Cayman vs. 911 too close for comfort? Automobile

The November issue of Automobile carries a comparison between the Cayman and the 911. They took one of each to the Ring. The final score 911 8:15 - Cayman 8:20 'If you want to know how the Porsche Cayman S really measures up, you have to drive to the Nurburgring and bring along a Porsche 911 Carrera.' 'This is a real Porsche, so distinctive in style and driving performance that it has surprised even the engineers who built it.'

The author drove the Cayman and 911 at the Ring, but the times for both vehicles came from Porsche. So don't consider this a timed comparison on the same day with the same driver, even though Automobile and Porsche might have wanted us to think this.

I really hate when magazines do this......wish they would just give usthe numbers THEY produced. Anotherinterestingfact is that a lot of theCaymans that I see in these articleshave a very mixedbag of options. For this article theCobalt car they show does not havePASM or Sport Chrono.....but does have PCCB. In the article they seem to elude to the fact that the car has all of them. I have seen this a lot in other articles to.......they often list PASM and SC........but many times the car they show testing doesn't have one or the other.......and many times both. I'd give my right arm to see a test between a PASM/SC equippedCayman and a version with neither.....but I have a feeling Porsche would not like the outcome too much as some poeple would probably rethink their option list.

In the same article; 'If you must, you can add active suspension, big wheels and tires, and the Sports Chrono package to the Cayman S and get a car that will lap as fast as a stock 911 S and yet cost less than a stock Carrera.' again, there were no numbers provided to back that claim, but that would be 7 minutes 59 seconds!

The fastest 'Ring lap ever reported for a Cayman (per Porsche directly) was 8.11......that is with all the so called goodies of 19's, PCCB, Sport Chrono, and PASM. There are conflicting reports that a Cayman without some or all of these items did it in 8.14 - 8.20. $11k worth of options for 3-9 seconds. Who knows which option helped the most. Further up in the article we have...... 'We walked into the little building beside the Nordschleife and bought some laps. We put our magnetized tickets into the little toll gate as if we were dealing with some kind of glorified turnpike in Ohio. Porsche must have expected such things, because the Cayman S's options list includes all the same good stuff that the 911 Carrera carries in its high-performance aresenal. Porsche's active ried system (PASM) --which can program the engine and suspension for either a more comfortable ride or more aggressive damping --is an option, as are low-profile nineteen-inch tires and ceramic brakes with 13.8-inch rotors. Then there's the Sport Chrono system, which lets you program engine management and stability control for track driving.' The more I read this article the more flaws I find.......like half the info came from the writer and half from Porsche......then they mixed it all up. Nowhere in the article does it state what options their test car had. What I did like and think is true is the glowing review the non-PASM handling got........reinforcing the fact that you will not need all of the Porsche techno goodies to thoroughly enjoy this car.

RE: PASM 'the Boxster S also gets the Porsche Active Suspension Management system. (For those choosing the base Boxster, PASM will be bundled in a sports package with the six-speed.) The system uses variable-rate dampers to adjust ride stiffness based on a driver’s preference for sporty—or not so sporty—driving. A push of a button activates the system, whereby the body lowers 0.4 inch and sensors measuring body movement, steering angle, lateral acceleration, speed, braking and engine revs feed data to a control unit that determines how much damp is required at each corner, in real time. It’s a trick system, and effective, though we’re not entirely sold. In sport mode the car can stick to the turns at scary-high speeds, but it can be equally punishing over bumps and the like. We prefer to enjoy the car au naturel, with its deliciously neutral handling and perfectly civilized ride. PASM might be better suited for a full-on track car.' The complete review of the Boxster, where this excerpt came from, is available at: http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=101262

RE: More PASM 'The active suspension lowers ride height by 10 mm and uses accelerometers to measure vertical body motion, as computer software monitors steering, lateral acceleration, brakes and throttle. An electronic control unit regulates oil flow through the shocks, increasing and decreasing the damper rates as required. In normal mode, the ride is softer than the 996 suspension, but sport mode stiffens things to the level of the old car’s optional sports suspension. Porsche claims PASM in sport mode slashes five seconds from a 997’s lap of the old Nürburg-ring, and if you plan to drive on racetracks, you will want the sports chrono package, too: Flick a button on the dash and the electronic throttle responds more quickly, and the stability management program allows more yaw before activating. There’s even a lap timer placed on top of the dash, and you can call up your data on the onboard computer screen at any time. It’s a cool gimmick, but it would be better if you didn’t have to manually start and stop the clock via a steering-wheel stalk. For drivers who stick to public roads, we’re torn over PASM. You indeed feel the difference between normal and sport, but our test drive did not convince us the system is desirable —at least not this version. We only drove cars with PASM, but would like to get some seat time with the standard suspension because PASM does not have a setting equivalent to the non-active setup. In sport mode, the suspension feels too stiff—at times even skittish—over bumps, and the normal mode isn’t quite sporty enough. Then again, considering that you must take PASM in order to get the 3.8-liter engine, the choice between cars—cost aside—does not seem quite so clear-cut. Note to Porsche: Add a third PASM setting between normal and sport. Full story at: http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=100430

Very nice.......two articles that pretty much echo my same experiences when test driving both 997 & Boxsters with and without PASM. I would love to see a comparo betweenPASM and non-PASM versions of the Cayman sometime.....or even the 997 or Boxster, sadly I don't think that will ever happen.

Atlas Croc, my salesman made the exact same case you did about PASM. When I finally got to drive each I decided you both are correct. Thanks.

Ian Kuah, excellence November 2005, drove a Cayman S at Malmsheim with 19 inch wheel/tires but no PASM or PCCB. Ian says: 'Our test car doesn't have PASM, the switchable electronic suspension system that provides 987 Boxster so equipped with a taut but supply primary ride whenever the comfort mode is selected. Even so, the ride of the standard suspension is well judged, complimenting the stiff structure with its ability to minimize the effect of short, sharp bumps at low speeds while providing iron-fisted wheel control when you're really driving hard. ...the Cayman S races to the apex of a turn like a giant, closed-top go-kart. Despite truly mammoth grip from the rear tires, there's no lost motion or perceived lateral movement from the rear end, a hard-to-figure glitch we've noticed in the 997 Carreras --particularly when they're equipped with PASM .'