Cayman X51 Package

Ok, just to stir the pot while I wait for my Croc to cook..... I believe that within 3 years that Porsche will opt for an X51equivalent option for the Cayman S. Not necessarliy an RS version either. The 295 hp will surely increase as the product matures, witness the early 996 296 hp as it grew to 325hp. The car is begging for more power. One easy and reliable X51 type option would result by simply installing the base 3.6 liter 997 engine. A modest improvement in the clutch, brakes and suspension department and Voila, an X51Cayman. No development costs, just pull the additions from the parts bin. Economical and inherently marketable for $10 to $12K more. Still keeps the car under the Carrera S performance threshold and appeals to the more driver oriented Porschephile. I had planned to pay cash for my Cayman but with so much time to muse before my February delivery i may consider leasing for a couple of years and grab what must assuredly come, a hp increase. Of course I also contemplate the aftermarket possibilities for the 3.4 Cayman. Headers, intake and exhaust will really wake up our sleeping little friend. I know, I know, too much time on my hands. I can hardly wait.

That is how they keep selling new cars to us! Modest improvements that we just have to have.

There is no doubt that future Caymans will have more power and other performance improvements over our cars. I am buying this Porsche for its overall goodness and a few more horses or slightly better brakes won't make much of a difference to me. When they hit 0-60 in close to 4 seconds I might be interested in trading 'up'. However, newer 'improved' cars may not feel as good as the ones they replace and may actually be less satisfying to drive. Old air-cooled 911 fans complained about the 996.

Might be the one time I buy a car and have to trade up in a couple of years. If there is more power to be had, sounds like it will be just the ticket in this car.

12K upgrade? Then it seems - appausable. After all, that's roughly the price of a base Carrera.

I have to believe that Porsche expects the Cayman to eat into 911 sales far more than their quoted 5%. I would expect that in a few years we will see the Cayman become what most people think of as the 'standard Porsche', while the 911 is a high-end grand touring machine for the more wealthy. Once that transition really begins, we will see the X51-type upgrades, but we'll also see Porsche drop in larger displacement engines a la 3.8L. What I <u>don't</u> expect is for any of this to be inexpensive./fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/drive.gifThat said, I will bet you right now that 75% of the rabid owners who populate this website will be into a new, higher-perofrmance Cayman by 2008. It's the Porsche formula for being one of the most profitable automobile companies in the world.