Porsche Cayman

[Ant]

Well, the randomizers are picking German Wagens today, maybe in retaliation for their loss last Sunday.

So, here's another one, the Porsche Cayman.

Engine layout: Mid-engine Mid-engine
Displacement: 2,687 cc 2,687 cc
Horsepower: 245 hp @ rpm 6,500 6,500
Torque: 201 lb.-ft. @ rpm 4,600 - 6,000 4,600 - 6,000

[73GTVJim]

Technically great, drives brilliantly, beautifully built. It says you have money and the famous badge. A good driver's car, no doubt.

It also sort of says you can't actually afford a 911 even if you have pulled yourself up past the Boxster.

Just not cool.

Irrespective of how good the car may be all that they scream out to me is that the owners are seriously up themselves. Include all the other massive Chelsea tractors in this sweeping statement if you like.

[belfast bob]

Originally Posted by alfafamily

Irrespective of how good the car may be all that they scream out to me is that the owners are seriously up themselves. Include all the other massive Chelsea tractors in this sweeping statement if you like.

you have got muddled up, as i do.

cayman is the 'mini 911' type.

those cayenne (sp) are scary stuff.

something like £48k for a big engine , and then £86k for the turbo version

Originally Posted by belfast bob

you have got muddled up, as i do.

cayman is the 'mini 911' type.

those cayenne (sp) are scary stuff.

something like £48k for a big engine , and then £86k for the turbo version

How embarrassing, it illustrates my knowledge and interest in German cars perfectly though
Note to self.. Ignore threads about German cars.

[Trailbraker]

Not sure about the not the real thing compared to a 911, they handle way better than a standard 911 as you would expect from a mid-engined sports car.
Porsche didnt make LSDs an option on them, since there was no doubt they would show up the heavier 911 on track, and that might affect sales.

I would take one over a standard carrera any day, money not an issue.
They aren't particularly expensive in their genre and hold their value well.
Total cost of ownership may not be as high as you would think.

[BigFoot]

Hard to like the way it looks. Somehow I am between uncool and cool on this one.

Will need to think a bit more to see where I finally end up!

[Simes]

Originally Posted by BigFoot

Hard to like the way it looks. Somehow I am between uncool and cool on this one.

Will need to think a bit more to see where I finally end up!

Sorry guys,

I happen to own one of these and in guards red.. that "drawing" is very unflattering.

I had the choice of a 4year old 911 or this - chose this and glad I did so - the car has been perfect - undiluted driving experience no gizmo's gadgets in the way handles sweetly, and the inside is almost retro. oh and over 30mpg average in 8.4K miles and with a beautiful engine tone..

I'm sorry to say it better than my 3.2SV brera in almost every way, bar the looks...

The real monster in the cayman family is the S though - 3.4litre with +50bhp/50lbft it really does worry a 911 and the bit about the LSD is true..

It's also why we will never see a cayman RS ...

If I make it to an AONW meet it will be there...

On the cayenne front the second hand prices are nosediving the main dealer has a base spec tip cayenne S (3.2litre engine with auto 17K miles 3 years old) for 24K!

Simes.

[tremolo]

Good cars, but massively uncool.

[SPPalfa]

Its German and a poor mans 911 - why spend 5K more get a boxster

[Pascs]

A few of them here and red is not the best colour.......now in black they look very good. I would have to vote cool.......here they tend to be driven by people who enjoy driving and not someone trying to show how high up the ladder they are.

As for the Cayenne there are literally thousands of them here from the basic spec to Turbo to Twin turbo 700bhp Maybe a pointless car in some countries but here they fill that market of high performance road / off road vehicle making it a very useable vehicle due to the totally random quality of the roads here.

[73GTVJim]

Originally Posted by Trailbraker

Not sure about the not the real thing compared to a 911, they handle way better than a standard 911 as you would expect from a mid-engined sports car.
Porsche didnt make LSDs an option on them, since there was no doubt they would show up the heavier 911 on track, and that might affect sales.

I would take one over a standard carrera any day, money not an issue.
They aren't particularly expensive in their genre and hold their value well.
Total cost of ownership may not be as high as you would think.

I'd agree with all that TB and, speaking personally, I'd love a Porsche but with respect, all its technical merits do not make it a cool car. It really is not cool - also with apologies to Simes. It is a cracking driver's car but that isn't the question.

If you bring it over to the meet I'll be pawing all over it like all the other enthusiasts because I value the drive over coolness. Shoot - I couldn't look cool when I was younger so no point wanting to now!

seriously uncool.....

It's almost cool, but not quite.

It sits a bit too much in the middle between the boxter and the real Porsche, the 911.

Buying one just seems to be a bit of a half job. Neither one nor the other.

The Boxter and the 911 serve a purpose, the Cayman doesn't

[Pud237]

When I went to drive a Ferrari and a Lamborghini at Prestwold circuit, I first had a watch and listen to the cars going round the circuit, and the Cayman was the best sounding out of the lot. There were V8 and V12 Ferraris, V10 Lambos, V8 and V12 Aston Martins, Hummer (V10?) and the Porsche pipped them all in my opinion, it sounded like a jet!

So I would say the Cayman is cool, it would be sub-zero if it wasn't for Porsche purposely de-tuning it to stop it weeing all over a 911. This is what the 911 should be folks, if it wasn't for Porsche engineers bloody narrow-mindedness about the daft engine placement.

[ParanoidPenguin]

I agree with the comments above - whilst technically a very good car, it isn't a cool car.

[jabberwocky]

very good car, but very uncool, it shouts 'i cant afford a 911' very loudly indeed.

[Roswell]

I have read all of the comments on this thread so far and most of them are just soooo wrong!

It doesn't scream "I can't afford a 911" it quietly whispers "Why spend so much on a 911 when you can have one of these!"

The Porsche Cayman is clearly the thinking man's choice, therefore cool!

[Chill]

This one's not very well built - it's falling apart.

[Pud237]

Originally Posted by Roswell

The Porsche Cayman is clearly the thinking man's choice, therefore cool!

"Couldn't afford a real one then?"

'nuff said.

[Fast Frank]

Me likey, but not quite as nice as a 911

[Trailbraker]

I cant really argue with your point of view - coolness requires a subjective frame of refererence

Let me try a diagonal take on coolness though ..
Boxters etc aren't particularly expensive, theres a lot of them around.
A reasonable number of caymans over here, some laymen wouldn't even notice the visual or technical differences although I personally think the cayman is a subtley reptillian slightly edgy design.

I think boxter family have become ubiquitous enough in recent years with the massive increase in wages across most of europe that they dont really attract the same sort of "oh he thinks he is special" type reaction as maybe any type of porsche used to 15 years ago..

So basically, to those who know what it can actually do, its cool.

To those that dont know what it can do, its not.
(..but they aren't cool )

only joking btw, I gave up worrying about being cool a long time ago, its a young persons sport!

Cheers,
TB

Originally Posted by 73GTVJim

I'd agree with all that TB and, speaking personally, I'd love a Porsche but with respect, all its technical merits do not make it a cool car. It really is not cool - also with apologies to Simes. It is a cracking driver's car but that isn't the question.

If you bring it over to the meet I'll be pawing all over it like all the other enthusiasts because I value the drive over coolness. Shoot - I couldn't look cool when I was younger so no point wanting to now!

[73GTVJim]

Originally Posted by Trailbraker

I cant really argue with your point of view - coolness requires a subjective frame of refererence

Let me try a diagonal take on coolness though ..
Boxters etc aren't particularly expensive, theres a lot of them around.
A reasonable number of caymans over here, some laymen wouldn't even notice the visual or technical differences although I personally think the cayman is a subtley reptillian slightly edgy design.

I think boxter family have become ubiquitous enough in recent years with the massive increase in wages across most of europe that they dont really attract the same sort of "oh he thinks he is special" type reaction as maybe any type of porsche used to 15 years ago..

So basically, to those who know what it can actually do, its cool.

To those that dont know what it can do, its not.
(..but they aren't cool )

only joking btw, I gave up worrying about being cool a long time ago, its a young persons sport!

Cheers,
TB

It's a valid point. I don't think either side would get too heated versus the opposing view.

The Cayman probably straddles that line.

[symon]

Technically its good, but it isn't cool. BMW drivers often upgrade to Porches, Nuff said.

And they all look the same.