CAYMAN HAS ME THINKING

For the first time in a long time, seeing the Cayman in person has me debating to sell my black beauty and go for the Cayman. The performance are very close, but the style of the Cayman is simply perfect (for me that is) I really haven't used the rear jump seats in some time now, so the 4 seat factor is out the door . What do you gents think ?

I agree, but I don't think it's worth taking the depreciation hit on your current car. I say keep your car for a few more years and then see what has become of the Cayman. Perhaps we'll see a GT version eventually.

Well, Porsche has stated that a 911 person is a 911 person and the Cayman simply will not take sales away from 911 people. So as tempted as I am and as much as I like the styling (not to mention pricing) I have to walk away from that beautiful car and do what I'm told. Besides my 130lb dog fits in the back seat for week-end getaways.

I am keeping my current 996 when I pick up another car in the spring and my very short list includes the CaymanS. Just need to drive one and see it in person first before I decide. But it does have my attention!

Keeping my 996 for now, but I have to say their preeeety cool.

I too am also seriously considering the Cayman. I do not use the rear seats at all and the versatility of the hatch would be great for my uses. It sounds like you have seen one in person. Is it true what all the magazines indicated�that the car is more aggressive looking in person? I really want to drive one. On paper the performance of the Cayman is very similar to my 996. I just want to drive one to see what the driving dynamics are like. I really like the nimble feeling of my former Boxster but there was something about the 911 dynamics that drew me in for daily driving duties. As much maligned as the rear engine design of the 911 is, it is quite satisfying to get on the accelerator out of corner (something the Boxster lacked). I am not sure whether that feeling was a result of the different weight distributions or the power advantage the 911 has over the Boxster. Hence the reason I want to drive a similar powered car with completely different weight distributions to see how it feels. The Porsche website now has more info regarding the Cayman including torque and HP curves. The torque curve is rather interesting in that it has a dip about 3000 rpm then proceeds up to the peak and this is dead flat through the rest of the rpm range. As for Porsche�s contention that the Cayman will not take away from sales of the 911, I think they are correct. First, the 911 cabs and C4�s make up a large percentage of the 911 sales, and the Cayman does not compete with these. Also figure the S versions of the 911 are significantly more powerful and more expensive and the Turbo and GT3 are not even in the same league performance or price wise. The Base coupe is the only car the Cayman really competes with and there are just too many new 911 buyers that buy for the 911 name and pedigree, not to mention those that actually use the rear seat. Buyers that want the 911 because it is a 911 are not going to care that the Cayman may handle better and be very close to the performance of the Carrera. If any sales will be hurt it will be the Boxster or the Boxster S in my opinion, and Porsche was smart enough to price the Cayman S above both. The Boxster is fantastic car, but there is no denying the fact that some people buy the car because of the Porsche crest and it is cheaper than the 911, and not because it is a great roadster. The used prices of the Cayman will be the interesting thing to watch and its effect or noneffect on the used prices of the 996 and 997. Used buyers are less likely to be buying the car for the latest and greatest and more for what the car is or isn�t.

I just discovered that RUF offers a 997s 3.8 engine as a crate kit for the 987s. Considering how much is shared with the Boxster it would not surprise me to see such a kit for the Cayman. The Cayman chassis with the 3.8 would a wicked NA machine. If only I had the money.

RJMDAD996, you have a gorgeous car with a nice set of mods. The early magazine reviews on the Cayman are pretty much ho-hum saying it's basically the Boxster, and the braking/handling are on par at best. I am with Paul in keeping what you've got. Maybe Porsche will realize the Cayman S is not an S and should be a base model. 15 BFD HP also doesn't turn my crank although I think the mid-engine platform with supposedly 2.5X torsional stiffness over the 987 has the makings of a great car. Ruf has a 3.8L 987, but it's not factory and not cheap either. I think a 2nd generation Cayman with a factory 3.8L (or maybe a 3.6L X51) would switch a lot of Corvette buyers. Porsche just needs to push the 911 further up the price curve by offering highly-advanced TT, 4WD, GT* versions while letting the Boxster/Cayman play at the low end a little harder. This also might appeal to a lot of existing P-car owners where a new 911 is out of budget. Well, that's my hope anyway...

I'm thinking along the same lines. I like what I see. I left my name and phone number with my local Porsche salesperson for a test drive when that little beauty comes in.

Sorry, it's got me thinking to..... Thinking of sticking to what I have "that is"..... Thanks, but no thanks, -Eli

I absolutely LOVE my 996, but I must admit I am avoiding the dealership and will try my hardest to not drive a Cayman. I can see one in my future if it lives up to it's potential, and I am really enjoying the C4cab, so I think avoidance is the best answer.

Jim, You won't like the Cayman.... they ALL come standard with a clear bra! Just Kidding!!

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I too am in love with the design and Idea of the cayman. However after I configured the car on the Porsche website the Cayman S I came up with had an MSRP of $85K your in 997, GT3 and Turbo price range. A skate Cayman at 58K does not do it for me. Give the car a year and pick up a 10-18 month old car and let the other guy take the hit.

I was thinking the same thing until I used the configuator on the Porsche web site. I would rather have a new 997 for almost the same dough.

I'm on the wait list for a CS/RS version if it does come out. While Porsche has denied it (not flatly denied, but in a lawerly manner) inside information has my money on the production of such a car. If it is what I think it'll be, I'll buy the CS/RS version and sell my GT3. I've owned a C2 and a C4S prior to the GT3. . . I'd pick the Cayman over either of those cars purely for the superior chassis and handling balance (boxster handling with GT3 chassis rigidity). . . . just as a track ready CS/RS version over the GT3.

Bob and Sandoval.....couple questions and points to make. First, if you are getting a sticker of $85K on a $58K car then you added a bunch of stuff that is, well, not needed (ie, luxury items). If you added something like PCCB then that is just crazy on a car that already has INCREDIBLE brakes. Still, $27K in options is just plain insane. Second, the argument that "at that price I should just get a 997" doesn't hold any water since you are comparing a $58K car with $27K in options to a $70/80K (nonS/S) car with no options. Are you saying that you would only order options on a Cayman and not a 997, not sure I follow? By that same logic of ordering you have your 997 at roughly $100K and your 997S at $110K or more if you add aerokit and powerkit (another $25K)......Sorry, but that makes no sense....please enlighten us.

Gents, I decided to Keep my Targa and look down the road for the Cayman in the future releases, more power, more everythig...

My point is I would rather have a skate 997 then a fully loaded Cayman... Just like I would rather have a Skate 996 then a fully loaded boxster... just like I would rather have a skate 911 then a fully loaded 914. My items were luxury Xenon's, Full leather, Carbon package, PCCB (Which ok I know are overkill), Thick steering wheel, and some other bits. It was not hard getting to 17K in options without the PCCB. again I would rather have a 997 stripper then a fully loaded Cayman. IMHO

Makes sense. Feel the same way, but wouldn't you "want" all those options as well in the 997? That was my point (that you would be very tempted to order them and then be in the $100K+ range).

Yeah of course i would add options if I am buying a car to my specifications like that I would want it made for me. That's part of the fun of ordering a car. But If I was going to spend $75-85K on a cayman and I was only shopping for a BRAND NEW car, I would buy a base 997 if that was my maximum budget. Also we know from 996 resale options do not add to the resale. I have seen highly upgraded 996's selling for the same price as low optioned cars. If I were to go out and spend $85K on a car today I would buy a GT3 with a couple thousand miles still a new car in my mind.

As always, it's best to not jump on a first generation car, no matter who the manufacturer. Let them work out the kinks for 2 years, then get a killer track car! ymmv, Rob

Okay, I did the math and a 997 with the same options is around 12k more than the Cayman, I stand corrected. A pretty well equipted 997 is 85k and the same options on a Cayman is 72k. It's all a matter of taste, I have driven a 997 and really like everything about it. Some day....

bah -- I'm not jumping on the cayman bandwagon just yet.. got to see that baby in real life good choice with keeping the targa

A base 997 is $12K more than a CaymanS anyway regardless of options....no need to do math with options, just compare the MSRP: CaymanS $58,900 911/997 $71,300 $12,400 difference....ask yourself, is $12K worth 30 more reliable warrantied horses and all that you get with joining the 911 club? HELL YES! Gotta agree with Sandoval on this one.....If my budget was $85 and not a penny more I would go with a low mile GT3 or a base 997 easily over an optioned Cayman.

I am interested to see them on the track. They may become the "pesky 944's" of the new generation. When the original 944's came out the 911 guys had a hard time keeping them at bay. In fact even now, the 944T is quite a force to contend with. For us 996 guys with less HP than the 997S, we may be quite suprised by the Cayman's handling prowess. It should be interesting at the least. The Cayman should be much easier to drive than the 911 platform. My advice is the same as many here. If you are a 911 guy, stick with the 997. If not, wait a couple of years to see what the initial impressions are and then get a former garage queen and flog it on the track!

I really like this car too. When will they be available for sale?

I also love the idea of the Cayman S. If I weren't a die-hard 911 fan, then the Cayman S would be the sports car of my choice. With its styling, heritage, technology, performance, dynamics, and pricing, what's not to like? It embodies all of what Porsche has to offer, except the iconic stature of the 911. Don't take me for a 911 snob, but as a 911 fan for over two-thirds of my life, not only is the legendary model a passion-inducing and soul-stirring ride, it also represents the realization of my life-long dream. It's the very essence of Porsche, and one that has made Porsche what it is today. The 911 will always have a special place in my heart, and were I ever to get a Cayman S, it will only be a complement, never a replacement.

Great write-up! That is exactly the explanation most of us 911'ers would like to say but didn't. As I have said before, if I were to buy the Cayman (or any other car for that matter), the 911 I currently have would stay in my possession never to be sold.

If you look quickly this 911 can look like the Cayman. Or this Cayman looks a lot like a 911... hmmm.

except the Boxster headlights give it away! I guess they (PAG) didn't want to **** off the 911 faithful following with giving the Cayman 911 lights like they did with the pre-facelift 996 getting the 986 lights. That is a debate that still rages. I guess they clearly want to let the 911 crowd know they did not use any of the 911 platform that would cause visual confusion.

Yeah, then you could mod the sh*t out of the 997!

Tim....you are one step ahead of me always! Trust me, I have been through every iteration in my head thinking what a 997/997S/CaymanS/CPO Turbo/CPO GT3 would be like with all the mods I want to do. You know me all too well! AGGGHHHHHHH!!!!! MY head hurts just thinking about it

True, it was one of the reasons I was very anti-Boxster. There was, and is, absolutely nothing wrong with the Boxster, yet I have this unwarranted dislike for the car. Less now that my C4S has such a distinct look from the Boxster, but boy when I had my 2001 C4 I was not a happy camper. I'm also a self admitted 911 nut. The 911 is the car I've wanted since I was 10 years old. It's the car I built models of as a kid. It's the dicast car I had on my desk at work to remind me to work harder than anyone else, so that someday I could own one. So I have this visceral connection with the car that the Boxster encroached on. However, the Cayman is so interesting that the thought of picking one up off of lease in 3 years just for a track use is starting to gnaw at my frontal lobe. hmmmmm... frontal lobe.