I have been lurking on P9 for the past 2 months and decided that it was time for a formal introduction.
I received my Cayman S in October last year after placing my order in May. What I would have given to know about the existence of the site at the time of thinking about my order, as the site has a wealth of information that would have made the agonising decisions I needed to make (base or S, colour, Bose or Sound package plus, PDK or manual) a lot easier. In the end, I decided on Cararra white, black leather interior, manual, S (hardest decision), Bose, ipod interface and the Cayman II wheels – love them. With hindsight, I may have included the PSE instead of Bose as nothing can compare with the engine soundtrack, however am not unhappy with my choice.
The car is quite simply the best car I have ever driven (I previously drove a Golf, Audi TT and have a Merc C class as a DD) and always leaves a smile on my face after each drive. I have become an addict and can’t wait for my next fix. Yes, I have been driving it like I stole it, life is simply too short. I do believe though that the break-in period is for the driver and realised very quickly that my driving ability does not match that of the cars ability, so will be looking forward to P driving school and driver training with the local P club.
The best things about the car: looks, handling, sound of the engine, the shift from 2nd to 3rd , sheer wow factor and the fact that my golf clubs fit in the trunk! I really think they need to include that snippet into their advertising material. The worst things about the car: cup holders. Really? Is that the best that they could come up with? And that’s about it…
Having the car has made me realise that I am officially OCD. Car care and cleaning is something I have not done in almost 20 years, however do not see my weekly wash as a chore and find it quite therapeutic, much to my neighbours amusement. The detailing forum has been a great source of information, though I’m still finding my feet. The best tip and product I have come across is the Sonax wheel cleaner and waxing your wheels after washing. Went for a very spirited breakfast run this past weekend and my wheels were looking like new after a quick wipe off with a piece of paper towel. :banana:
The car is designed and built to be driven, so intend to do just that. I of course also look forward to spending many more hours on the forum in the future.
Welcome and congratulations on a beautiful car! I've also come to my Cayman from a TT (3.2 S Line) and it is indeed night and day. These are terrific automobiles that beg to be driven to the edge.
You will indeed find a ton of information here and a community of enthusiasts who share your passion.
:cheers:
P.S. Which part of Jo'Burg are you from? The only cool road I know in South Africa is the Chapman's Peak drive (did the Cape Argus a couple of years ago). You've got some spectacular landscapes...
Congrats and welcome. Great looking car
Congrats! It's a beautiful car
Beautiful car! My first one was white and I kind of miss that.
P.S. Which part of Jo'Burg are you from? The only cool road I know in South Africa is the Chapman's Peak drive (did the Cape Argus a couple of years ago). You've got some spectacular landscapes...
I stay in Sandton. Cape Town has some spectacular coastal and mountain roads, which no doubt played a part in the city hosting the international dealer launch of the 991 in December last year. Definitely on the road trip list. I would far rather cruise over Chapmans Peak in my CS than cycle up it
Don't you just love the Carrara White? My 2011 CS is very similar to yours. I really like the look of your wheels. I have the 19"Carrera Sport Wheels with the ten spokes and they are a pain to clean. I also have the PDK which I am really enjoying. Welcome to the forum.
Norm
Classic colour. I think the car looks great with Carrera Sport Wheels too, did consider them, however the option list gets very pricey, very quickly. If the car was my DD, PDK would be the way to go; only heard good things. Launch control and sports plus mode sounds like a blast.
Congratulations and welcome to the addiction!!
The enthousiasm and addiction is well described. The good news is that after a year of owning a Cayman these things do not subside!
Hi All
My Cayman turned 10 and I though that for prosperity, I would do a quick check in and share some of thoughts of the ownership experience to date.
Mods post purchase:
P short shifter
PSE
Both of the above are must haves imo. With hind sight, I wish I had selected the extended leather package to get the leather dash. That said, I was trying to stick within my budget and was new to the Porsche driving experience. interestingly enough, when I ordered my 991.1 GTS, I endeavoured to get the spec 100% right, though should have kept the alcantara steering wheel and gear shift selector.
Problems with the car:
broken gear shift lever which fortunately failed when I was in 1st gear, but was a well known and documented issue
clutch delay switch needed to be replace, easy, cheap fix
the rear bumper gets a lot of soot that seems to seat into the paint. I had someone stall their car into mine and the bumper was replaced by P, though I am not sure if the clear coat was done properly. I am now thinking of getting it ceramic coated, to see if that will minimise the problem.
After 10 years and 33k miles, I still love the car. it has aged gracefully and I still look back at the car after each time I walk away from it and smile seeing it. Yes, the mileage is low, though that is on account of it being a weekend car for the first 3 years and me buying a 911 GTS in 2015, at which point I sold my dd and now alternate between my 2 cars as dailies. I think this is the best lesson that I have learnt. don't leave your car in the garage, get out there and drive it everyday. Unfortunately with Covid, wfh and lockdowns, neither car has been driven as much as they should have been over the last 20 months.
Being fortunate to owning both a 911 and Cayman, I am often asked which car I prefer. the honest answer is that both are fantastic cars. I love the hydraulic steering on the 987, manual and natural balance of the CS. I love the power, sound, rear and mechanical front grip of the the 911 and if forced to choose, people are surprised that it may be the Cayman that gets the top spot.
The future
I have always loved Porsches and my dream 911 was the 964 when growing up. I had the opportunity to buy one before the prices tripled and don't see the value at current prices. I do hope that my Cayman becomes my classic Porsche and plan to keep the car forever.
The new Cayman GT4 RS looks amazing and I am thinking about adding the car to the collection. That is a story for another day and thread.
We have similar tastes in cars. You're garage is already amazing, if you add a new GT4 RS, it will be silly amazing. You might go crazy having to choose what to drive.
