always improve every new model just when you think they can't top the previous ones. If you are a driver and a racer this car will touch your soul. I know I sound a little dramatic but the car is that good.

Thanks for the eye-witness account. It's just what we wanted to hear.

Great review, biased or not I will take it all as gospel!! Thanks Russ

Thanks for giving us your impression. Your observations in a few lines are more valuable than pages of magazine articles. Sounds like we've got ourselves a real winner. I intuitively thought this would be true based on my 986 experience, but you can't be sure until you actually see it and drive it. We're getting closer every day!

Wallace, Thanks for confirming exactly what my sources in Atlanta told me, in addition to the Cayman S out-running the 997 and coming close to 997S times at Road Atlanta. Despite what some other 'forums' are saying, what you've said is exactly inline with what my first-hand sources are telling me and shortly what I will witness for myself. Welcome to the site! BTW - Please PM me which dealer you are with if you don't want to announce it publicly.

The wait to see and drive the car in person is getting unbearable with each passing excited feedback we get here! I sincerely hope all of this is true and not just salesman hype.

It's about window sticker

It all can't be hype, and they all can't be wrong so that only leaves us with one conclusion, IT'S TRUE! IT'S TRUE! Russ

I am with Porsche of Hilton Head in South Carolina. Thanks

Sadly, I think BMW has lost its ways - I had such high hopes for the 6series - to me the old 6 are clasics, even to this day look good - what you may call timeless beauty ;-) Out comes the new 6, and all I can say - my god this car is big and ugly. BMW give me a reason to buy one of your cars, but I suspect after driving Cayman there will not be going back !!! Thanks for the Atlanta review - very much in line with what my dealer told me, but I still suspect the Corvette is the best car for the $$ in that group, and is doing very well in road racing - would I want one - sadly for GM - no It is a good car and proper credit should be given to them !

Very much agree with Euroboy about what's become of the 6 series. I think the old 6 still looks good all these years later and the cockpit remains one of the best. BMW seems to be wandering around trying to figure out what kind of car company it wants to be. The old model names and a vague sense of history still inhabits the company psyche, but the desire topromote gee-wiz useless technology along with 'leading edge' but ultimately bizarre styling rules the kingdom. They have also discovered that there is a lot of money to be made by promoting a 'premium brand' regardless of content. Mercedes figured this out a while ago. I gave up my BMW CCA membership after 7 years because it became clear than the BMW enthusiasts were incapable of admitting the unfortunate truth that BMW is sliding toward a German imitation of a Japanese automobile corporation, and doing a bad job of it to boot. Beyond bragging rights, a carshould offer more than high HP figures in order to remain satisfying for more than just 10-15 seconds after the light turns green. Edited by - DaveC on 11/10/2005 11:45:09 AM

"If you are a driver and a racer this car will touch your soul. I know I sound a little dramatic but the car is that good." That's the way I've felt since first seeing it. I'm way past excited, well into obessesion. I'll second Russ' nomination. Go Russ! Ancient Secret to Happiness: Move to Hawaii and go surfing everyday!

Chris,[/quote]<br style="font-weight: bold;" /> Thanks a Million[/quote] for the uplifting words. I am certainly not alone in the excitement department, and I know it! Aloha Russ

Iwas in Atlanta driving the Cayman S last week.....After hearingthe pres & ceo of PCNA (Peter Schwartzenbaure)speak about the Cayman being a 'new car' not a Boxster or911 - his words were confirmedafter my first lap on the Autocross! After the comparo and than the street drive, I was only left with one thing - I wanted more driving time!I have been selling PORSCHE profesionaly for 5 yrs and a PORSCHE nut for 15! And the Cayman is the most fun I have had driving a PORSCHE since my lowered and aligned and chipped 993! I am as excited to drive this car again as you all are for the first time...It is THAT GOOD! and this is no sales pitch, its just one PORSCHE nut to the other.....FYI.. stay in contact with your local dealers, we all will have a car to 'SHOW' for a couple of days only in a few weeks...so stay tuned!

DaveC, Totally agree w/ your comment below. Many have yet to experience driving a porsche... its more than numbers and those first 10-15 seconds after a stoplight turns green. Its the sound, feeling, and control of a well balanced car. I have yet to experience that in any other car, and I've driven BMW's, Mercedes, Corvette's, Vipers. From what I read and hear, the only other car makerthat comes close to having the same feeling of passion for drivingis Ferrari.

I am sooo glad to hear the comments from Atlanta. My excitement is getting to be almost unbearable while I wait for delivery. Just called dealer today to check on build status. He told me that dealer Manager just got back from Atlanta and was totally blown away by his experience with the Cayman S . Said it is his favaorite Porsche!!!!!! Counting the days.....

Yes it does make it all that more exciting when we hear feedback like that. I have been trying to reach the manager of my dealership to get some first hand info, but no luck today. I can hardly wait to see the car in person even if it is not mine! Aloha Russ

Hey guys I am a new member to this great club. My name is Kam and I am from Bahrain (a new member of the Formula 1 ring of events). I was always a diehard BMW fan and previously owned an E46 M3 . I recently booked a Cayman S (seal grey/tarac/manual/19'/sport crono) that will be arriving shortly. The reason I booked the car is from reading all the great reviews. I have a feeling that this car will be great andcan offer much more than just'speed'. I love sporty, nimble cars that give you a feeling others can't provide (good handling, mid-engine experience, a 'sprinter' feeling). Anyway, the reason I am posting this message is that i can't help but think - WHAT IF THE CAR ISN'T ANY BETTER THAN THE M3? Again, I am notan expert on porsches, and would be very thankful if you guys can shed some light on this topic. K-MAN S, can you help? Wallace, youwere a diehard Bimmer salesman. What do you think? BMW E46 M3 vs. CAYMAN S Sorry if you have already discussed this topic before. And if so, where can i find it? Thanks in advance guys! KAM

Welcome Kam, Yes it has been discussed and it was unanimous, Cayman over the M3 . I am not the one to give you the reasons or opinions but I think you will get some soon. My dealer just got back from Atlanta and he was shocked at the amount of power the Cayman produced. He said that the torque just blew him away. The news on the Cayman just keeps getting better. Aloha Russ

MUST ... STAY AWAY ... FROM CAYMAN CLUB ... reading all those posts is not good for my sanity. I don't want to spend my entire waking hours obsessing over a car, and it's slowly happening now /fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/help.gif

My salesman called me yesterday after just getting back from the Cayman driving.......couldn't stop laughing over the phone......couldn't get the smile off his face. Said its the most fun he's had in a long time......this coming from a guy that sells everything Porsche makes. The sounds, that handling, the speed.......all of it fantastic.

My dealer compared the Cayman 's performanceto the Carrera Coupe, except he said the Cayman was more comfortable. He said what surprised him the most was the ride quality, it was great. Aloha Russ

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr id="quote" noshade="noshade" height="1" /> I've watched 986 Boxster S push M3s around the track at Roebeling Road race track. The Cayman Swill run them over. Being mid engine the handling is superior to the M3 . The Cayman is balanced perfectly where the M3 does feel nose heavy to me especially when braking hard in a turn. The M3 does not have the instant acceleration that the Cayman has when coming out of the corners. The M3 feels a little soggy until the RPMs build up. The torque on this new engine is fantastic. Even when you are going 60 in 5th or 6th gear it accelerates strong. And the ride of the Cayman is not harsh like I find the M3 to be. I used to think that the M3 was the best sport coupe on the planet when I was selling them. But I had never had the chance to drive the Porsche. Of course at the BMW ride and drives and product comparisons they would never have a Porsche to compare the BMW with. Now I know why. When I started going to the track while selling BMWs and I would watch the Boxsters push the M3s around the track I assumed the M3 drivers lacked some skill. What I soon found out was what the M3 drivers lacked was a Porsche. You are going to LOVE your new Cayman S !!!!! Hey guys I am a new member to this great club. My name is Kam and I am from Bahrain (a new member of the Formula 1 ring of events). I was always a diehard BMW fan and previously owned an E46 M3 . I recently booked a Cayman S (seal grey/tarac/manual/19'/sport crono) that will be arriving shortly. The reason I booked the car is from reading all the great reviews. I have a feeling that this car will be great andcan offer much more than just'speed'. I love sporty, nimble cars that give you a feeling others can't provide (good handling, mid-engine experience, a 'sprinter' feeling). Anyway, the reason I am posting this message is that i can't help but think - WHAT IF THE CAR ISN'T ANY BETTER THAN THE M3? Again, I am notan expert on porsches, and would be very thankful if you guys can shed some light on this topic. K-MAN S, can you help? Wallace, youwere a diehard Bimmer salesman. What do you think? BMW E46 M3 vs. CAYMAN S Sorry if you have already discussed this topic before. And if so, where can i find it? Thanks in advance guys! KAM <hr id="quote" noshade="noshade" height="1" /></blockquote> Edited by - wallace higginbotham on 11/11/2005 10:31:21 AM

Wallace Thanks for the input. Great source of comfort! /fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/thumbsup.gif <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr id="quote" noshade="noshade" height="1" /> I've watched 986 Boxster S push M3s around the track at Roebeling Road race track. The Cayman Swill run them over. Being mid engine the handling is superior to the M3. The Cayman is balanced perfectly where the M3 does feel nose heavy to me especially when braking hard in a turn. The M3 does not have the instant acceleration that the Cayman has when coming out of the corners. The M3 feels a little soggy until the RPMs build up. The torque on this new engine is fantastic. Even when you are going 60 in 5th or 6th gear it accelerates strong. And the ride of the Cayman is not harsh like I find the M3 to be. I used to think that the M3 was the best sport coupe on the planet when I was selling them. But I had never had the chance to drive the Porsche. Of course at the BMW ride and drives and product comparisons they would never have a Porsche to compare the BMW with. Now I know why. When I started going to the track while selling BMWs and I would watch the Boxsters push the M3s around the track I assumed the M3 drivers lacked some skill. What I soon found out was what the M3 drivers lacked was a Porsche. You are going to LOVE your new Cayman S!!!!! Hey guys I am a new member to this great club. My name is Kam and I am from Bahrain (a new member of the Formula 1 ring of events). I was always a diehard BMW fan and previously owned an E46 M3. I recently booked a Cayman S (seal grey/tarac/manual/19'/sport crono) that will be arriving shortly. The reason I booked the car is from reading all the great reviews. I have a feeling that this car will be great andcan offer much more than just'speed'. I love sporty, nimble cars that give you a feeling others can't provide (good handling, mid-engine experience, a 'sprinter' feeling). Anyway, the reason I am posting this message is that i can't help but think - WHAT IF THE CAR ISN'T ANY BETTER THAN THE M3? Again, I am notan expert on porsches, and would be very thankful if you guys can shed some light on this topic. K-MAN S, can you help? Wallace, youwere a diehard Bimmer salesman. What do you think? BMW E46 M3 vs. CAYMAN S Sorry if you have already discussed this topic before. And if so, where can i find it? Thanks in advance guys! KAM <hr id="quote" noshade="noshade" height="1" /></blockquote>Edited by - wallace higginbotham on 11/11/2005 10:31:21 AM [/quote]

I am spending a couple of days with a 2006 350Z Touring - the drive back home from breakfast brought these impressions of the Z: <ul> [*]Suspension transmits a lot of little motions into the seat of the pants - fairly stiff (not monotubes?) [*]Found the bump stops near the VA hospital on Van Brunt - yikes - big clunk! ;-) [*] not a lot of feedback in the steering - crisp, but not enough info coming back into the hands [*] brake pedal is fairly soft and again not a lot of feedback [*] clutch is stiff and not all that progressive - again a bit numb [*] turn in is OK - but it seemed to understeer a bit [*] VDC is a bit intrusive and the car wants to wag its tail - so you get a power-off slump mid-turn <VBG> [*] interior is well styled but material quality not up to the styling [*] no upper register noise in exhaust note - but it does sound good - great 60 degree V6 sound - add a little metallic whine to it and it would positively sing! [*] front weight bias - understeers more than a bit in the slow stuff ; -) [*]styling is subjective - but the fresh look of the exterior means it will have an 'expiration date' - I prefer styling to be a little more 'timeless' [/list] Edited by - atr_hugo on 11/12/2005 12:04:33 PM

My dealer drove the Cayman as well during the weekand his main comments were: 'This is not a Boxster . This is not a 911 . It's a Cayman , andWOW what a car'. He said the performance and handling is amazing and he'd take the Cayman over a C2 anyday. Interesting point he made was that the rear tailgate opens to 2 positions (mid point &wide). I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!