COS epidemic

Funny series of threads on a Boxster oriented board (though I had thought it was for Porsche enthusiasts and would be Cayman friendly as well). The Road & Track article came out and was very positive about the Cayman Sand had some strong performance tests. Certain folks on that board got bent out of shape. Next comes a Car and Driver article that is positive, but suggests that the premium over the Boxster may not be worth it. Those same folks got all giddy and suggested that this was a much better article than the "horrendous" R&T article. The funny thing is that I have no problem with the Car & Driver article, except they really don't talk about the car very much, mostly about the countryside and history. I'm not getting into board flame wars, I just couldn't resist commenting. It is so funny and kind of embarassing, really. I thought they were joking, but I think they were quite serious. It is hard for some people to handle improvement. It is particularly silly in this case. There are such similarities between the Boxster S and the Cayman S and then such differences that I can't imagine feeling threatened by one versus the other. Do you want a convertible or not? Skip the convertible and you get a little different package and a little better performance. Want a convertible, then you get wind in the hair, a bit less performance (though will feel just as much with the roof down) and save a few bucks.

Gee I drive one and am selling it for the other, I have no COS, I have MBNC (must buy newer car) syndrome! /fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/teeth_smile.gif The analysis you made is one of the reasons why this portal and forum exists. First to be a one-stop shop for all things Cayman and second, to allow for the free expression of ideas and thoughts centered around the Cayman without prejudice and without some of the 'junk' that comes along with being the bastard child on another site focused on another model, even it is a model closely related to the Cayman. There are existing 986 owners who will swear up and down that the 987 is a step back, yet they haven't owned both cars. I have, I've tracked both, worked on both and taken time to get to know both and there is only one conclusion in the end, the 987 is overall a better car. It might not be the best car for a particular individual's needs, wants or desires, but on an objective basis it is a better car and quite honestly 'should' be. Likewise with the Cayman S vs the current 987 Boxster S there are several arguments to be made for the Cayman S being a 'better' car, but since the cars are so similar in many ways it really comes down to what you want, a convertible or a coupe, a 3.2L engine or a 3.4, a stiffer car for the track or an open-top roadster? It's not like there is a 'right' and 'wrong' answer, simply different choices. If I thought for a moment that the Boxster S was superior to the Cayman S for what *I* am looking for I'd keep the Boxster S and pass on the Cayman S. The fact is that right now I don't care whether I drive a convertible or not, maybe after switching back to a coupe I'll miss it, but I doubt I'll miss it enough to want to go back, especially after I get the Cayman S out on the track, which is one of the reasons I want to go the coupe route. Feel free to point out the good, the bad and the ugly about the Cayman or any other car here. I would hope our readers can separate themselves from COS and continue to carry on the insightful discussions that they've been so good at in our first month of existence!

Ibelieve I know the board you are talking about /fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/wink_smile.gifand sad though it may be, we as soon to be Cayman drivers are much better off here. If I got my shorts in a knot when I got a bug splat on my windshield, couldn't figure out how to put air in my tires, or wanted to complain that the cupholder wouldn't quite hold my double chocolate latte 'just' right........I'd hang out there. Thereare much better boards for the true Boxster enthusiast though. I have the utmost respect for the Boxster and many of its drivers........but the fact remains, it is still the lowest rung on the Porsche sports car ladder and some people are just going to have to get over it.

Mark you are so right about this, absolutely on target. I am reminded that the most vulnerable investment some people make is their egos! I owned a 986 and I thought it was a great car. I like the 911 alot, another great car. I like (and have owned) other marques as well. It just so happens that what I had really been looking for in a sports car happens to be the Cayman. I drove a 987S prior to placing my Cayman order and thought it was a terrific car, way improved over my 99 Boxster. I had been away from the internet boards for several years until somebody told me about the Cayman, and while there has been quite good discussion about the Cayman on the Porsche boards, there is a definite undercurrent of hostility from both the Boxster and 911 corners. I think it's a little more than COS, although that's probably true for some. In some ways the Cayman is a watershed for Porsche no matter what they eventually do with it. By keeping the mid-engine platform strictly a roadster it could never have the credentials, the bona fides if you will, of a serious sports/racing car contender. The Cayman, despite Porsche's protests (methinks the lady doth protest too much as Shakespeare said it), establishes a potential direction for future development that probably froths a lot of folks in the other camps. It potentially sidesteps the Boxster and undercuts the 911. Had the Cayman been introduced along with the Boxster there may have been less sour grapes. You don't see the 911 Cab guys grousing about the 911 coupe because they had a choice, the previous Boxster owners didn't, regadless of whether they would have chosen the roadster anyway. It's a good thing we have the Cayman Club to chat with each other without enduring the rant and rancor of the other boards, or waste our time defending our choices. I thought the R&T and C&D reviews were fine for what they are. I really think we are in for a treat!

What is COS? Edited by - BiggerTwin on 09/29/2005 08:30:51 AM

Some people don't like change. We purchase our cars for our needs, the same as they do, we own a 986 S and have a hire 987 S at present, the 987 is a move forward in most areas, but that dosn't make our 986 a poor option. Life it's a funny thing /fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/thumbsup.gifsmile Caymans are coming/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/thumbsup.gif

DaveC hits the issue on the head. Anyone who owns a Porsche is making a big investment in self-image. We believe the careful selection of the make, model and options somehow communicates a lot about who we are - how we wish we were - so these picky distinctions take on great meaning. Back when there were fewer makes to choose between, and when many of those makes had similar design characteristics, and identities were easily blurred, we had to do extensive aftermarket modification in order to assert an individual persona. Today we've got a bewildering array of possibilities. Wouldn't it be easier if we simply recognized and applauded the diversity of our tastes? If we stand back, an objective evaluation would say that any Porsche is a fine car. I don't see much value in trashing one model over another within the line.

Haha, I had exactly the same thought about their comment on the R&T article vs the C&D article. As a 986S owner, I am embarass by the stuff that goes on over there sometimes. I used to enjoy being part of that board, but not now. Let's hope this board continues to be the nice place it is now. But then again it used to be nice over there too. You just can't control the content that goes on a board unfortunately.

COS is Current Owner Syndrome, see an earlier thread on the topic

Way, actually I and any of the moderators here can control what shows up in or remains in the forums and when everyone signs up here they agree to certain terms before being given access to post in the forums. If someone violates those terms they'll get a warning first (could have been an accident) and if they do it again they're subject to being banned. It really comes down to self-policing in most instances, but if things start to get out of hand they will be dealt with and the parties involved informed and they will come to an agreement and move forward. Too often either admins/mods aren't involved at all, so just about anything goes, or admins/mods are over involved with visions of power in their heads and deleting messages and/or users at a whim. The key is to have an effective, open and honest policy and to treat users with respect. As long as that happens here, there shouldn't be any problems. We seem to be off to a terrific start so I'd say so far so good, let's keep moving forward and hopefully the future takes care of itself! Besides I expect once we get our cars we'll be out driving, not posting...

You guys are right about the COS. I experienced that when I had a 986 (from 996 guys) then bought a 996 and got it from everyone. The people that complain the most are the ones really wanting the car, but can't afford it, or have buyer remorse and cannot stand someone having something 'better' than them. They have to make excuses.Heck, I can not stand 996/997 cabs.... do you see me complaining about them to the whole world on the internet? No, I just do not talk about them because I know some people really like them. It's just a personal thing

It's all so childish. I wanted a 986S since it came out in 2000, but I was 21 and in college. I had the chance to buy aused one in 2003, but decided it was too inpractical and got my 330i (perf pkg) instead. So much time passed that the 987S came out. And I want one still. Because I am trying to make sound financial decisions I am going to wait a couple more years before I get one (got married, bought a house, etc). Now Porsche throws me a curve and releases the Cayman S . Decisions, decisions. Roadsteror coupe? It doesn't make one better than the other. They're different cars. It's a matter of what you want. I do think Porsche has offered enough on the Cayman S (performance-wise) to justify the extra 4K (remember when we thought it would be 10K or more?). MY decision will likely be based on what I can convince my wife to get as a 3rd car. If I can magically persuade her to think an Elise (a roadster)would make a good 3rd car, then Cayman it is. If we end up getting a MINI or keep the 330i as the 3rd car, I may want a roadster. I'm not sure. As you can see, my decision has nothing to do with ego or image. I havea couple of years to decide. Of course, a club sport or RS Cayman, priced right, would make the decision for me.

It's funny when you think about it. The Boxster people needed their own board because they are shunned by the mainstream Porsche boards as 'not real Porsches because it isn't a 911.' So they start their own board and do exactly the same thing to others that 911 owners do to them. Having never owned a Porsche, but having been part of online car communities for over 10 years Porsche boards are notoriously some of the worst fanboy boards. You are dealing with people with more $$ and bigger egos. Hopefully with effective moderating this won't happen here and we can maintain a friendly and open environment for Cayman owners and car enthusiasts of all kinds.

Hey, how about posting a link to the subject matter we're discussing? I enjoy a good pissing match every now and then!/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/wink_smile.gif

I don't have a link, but please do not bring any of that stuff from over there to here, we don't want or need it.

Agree. This is interesting to discuss in a general sense, but this is all for fun and a board war just isn't fun in my mind.

Not interested in starting a board war, just interested in what it is that you are posting about. I guess I'll have to speculate as to the source.

I guess I'm just having trouble understanding how you can apply COS to the Cayman, since nobody (other than Porsche, I imagine) currently owns one. Isn't it plain old model bashing? Not really COS is it?

Ghost rider, I think the COS was refering to some of the Boxster owners on the other board and the future Cayman owners here.

I am and have been a member/particpant of a Boxster board for the past5 years and I have seen negative comments from some boarders everytime a mod/improvement has ocurred on the Boxster.Whether it be a change ininterior, change in roof(plastic/glass window), color of light lenses, front air intakes, performance 986 to 987. So don't let it upset you, everyone is entitled to their view. I can assure you it will happen on this board as wellasthe Cayman goes through it's life chages.

Brian, I am sure you are right!

Let's hope we never degenerate into the intricacies of cup holder placement as a troublesome new feature... /fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/teeth_smile.gif

There's a certain inevitability in all this, associated with the human quality of envy. Every new enhancement to a car model means your own vehicle is just that much more out-of-date. And squeezing a model in between Boxster and 911 therefore puts both those groups out of place. Let's face it, one quality most Porsche owners have is that we're technophiles. Gimme that new tech. We love that extra 2 horsepower or the one extra spoke on the latest aftermarket wheel. I can guarantee that when next year's Cayman S has something extra on it, I, for one, will cringe. Anyway, that's most of what we see in all these other board flamings - simple envy.

Usually it is envy, or sour grapes. However, there are a few instances where what some call COS is simply a subjective preference for a particular model. As an example, when comparing a 911 3.2 Carrera to a 964, the 964 is a faster, more advanced, technologically superior car. But to my eye the bumpers look heavy and ugly when compared to the 3.2 Carrera or the 964's successor, the 993. Some of those 986 owners may legitimately feel the same way about the 987, and it may not be an expression of COS. I can't figure how this relates to Cayman bashing, since the Cayman is a new model. I did take a look at the comments regarding the R&T article on another board (100% Boxster content) and the only negative reaction that I observed was negative toward the author (Patrick Hong)and his writing style. That's author bashing, not car bashing.