Me again with another question

Hello again everyone - I am still punctuating every sentence ( according to my poor husband) with 911 instead of a full stop
I've just read through an article in the GT Porsche magazine ( December issue) comparing the 997 Carrera with a Cayman (981), from the perspective of what you get for around £35k. I can see that the Cayman is a 'safer' car while the Carrera is more of a driver's car. However - the chap writing the article ( Simon Jackson) concludes at the end that the better buy is the Cayman. I am a bit puzzled by this and wonder if any of you have any knowledgeable opinions about why he would say that? Has anyone compared the 2 cars for themselves? Has anyone else read this article? He doesn't say why he would put his money on a Cayman?
Thank-you as usual!
Nicola

Personally I'd say the cayman is more of a driver's car. Deffo better handling and more fun than the carrera due to it's size and layout. But if you want the performance of the carrera in a cayman - it has to be a GT4.

BadBiddy said:

Hello again everyone - I am still punctuating every sentence ( according to my poor husband) with 911 instead of a full stop
I've just read through an article in the GT Porsche magazine ( December issue) comparing the 997 Carrera with a Cayman (981), from the perspective of what you get for around £35k. I can see that the Cayman is a 'safer' car while the Carrera is more of a driver's car. However - the chap writing the article ( Simon Jackson) concludes at the end that the better buy is the Cayman. I am a bit puzzled by this and wonder if any of you have any knowledgeable opinions about why he would say that? Has anyone compared the 2 cars for themselves? Has anyone else read this article? He doesn't say why he would put his money on a Cayman?
Thank-you as usual!
Nicola

Click to expand...

Not particularly a knowledgable answer the Caymens a great car, but it's not a 911, enough said. The clues in the title really it's not Cayman.com...... if you're even thinking of it, alert! stop now and keep dreaming of 911's :thumbs: Simon is welcome to spend his 35 k on the Cayman...

Press the Cayman link and see where you go :grin:

Although I have been dreaming of a 911 for 30+ years the Cayman is causing me a bit of a problem because, in my opinion, it is so good. I have driven the new one which doesn't sound as good as the older ones but still sounds good enough for me and everything else about the car is just brilliant.

I drove a new Cayman S followed by a new C4S back to back. When I got out of the Cayman I was ready to pull the trigger on it, it was so much fun and OMG it was fast! That was until I got into the C4S and all I can say I was tingling with excitement and absolutely buzzing when I got out of it.

I have a budget that will see me in a new 718 Cayman S with all the toys I want (considerably cheaper than a new M4 with better residuals)...but it's not a 911 and there is one of my problems. My budget doesn't get me my ideal 911. On paper & financially the Cayman has a strong argument for it. It's only when you get in it or look at it does your mind wander to the obvious that it isn't a 911.

I could probably get over the fact that it isn't a 911 and just enjoy what is commonly regarded as one of the best sports cars on the planet. However, as a BMW owner for years my biggest hurdle is the cockpit space and my perception of space, or lack of it, behind me. I imagine it would take a lot of getting used to. I assume it will be a very similar experience in an older model.

If you have always dreamed of a 911 it is a bit of a tug-of-war between heart and mind. Objectively the Cayman is the better buy but subjectively the 911 ticks every box and then some, IMHO

My OPC have booked me in for a few hours with the 718S to help sort my head out. I can think of worse ways to spend a few hours regardless of the outcome

Nicola, these's nothing at all wrong with a cayman and with its mid engine and hard top its a very nice driving car and sits neatly between the boxter and the Carrara.
There is and always will be only one drawback to the cayman and that is........... IT'S NOT A 911 8) :grin:

In the same way that a bloke with a BMW 318 doesn't have an M3 nothing at all wrong with a 318 and quite a nice driving car but an M3 it ain't and never will be.

Your coming from an M3 you would be massively disappointed with a Cayman apart from a GT4 and as they are above your budget so unless your planning on cashing in your husbands life Insurance you can't have one of those :hand:

Hope that helped a bit ,as you wade through all the considerations most of us have done at one point or another.
A few of us are going to the Haynes Motor Museum nr Yeovil on the 3rd Dec for a 9am breakfast meet, if your up for a morning run down the A303 :thumb: :grin: see the thread in the meets section if your interested. :thumb:

Completely agree with Spongebob, Cayman, yes it's a porsche but you'll be forever driving around thinking you aren't driving a 911 as you should have bought. The cayman looks nice, and I myself had a wobble 2 years back as I was parting with cash for my C4S as the black cayman the dealer was selling looked sooo slick and panther like, then I realised if I was going to buy a cayman I may well as save even more ££ and just buy a boxster.

A 987 Cayman/Boxster is a really fantastic car to drive, oodles of fun, fast and handles like a dream :thumb:

A 911 is a completely different kettle of fish altogether, it demands a special driving style and utter respect if driven fast :grin:

My best female friend ( the only person I allow to drive my cars ) loves driving my Boxster S on any occasion she can, she`s not so keen on the 911 as she feels intimidated by it, yet she is a really good driver :dont know:

Me, 911 wins hands down, yet I keep my Boxster S for sunny days, and well, just because I can :thumbs:

You sound like a Proper Driver BadBiddy, get a 911 :thumb:

911 - There is no substitute :cap:

alex yates said:

911 - There is no substitute :cap:

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Bang on the money there Alex :thumb:

I only bought my 911 because PeterS was always taking the mickey out of me for driving a Boxster............................and that nagging doubt in the back of my head :grin:

We all really want a 911, have done since we were yougsters..............it is an itch that we all have to scratch if we are fortunate enough

Budget £35k

Best two seater 981

Best four seater 997.2

Don't listen to all the posters with insecurities.

I've been fortunate in life to own many nice cars along the way, three of which have been from the Porsche manufacturer. I'll give you my honest opinions of the three (might not be agreeable by everyone.... but... hey)

Boxster: The best car I've ever owned by far for shear fun of going from A to B. You try and find anyone that says they got bored of a Boxster, and I'll show you a liar. Summers day, roof down and listen for the power band to come in at about 3500RPM. Fantastic brakes that stop on a six pence, no weight hanging over the very far corners of the earth. They can be pushed a lot harder and give you loads of warning you're having a tad bit too much fun. The best bit is even if you max out your driving skills it'll straighten itself up. Front and rear boots so it doesn't matter which way you're parked to load up with. Buy a manual everyday of the week if you're in the market for a Boxster. The only down side is the cabin space and that's a killer long distance, zero space to recline and stretch out. If you've ever been in a traffic jam and find yourself in a Boxster in the driving seat you might just have wished you'd bought a different car.
Note the later Boxster's have the newer version of cabin extension so 6 foot plus people like me can be more comfortable without having the knee sandwiched between the gear stick and the steering wheel.

Cayman: I found it very similar to the Boxster, apart from the obvious, the metal roof. Rarely did I use the cargo storage area, lifting up that whale mouth rear end. Now I've owned one the only reason I would say to own one is if you have to leave it outside every night. Yes they might have a slightly chassis combined with the roof, but unless you seriously seriously want to shave off 1 or 2 seconds around Silverstone or Donnington.

911: The long cruiser, the GT answer. Gets past slow tractors safely and swiftly in a blink of an eye. Way more comfier than the Boxster and Cayman. It's not better than the Boxster or Cayman it's just better overall if that makes sense. For example the Boxster will make you arrive somewhere in Buxton through all the twists and turns to get there laughing and buzzing with fun. Whereas the 911 will get you there feeling relaxed. The one problem and the only problem I find with a 911 is you just never know how hard is too hard. You push a Boxster and it'll let you get away with quite a few mistakes. You do the same with a 911 and that weight hanging out the back so far that it could hand shake with Australia will make you pay in ££££'s for not being respectful.

So I'm going to sum it up, Buy a Boxster if you just want to feel 17 again and enjoy the sound and everything a car should be. Buy a Cayman because.... I was going to say it has a hard top but you can buy them for a Boxster... so don't. Finally buy the 911 because it's the one that'll allow you to drive to the coast and not leave you stretching for half an hour.



:thumb:

alex yates said:

911 - There is no substitute :cap:

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Whilst Alex is absolutely correct, I could see where a comparison of a boggo 997 3.6 Carrera running factory stilts and 18s would be embarrassed by a mid-engined 987 Cayman S, let alone the sublime 981.

Indeed the 981 is the best sports car platform they have ever made.

Did I mention it isn't a 911 though?

Very very informative - thank-you. So - next question
We were out for dinner last night and coming back in Bob's 320D the 'race' was on with the 03 plate Carrera in front ( ssshhh - never above the speed limit!) Now Bob drives that tractor really fast ( he is a very good driver) but likes to own the utility car and spend virtually nothing on it :lol: Carrera wasn't trying and Bob could barely keep up.
Anyway - watching the 911 on the bends, he took them quickly ( I could tell he was extremely competent) and never a wobble from the back end. A joy to watch really.
So - are they very easy to unsettle? I know they have a stability management function - does that get you out of trouble? I would not plan to use it for track days as despite being quite conservative on track days, I have had a few 'moments' in the M3 which I've just automatically (somehow) sorted. I imagine such a 'moment' in a 911 might not have such a happy ending because of the pendulum at the back??
So - in the M3 I drive through bends ( on the road this is) having done any braking, no increase in power until the wheels are straight and then floor it out the other side ( even thinking about it is fun). Will I always have to watch my back in a 911? What catches people out? Is it just extreme driving? Not knowing how the car handles? I imagine that once you've lost the back end there's no quick way of rescuing yourself?
I've been a passenger many times on track days in my friend's GT3 and even though he is quicker than most other drivers on the track, from the passenger seat you would think you were driving to the shops?? There is never a wobble. None of these thoughts put me off, I am just interested to know about the actual driving day to day.
Time for another cup of tea

Sorry - pressed submit twice and can't work out how to delete!

I drive mine like a nutter. I've owned 5 rwd cars and 2 awd. I love turning off any driver aids and having a bit of fun. I love driving in snow. I have never, ever, ever in 2.5 years of ownership felt like my 911 is dangerous, or 'lets go' or is tail happy. The older versions may have been like this but I'd say anything from a 996 onwards is not like this whatsoever.
With the PSM activated, I'd say this car is one of the safest cars I've ever driven or owned. With it deactivated, it still sticks to the road like glue. I know my 996 is a C4 but I bet there's not much difference safety wise or funability between the C2 and C4.

These cars are in a league of their own. Nothing comes close with regards to handling, status, styling & fun.

ps. With regards to your original question - If you've wanted for a 911, there is no other answer than a 911. Forget the Boxster/Cayman thing, you'll spend all your days wishing you'd bought a 911.