Cayman 2.9 v Cayman 3.4S

[danzltiu]

Guys looking for some info/advice. Changing from manual to PDK for benefit of Mrs Danzltiu.
Just sold my Cayman S 2006 and looking to buy a newer one. Looked at one in a Porsche dealers today and was pretty disappointed but won't go into details.Cant seem to find a good low mileage Cayman S anywhere.
If I go for the 2.9 am I really going to miss the extra 500cc. Don't track the car and mileage is only about 5k per annum.
I will of course get more extras for my money but is that going to offset the reduced horse power?.

All comments welcome. Going to look at a 2.9 PDK tomorrow so let me know your thoughts.
regards
Danzltiu

PS if anyone has a good 'S' they are selling am interested. Cash available.Looking 2010-2012ish.

[Magic919]

Try to drive them both and see what you think. Not sure it matters what anyone else thinks.

[Ryder35]

Magic919 said:

Try to drive them both and see what you think. Not sure it matters what anyone else thinks.

I went from a gen 1 Cayman S manual to a 987.2 Boxster PDK (not directly mind you, there were a few cars in between!) A lot of what I read stated that the 2.9 was not much slower than the original S. All I can say is I loved them both. The only thing to be aware of is the 2.9 needs to be driven enthusiastically, using all the revs or it does feel a bit anemic. Also the PDK in auto has a tendency to drop into 6th at the slightest pressure on the throttle.

[RBT0]

If you want the thrill of extra power, go for S no doubts.

Base engine needs a lot of overrev to enjoy it.

Yes it is tough to use all HP in uk roads, but anyway S is a step forward.

[Richard Hamilton]

I did exactly what you are thinking of doing. From a 2006 Cayman S to a 2012 2.9 PDK (with Mrs H in mind too). Don't regret it for a second, and don't really miss the 30bhp difference. Love the long 7th gear on the motorway, as I always felt the S was revving very high at cruising speed. 0-60 is pretty much the same for both, as is the fun factor. Just my 2p's worth. YMMV.

[Gio G]

My advice OP. If you are easily corrupted by power, don't test drive the S...I had a 2.9 on a manual, lovely car.. Don't think PDK worked well on the 981 2.7, not sure what it would be like on the 2.9, I suspect they are quite rare..

G

[danzltiu]

Thanks for the input guys. Test drove the 2.9 PDK today. Really well spec`ed car. Put the thing in sport plus and it seemed as quick as the `S`. Lovely paintwork Meteor grey nearly 3 years old with just over 13,000 miles.
Loved it so deposit down pick it up on Monday.

[ORD]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

The difference is this, to my senses anyway: the 3.4 is moderately fast in the mid-range (say 2,500-5,000rpm) and tolerable at 2,000rpm; the 2.9 needs about 1,000 more revs in each case.

As much as I love top-end drama, we all spend a lot of time with the tach needle well below 6,000rpm and I want a car that feels fast even when not tearing its nuts off!

fk me, though, what a delicious lump the boxer 6 is - it still makes me smile when I feel how much it gets into it's stride as the revs climb, unlike most V8s and any turbo I have driven.

[Trev450]

danzltiu said:

Thanks for the input guys. Test drove the 2.9 PDK today. Really well spec`ed car. Put the thing in sport plus and it seemed as quick as the `S`. Lovely paintwork Meteor grey nearly 3 years old with just over 13,000 miles.
Loved it so deposit down pick it up on Monday.

Congrats. Make sure you post some pics up when you get it.

[ORD]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I agree completely - if the top end in the 3.4 wasn't pretty good (which it is), I would put up with the puny mid-range in the smaller engine. But there's not a huge sacrifice in the 3.4 and a lot to be said for driving a car that is actually fast rather than just noisy

As much as I hate to say it, I think it would upset me a bit to drive a Cayman that was any slower than mine, as it is not a very fast car even with the 3.4. It is JUST fast enough to push you back in your seat, which is fine for me.

I genuinely think that about 350bhp is probably the sweet spot for a Cayman S. I wouldn't want as much as 400bhp, because the extra mid-range torque would make it harder to rev out on the road, but getting to 350 by maintaining the torque plateau a little bit and lifting the redline would make for a damn sweet engine.

The thing that annoys me most is that the redline is relatively low. 7,8000 would be so much better (with the gears shortened, ideally, so that you could get there are the same or lower speeds).

[RBT0]

Today was thinking about this topic, driving my GTS back home. Do I need all this power on every day use? No, definitely not.

But during weekends...absolutely yes. It feels so special, high torque plus high revving it's the perfect combo.