RE Chris Harris video: new Cayman

[smilo996]

So to summarise then: It likes to drive into corners but lacks the steering feel of the previous car. But you can get inches close to where you want to go, not really close then.
If you cannot afford a 911, you buy a Cayman.
Interior is disappointing compared to the exterior. It has colour coded seat belts, how naff is that.
No boxer engine ever sounds any good when compared to a V. Especially Porsche engines.
Keen to overcome the rear wheels, that’s helpful.
Cabin full of induction noise.
And above all it looks like a Porsche, dreary then.
Mostly purchased by women as well.
So it is a winner. Blinkers off Mr Harris.
370Z cheaper, bigger boot, just as fast
1M, cheaper faster more practical
M3 2011 (15k miles). Nuff said.

[Hellbound]

Yellow on a cloudy day never looked good.

But this car has surpassed the 991 for me in every department so far. Porsche should really consider something GT3-esque with it and not price it ludicrously high.

[daz4m]

I'm a fan, looks great, seems to drive great, my reservations would be that the interior is very plain for the type of car, looks like another VW with an air of mk5 Golf about it. The noise isn't up there and I was almost bored hearing the PDK but overall big thumbs up. I'd have one.

[Davey S2]

smilo996 said:

So to summarise then: It likes to drive into corners but lacks the steering feel of the previous car. But you can get inches close to where you want to go, not really close then.
If you cannot afford a 911, you buy a Cayman.
Interior is disappointing compared to the exterior. It has colour coded seat belts, how naff is that.
No boxer engine ever sounds any good when compared to a V. Especially Porsche engines.
Keen to overcome the rear wheels, that’s helpful.
Cabin full of induction noise.
And above all it looks like a Porsche, dreary then.
Mostly purchased by women as well.
So it is a winner. Blinkers off Mr Harris.
370Z cheaper, bigger boot, just as fast
1M, cheaper faster more practical
M3 2011 (15k miles). Nuff said.

Hardly blinkered when every other test of the car has also sung it's praises.

Mostly purchased by women? Really?

[Tuvra]

chrisw666 said:

Ozzie Osmond said:

Now if only they made a convertible version of that I'd certainly buy it!

A bit of photoshopping and voila!

I seen one of these up close a few days ago and thought it was a really SUPERB looking thing. I have never been a fan of the Boxster, but the black one i seen looked low, wide, mean & very purposeful, so much so I am sure I will own one at some point. The one I seen was like this:

[Freakuk]

Looks wise I think the boxster still has it, although I would be quite happy with either in the garage.

Looking forward to seeing one at my local OPC soon

[kambites]

Tuvra said:

I seen one of these up close a few days ago and thought it was a really SUPERB looking thing. I have never been a fan of the Boxster, but the black one i seen looked low, wide, mean & very purposeful, so much so I am sure I will own one at some point. The one I seen was like this:

Hmm, there's a few in the work car park and it took me a while to notice that they weren't 987s when parked nose-out... and when parked tail out it was quite hard not to point and laugh.

If you can see the side, they look a bit better balanced than the 987 but they also look rather... tall to me; especially with the roof up.

[PascalBuyens]

Davey S2 said:

Very nice but with a decent spec it's a £60K car.

Used GT3.2's are now low £70K's.

I'd take a Vette/Viper any day for that price

[adma23]

The Boxster looks better in my view and offers an open top experience. It looks way better than a 911 cabrio too and always has. 10bhp less than the Cayman won't really make a difference unless losing a tenth at the track is so important to you.

At 50K ish I would probably go for a well specced Gen II 911 (997) Carrera S if I wanted a comfortable, fast and well specced tin top. True its not a mid-engine but its a 911. And its arguably the best looking 911 in the past 15 years except the GT3 RS.

[Agoogy]

I think.... I think it looks 'right' detail, proportion, the lot. In 20 years time it will still look as good as it does today, a true classic.
I know..... I know I want one, and will one day have one. Haven't dreamt of owning a specific car as much as this since I was 17...I'm now 40...
My brother in law has the previous version...I'm going to have to wait a few years to catch up, but when I do I'll have the better Cayman

[JuniorJet]

Lurvely beast...

The only reason I wouldn't buy one (if I had the money) is because they will probably release an "R" version, otherwise I'd want the roof to go down... so it's a boxter... but I wouldn't buy one of those because of the name...

So I'm a bit stuck really...

[Hellbound]

PascalBuyens said:

I'd take a Vette/Viper any day for that price

Completely different cars though. One's a scalpel, the other is a sledge hammer.

[militantmandy]

smilo996 said:

So to summarise then: It likes to drive into corners but lacks the steering feel of the previous car. But you can get inches close to where you want to go, not really close then.
If you cannot afford a 911, you buy a Cayman.
Interior is disappointing compared to the exterior. It has colour coded seat belts, how naff is that.
No boxer engine ever sounds any good when compared to a V. Especially Porsche engines.
Keen to overcome the rear wheels, that’s helpful.
Cabin full of induction noise.
And above all it looks like a Porsche, dreary then.
Mostly purchased by women as well.
So it is a winner. Blinkers off Mr Harris.
370Z cheaper, bigger boot, just as fast
1M, cheaper faster more practical
M3 2011 (15k miles). Nuff said.

So you love tired clichés and hate oversteer......

No Porsche engine sounds good compared to a V? Drivel of the highest order.


Good video. Nice car, but I really can't wait for the next non-Porsche bonafide super car test. Chris, can you PLEASE make up with Ferrari so you can test the new Enzo?

[cvega]

smilo996 said:

So to summarise then: It likes to drive into corners but lacks the steering feel of the previous car. But you can get inches close to where you want to go, not really close then.
If you cannot afford a 911, you buy a Cayman.
Interior is disappointing compared to the exterior. It has colour coded seat belts, how naff is that.
No boxer engine ever sounds any good when compared to a V. Especially Porsche engines.
Keen to overcome the rear wheels, that’s helpful.
Cabin full of induction noise.
And above all it looks like a Porsche, dreary then.
Mostly purchased by women as well.
So it is a winner. Blinkers off Mr Harris.
370Z cheaper, bigger boot, just as fast
1M, cheaper faster more practical
M3 2011 (15k miles). Nuff said.

Doesn't sound good ?
Mostly bought by women?
370Z just as fast?

what are you smoking!?

[guyh]

My only quibble with this review is that he doesn't talk about some of the specification aspects, presumably he was driving one with PASM not sure which of the other chassis options he had. All in all this must be more like a £70k car rather than £48-50k. Still nothing new to touch it at the price.

Guy

[Denyo]

Great car, great video. There will always be haters, I think the car looks and sounds fantastic. I loved the previous Cayman and for this to be so much better than the old car is rather tempting....

One question that weren't addressed or answered in the video (although admittedly rather more personal to my circumstances...), should I 'upgrade' my 996 Turbo to a new Cayman S?

[NigelCayless]

Hellbound said:

PascalBuyens said:

I'd take a Vette/Viper any day for that price

Completely different cars though. One's a scalpel, the other is a sledge hammer.

I'd take the sledge hammer every time

[UltimaCH]

Lifting a front wheel at the beginning of the video. Good going Chris!
Now I am just wondering if Porsche is not slowly getting the Cayman to be the future hard core vehicle replacing the 911 which becomes a large, expensive car lacking the hard core sports factor. Just my 2p...

[Mermaid]

guyh said:

My only quibble with this review is that he doesn't talk about some of the specification aspects, presumably he was driving one with PASM not sure which of the other chassis options he had. All in all this must be more like a £70k car rather than £48-50k. Still nothing new to touch it at the price.

Guy

Good point, and also the differences between the old new. How does it compare to to the Cayman R?

[Agoogy]

UltimaCH said:

Now I am just wondering if Porsche is not slowly getting the Cayman to be the future hard core vehicle replacing the 911 which becomes a large, expensive car lacking the hard core sports factor. Just my 2p...

I'd go along with that. Porsche have always been looking to replace the 911. I think that since the 928 failed to replace it, they have accepted the 911 as their core, but as the 80's 911 was more grown up than the original, the 90's and the 00's ahve kept the car evolving but equally growing, almost imperceptably...but as each generation of buyers comes and goes, so the 911 allegiance slowly dies I think. Ther answer that the 911 is the only Porsche or the best car isn't as clear cut.
The Cayman keeps Porsche in the more 'focused' arena, keeping the Porsche DNA and expanding their range.... a much better solution than looking to replace the 'icon'