Tuesday 24th September 2013

My first Porsche: PH Blog

Long weekends are good. Long weekends with a Cayman are exceptionally good, as Matt found out...

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This blog has already been drafted twice as I deliberate on the best way to chronicle my weekend with a Porsche Cayman. It was originally just about the Porsche, then I realised the Toyota GT86 probably needed discussing too; now we have the Alfa 4C, a car that undoubtedly has some relevance when the Cayman is in conversation.

Cayman now has the looks to match its dynamics

So the Bank Holiday (yes, it's been in planning for a while) weekend itinerary was as follows: photography on Friday with the M135i, up the M1 to visit friends in Nottingham, home on Sunday, early morning thrash on Monday and an Ace Cafe meet Monday night. As weekend plans go, it was nearly perfect. Could have done without seeing my mates to be honest.

Given the fundamental shape is very similar, it's rather staggering how much better the 981 looks when compared to the 987. There's some genuine supercar drama and it makes the first-gen car look like a shonky Boxster hard-top conversion from some angles.

To drive, even with electric steering, the Cayman is just so immersive, and that's where I have to mention both the 4C and the GT86. Chris makes a very valid point in his Alfa review about how enjoyable the Porsche can be at low speeds; that flat-six gargle echoes off buildings and you change gear for the fun of it. For those of us not in possession of Revival quality driving skills, that's a real boon and something apparently missing from the Alfa.

See here for a great steering wheel Alfa

Furthermore, and as you will all know, the GT86 is a hoot at lower commitment levels too. Given we spend a lot of our time at less than maximum attack, that's a worthwhile attribute.

But I had no real intention of trundling at 5am on Monday morning. The Cayman had done the 30mpg+ M1 cruise, now was the time to properly enjoy it.

I had sketched out a rough route comprising a squirt down the M23 with a couple of B-roads in Sussex (the B2028 and B2111) highlighted on the map. And the Cayman was spectacular; agile, eager, sonorous, absorbing and more than worth the early start.

However, there was an issue. It may be a bizarre criticism, but the Cayman is just too accomplished for a rookie like myself at higher commitment levels. It goads you into pushing harder and is more than happy doing so; it feels fantastic in fact, but you're travelling at a speed that just isn't sustainable in the UK. Being able to exceed the national speed limit in second probably doesn't help.

'Base' Cayman still hugely alluring

Here's where the GT86 becomes relevant. Even an RWD neophyte can feel at home with it and explore the dynamic envelope to at least some extent. That's hugely rewarding.

The Cayman is a glorious car, don't misunderstand me. But to have a road car that can't be fully exploited on the road by the majority of buyers seems a shame. Maybe I need more time in it, perhaps on track...

Matt

[tadaah]

Found the same issue with my 987 boxster s's. Both were so insanely capable that illegal speeds were no challenge on the trickiest roads. However, they were still fantastic cars.

Tempted to to try a base cayman myself now too, the S might be too much for our crowded roads

[GTEYE]

Some interesting obervations on one of the slowest least powerful Porsches...

[Davey S2]

I thought my old Cayman S had just about perfect power for a road car. I could use virtually all of the performance in the first 4 gears on my favourite Welsh roads and I topped 175 in it on the Autobahn in Germany.

If some people find a base Cayman too powerful for the road then I guess the common complaint about the Ferrari F12 being plain unuseable must be correct.

[Ed Straker]

Hmm
Really interesting review.
Obviously secure in your masculinity.... you will be burned as a witch round here......

[tadaah]

Davey S2 said:

I thought my old Cayman S had just about perfect power for a road car. I could use virtually all of the performance in the first 4 gears on my favourite Welsh roads and I topped 175 in it on the Autobahn in Germany.

If some people find a base Cayman too powerful for the road then I guess the common complaint about the Ferrari F12 being plain unuseable must be correct.

i definitely think there's something about being able to wring a less powerful engine harder that makes it a bit more fun (in some situations). I dont know the gear ratios off the top of my head but nearly all power in 4th in a first Cayman S must be very much the wrong side of the law?

[Kronstein]

Ask Porsche to lend you one on standard sized alloys.

[BoRED S2upid]

I know this is very un pistonhead to say but who drives everywhere screwing every last bit of power out of every gear? most of us drive around at 50% of what their car is capable of most of the time and I couldn't think of a nicer car to do it in. This is definately on my list.

[anonymous-user]

I think the 981 Boxster in the new shape is great. The 981 Cayman just doesn't work for me.

When are the body kits coming out from T-equipment?

[Krikkit]

tadaah said:

i definitely think there's something about being able to wring a less powerful engine harder that makes it a bit more fun (in some situations). I dont know the gear ratios off the top of my head but nearly all power in 4th in a first Cayman S must be very much the wrong side of the law?

4000RPM in 4th on an S is a fraction over 70mph, still 500RPM short of peak torque, 3400RPM away from peak power!

BoRED S2upid said:

I know this is very un pistonhead to say but who drives everywhere screwing every last bit of power out of every gear? most of us drive around at 50% of what their car is capable of most of the time and I couldn't think of a nicer car to do it in. This is definately on my list.

Correct, most of the time! On the glorious days you want to give it some stick, winding up well past licence-losing territory after a little squirt doesn't sound great to me.

[fwaggie]

BoRED S2upid said:

I know this is very un pistonhead to say but who drives everywhere screwing every last bit of power out of every gear? most of us drive around at 50% of what their car is capable of most of the time

This. In spades.

I've got a 987 Boxster S and a '12 Focus 1.0lt and I use the Focus nearly all the time.

The Boxster is fun and I used it exclusively for about 4 years but I ended up way too familiar with it, it became boring.

Too much traffic about today, and on the roads where you can have fun, the high risk of police giving you presents.

Track days are "can't overtake on corners, can't drift, no sliding the rear out, boring, boring, boring."

Vast car parks on industrial estates, again, bugged by police.

So I'm looking at maybe an M5 or a SL500. A GT cruiser that's comfy, loads of power when I need it, but is a lot more relaxing for my rather iffy skeleton.

[Foggy748]

I test drove both a manual and PDK 'S' recently. Lovely quality cars both BUT I was dissapointed with the steering feedback and initial response. Jig the wheel left/right quickly and you can feel the steering playing catch up, there's a delayed response and I just didn't get the feedback I was looking for through the steering wheel either. A shame as otherwise it's a corking car.

[BoxsterEtype]

I have a 987 Boxster S and spent a weekend on the Yorkshire moors earlier this summer. I went from Aysgarth to Skipton on the B6160/B6265 and was going at 8/10ths found their was little point in changing out of 3rd gear. It would pull really strongly from low revs and go way past legal speeds without revving out between corners. So strong and continuous was the acceleration. On such short straights it reached speeds high enough to get you into big trouble.

Did Le Mans classic followed by a European tour and a Ring visit, the car was immense everyday and we went with all our camping kit and didn't need to boot rack as we had done in our old S2000. Looking forward to affording a 981 version.

[TWPC]

Morgan 3-wheeler.
I'm not sure if my brain is working at the moment but it feels like the answer to some of the questions being implied here. It's limits are low, sensory satisfaction high and it has a nice steering wheel. Not sure I'd want to drive all the way to Nottingham in it though.

[Lil'RedGTO]

I do think that there is an increasing tension between speed limits - unchanged for decades and in many cases reduced - and the ever-increasing performance of sports cars. I love fast cars but honestly don't know if there is any point having one any more. You either need to be willing to accept almost outlaw status as a serial law breaker, or live with the constant frustration of barely being able to use a fraction of your car's performance. If I find my car a bit too fast, I can't imagine how owners of really fast machinery fare. It is difficult to escape the conclusion that they are either petrolheads who are deluding themselves as to the realities, or are simply poseurs with too much money. What this means for the performance car industry, I don't know, but surely something has to give. I'd like that something to be current extra-urban speed limits, but wonder if it might be performance car sales instead. I like to think human beings will always crave fast cars, but outside of Germany buying one does seem increasingly ridiculous.

[Zajda]

Matt Bird said:

Maybe I need more time in it, perhaps on track...

Or maybe it needs shorter gearbox.

[tadaah]

Krikkit said:

tadaah said:

i definitely think there's something about being able to wring a less powerful engine harder that makes it a bit more fun (in some situations). I dont know the gear ratios off the top of my head but nearly all power in 4th in a first Cayman S must be very much the wrong side of the law?

4000RPM in 4th on an S is a fraction over 70mph, still 500RPM short of peak torque, 3400RPM away from peak power!

Ta.

I know my 987 s would have been moving rather quickly when fully extended in 4th........

I adore cars, adore driving. I don't want to be compelled to have to drive at daft speeds in a performance car just to get it to feel alive though. I want a car that you can get aural and tactile pleasure from at more appropriate speeds for how the roads are nowadays. Buying a base car relative to an S might be a bit closer to that idea

[tadaah]

Lil'RedGTO said:

I do think that there is an increasing tension between speed limits - unchanged for decades and in many cases reduced - and the ever-increasing performance of sports cars. I love fast cars but honestly don't know if there is any point having one any more. You either need to be willing to accept almost outlaw status as a serial law breaker, or live with the constant frustration of barely being able to use a fraction of your car's performance. If I find my car a bit too fast, I can't imagine how owners of really fast machinery fare. It is difficult to escape the conclusion that they are either petrolheads who are deluding themselves as to the realities, or are simply poseurs with too much money. What this means for the performance car industry, I don't know, but surely something has to give. I'd like that something to be current extra-urban speed limits, but wonder if it might be performance car sales instead. I like to think human beings will always crave fast cars, but outside of Germany buying one does seem increasingly ridiculous.

spot on

[Ed Straker]

Lil'RedGTO said:

I do think that there is an increasing tension between speed limits - unchanged for decades and in many cases reduced - and the ever-increasing performance of sports cars. I love fast cars but.......

This

I came to this conclusion with Bikes some time ago.
And the road is effectively 3x as wide on a bike - but you get to the same result.

I'm "lucky" that my commute is a very early run in the am.
I get to use some of the grunt.
But try the same overtakes in the afternoon and you are forced to pass one car at a time behind a slow moving vehicle and brake to get back in. That just shakes up everyone's lemonade....
Track days on a bike are a little more liberated - never done one in a car - sounds like you've saved me some coin

[V8 FOU]

TWPC said:

Morgan 3-wheeler.
I'm not sure if my brain is working at the moment but it feels like the answer to some of the questions being implied here. It's limits are low, sensory satisfaction high and it has a nice steering wheel. Not sure I'd want to drive all the way to Nottingham in it though.

Very valid point.
My Alfa 147 shed is fun with only 150bhp and Selespeed - handling a bit challenging. Nothing some decent shocks won't cure.

This same argument applies in the bike world - so many people coming away from sports bikes to Harleys.

[Lowtimer]

Most of the best roads in North Yorkshire are just the same as they were 30-odd years ago when I started driving them. The car population has changed beyond recognition.

Straight-line performance has doubled. The 0-100 time of a Golf GTI has gone from 32 seconds to 16 seconds. A 944 or 323i which did 0-100 in 22 secs has been replaced by a Cayman S or 135i that does it in 11. Instead of a Ferrari 512i doing 0-100 in 13 secs we have a 458 which does it in 6.5 secs.

Modern cars being so much wider than 1970s and 1980s cars, that effectively makes the roads narrower. The sightlines have not improved, nor have the run-offs. There are more cyclists, pedestrians, tractors and horses around. Higher speed limits aren't the answer. The horsepower race, and the electronic nannies necessary to rein in the consequences, have led car design into an evolutionary dead end when it comes to simple everyday driving pleasure.

The only way to continue to have the old kinetic pleasure of driving a car across those roads is to go out and do it in an older car, or something modern that is both reasonably compact and designed to give you lots of sensory input at reasonable speeds. Something more like a GT86, Elise, Caterham, possibly a Suzuki Swift Sport or Fiesta ST if you want something more practical.

Edited by Lowtimer on Tuesday 24th September 15:09