Cayman S vs E60 M5
Discussion
Well,
Thanks for all the advice on a previous thread I started when I was debating replacing my M5 with a Cayman S.
I've had the Cayman for a couple of months now and I wanted to share my thoughts on the change:
The Cayman is not as quick as the M5 in a straight line and lacks the sheer ferocity of acceleration that the M5 had at high revs. It is of course nowhere near as comfortable or practical, lacks a lot of equipment that the M5 was packed with and there is a LOT more road noise - mainly wind buffeting. Minor as it might sound, the stereo that blares on every time you start it up unless you turn the volume down before you switch off is the most irritating thing about the car.
However....
The handling characteristics are awesome. It turns in like a beast, is amazingly well balanced and is so much more enjoyable to thread around a good road than the M5. Driving one at the complimentary Porsche experience and understanding its behaviour on the limit was awesome. Although it might not have the power of the M5, it feels much more visceral when pushed hard and puts a smile on your face. On the right roads, it is just fantastic and I am very glad I bought it.
The PDK gearbox is good - much better than the BMW's agricultural SMG, at least at low speeds. Gearshifts in sport+ mode are ridiculously quick yet it will drive almost like an auto around town. Standard mode is a bit eager to shift up and labours the engine I think, but I tend to use manual mode most of the time. The button-shifts take a bit of getting used to and I think I would still prefer the paddles. It is a bit notchy when using the selector lever but this is a minor criticism really.
To finish off the comparison, the petrol costs have been near half that of the M5 with similar driving and I will not fear the fuel bill so much when I take it on a European tour. I am still reeling from the walletectomies performed by the M5 after my 'Ring - Austria - France trips earlier this year!
Overall, great car and looks like I might be hooked on Porsche ownership for some time....
Thanks for all the advice on a previous thread I started when I was debating replacing my M5 with a Cayman S.
I've had the Cayman for a couple of months now and I wanted to share my thoughts on the change:
The Cayman is not as quick as the M5 in a straight line and lacks the sheer ferocity of acceleration that the M5 had at high revs. It is of course nowhere near as comfortable or practical, lacks a lot of equipment that the M5 was packed with and there is a LOT more road noise - mainly wind buffeting. Minor as it might sound, the stereo that blares on every time you start it up unless you turn the volume down before you switch off is the most irritating thing about the car.
However....
The handling characteristics are awesome. It turns in like a beast, is amazingly well balanced and is so much more enjoyable to thread around a good road than the M5. Driving one at the complimentary Porsche experience and understanding its behaviour on the limit was awesome. Although it might not have the power of the M5, it feels much more visceral when pushed hard and puts a smile on your face. On the right roads, it is just fantastic and I am very glad I bought it.
The PDK gearbox is good - much better than the BMW's agricultural SMG, at least at low speeds. Gearshifts in sport+ mode are ridiculously quick yet it will drive almost like an auto around town. Standard mode is a bit eager to shift up and labours the engine I think, but I tend to use manual mode most of the time. The button-shifts take a bit of getting used to and I think I would still prefer the paddles. It is a bit notchy when using the selector lever but this is a minor criticism really.
To finish off the comparison, the petrol costs have been near half that of the M5 with similar driving and I will not fear the fuel bill so much when I take it on a European tour. I am still reeling from the walletectomies performed by the M5 after my 'Ring - Austria - France trips earlier this year!
Overall, great car and looks like I might be hooked on Porsche ownership for some time....
Cheburator mk2 said:
nice review, but seriously, you are comparing a two seater out and out sports car with a 5 seat luxo barge... what were you expecting? that the M5 is better on track? actually, it is quicker around the Ring 
Fair points! I would imagine if the Cayman had a bit more power it would thrash the M5 around the Ring. I guess it wasn't meant to be a direct comparison of the two cars but more the relative merits of making such a switch. For someone like me that likes fast barges it was a big leap but one I don't regret. Cheers
Steve
Dave 321 said:
Cayman is a great handler, but far too easy to drive quickly on B roads; great chassis but very underpowered.
Driving an M5 on the limit down B-roads is another story and very rewarding when you can master them but not for the faint hearted.
I would say that the M5, if anything, is more predictable on the limit than the Cayman. Sure, if you have the DSC off in the M5 and boot the throttle you will get the tail out much more easily but that is called messing around, not driving on the limit! The Cayman tends to understeer if you go into a bend too fast (as does the M5) but with the M5 it will forgive you for putting on a bit more lock and coming off the gas mid-bend whereas in the Cayman if you keep the gas down and try to correct by increasing the lock you will be punished by your mistake with a large slide when you finally decide to get off the gas pedal. Driving an M5 on the limit down B-roads is another story and very rewarding when you can master them but not for the faint hearted.
It was useful to make the above mistake at the Porsche circuit. The instructor described it as "quite a big moment". Which it certainly felt like, but not a mistake I will make again ( I hope!).
DocSteve said:
I would say that the M5, if anything, is more predictable on the limit than the Cayman. Sure, if you have the DSC off in the M5 and boot the throttle you will get the tail out much more easily but that is called messing around, not driving on the limit! The Cayman tends to understeer if you go into a bend too fast (as does the M5) but with the M5 it will forgive you for putting on a bit more lock and coming off the gas mid-bend whereas in the Cayman if you keep the gas down and try to correct by increasing the lock you will be punished by your mistake with a large slide when you finally decide to get off the gas pedal.
It was useful to make the above mistake at the Porsche circuit. The instructor described it as "quite a big moment". Which it certainly felt like, but not a mistake I will make again ( I hope!).
Agree about the m5 - found it very adjustable on the limit at the Ring. When you get it right it is a hugely rewarding car to hustle down a track like the Nordschleife. I would imagine it to be fairly crap around Brands though... The other downside - 6 laps to a tank. Ok, I was not hanging around, but this was as bad as the race Vipers used to be... Enjoy your Cayman - it is a lovely car, which I considered in the past, but the Z4M Coupe won it for me in 2007 with its rawness and hooligan potential.It was useful to make the above mistake at the Porsche circuit. The instructor described it as "quite a big moment". Which it certainly felt like, but not a mistake I will make again ( I hope!).
Dave 321 said:
Cayman is a great handler, but far too easy to drive quickly on B roads; great chassis but very underpowered.
Driving an M5 on the limit down B-roads is another story and very rewarding when you can master them but not for the faint hearted.
I think "very" is exaggeration, if underpowered at all. As is "too easy" in my opinion.Driving an M5 on the limit down B-roads is another story and very rewarding when you can master them but not for the faint hearted.
Btw, I'm not sure if driving on the limit down B-roads is a completely sane activity.
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