Why I'm satisfied with 295HP

Since the introduction of the Cayman S there has been a lot of grumbling about the car needing more horsepower, especially for the price. My perspective on this is based on my 4 year experience with a 2.5l 986 (Boxster). My Boxster was a 52 K car (base price was 43K) with 201HP. The engine sounded great above 5000rpm but it needed a lot of work to make the car go. There was never any question that the chasis was state of the art coupled to the preferred mid-engine layout and superb braking. All the talk in those days was about a 280-290HP 'turbo' or some such 'high performance' Boxster that would really let the chasis shine. I drove a 987S recently (prior to placing a CaymanS order) and that car is light years ahead of whatI had. The low end torque, passing acceleration, and engine sound were all superb. I can only expect that the Cayman will be as good or slightly better. The current 987S and CaymanS are notway off the power curve that the early BoxsterandBoxster S were.Someone will undoubtedly drop a GT3 engine in a CaymanS (MkI/MkII, doesn't matter) and I'm sure the car will be a screamer, but I don't think this will make the car any better on a day to day real world driving basis. There will likely be incremental increases in HP for the Cayman as Porsche has done with all its models, but I don't see postponing my order to wait for 305HP or 310HP. At least IMHO the Cayman S, although expensive, represents asurprisingly (for Porsche)complete performance package in all aspects from day 1. I don't think we are going to be disappointed.

I concur, although Porsche detuned the Cayman S because the early motors were turning out ~320hp (remember the old 1999 911 3.4's made 295 hp without vario-ram and restrictive intakes) so coaxing extra HP out of the Cayman with headers, intake, ECU should be pretty easy. Not that it is required, only saying that those who want to do so will be able to.

I wonder if you can get the 320hp with just a ECU reflash. I got my wife's new VW Golf GTI reflashed this morning by an aftermarket tuner, and the result is absolutely stunning! Sure the Cayman is not a turbo car, but if Porsche detuned it via the ECU, then it would not be so difficult afterall.

I concur with DaveC, in fact I would have beenperfectly happy with the 280HP from the Boxster S 3.2, and while the added power/torque will be nice......the cost upgrade still bugs me a bit. Like a lot of people I was expecting a Boxster Coupe in two versions.....a base and 'S'.......but as we have seen we are in for something different......but better in the end run. I used to be a 'mods' guy in the past and had a lot of fun, but now I'm more of the 'keep it bone stock and in pristine condition' type. Found that mods don't always deliver what they promise, cause problems with dealers andwarranties, and almost never make it a more desireable car for someone to buy. So I will most likely keep mine bone and enjoy all theattributes Porsche gave it.......should be one of their best!

Same sentiment from me. We really need to wait until some one other than an auto mag writer- anyone -has driven the proudction car before we start assessing that it needs more juice. Most of the reports we've all seen so far have been based on prototype mules and external observations rather than actual driving experiences. Knowing Porsche, I wouldn't be surprised if 'real' 0-60 times for Cayman are under 5.0 seconds. I just posted a brief report onthe RUF 3.8 L conversion of a Boxster S, and it's $40,000! That's reason to be cautious aboout this kind of thinking.

And the 'detunning' has an upside. The torque curve is basiclly a horizontal line! This thing is gonna pull like tractor...

Also keep in mind that it's not just peak hp numbers that make a car fast. Just as important is the area under the power curve. Now the Cayman may only have 15hp more than a Boxster S but with VarioCam Plus it looks to have a lot more power across the rev range instead of just peak. We shall see.

Dave Right on the money. I already find my 282 hp 993 moves me on the street as fast as sanity permits. Well, maybe somewhat above that if I'm honest. It moves me on the track fast enough to sometimes scare me, especially since my skill limits remain below that of the car. The Cayman S w/less weight & 13 more hp will be faster, not to mention its superior handling. That's plenty fast for me, & I expect many others. My guess - Caymans will be nipping at the tails of bigger HP cars through turns, which is where I have my fun. Any wonder the Cayman matches 'ring lap time w/the 430 hp 993TTS?

DaveC, Good post. I agree with you all the way. My 99 Boxster was disappointing in power compared to my 1991 SHO, but in all other regards my Boxster it is very fun to drive. The front wheel drive of the SHO was horrible. The power of the CaymanS should be plenty me. As for de-tuning, power compared with the BoxsterS, etc, from reading the official Porsche materials that Kman posted a few days ago, the CaymanS is a 911 block, just bored with a shorter stroke to 3.4l rather than 3.6. This they say, makes the stroke shorter and hence a more lively engine. Now, that said and with vario cam PLUS that the BosterS does not have, why are the performance characterstics not more pronounced? I don't know anything about gear ratios. Why does the CaymanS have different ratios for 1st and 2nd gears? (See the Kman Porsche manual.) Is this to get it to 60 mph faster than the BoxsterS? Even not having driven an 05 BoxsterS with 280hp or a CaymanS of course, I sense going from a 201hp to this will be a thrill. What I am more interested in though is if I can tell that the CaymanS as a coupe feels like it handles better than a BoxsterS. I hope this shows up on a test drive it, but it may only be discernible on a track. Bob

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"> <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr noshade="" height="1" id="quote" /> I don't know anything about gear ratios. Why does the CaymanS have different ratios for 1st and 2nd gears <hr noshade="" height="1" id="quote" /></blockquote> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">Actually, the Cayman’s gearing is different than the Boxster S in every gear . Gearing to the wheels is a function of multiplying the transmission AND the final drive (a/k/a 'rear end') ratios. The Cayman has a numerically higher (3.88) final drive than the Boxster S (3.44) which means that all other things being equal w/the Boxster (including transmission gears & engines) it would accelerate faster in every gear, but would have a reduced top speed in each gear. Of course, all other things are not equal. A good car designer tries to match all the drive train components so the gearing maximizes performance as broadly as possible. The Cayman has more torque so even w/1^st & 2^nd gears numerically lower than the Boxster reducing the difference a bit, I expect the Cayman will still dramatically out pull the Boxster all the way through the gears. Comparative 0-speed times will depend on the # of shifts required to that speed since the Cayman driver will be shifting sooner. The difference between the acceleration of a Cayman S & your 201 hp Boxster will be literally a real kick in the rear. I’ve posted all the ratios in another thread. <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">Hope this is clearer than mud /fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/beer2.gif <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"> Edited by - lizardS on 09/25/2005 10:29:38 AM

ecu tuning NA engine is expensive and not much ROI. exhaust and cold air intake will bring you the most. i dont trust air filters other than stock though- they let in too much dirt. the way to go in my opinion is to remove 500-700 lbs of wieght. therefore- dont order any options. buy forged wheels and brembos. youll achieve this alone in unsprung weight. the beauty of the cayman is its a perfectly balanced racecar.

Hi guys - new to this board... FWIW I think the 295HP is fine, too. I have a 3.4 in my 1999 Boxster, according to the dyno I have 305 HP, and it's outstanding for driving hard, but the extra torque alsomakes it much easier to drive around town. I'm going to wait to see if there will or will not be a clubsport version. Not in hopes of more horse power, but my wish list is as follows: close ratio gears, limited slip rear instead of traction control, factory coil overs instead of PASM and maybe a few pounds lighter. The only technology I really want is ABS, A/C and a kickin' stereo. Cheers

Welcome AlpharettaRK. Even though I agree with nearly all sentiments, let me offermy 2 cents worthcounter point. Power and speed are very relative. The primary ingridient, IMO, is the chassis. If the chassis is well setup, which I never doubt it with a factory Porsche, 295/252 numbers may 'feel' quite inadequate. For example, we had built an STi last year with highly modified suspension, and did not touch the overall chassis, nor the engine. The car despite its very high center of gravity, felt great, very easy to drive by almost any mediocre driver. This year we upped the power by 20% and trq by about 25%. The car, with its 4WD and electronic cntr diff., became so nervous that its overall performance dropped about 2 sces a lap, unless a very experienced driver was on helm. I think power and chassis go hand-in-hand, and if the expectations and first reports about Cayman are true that the chassis can handle significantly more power, then we might 'feel' like we were short-changed and start hunting down tuners damn the costs /fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/teeth_smile.gif

I roadraced motorcycles for several years and that's a very typical story..... add horsepower and go slower! Just too difficult to keep on the bubble, unless you're the world champ!