997.1S vs Cayman 981S

[RM605]

Hi All

I have owned my 997.1S with Hartech rebuild for 6 years and I am considering a change. My budget is £40000 so my closest option is a Cayman 981S but it must be manual as it's purely a fun car not for daily duties.
My question is to anybody who has had both a 997.1S and Cayman 981S, is it a worthy upgrade or will I miss the more analogue 911?
I have test driven a 981CS briefly and I was disappointed with the performance but I didn't really get a chance to rev the engine to its max torque.
So my second question is did anybody find the lack of torque in the 3.4 engine make you regret the change?

Thanks

 

[DRZ911]

Hi, welcome to the Forum. :lol:

Have a 981CGTS. A little more power than the S but essentially the same. Has a PDK box. In terms of driveability, definitely dual nature in that it can manage slow city driving in a sublime manner, and then munches the fast stuff, especially in Sports+ mode. But do feel there is little bit in the middle, circa 4-5.5K rpm where there is a slight hesitation and flatness in overall driveability. Not sure how this would translate with a manual gearbox. Had a 997.2 in the past with PDK, and would rate overall performance and responsiveness of the powertrain and driveline as very similar.

Hope this helps, and good luck in your search.

 

[Magic919]

I had a few of these as loaners and was always happy to get back to the extra torque of the 997.2. They were always PDK, never tried the manual.

 

[RM605]

Hi DRZ thank you for your welcome to the forum, I have been lurking for at least 7 years and have always been impressed by the depth of knowledge and helpful people on this forum. The PDK does sound impressive especially with the shorter gearing but it sounds like the lack of torque midrange is evident on both transmissions.
Magic919 it sounds like you have had the same experienced as me which compounds my concerns especially as you have driven the 981CS on more occasions and for a longer time.
After 6 years of 997.1 C2S ownership, the longest I have ever kept a car I still love it but I have the itch to change. Unfortunately I don't have the budget for a 991.1 or a GT4, so I will have to try and find a manual 981CS for a longer test drive.
I have considered a 997.2 but I don't think they are different enough to warrant an upgrade from a 997.1.

 

[Sean-B]

No comparison for me in terms of looks

 

[DRZ911]

No comparison for me in terms of looks

Left or right :?:

 

[RM605]

Left for me, the 911 beats the Cayman on looks every time and that's another reason I am finding it difficult to make the change. The 981 looks at its best as a GT4 but the CS doesn't have the presence of a 997.

 

[DRZ911]

Both look great in my opinion. 8)

Age old argument, that a Cayman is not a 911, but both super fun to drive and would bring a smile every time. :lol:

 

[TurboSandGT4]

both are very different in terms of the way they drive, if I could live with only 2 seats the cayman for me as I prefer the looks
tough choice ...have you decided yet?