Dilemma 997 C2s or Cayman 981s

[MaxA]

This is a tough one. It depends on your wants.

I would have said that if you want a friendly car, get the mid-engined Cayman. You'll probably love it.

But if you want a grower, something that you need to learn about, get the rear engined 911. Obviously if you want space, get a 911. And as others have said, perhaps a 997.2 will have depreciated more...

I was originally in the market for the Cayman until the Rear Admiral realised that it's only a two seater. So now I have a three seater (haha), but I haven't looked back. The 911 is fantastic.

At the end of the day, if this is your last chance, I'd get the 911 as it is not only a great car, it is the iconic Porsche.

 

[davidjf7]

You say you might only have it for 9 to 12 months. I think you answer your own question right there. Do you want to look back in a years time not having had a 911?

This would be the clincher for me as great as the Cayman undoubtedly is. Also, I suspect the 997 would hold its value better so you'll lose less (if anything) come resale time.

GT silver and cocoa is a gorgeous combination :thumb:

 

[Maxie]

997 C4S vs 981c S here

~ Maxie

 

[Magic919]

I quite enjoy the 981 Cayman, but I'm always happy to give them back and get in the 997 again. I miss the grunt of the 3.8 and there's an odd air pressure thing that goes on in the cabin of the Cayman. I think it's something to do with the hatch area in the back.

 

[Ernie McCracken]

Thanks for all you input guys, it's been a great help.

Originally I was after a 997 C2s with the must haves being: PDK, Chrono, Bose, Paddle-shift steering wheel and PCM/Bluetooth.

I did plan to keep it for a long time then hand it down to my Dad, so an under 30k miles was almost essential, especially as I will be doing 10k+ a year.

PSE would be good and any other extras would be a nice bonus, centre console painted in body colours looks great I think.

I know the drivers' choice should be a manual but I've decided at this point I want an auto with the addition of the paddles for fun when required. I may regret it later on but am feeling the need for an auto for my jaunts around the M25!

Pancobalt, no offence taken and I consider myself to be a competent driver but I am interested in owner's views on potential twitchiness due to the power or rear bias weight distribution.

I have test driven a C2s and C4s and preferred the 2 as it felt lighter and more nimble whereas the 4 was extremely planted and sure footed. Not that I would rule out the later.

Phil 997, I quote like the coca interior too, photos of it and the red interior do not do them justice and fail to reproduce what it is actually like. I was unsure until I saw a silver cab with the cocoa and thought it looked great, even though Porsche do go all or nothing with the colour.

I have viewed this car with the red interior, it has too many dinks and scratches to be considered but the red was actually quite nice considering:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201603031594588/usedcars?logcode=visc

Resigner, if it is only going to be a short term thing then you are right I should probably go for the 997. I haven't delved into the tyre debate yet and historically I have always liked Pilot Sports, but surely the Pirelli P zeros can be lived with until they need replacing?

A cabrio could be an option, I didn't plan on it and was after a coupe. Out of interest, can the rear seat of a cabrio handle a baby seat, or is there a lot less room for one?

Ozzyz, the 'missing something' factor of the cayman is what I fear. I have as TT and whilst it is a decent enough car, it is 'missing' quite a bit when it comes to be a sports car I think. My 2007 BMW diesel couple was more fun to drive as it was less predictable than the surefooted TT.

Maybe that point has answered my dilemma and go for the far less predictable 997!

Niall996, I as the argument with a mate who said the Cayman would be the one to get. It's a better car all round, its more modern, handles better and looks better. Any my reply was its not a 911 though!
Thanks to all the others too, it seems like only Maxie (great review) would take a Cayman over the 997!

Does anyone know much does it costs for OPC to supply and fit a paddle wheel?

Contenders:

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifi...-carrera-2s-pdk--------------2010/5714718?v=c

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifi...en-2-pdk-chrono--paddles--sat-nav/5276837?v=c

Wildcard Cab:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...id=2c929b7054a02c9f0154a06029cf0005&logcode=p

 

[Phil 997]

If your thinking maybe a cab have you seen this one mark at stirlings has in stock everything on your list except for chrono but there is a software upgrade

http://www.stirlings.co.uk/detail.php?id=68

see the software upgrade to give you sport and sport+ with launch control

http://www.suncoastparts.com/product/9X7SM.html

:thumb:

 

[MJA911]

Good spot phil997, interesting to see that 911 cab alongside the similarly priced 981 cayman and boxster he has in stock too, I bet they're frisky compared to my lardy 4S cab :wink:

 

[Phil 997]

Good spot phil997, interesting to see that 911 cab alongside the similarly priced 981 cayman and boxster he has in stock too, I bet they're frisky compared to my lardy 4S cab :wink:

But then your gen2 has more BHP than the gen1 and you can add the software update for sports mode which is not available for the gen1.
I was wondering if they did the gen2 with an X51 powerkit as I have not seen one and presumably if they did it would be 400+ BHP or was that the GTS :?:

 

[isysman]

If you have always wanted a 911 then you should get one otherwise you will most likely regret it and end up getting one down the road anyway (at more expense). However if you haven't always wanted one and you just want a good Porsche then you should absolutely look at the Cayman.

I was introduced to Porsche when my brother was selling his 2.5 986 Boxster. That was my first Porsche. I wasn't looking at Porsches at all at the time but wanted a convertible. The Boxster was brilliant. Kept it for two years and then bought another but a 987 3.2S. Loved it. Then I bought a 3.8S Carrera Cab. Hated the handling on it. Sold it 8 months later for a 997 Turbo coupe. I have recently bought another 987 Boxster S as my daily. I never had that feeling that I needed to have a 911 really.

They are very different cars and they handle very differently. I love the Boxster and the way it drives and the 981 is even better. I have never driven the 981 Cayman but have plenty of 981 Boxsters and they are even better.

If you just want a great car, you should look at them both objectively and decide which one you like the most. You might be surprised. If you just have to have a 911 then you should concentrate on one of those.

 

[resigner]

Good spot phil997, interesting to see that 911 cab alongside the similarly priced 981 cayman and boxster he has in stock too, I bet they're frisky compared to my lardy 4S cab :wink:

But then your gen2 has more BHP than the gen1 and you can add the software update for sports mode which is not available for the gen1.
I was wondering if they did the gen2 with an X51 powerkit as I have not seen one and presumably if they did it would be 400+ BHP or was that the GTS :?:

I believe it was an option which no one ever took up. The GTS had it added along with a ton of other options, something like £12,000 worth, which made it excellent value, and also of course rather awesome.

OP, do take a cab out, PSE on, roof down, Tunnel, is a rather great thing

 

[isysman]

Agreed there is nothing quite like PSE on with the roof down. However make sure you drive a cab hard in some twisties to get a feel for it, as my experience of my cab was that it didn't handle very well compared to my Boxsters. As a result I got rid of it after less than a year.

Do drive a GTS though, it might have better handling.

 

[resigner]

I drove boxsters when I was looking to replace my Honda S2000 (awesome car). They didn't offer anything over the S2000, certainly not enough for the money involved. The 911 though is incredible. I do have sports chrono and with it on, PASM off of course, pushing hard, it is incredible. I do find you have to be going to fast to get it to the area where it is incredible, but when you do, and you nail it just right, it is just amazing. I'm sure a coupe will outhandle it but not by much, and I love a roof down, had convertibles since 1999!

 

[MJA911]

Having had a 997.1 C2S coupe and now a 997.2 C4S Cab, I do find the cab isn't as nimble, but it is a 4S. The payback is a definlte sense of extra grip and security, it can feel like the road is being sucked up in tight bends, the cab aspect isn't diluting what a 4S should be like IMO.

I'm neutral between cabs and coupes, but the C4S is definitely the least compromised I've had, it's noisier (mainly from the outside) and prone to the odd creak, but it manages to feel rock solid under pressure whilst being a little more compliant when pootling around, the engineering integrity of the thing is coming through surely. That said, I had 991 cab recently for a week and that is another level again, had no compromises I could feel.

Back on topic, I think 981s are great, colleague at work has a standard boxster and compared to mine, ride quality, aspects of fit and finish etc., are better sorted and maybe it would beat mine round a handling circuit (in the dry!), but I find it a little ordinary when compared to the unique 911, which is a more interesting car to own and drive IMO.

 

[Ernie McCracken]

I had an S2000, fantastic car and used to wail like a banshee when opened up. Completely different to the flat 6 but was an amazing sound.

My Dad wrote it off at 70 on a wet motorway, just aquaplaned, span and slammed him into the centre reservation twice. Car was trashed, all 4 wheels off but not a scratch on hi. So not so stable in the wet but great cockpit protection.

I think the decision has been made and its got to be a 997!

Firstly because a 911 has always been the realistic dream car and was the original search (love Ferraris but out of the price range and not really a daily practical car.)

Secondly, its more practical than the 981, those rear seats are quite handy and might be needed for a little one in the future. (Hence the car possibly only being a short term thing, at least with a 997 there's room for a kid).

Do people think the PSE is a must have on the coupe? I'm not one for modifying so no gundos etc will be done.

Thanks fellas, you've been a great help :worship:

 

[resigner]

I had an S2000, fantastic car and used to wail like a banshee when opened up. Completely different to the flat 6 but was an amazing sound.

My Dad wrote it off at 70 on a wet motorway, just aquaplaned, span and slammed him into the centre reservation twice. Car was trashed, all 4 wheels off but not a scratch on hi. So not so stable in the wet but great cockpit protection.

I think the decision has been made and its got to be a 997!

Firstly because a 911 has always been the realistic dream car and was the original search (love Ferraris but out of the price range and not really a daily practical car.)

Secondly, its more practical than the 981, those rear seats are quite handy and might be needed for a little one in the future. (Hence the car possibly only being a short term thing, at least with a 997 there's room for a kid).

Do people think the PSE is a must have on the coupe? I'm not one for modifying so no gundos etc will be done.

Thanks fellas, you've been a great help :worship:

I had my S2000 from new for 8 years. Had a tear in my eye when it was driven away......

If you loved your S2000, then seriously, please try a Cab out. You will definately want a manual C2S. I drove a C4S and it felt much heavier, less nimble and nowhere near as involved as a C2S. Think of a Lotus, it's all about lightness. My S2000 had the traction control which was rare, but my C2S Cab is so much better in the wet, so I don't think you need a C4S ever!

Try them all, it really isn't a hardship test driving a 911!