981 Cayman S: Want....soooo much want :(
Discussion
Having not really paid very much attention to the launch of the new Boxster and 911, I find myself in a rather worrying situation - I appear to be absolutely smitten with the new Cayman in a way that no other regular Porsche has ever done to me. I must have spent 3 hours on the configurator (if you were having trouble with Porsche servers, I was probably the cause 
) in the last few days and read/watched every review I could get my hands on. I find myself twitching badly to try and get a test drive of one.
Here is my spec for your critique: http://www.porsche-code.com/PEBK1TJ9
This is all very worrying for several reasons:
1) I don't "do" new cars - the thought of spanking £15k+ in the first year on depreciation has always been an absolutely bonkers concept to me, yet here I find myself saying 'if I kept it for a few years it'd be reasonable' knowing full well the novelty and the car wouldn't last that long
2) My ideal spec includes PDK - excuse me what? That's not like me. Admittedly I had a short test drive of a 458 Italia a couple of years ago and the gearbox was the best bit but I've always thought of myself as a 3 pedal man through and through. But, I do find myself saying 'well it would be better for when I'm in traffic getting in/out of town, it *would* be cool to have the instantaneous gearshifts like there were in the Fezza and of course you need to spec it to make it easier to resell'
3) I don't "do" Porsches that aren't 911s. Don't get me wrong, I think previous Boxsters and Caymans have clearly been very, very good, but in my head they weren't *real* Porsches. I think it was something about the shape and, weirdly, the price. And I'll be honest, the straight line performance as well compared to their bigger brothers. Anyway....inflation aside (which obviously negates the whole argument I'm about to make) and just looking at the numbers, a decently specced Cayman S now costs what a new 996 used to cost a few years ago, combined with the fact that a sensibly specced 991S is £95k-ish (here's my version http://www.porsche-code.com/PDJIWB44) ....that's nearly *£100,000* on a boggo NA Porsche, I just can't get my head around that sort of number
4) Following on from (3) I cannot see how my example 991 can be £35k (over 50%) more car than its similarly specced Cayman S. Clearly I'm talking tripe for the most part here as 991s apear to be quite popular, but for me it's all just got a bit too much. If I want a mega capable GT car as daily drive where 2 seats will do (I'm pretty sure most people don't spend the extra £35k on a 991 for 2 extra seats in the back) it'll be a cold day in hell before you see a new 991 outside my house instead of a lightly used 599 ( http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/f... ) or probably more likely a California ( http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/f... )
5) I don't "do" finance on a car....which is a bit of an issue as the only way I could get into a new Cayman without a massive self induced guilt trip over spending freed capital from my impending house downsize, would be to sell my 993 (which I adore) and use it as a deposit for the Cayman. I pretty sure that swap is so frowned upon in certain places it's actually illegal.
Anyway, mind dump into post over and as you can see I have major problems
(or maybe that should be 
?) That new Cayman just looks superb and by all accounts is basically the best driving every day Porsche you can have. So to help out a fellow PHer from going insane and possibly making some very bad fincancial decisions in the immediate future, can someone here please order one to my spec (here's the linky for you again http://www.porsche-code.com/PEBK1TJ9 ) and then give me a call in 18 months time so I can have it off you for a sensible price Ta muchly!
) in the last few days and read/watched every review I could get my hands on. I find myself twitching badly to try and get a test drive of one. Here is my spec for your critique: http://www.porsche-code.com/PEBK1TJ9
This is all very worrying for several reasons:
1) I don't "do" new cars - the thought of spanking £15k+ in the first year on depreciation has always been an absolutely bonkers concept to me, yet here I find myself saying 'if I kept it for a few years it'd be reasonable' knowing full well the novelty and the car wouldn't last that long
2) My ideal spec includes PDK - excuse me what? That's not like me. Admittedly I had a short test drive of a 458 Italia a couple of years ago and the gearbox was the best bit but I've always thought of myself as a 3 pedal man through and through. But, I do find myself saying 'well it would be better for when I'm in traffic getting in/out of town, it *would* be cool to have the instantaneous gearshifts like there were in the Fezza and of course you need to spec it to make it easier to resell'
3) I don't "do" Porsches that aren't 911s. Don't get me wrong, I think previous Boxsters and Caymans have clearly been very, very good, but in my head they weren't *real* Porsches. I think it was something about the shape and, weirdly, the price. And I'll be honest, the straight line performance as well compared to their bigger brothers. Anyway....inflation aside (which obviously negates the whole argument I'm about to make) and just looking at the numbers, a decently specced Cayman S now costs what a new 996 used to cost a few years ago, combined with the fact that a sensibly specced 991S is £95k-ish (here's my version http://www.porsche-code.com/PDJIWB44) ....that's nearly *£100,000* on a boggo NA Porsche, I just can't get my head around that sort of number
4) Following on from (3) I cannot see how my example 991 can be £35k (over 50%) more car than its similarly specced Cayman S. Clearly I'm talking tripe for the most part here as 991s apear to be quite popular, but for me it's all just got a bit too much. If I want a mega capable GT car as daily drive where 2 seats will do (I'm pretty sure most people don't spend the extra £35k on a 991 for 2 extra seats in the back) it'll be a cold day in hell before you see a new 991 outside my house instead of a lightly used 599 ( http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/f... ) or probably more likely a California ( http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/f... )
5) I don't "do" finance on a car....which is a bit of an issue as the only way I could get into a new Cayman without a massive self induced guilt trip over spending freed capital from my impending house downsize, would be to sell my 993 (which I adore) and use it as a deposit for the Cayman. I pretty sure that swap is so frowned upon in certain places it's actually illegal.
Anyway, mind dump into post over and as you can see I have major problems
(or maybe that should be ?) That new Cayman just looks superb and by all accounts is basically the best driving every day Porsche you can have. So to help out a fellow PHer from going insane and possibly making some very bad fincancial decisions in the immediate future, can someone here please order one to my spec (here's the linky for you again http://www.porsche-code.com/PEBK1TJ9 ) and then give me a call in 18 months time so I can have it off you for a sensible price Ta muchly!Edited by Mario149 on Thursday 21st March 14:57
Nice spec that - no too OTT on the options but enough to make it your own.
I'd add the sports steering wheel with the PDK so that you have paddles, otherwise its buttons on the steering wheel. (unless I missed it on there)
I'm in a similar mindset myself. I could afford a new one, I really want one now, but it would be reckless of me to do so (so maybe I cant afford it really). Anyway, now starts the painful wait of 2 or 3 years for used ones in a more appropriate price bracket to appear on the market.
I'd add the sports steering wheel with the PDK so that you have paddles, otherwise its buttons on the steering wheel. (unless I missed it on there)
I'm in a similar mindset myself. I could afford a new one, I really want one now, but it would be reckless of me to do so (so maybe I cant afford it really). Anyway, now starts the painful wait of 2 or 3 years for used ones in a more appropriate price bracket to appear on the market.
I agree took a short test drive after going in looking for a gen2 997 . I might have fallen in love with the cayman . I need to control my heart and hold out for 18 month for what will be in my opinion the most desirable coupe on the market which won't be great for the second hand values. Buyers that is . Might be worth buying new . There I go again.
andrewhutch1 said:
Nice spec that - no too OTT on the options but enough to make it your own.
I'd add the sports steering wheel with the PDK so that you have paddles, otherwise its buttons on the steering wheel. (unless I missed it on there)
I'm in a similar mindset myself. I could afford a new one, I really want one now, but it would be reckless of me to do so (so maybe I cant afford it really). Anyway, now starts the painful wait of 2 or 3 years for used ones in a more appropriate price bracket to appear on the market.
Yeah, sports steering wheel is in there, my thoughts exactly. I was trying to spec it with what I'd use it for in mind. It'd basically be a daily drive with a lot of getting in/out of London so PDK would be v useful to just sling in auto and go. Add cruise control for when I do long road trips and need to take the motorway to get somewhere, then go to town on the transmission/chassis options so I have the best possible drivers car for hooning I'd add the sports steering wheel with the PDK so that you have paddles, otherwise its buttons on the steering wheel. (unless I missed it on there)
I'm in a similar mindset myself. I could afford a new one, I really want one now, but it would be reckless of me to do so (so maybe I cant afford it really). Anyway, now starts the painful wait of 2 or 3 years for used ones in a more appropriate price bracket to appear on the market.
baz1985 said:
All this stuff is well beyond my station- does that qualify me as unbiased?!
550+ potential 981 budget= 458/430 Scud
I think you may be underestimating how much 458s (and probably Scuds!) still cost! Not sure I'd be able to physically bring myself to sink £120k+ into a depreciating asset like a single car. I thought about it long and hard when I had the opportunity to about 4 months ago, and decided it's too much. I'd originally planned on having the 550 and then having a hot hatch run around which I then did in the form of a Mini Cooper S. But I had such a falling out with the Mini that I wanted to get rid of it only a few months after buying it, and in an epic application of man maths, worked out that it made much more financial sense to trade in a £4k Mini for an £18k 20yr old 911 as a DD 550+ potential 981 budget= 458/430 Scud
Mario149 said:
DMC2 said:
I've ordered quite close to your spec except for Agate Grey and 20" wheels. I'll give you a shout in 18 months.
Sounds good mate Out of interest, could you post/message the complete spec? Would be interesting to see!Cayman S
Agate Grey
20" Carrera S Wheel
Wheel caps
Sports seats Plus
Park Assist front and rear
PDK
PASM
Sports Chrono Package with dynamic transmission mounts
Sports exhaust
Sound package plus
Cruise control
Seat heating
Sport design steering wheel
PCM
Telephone module
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