Cayman Owners: Why not a Boxster? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

I like riding outside. Why did you choose the Cayman over a Boxster? Cayman's cost more. Please explain.

I planned on buying a Boxster.... My girlfriend beat me to the punch. I then fell in love with the Cayman once I drove it. We have the best of both worlds We bought both Porsches in the matter of 3 days. 2 years later will still argue about which Porsche we are taking when we go out.

Some feedback I have heard; 1) Some just prefer hard tops to soft tops. 2) Reduced road noise. 3) Better visibility vs the Boxster with it's top up. 4) Novelty 5) Aesthetically preferred vs Boxster 6) More HP 7) Better track and safety performance vs a convertible. 8) Drive in less sunny and more wet region. (ex. Seattle, WA) 9) Collectible potential due to lower sales numbers vs Boxster. 10) Some guys think convertibles are feminine.

I'm amazed with how many convertibles and motorcycles there are here in Seattle. I think there are more on a percentage basis than there were in Colorado. Back to the topic: I prefer the chassis rigidity or the Cayman. As stiff as the Boxster is, it's noticeably less so than the Cayman. There are also security benefits in the hard top. My next Porsche, if I replace the Boxster with another Porsche, will be a Cayman, hopefully the R.

Answered by someone who traded in a Boxster for a Cayman: 1) Wife doesn't like convertibles. That is reason enough. 2) We live in a climate where it is either too cold or too hot to use a convertible more than about 2 months a year. 3) All the cr@p they put on the roads here for snow ended up on my Boxster's convertible top during the time I owned it, making it age prematurely. There is no good way to wash your car -- especially to do a deep-clean of the convertible top -- when it is 40 degrees outside. Of course I could have parked the Boxster for 6 months a year, but what good is a car that you have to park for 6 months a year? The Cayman is available to drive almost all year and easier to wash. 4) Caymans don't squeak. My Boxster did. Not bad, probably better than most convertibles -- but it still squeaked. The Cayman is totally solid. 5) I just like the looks of my Cayman better, and I was fortunate to find the exact color I was looking for sitting on the dealer's lot. 6) My 986 Boxster had seats that were too short to protect my head from hitting the roll bar in case of an accident. The 987 doesn't have that problem, but I didn't want another convertible for the reasons stated above. 7) A Cayman may have a higher sticker price than a Boxster but will sell for less when the dealer has 20 Caymans in stock but only a couple of Boxsters.

All boxsters can b ordered with a hardtop when ordering it new I'm sure the option costs less then the premium for a cayman Then u would have the best of both worlds Chris

some five years later and that Cayman front end has still not grown on me. I wish they had incorporated the Cayenne headlights, something that was either more fluid like the 986 or something more aggressive. RS Cayman sounds interesting though...

Most of you blamed it on the wife, well me too. Wife likes the convertible over the hardtop.

I traded an '03 Boxster S for an '08 Cayman S. Hated like hell to pay a premium, but what are you going to do if you want one. The market was a little soft in '08 so I was able to get a pretty good deal to offset that premium. Even though I was very fastidious about the fabric top on the Boxster, it was aging prematurely. Also the weather here in Houston is brutal in the summer and riding with the top down is not very comfortable. I do find the Cayman to be a litttle tighter than the Boxster and a little less noisy. Both cars have been terrific but I prefer the Reptile.

Agreed, I only had it two days, as a loaner for my Boxster service, but I could feel the additional weight of the roof - waaayyyy up there - and the large glass rear window and hatch. I felt like the Cayman was much less nimble and had a definite heavier feel to it. Both are "S" chassis, so no difference there. I was happy to get my Boxster back. I Started down the convertible road becasue wifey and I love to just get in the car and go. Two sets of friends have bikes and told us you just see more on a bike than is possible in a car - you feel more "there" was their description. NO WAY I was gonna get wifey on a bike and when you head down the convertible path it incontrivertably sp?) ends at the ultimate convertible!! When you're an both an old Porsche guy and an old mid-engine racer, there is only ONE Porsche.

Yeah, as another FF guy, I fell in love the first time I got in a Boxster with the top down. It had an good "vibe" with the bulkhead and roll hoop behind me. I actually feel more immersed in the surroundings than I do riding a motorcycle, because I don't have to wear a helmet, jacket, and boots. ( no organ doner here, I won't ride without protective gear ) I need to find a better dealer, the loaner I got was a POS chevy Impala. What a piece of crap!

I went for the Cayman over a 987 Boxster for the looks. The 987 Boxster is beautiful too, but I fell for the Cayman as soon as I saw one in 2005, and finally got one in 2010. I'm going to miss the 986 top-down drives for sure... and might have to do something about it!