£20k - M3 or Cayman S?

[e21Mark]

walm said:

Can be utterly civilised in 6th 30-XXXmph. Very very relaxing GT-type driving.
However, with the m button pressed and over say 5,000rpm that V8 is a total animal.
This car has two very different sides - more than anything else I have driven!

This.

I know it's cliched but every journey could be memorable, for all the right reasons, if you wanted it to be.

I'm biased though, but good luck whatever your final decision.

[deggles]

Cayman all day long IMO, but then I am biased

CarAbuser said:

The Gen1 Caymans have chocolate engines. Do a quick google search for "IMS bearing failure"

Is this from first hand experience, or just Internet FUD? Genuine question.

I had one for 4 years, the IMS seal was actually replaced as a precaution under warranty when some other work was being done, never had any problems though. For the age of car you'll be looking at I think the consensus is if it was gonna go it would have by now or will have been sorted already.

[CarAbuser]

deggles said:

Is this from first hand experience, or just Internet FUD? Genuine question.

I had one for 4 years, the IMS seal was actually replaced as a precaution under warranty when some other work was being done, never had any problems though. For the age of car you'll be looking at I think the consensus is if it was gonna go it would have by now or will have been sorted already.

I was looking at buying a Cayman S and noticed a huge number of cars for sale needing a new engine.

It may not be a certainty that the engine will blow. But enough have gone to warrant companies to offer IMS replacement kits.

There's also the issue of bore scoring. Which apparently happens on all the engines.

[323ti]

There's a pretty good buying guide on the Cayman right here on PH.
Mk1 chocolate engine? Oh yes.
If it hadn't I would have owned one already.

Personally,Cayman S over any BMW any day, but Mk2 only.

ETA, and the Mk3 over any 911. Just sayin'.

[paulmoonraker]

I had a Cayman S for a year, then sold it for an e92 M3 which I kept for a year.

The Cayman is good fun round the lanes and its a Porsche (which may or may not man anything to you). I guess I found it a bit boring at times, but then I was coming from a loony STi. The M3 is a brute by comparison and more of a laugh, and that engine is simply incredible.

Anyway, I am back in a loony STi now which is boat loads more fun

[Welshbeef]

paulmoonraker said:

I had a Cayman S for a year, then sold it for an e92 M3 which I kept for a year.

The Cayman is good fun round the lanes and its a Porsche (which may or may not man anything to you). I guess I found it a bit boring at times, but then I was coming from a loony STi. The M3 is a brute by comparison and more of a laugh, and that engine is simply incredible.

Anyway, I am back in a loony STi now which is boat loads more fun

Plus you can carry more spoons in the M3 - for bending at a later time

[paulmoonraker]

CarAbuser said:

The Gen1 Caymans have chocolate engines. Do a quick google search for "IMS bearing failure"

I would stretch to a Gen2 or go for an M3. There's no way I could happily drive a car with a £10k time-bomb.

The later engines have an improved IMS. Its bore scoring in the 3.2 that's the issue.

[PompeyPaul]

paulmoonraker said:

I had a Cayman S for a year, then sold it for an e92 M3 which I kept for a year.

The Cayman is good fun round the lanes and its a Porsche (which may or may not man anything to you). I guess I found it a bit boring at times, but then I was coming from a loony STi. The M3 is a brute by comparison and more of a laugh, and that engine is simply incredible.

Anyway, I am back in a loony STi now which is boat loads more fun

I used to have a 2006 WRX STI Prodrive UK which was great fun and obviously rapid. Did you prefer that to either of those then?

[paulmoonraker]

Welshbeef said:

paulmoonraker said:

I had a Cayman S for a year, then sold it for an e92 M3 which I kept for a year.

The Cayman is good fun round the lanes and its a Porsche (which may or may not man anything to you). I guess I found it a bit boring at times, but then I was coming from a loony STi. The M3 is a brute by comparison and more of a laugh, and that engine is simply incredible.

Anyway, I am back in a loony STi now which is boat loads more fun

Plus you can carry more spoons in the M3 - for bending at a later time

Indeed. I often did a few shows to pay for the petrol that the M3 relentlessly drank.

[PompeyPaul]

Tuvra said:

I LOVE the look of these, but over budget around 25k generally I think. May be able to stretch to a 4.2 but not an XKR.

[PompeyPaul]

paulmoonraker said:

Indeed. I often did a few shows to pay for the petrol that the M3 relentlessly drank.

Did you find the M3 considerably more thirsty than the STI?

[paulmoonraker]

PompeyPaul said:

paulmoonraker said:

I had a Cayman S for a year, then sold it for an e92 M3 which I kept for a year.

The Cayman is good fun round the lanes and its a Porsche (which may or may not man anything to you). I guess I found it a bit boring at times, but then I was coming from a loony STi. The M3 is a brute by comparison and more of a laugh, and that engine is simply incredible.

Anyway, I am back in a loony STi now which is boat loads more fun

I used to have a 2006 WRX STI Prodrive UK which was great fun and obviously rapid. Did you prefer that to either of those then?

The porker and M3 were great, and they worked with my job at the time which involved lots of driving. They were fast, comfortable, great if you had a cheeky lane blast at either end of the journey and were respectable looking. I then changed jobs, so could have something that was pure fun and just a weekend toy.

For me the STi with a properly sorted map (and engine in my case), plus a good chassis set-up makes for a ridiculously fast car... And, the most important thing for me - it puts a smile on my face that the German predecessors simply couldn't.

[paulmoonraker]

PompeyPaul said:

paulmoonraker said:

Indeed. I often did a few shows to pay for the petrol that the M3 relentlessly drank.

Did you find the M3 considerably more thirsty than the STI?

I have a scan gauge in my STi which shows an average of 22.5MPG round town (mixed) and 29MPG on the motorway. The on-board computer in the M3 would show 20MPG or less round town (mixed) and it was impossible to crack 24MPG on a run unless you drove at a cruise controlled 60.

So, not a massive difference and if I am honest, not a personal consideration. Incidentally, the Cayman S was better managing 30MPG on a run with relative ease.

[Welshbeef]

Isn't the E60 M5 engine the most spectacular engine more so than M3

[paulmoonraker]

Welshbeef said:

Isn't the E60 M5 engine the most spectacular engine more so than M3

Couldn't comment as I have never driven one. But you cant take it away from that V8 - its epic, truly epic.

[PompeyPaul]

A friend has just thrown the suggestion of a BMW 135 in there - anyone have experience of these?

[irish boy]

PompeyPaul said:

A friend has just thrown the suggestion of a BMW 135 in there - anyone have experience of these?

Had one. Quirky looks with the boot sticking out but very underrated little car. Pull like a train too, very muscular. Won't be just as much fun as either of the others. Great all rounder tho.

[CarAbuser]

PompeyPaul said:

A friend has just thrown the suggestion of a BMW 135 in there - anyone have experience of these?

I was considering the same cars earlier in the year. M3 V8 or Cayman S.

After months of looking for the right Cayman with the correct options (Xenons and PASM mainly) I spotted a Z4 with the 35i engine and a DCT box which had every single option going.

The 135 has the same engine as the 35i Z4 but the Z4 is a higher quality package in general.

As good as the Cayman is it's hard to ignore the Z4 when you consider value for money as a used purchase.
I was looking at a 6 year old Cayman with huge reliability issues and a dated interior (the car doesn't even have an AUX port!!) or a 3yr old Z4 with all the toys and a half the mileage.

I quite like to tinker with my cars so the Z4 had the added bonus of being able to put out 400bhp with a little ECU modification whereas the Cayman had nothing to offer tuning wise.

You seem to have the same criteria as me (no rear seats needed, comfortable enough to use daily, fast and sporty for B roads) so give the Z4 a quick look.

[PompeyPaul]

CarAbuser said:

You seem to have the same criteria as me (no rear seats needed, comfortable enough to use daily, fast and sporty for B roads) so give the Z4 a quick look.

Thanks, will do

[vinnie83]

kambites said:

jonah35 said:

A 997 911 is within budget so that would be my choice.

The Cayman is a better car unless you need back seats.

The Cayman is a more nimble car. By no means is it a full on 'better' car.

I have driven pretty much every version of the 911, Cayman, and Boxster since 2007 (various courtesy cars) and can confidently say the 911 is the 'better' car.

But it is nowhere near as nimble and easy to throw around as the Cayman.

The Cayman looks significantly less impressive, sounds less so, is slower in real world driving. The new Cayman I will retract my comment on the looks, but the Cayman at this budget, IMO, looks very uninteresting.