Cayman or 911?
Discussion
Looks like my daily commute will be reducing which gives me the chance to finally dip my toe in the water with a Porsche.
After initially looking at 911's I saw the Cayman and have to say it looks pretty good. At £25K less and with a not so tardy performance I'm pretty tempted.
Any comments / advice on the relative merits would be appreciated from those that have had both. I'm looking to drive the car 15K to 20K miles a year so knowing how they are to live with / maintain etc will help in deciding how much hock I put myself up for...
After initially looking at 911's I saw the Cayman and have to say it looks pretty good. At £25K less and with a not so tardy performance I'm pretty tempted.
Any comments / advice on the relative merits would be appreciated from those that have had both. I'm looking to drive the car 15K to 20K miles a year so knowing how they are to live with / maintain etc will help in deciding how much hock I put myself up for...
If you want a daily driver that is classy-in-looks with curves that warrants carressing, a pretty decent mileage, 0-60 in 4.8 secs (as tested by Road&Track), awesome handling that is as sure-footed and swerves around corners like a gazelle, a confidence inspiring car, decent luggage space, and a perpetual orchestra of Archangels entertaining you over your shoulder ==> go for the CAYMAN S.
(And if you have to dip into your piggybank - beware of the options--my total came to around £56000. A few more quid could get you a base 911. Make an informed choice)
I personally have found the 911 styling a bit dated....To each his own..!!
(And if you have to dip into your piggybank - beware of the options--my total came to around £56000. A few more quid could get you a base 911. Make an informed choice)
I personally have found the 911 styling a bit dated....To each his own..!!
Edited by DOC_RISHI on Tuesday 10th October 03:13
Jerry_PSoper said:
Looks like my daily commute will be reducing which gives me the chance to finally dip my toe in the water with a Porsche.
After initially looking at 911's I saw the Cayman and have to say it looks pretty good. At £25K less and with a not so tardy performance I'm pretty tempted.
Any comments / advice on the relative merits would be appreciated from those that have had both. I'm looking to drive the car 15K to 20K miles a year so knowing how they are to live with / maintain etc will help in deciding how much hock I put myself up for...
IMO the first question you have to answer is do you ever need the use of rear seats?Cayman s is more compromised than the 911 because its restricted to a maximum of 2 people and therefore more of a a toy.911 can be used as an everyday car(a bit cozy in the back but still useable if necessary.).After initially looking at 911's I saw the Cayman and have to say it looks pretty good. At £25K less and with a not so tardy performance I'm pretty tempted.
Any comments / advice on the relative merits would be appreciated from those that have had both. I'm looking to drive the car 15K to 20K miles a year so knowing how they are to live with / maintain etc will help in deciding how much hock I put myself up for...
I know I go on and on about LHD but for the cost and wait of a nearly new RHD Cayman (worthy car as it is) you can easily get in to a LHD 997 Carrera S with 355 bhp and 20,000 KM on it. It will depreciate less overall and is the car Porsche is famed for + it's identical to look at but generally better specked. People do worry about overtaking and resale but it is just that : a worry, not the reality I have experienced.
edited to add : if you reach the low £50K mark specking your cayman then you can get RHD 997's instead
edited to add : if you reach the low £50K mark specking your cayman then you can get RHD 997's instead
Edited by cyrus1971 on Tuesday 10th October 09:37
All a matter of taste and need for backseats:
The Cayman S is a superb car with brilliant, razor sharp handling that could do with quite a bit mor ooooomph. In several settings it will outperform a 997. It's a car that definitively flatters the average driver (I'm including myself here...) and that can be run at pretty low cost (relatively speaking).
The rear engine of the 911 results in a very pecuiliar driving experience which gets addictive after a while. You're maybe not faster but you will feel like it. Spirited driving with a 911 is a highly rewarding task once you get it right. There is more power and fantastic traction out of corners providing supercar feeling.
Test drive them both and see whether the 911 feel warrants the extra money. If you go for a 997, then go for an S.
Have fun with your decisions! Dr S
The Cayman S is a superb car with brilliant, razor sharp handling that could do with quite a bit mor ooooomph. In several settings it will outperform a 997. It's a car that definitively flatters the average driver (I'm including myself here...) and that can be run at pretty low cost (relatively speaking).
The rear engine of the 911 results in a very pecuiliar driving experience which gets addictive after a while. You're maybe not faster but you will feel like it. Spirited driving with a 911 is a highly rewarding task once you get it right. There is more power and fantastic traction out of corners providing supercar feeling.
Test drive them both and see whether the 911 feel warrants the extra money. If you go for a 997, then go for an S.
Have fun with your decisions! Dr S
If you're going to be doing 15-20k a year then you are going to be hit by depreciation big time, especially if you buy new. Day to day the Cayman is all you'll ever need, but is it all you'll ever want? Drive both then buy a used 997 2S - give it until January and you'll find them below £50k too...
** WARNING - Comments from a position of ignorance about to be made **
Having never driven either of these cars, it has always struck me that for the average driver, the cayman is a better car than the 911. The mid-engined configuration will give much more forgiving handling, particuarly for those who are keen to drive it every day in rain, snow and sunshine, or (like me) those who are not the world's best drivers. Sure, if you really want to learn the intricacies of something that handles in a peculiar manner, then the rear-engined, RWD 911 is a good choice, but I'll bet that for each person who really masters 911 handling there are a few dented 911's.
However, there are other concerns. The 911 is an icon, and that is (rightly) a major appeal to many. Because of this, the 911 may well depreciate less than the cayman.
As I said, this is all based on a theoretical viewpoint; I have driven neither, but have read a lot (and have a good grasp of physics!) Just my point of view, so flame away!
Oli.
Having never driven either of these cars, it has always struck me that for the average driver, the cayman is a better car than the 911. The mid-engined configuration will give much more forgiving handling, particuarly for those who are keen to drive it every day in rain, snow and sunshine, or (like me) those who are not the world's best drivers. Sure, if you really want to learn the intricacies of something that handles in a peculiar manner, then the rear-engined, RWD 911 is a good choice, but I'll bet that for each person who really masters 911 handling there are a few dented 911's.
However, there are other concerns. The 911 is an icon, and that is (rightly) a major appeal to many. Because of this, the 911 may well depreciate less than the cayman.
As I said, this is all based on a theoretical viewpoint; I have driven neither, but have read a lot (and have a good grasp of physics!) Just my point of view, so flame away!
Oli.
Jerry,
I looked into the costs, but as I wanted to load up what ever car I bought, the 997 was never "a little bit more". That pretty much did it for us - a great, fully loaded new car with £25k in the bank or a better, fully loaded car with £25k in Porsche's pocket?? Argument over.
However, was at the ring this weekend and have an opinion from someone who's more qualified to give an opinion than me. Started talking to a chap in a silver one who was extremely fast (I'm not slow round there, but he was very quick). Turns out he's a professional racing driver! Ah
His company had just aquired a Cayman S so he brought it to the Ring for the weekend to form an opinion.
He said he was so impressed with it he thinks it's the most fun car you can buy from Porsche. He said given a choice of any car to take to the ring (and that included a 997TT that he was there in a few weeks ago), he'll choose the CaymanS.
Also, (back to my opinion now), there were 5,827 911s at the Ring this weekend and only 3 Caymans. If you want to be snobbishly exclusive..
I looked into the costs, but as I wanted to load up what ever car I bought, the 997 was never "a little bit more". That pretty much did it for us - a great, fully loaded new car with £25k in the bank or a better, fully loaded car with £25k in Porsche's pocket?? Argument over.
However, was at the ring this weekend and have an opinion from someone who's more qualified to give an opinion than me. Started talking to a chap in a silver one who was extremely fast (I'm not slow round there, but he was very quick). Turns out he's a professional racing driver! Ah
His company had just aquired a Cayman S so he brought it to the Ring for the weekend to form an opinion. He said he was so impressed with it he thinks it's the most fun car you can buy from Porsche. He said given a choice of any car to take to the ring (and that included a 997TT that he was there in a few weeks ago), he'll choose the CaymanS.
Also, (back to my opinion now), there were 5,827 911s at the Ring this weekend and only 3 Caymans. If you want to be snobbishly exclusive..
are you anti-convertible? if not get a Boxster 3.4S and pocket the £5k saving
if you are I would get a nearly-new 997 or 996 4S - the Cayman is undoubtably a good car but it is over-priced and (this is purely an emotional/illogical reaction) the way Porsche price/market it annoys me (over-pricing and stunting its potential so as not to touch the 911)
if you are I would get a nearly-new 997 or 996 4S - the Cayman is undoubtably a good car but it is over-priced and (this is purely an emotional/illogical reaction) the way Porsche price/market it annoys me (over-pricing and stunting its potential so as not to touch the 911)
Edited by Adam B on Tuesday 10th October 10:53
Adam B said:
are you anti-convertible? if not get a Boxster 3.4S and pocket the £5k saving
if you are I would get a nearly-new 997 or 996 4S - the Cayman is undoubtably a good car but it is over-priced and (this is purely an emotional/illogical reaction) the way Porsche price/market it annoys me (over-pricing and stunting its potential so as not to touch the 911)
if you are I would get a nearly-new 997 or 996 4S - the Cayman is undoubtably a good car but it is over-priced and (this is purely an emotional/illogical reaction) the way Porsche price/market it annoys me (over-pricing and stunting its potential so as not to touch the 911)
Personally, I'm anti-not-new-car.. for those sort of numbers.
Also having had a Boxster S for a week, it's a VERY different car to drive and live with (utterly brilliant / not knocking it).
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