Same model different driving experience?

[neilf]

I've been the very happy owner of a base 2.0 Cayman since November.

Due to an unfortunate incident with a kerb it's currently residing at my local OPC having a scuffed wheel repaired. I've been given another base 2.0 Cayman courtesy car while the repair is done.

The relative specs of both cars are similar i.e. Both 2.0, both on 20" alloys and coincidentally both cars done just over 3,000 miles. Here's the rub... the courtesy car feels waaaaaaaay faster than mine, so much more eager to rev, also lighter steering and more nimble handling. Why?

I appreciate there are some differences:
Mine PDK - CC is manual
Mine PASM - CC standard suspension
Mine 20" Carrera Sports - CC 20" Carrera S

Could it be that the (presumably) harder life of the ex-demo/courtesy car has meant the engine has loosened up a bit earlier than mine or am I missing something?

[ellroy]

Tyres?

[BubblesNW]

Maybe the difference is the gearbox. With a manual you are much more involved with the whole process. I had the same when I bought a car which is now lauded as the best of the breed (known as the unicorn 987) but it bored me so I sold it and am much happier with a manual car.

[Cheib]

Chances are the dealer demo has had a much harder 3000 miles than yours so maybe that's loosened the engine up a bit more?

[Heaveho]

I bought a 2005 3.2 Boxster with 54k miles about 15 months ago, and only owned it for about 2 months before I had to sell it due to a house purchase. It didn't really hit the spot, didn't feel very lively, and I wasn't especially sorry to see it go.

However, 7 months later, I felt I should give the Boxster experience another chance, and bought another 2005 3.2, very similar spec, this time with about 75k miles. Different car. It feels genuinely quick compared to the previous one, and I've gone from indifferent to smitten. No real reason for why two such similar cars should generate such different reactions, but they do feel very different. My new one makes the old one feel like a 2.7. To the point where I contacted the previous owner to enquire if he'd had it remapped. Apparently not.

[DS240]

Only direct example I can give....

Drove a 987 Boxster Spyder showroom car before my own car arrived. Showroom car had PDK, with different (wrong) wheels and seats.

The PDK ruined the car (imo). Had it for a couple of hours but took it back after 20mins. Was worried about my own order but just knew it would be different.

My manual version arrived and it was a totally different experience. Along with the other options chosen, I couldn't believe the difference in how the whole car felt.

It's seems to happen quite often with new cars in the reviews... pick certain spec and you have a totally different car or potentially worse one if not picking the sweet spot in options.

[ikonic]

Does the CC have sport chrono fitted?

I test drove a boxster and cayman 2.0 manuals, one with sport chrono and the other without.

The SC equiped car felt subjectively faster and louder which I think was down to the extra sport plus map.

However, the SC car did have an extra 2k miles on.


Alternatively, maybe you're just experiencing the usual "hire car syndrome"?

[Tim bo]

Different ratios between the 6-speed manual and 7-speed PDK giving rather different perceptions of speed and acceleration would be my guess.

[Sparkyhd]

This is one of the problems with so many option choices, particularly suspension and wheels, because sometimes you can't test drive the combination you think you want.

[bcr5784]

It might well be the turbo - rather than the engine that has yet to be "run in" on your car. I certainly had that sort of experience with a previous Impreza. Mine felt particularly laggy and flat at the bottom end. Took it to the dealer - no change. However as the miles built up it got better and better and felt a different car by the time I sold it.

[chriscoates81]

Don't they also adjust to how they've been driven in terms of responsiveness?

[neilf]

Thanks for the responses. I'm clearly not on my own!

[DJMC]

Try your PDK in manual mode, using the gear lever to change up. I think you may not have been exploiting the revs so much in your PDK whereas in the manual it's easier to leave each gear for longer.

[Porsche911R]

Cheib said:

Chances are the dealer demo has had a much harder 3000 miles than yours so maybe that's loosened the engine up a bit more?

it's this simple imo.

[theRossatron]

Porsche911R said:

it's this simple imo.

I'd say it's way more likely to be the different gearbox. Even if this had theoretically been thrashed for its 3000 miles (is this the way people drive base Caymans on test drives?) - how many more horses would this equate to?

[Porsche911R]

theRossatron said:

I'd say it's way more likely to be the different gearbox. Even if this had theoretically been thrashed for its 3000 miles (is this the way people drive base Caymans on test drives?) - how many more horses would this equate to?

most people get into the PDK and think it's loads faster not the other way round.

[OMV]

neilf said:

I appreciate there are some differences:
Mine PDK - CC is manual
Mine PASM - CC standard suspension
Mine 20" Carrera Sports - CC 20" Carrera S

Hi Neilf, what were you thoughts on the difference PASM made to ride and handling?

[bcr5784]

Porsche911R said:

most people get into the PDK and think it's loads faster not the other way round.

I suspect that depends on the way they drive. Drive a PDK as a "manual" and the PDK is likely to feel faster because of the lower gearing (ignoring the speed of gearchanges). Drive a PDK as an auto in Normal and it may be quite different.

In a manual you will doubtless change gear less than PDK(auto) would. In a manual you might well still be in third at 50mph (in PDK normal you'll likely be in 6th or 7th unless your foot is on the gas). That will have a major impact on your view of responsiveness/performance. Put PDK in Sport+ and the impression might be different again.

[breadvan]

Try as you might, you will never give quite as much mechanical sympathy to a loaner as your own. Add in a bit of placebo effect and that could be your answer.

[LiamH66]

BubblesNW said:

Maybe the difference is the gearbox. With a manual you are much more involved with the whole process. I had the same when I bought a car which is now lauded as the best of the breed (known as the unicorn 987) but it bored me so I sold it and am much happier with a manual car.

I think that might be the winning answer. The PDK is ultimately quicker on the track, but both base and "S" 718 engines respond well to using the same gear across a really wide rev range - 2.5krpm to the redline in the case of the S, and with pretty devastating results. I think that on public roads the new engines suit a manual box really well.

Liam