what I read today about the Cayman S

[tonikaram]

There's this excellent belgian magazine I used to read in the past, and now read occasionally through purchases from their website. It's called "Le Moniteur Automobile", and they always put me in the driver's seat regarding both the subjective feelings as well as the objective facts. They did a detailed test drive of the Cayman S last month, and I found the following differences between the Cayman S and the Boxster S 280bhp (no 295bhp yet for the Boxster I guess?):

- A crucial fact that I didn't know, and that had me drooling: the engine grew from 3.2 to 3.4 through a largest bore (the best), the addition of Variocam Plus, and, get this, a cylinder head (culasse) and valve train lifted as is from the Carrera S, a first for a non-911. Finally a thicker crank, and a more complex manifold, complete this ingenious mixture of new and existing components. These cause the engine to become according to them, simply exceptional, explosive, furious sounding, etc.

- Gearbox: 1st and 2nd gear slightly geared longer to fit new engine character. This makes these gears more usable when driving on a racetrack. Gear stick changing is exceptional.

- A chassis that is twice as stiff in flexion.

- Aerodynamically: a bigger rear wing, a blade under the front spoiler and an under-chassis that is all covered (don't know how to say this in English, in French it's called "carenage", meaning the internal parts are covered from under).

- And finally a suspension that is generally stiffer: at the front a thicker sway bar, same springs, and at the back softer sway bar but stiffer springs. This is made to ease up the reactions. Of course, the lack of antislip differential is downright ridiculous as usual.


I can tell, from reading their test drie, that they fell in love with the car. It's definitely more hard core, and is 911 material. There is a difference in performance and handling (the car pivots around its axis and handles uniquely) that I read about every time I read a Cayman S test drive. I know the Boxster S well from an extended test drive, would love to have the guts to ask my dealer for a Cayman S test drive too! In another road test by the same magazine (that I haven't read yet), the Cayman S litterally buries the MZ4 Coupe, probably for the same reasons.

Now, all that being said, I also constantly read amazement by the press for the Boxster S as well. These two cars are mostly identical after all, and when driving in the city, I am sure that i wouldn't notice the difference in stiffness. And driving across Europe with the top down in a Boxster S... would still be extremely appealing. Tracking is out of the question.
And the Cayman S is way out of budget... But after reading a test drive like this, it does sound irresistibly trashable.

Kay

PS: just to confirm, does the 295bhp Boxster get the same engine? i.e the one that has a Carrera S cylinder head?

[nbetts]

tonikaram said:

Of course, the lack of antislip differential is downright ridiculous as usual.

Everyone picks up on this, perhaps because Clarkson mentioned it on Top Gear once - but a 911 Carrera S does not have a LSD either. Infact no 'normal' 911 does unless you specify the sports suspension in lieu of the PASM.

Perhaps the LSD is more missed more on the Cayman or Boxster because of the lack of rear-engine grip...!

Anyway, the Cayman S is a fantastic car regardless.

[tonikaram]

nbetts said:

tonikaram said:

Of course, the lack of antislip differential is downright ridiculous as usual.

Everyone picks up on this, perhaps because Clarkson mentioned it on Top Gear once - but a 911 Carrera S does not have a LSD either. Infact no 'normal' 911 does unless you specify the sports suspension in lieu of the PASM.

Perhaps the LSD is more missed more on the Cayman or Boxster because of the lack of rear-engine grip...!

Anyway, the Cayman S is a fantastic car regardless.

nbetts, wrong. Clarkson hates Porsches and so what he says has zero value. The lack of LSD is picked on by this magazine ever since the 996. It is a ridiculous decision by Porsche, and other manufacturers like BMW as well. Porsche finally introduced ther LSD back into the 997 range as an option. So at least there's that. The Cayman S doesn't have it at all.


I strongly suspect that the Cayman actually has more grip than a 911, afterall it's midengined which is how it is supposed to be, so that's not the reason why they complain. They complain because it's not even an option, eventhough the Cayman S public is the sports demanding one.

Kay

[Thorny]

The current Boxster S has the 295bhp engine, exactly the same as the Cayman S - I know this because I have it!

[kayc]

tonikaram said:

nbetts said:

tonikaram said:

Of course, the lack of antislip differential is downright ridiculous as usual.

Everyone picks up on this, perhaps because Clarkson mentioned it on Top Gear once - but a 911 Carrera S does not have a LSD either. Infact no 'normal' 911 does unless you specify the sports suspension in lieu of the PASM.

Perhaps the LSD is more missed more on the Cayman or Boxster because of the lack of rear-engine grip...!

Anyway, the Cayman S is a fantastic car regardless.

nbetts, wrong. Clarkson hates Porsches and so what he says has zero value. The lack of LSD is picked on by this magazine ever since the 996. It is a ridiculous decision by Porsche, and other manufacturers like BMW as well. Porsche finally introduced ther LSD back into the 997 range as an option. So at least there's that. The Cayman S doesn't have it at all.


I strongly suspect that the Cayman actually has more grip than a 911, afterall it's midengined which is how it is supposed to be, so that's not the reason why they complain. They complain because it's not even an option, eventhough the Cayman S public is the sports demanding one.

Kay

The cayman has lots of grip because its gutless,my mini 1000 had lots of grip as well,im not sure it would have gripped so well with 400bhp.

[AndrewD]

kayc said:

tonikaram said:

nbetts said:

tonikaram said:

Of course, the lack of antislip differential is downright ridiculous as usual.

Everyone picks up on this, perhaps because Clarkson mentioned it on Top Gear once - but a 911 Carrera S does not have a LSD either. Infact no 'normal' 911 does unless you specify the sports suspension in lieu of the PASM.

Perhaps the LSD is more missed more on the Cayman or Boxster because of the lack of rear-engine grip...!

Anyway, the Cayman S is a fantastic car regardless.

nbetts, wrong. Clarkson hates Porsches and so what he says has zero value. The lack of LSD is picked on by this magazine ever since the 996. It is a ridiculous decision by Porsche, and other manufacturers like BMW as well. Porsche finally introduced ther LSD back into the 997 range as an option. So at least there's that. The Cayman S doesn't have it at all.


I strongly suspect that the Cayman actually has more grip than a 911, afterall it's midengined which is how it is supposed to be, so that's not the reason why they complain. They complain because it's not even an option, eventhough the Cayman S public is the sports demanding one.

Kay

The cayman has lots of grip because its gutless,my mini 1000 had lots of grip as well,im not sure it would have gripped so well with 400bhp.

[anonymous-user]

A fair comment there

[tonikaram]

so now the bashing will be that the Cayman S "has no grip"? Where did that come from, not the direction I expected for this thread.

It's not "opinion" that the Cayman has a more respectable chassis than a 911. If minis were designed by Porsche engineers and had the engine in the middle, they would have a more sorted chassis as well. Are we bashing for bashing? I love the 911, but if I had one I still wouldn't throw a statement like that.

Kay

[Geneve]

To put the performance of the Cayman S and Boxster S (both of which are great cars) into perspective, on the 997GT3 PDE at Millbrook, the instructor said that, in the distance it takes the Cayman/Boxster to do 0>130mph>0, the 997GT3 can do it twice - ie 0>130>0>130>0. In fact, he demonstrated it, then let me do it a couple of times.

[AndrewD]

tonikaram said:

so now the bashing will be that the Cayman S "has no grip"? Where did that come from, not the direction I expected for this thread.

It's not "opinion" that the Cayman has a more respectable chassis than a 911. If minis were designed by Porsche engineers and had the engine in the middle, they would have a more sorted chassis as well. Are we bashing for bashing? I love the 911, but if I had one I still wouldn't throw a statement like that.

Kay

Don't worry about Mr Kayc, the Cayman is a fab car

[Bumcrack]

Geneve said:

To put the performance of the Cayman S and Boxster S (both of which are great cars) into perspective, on the 997GT3 PDE at Millbrook, the instructor said that, in the distance it takes the Cayman/Boxster to do 0>130mph>0, the 997GT3 can do it twice - ie 0>130>0>130>0. In fact, he demonstrated it, then let me do it a couple of times.

I don't see why you’re comparing the 997GT3 to the Cayman but try comparing the GT3 to the CGT and see how that stacks up.

[tonikaram]

Geneve said:

To put the performance of the Cayman S and Boxster S (both of which are great cars) into perspective, on the 997GT3 PDE at Millbrook, the instructor said that, in the distance it takes the Cayman/Boxster to do 0>130mph>0, the 997GT3 can do it twice - ie 0>130>0>130>0. In fact, he demonstrated it, then let me do it a couple of times.

Maybe.. Still, eventhough I never drive one, it seems to me that the Cayman S is the car to buy when you can't afford a 911. Seems loads of fun (and thoroughness).

Anyone knows of a clubsport version coming out anytime soon? I read this in Top Gear magazine..

Kay

[anonymous-user]

tonikaram said:

I strongly suspect that the Cayman actually has more grip than a 911, afterall it's midengined...

yeah those caymans just catapult past you with all that grip out of corners. not.

tonikaram said:

Cayman S is the car to buy when you can't afford a 911.

id rather have an older 911

Edited by fbrs on Tuesday 5th June 11:15

[tonikaram]

Well i'm surprised.. why is the car not appealing to some of you?

Kay

[kayc]

tonikaram said:

Well i'm surprised.. why is the car not appealing to some of you?

Kay

Too slow..2 seats only..expensive..poor residuals..funny looking..and primarily marketted at 'money-borrowing-badge jockeys'not Porsche enthusiasts,in fact i would go far enough as to say it epitomizes everything that is wrong with Porsche as a brand now.

Edited by kayc on Tuesday 5th June 11:33

[ettore]

tonikaram said:

Well i'm surprised.. why is the car not appealing to some of you?

Kay

..because they`re trotting out all the old cliched boocks!

[Silver993tt]

tonikaram said:

Well i'm surprised.. why is the car not appealing to some of you?

Kay

Because you're from Austria and as well as most of the continent of Europe you're more openminded about such things. In the UK there are too many badge snobs. That's why the country is so expensive to live in (and I mean in a ripp-off sense) because it's so easy for foreign companies such as car manufacturers to make alot more money there. This is because in the UK people will invariably tick the options lists on new cars whereas on the continent value for money is still a top priority - as it should be.

Wasn't it Mercedes Benz that stated that the UK was "the jewel in the crown" regarding sales in Europe?

[anonymous-user]

Silver993tt said:

tonikaram said:

Well i'm surprised.. why is the car not appealing to some of you?

Kay

Because you're from Austria and as well as most of the continent of Europe you're more openminded about such things. In the UK there are too many badge snobs. That's why the country is so expensive to live in (and I mean in a ripp-off sense) because it's so easy for foreign companies such as car manufacturers to make alot more money there. This is because in the UK people will invariably tick the options lists on new cars whereas on the continent value for money is still a top priority - as it should be.

Wasn't it Mercedes Benz that stated that the UK was "the jewel in the crown" regarding sales in Europe?

sorry fella but thats a load of old cliched bollox - both the boxster and 911 outsell it in the uk so it can't be "badge snobbery" - and it gets little shrift on PH because it costs more than a 964rs, 993tt, 996tt or mk1 gt3 - perhaps when we can pick it up for 20k it'll be more interesting...

[nbetts]

tonikaram said:

Porsche finally introduced ther LSD back into the 997 range as an option. So at least there's that.

TonikArm, Wrong. The 996 could be had with a LSD. I had one on mine. It was an option. It is the same option on the 997.

[Pugsey]

tonikaram said:

Well i'm surprised.. why is the car not appealing to some of you?

Kay

Because, in truth, a lot of them need to compensate for having VERY small willies I would guess. You post about a Cayman and someone makes a comparison with the GT3, they just can't help themselves - mines bigger faster or what ever - the usual Porsche forum stuff .....