Boxster or Cayman - Any regrets?

[mrdemon]

just own both :-)

[DS240]

I had a 987 Cayman S for 4 years.... very nice, very competent, but I personally got bored with it. It didn't feel very special and on non-pasm was not very refined in the damping dept. Agree about the cabin noise and being quite boomy.

I had an Elise before this and missed open top motoring. I missed the Elise when i owned the Cayman.

I am now 4 years into Boxster Spyder ownership. It is such a different car to the previous Cayman. It feels and looks special, whilst also being far better to drive than the previous Cayman. I no longer miss the Elise with the Spyder.

I don't think you can beat the roof being down on a nice day.

[NNH]

truck71 said:

I can only echo the comments from other Cayman owners about what a great car it is. Engaging, practical, good looking, surprisingly frugal- just really easy to live with and doles up loads of driving fun when you ask it to. (Snipped)

I'll second that. It's been our only car for 6 years and it does everything from shopping to business trips to track days to driving holidays (US Coast to Coast before we moved here, then multiple drives from London to Romania, Greece and Croatia)

[SkinnyP]

Well it doesn't look like the boxster is doing too well against the cayman.

If the cayman didn't exist I'd happily buy a boxster, but as it does exist it makes the choice quite difficult.

I just think the cayman is a bit more proportionate and has a nicer interior, and that's before getting onto the dynamic differences.

Still roof down motoring ..,

[Radish]

It all depends on the use you plan for the car. Until fairly recently we had a BMW 330Ci - great on a sunny day but top down for longer and speedier trips traffic noise and wind - atmospheric not personal - could be wearing. The Cayman is now 8mths old and, as well as other things, is used for a daily 55 ml round trip commute on a mix of roads; every journey is a pleasure. Another soft top might be on the cards at some time but it will always be in addition the Cayman.

[SkinnyP]

60 miles a day, every working day of the year.

Would this be too much for a boxster? I'm not bothered about running costs.

[NNH]

SkinnyP said:

60 miles a day, every working day of the year.

Would this be too much for a boxster? I'm not bothered about running costs.

The car will thrive on being used regularly. I commuted further in a 996 and nearly as far in a Cayman. I bought a fair few tyres, but the cars lapped it up!

[VladD]

I planned on getting a 987 Cayamn S for ages, but had so much fun in my Mk1 MX5 with the roof down that I went for the Boxster instead. No regrets whatsoever. I think the Cayman is a fantastic looking car and the Boxster slightly awkward, but the open top clinched the deal. Ideally I'd have got a Cayman Targa, but they didn't/don't make one.

[alcatraz236]

VladD said:

Ideally I'd have got a Cayman Targa, but they didn't/don't make one.

I'd never thought about that, could be a nice little addition to the model line up

[VladD]

alcatraz236 said:

VladD said:

Ideally I'd have got a Cayman Targa, but they didn't/don't make one.

I'd never thought about that, could be a nice little addition to the model line up

If I had money to burn I'd get a couple of the Zeintop roofs and make one of those a Targa. That way you've have one car that was hard top, targa and soft top.

[juansolo]

For two weeks every year I regret not getting the Boxster. For the other 50 I'm happy I got the Cayman.

If I lived somewhere dry, I'd have a Spyder on my driveway.

[truck71]

SkinnyP said:

60 miles a day, every working day of the year.

Would this be too much for a boxster? I'm not bothered about running costs.

Easy, mine's on course for just under 30,000 miles a year at the moment- if you're doing big miles chances are most of them are sat on motorways at cruising speed when nothing's working very hard. Current first service indicator is predicting 27,000... Might have it seen to before that!

Edited by truck71 on Friday 6th June 18:41

[DS240]

alcatraz236 said:

VladD said:

Ideally I'd have got a Cayman Targa, but they didn't/don't make one.

I'd never thought about that, could be a nice little addition to the model line up

Perhaps a convertible Cayman also............;)

[heebeegeetee]

I'll say a word for my 11 year old Boxster...

It doesn't have any cord in the cabin or hanging from the roof, it doesn't have tyre roar, or a boomy cabin. It's extremely practical for a 2 seater, when on a trip all luggage is locked firmly away in capacious boots and is never in cabin (of course).

I was surprised to hear about scuttle shake, mine's never had any of that (and I do know what it is). Scuttle shake can be induced by poor geo, wheels or tyres or a combo of same.

When out in nice countryside or spectacular scenery, it's fantastic to have the roof down. It's great to have it down in frosty-cold conditions too.

I happen to think the UK/North-ish Europe has possibly the best climate for softops, as when it's very hot it's not nice with roof down.

I don't think the UK is too wet - I was speaking to someone competing at Curborough on a lovely sunny Sunday last week, and he said he's been competing for 3 years and is still to do a wet meeting.

Downside are that the cabin is a bit tight (although still practical), and as mine is a weekend car the rusting discs is a fecking pita.

I'm not sure any other car has been able to do the m'way loper and roof-down sports car (often in one journey) as well as the Boxster, in one package. Even when packed for a 2 week holiday it can do this act with aplomb.

[Goofnik]

Beknown said:

For those who spent countless hours debating the two, who has embraced or regretted their decision and why?

I've been driving an NC-1 MX-5 for 7.5 years now. I originally considered the Boxster, but ended up siding with the Cayman after four test drives. The reason is I didn't want a Boxster that wasn't a Boxster Spyder (finding used ones the way I want seems to be impossible), and we're probably several years out from the next Spyder. Not to mention if the Cayman GT4 rumors are to be believed, the new Boxster Spyder will be nearly twice as expensive as the first one. For a non-special car, the Cayman will age better. It's more handsome. Like an old Dino 246. It'll never look bad. The Boxster? It's not bad, but it's not great either.

That's more or less it. If I can't feel like a badass 1950s Le Mans racing driver (despite being born in the early 80s), I won't have it. So my Cayman GTS shows up in the US in September.

If the Boxster Spyder ends up with the 3.8L, and looks as good as I hoped it would, I'll likely regret my choice, and then have to start convincing myself that eating a boatload of depreciation is perfectly reasonable for that sort of a trade. After all, do you have any idea how incredibly badass I'll look driving a Boxster Spyder top-down in the middle of January when it's -3C out?

[BIRMA]

I think you need to take both out on an extended test drive, if it's a nice day you'll buy the Boxster. I am in my second year of Boxster ownership, I bought a secondhand mega spec RS60 at a good price. It is the first car I have owned that I haven't wanted to sell after a year I like it that much. I also like the looks of the 981 Cayman it now looks superb and in a few years time will be had for £30K. I will be in a real dilemma in a few years time as part of me wants to buy a mega spec 981 but the other half of me really wants to have the Parr turbo conversion which gives the Boxster the sort of power it should have. My original budget was 3 times what I paid for my Boxster so I feel it has also been superb value for money so I will have no qualms at all paying out the £17K for the full fat conversion. I know I'll never get my money back but I don't care it will be an even better car.

[Carl_Docklands]

That little button that lowers the roof on a nice day. Priceless.

[RBT0]

Gents, how big is the Cayman front boot? I was wondering if there is enough room for a trolley (the biggest hand luggage allowed for air travelling just to be clear).

No question for the rear one, very, very small.

Thanks in advance...

[HokumPokum]

rob.kellock said:

Really not an issue.

I have just gone to 981 Cayman S after 4 years of a Boxster Spyder.

The Cayman is better on almost all objective levels.

I miss the Spyder.

because it looks special? i still think the cayman is a better drive.. mind i haven't had extended time in the 981 cayman only the 987 CR

[truck71]

RBT0 said:

Gents, how big is the Cayman front boot? I was wondering if there is enough room for a trolley (the biggest hand luggage allowed for air travelling just to be clear).

No question for the rear one, very, very small.

Thanks in advance...

I imagine it would consume one of those easy enough, mine takes a backpack, laptop case, medical case of similar size plus walking gear including two coats without trying.