Any Cayman Owners out there?

[Marty Fareri]

Test drove a Cayman S.....Awesome power and handling and this is coming from a 930 owner ! Really a picture of art though and looks much better than the newer 911's i have seen lately. Anyone have any experience with this new model, good or bad or anything to look out for? Thinking seriously about purchasing one !

[450knotOffice]

We just bought my wife a base model Cayman a month ago. While it doesn't quite have the punch of the S model, it's still very quick and very fast (0-60 in 5.8 sec and 161 mph top speed). Once you get the revs above about 3500 or so, it pulls very well and spins eagerly to 7200 rpm.

In terms of handling, the Cayman is the best handling car I've ever driven (and I already have an excellent handling '84 Carrera with freshly rebuilt and modified suspension and an even better handling 996). Its balance is perfect, as far as I'm concerned, and it's amazingly quick from side to side. It possesses lightning-quick reflexes, yet is also very forgiving. The engine is nice and quiet when you want it to be and yet, when you mash the throttle to the carpet and get the revs up above 3500, it lets out an incredible induction growl/wail out the side intakes. It's a beautiful sound - very purposeful and aggressive.

Since we've only owned the car for a month I can't give you any issues to look out for. So far it's been a great experience (and the car is well built and solid).



(oops, how'd this one get in there? )

[Marty Fareri]

Scott, Thanks for your input ! More importantly though, I commend you on your porsche stable....Most impressive !
I will keep you updated as to the status of the Cayman S I am interested in ! Thanks for the response.

[racer]

Lets see.. Stock Cayman S has 295hp. Stock 930 - us spec, between 280-300. Displacement - CS = 3.4l Turbo = 3.3l Weight? CS around 3000lbs, Turbo, around 2900??lb

I can see why they are so similar. Just, one is 20 years or so newer and mid engined.

The only "problem" I have witnessed is their ability to draw a crowd and put the smack down on a lot of 911's

[Doug&Julie]

Brother loves his ('cept for the payments!). He's had no problems, but has only put on about 8k miles since he doesn't drive it in anything resembling winter.

http://www.lumpocole.com/doug/greggscaymans/Cayman%20S%20Photos.html

Julie and I drove a base Cayman when we bought my '01 Boxster. I would have loved to have gone with the Cayman, but it was a bit out of my range. Still, I'll be looking for a used one to replace my Boxster in a few years! (..maybe my brother will sell me his Cayman S?!? )

Edit: Added link to pics/video of my brother's car.

[porcupine911]

bad pic...

[seventythree]

Originally posted by Marty Fareri
Anyone have any experience with this new model, good or bad or anything to look out for? Thinking seriously about purchasing one !

A couple of weeks ago, I test drove the 07 Cayman S back to back with the 07 Boxster S. Price differential was minimal, and not even a consideration. Purely based on performance and feeling, we ended up buying the Boxster S!

[Marty Fareri]

Chris, Nice car and I have personally seen the Midnight Blue and its a great color. Those are 19" wheels? What other options did you get in the car, PASM, Sprts Chrono, NAV, Leather, etc...
Also, What do you think of the power, handling, suspension, etc... maybe compared to other P-cars you have owned or driven. Thanks, and more pictures would be appreciated.

[porcupine911]

Marty -

Yes, those are the 19in "Carrera Classic" wheels. The only other options on mine are xenons, heated seats, and Bose stereo. I would not have ordered the car this way though. I'm not much of a car stereo guy, and the 19's are... well, just not necessary. I strongly considered PASM when I was thinking of ordering a base Cayman. In hindsight I am glad to not have to worry about one more system failing (since I tend to keep my cars longer than most).

Power - Holy moly this is just right! (The base Cayman did not leave me with this feeling.)
Handling - Superb. Telepathic.
Suspension - Firm. Not harsh. Corners very flat.

My other P-car is a sweet '71 911E. In my mind, the Cayman is closer to my original 911 than the current Carrera evolutions. I will probably keep taking the old 911 out on most of our SoCal canyon runs. The Cayman is just too capable.

I'll try to take some pictures this weekend.

[porcupine911]

[JMatta]

You guys are killing me...I need a Cayman S in the stable. I wonder if my wife will notice if I keep it at our lake house and say I'm keeping for a friend? At one point I had four 911s!

[Marty Fareri]

JMatta, Yes, after seeing Chris's pictures and doing a test drive myself in a "S", I'm pretty much sold...I wish I was able to have a stable, but I will need to sell my 87' 930 to afford the Cayman while keeping "peace" in the family....
Thanks to everyone who responded to this thread and keep the Cayman threads alive !!!

[Doug&Julie]

Originally posted by porcupine911

There's just something "right" about that scene...

[brittbolen]

I love it, Cayman + Early 911, i had that combo setup at the dealership on saturday. I'm strongly considering a base Cayman (cobalt of course) + SportChrono and Sport Seats.

My main open issue is interior color and more importantly PASM or no PASM. I'm leaning away from PASM and just going Sport Chrono. I'm also going to stick with the standard 17s, so I'm not sure if PASM is more or less helpful with 17s.

I drove a very stock Cayman from the dealership but I couldn't really have fun with it as it only had 50 miles and they didn't want me to rev it. It felt very similar in power to my 911E, but it was much easier in traffic, so much more torque, and the gearbox (5 speed) was really nice and easy to deal with.

I'm definitly getting the sport seats as the normal seats pinch/push my shoulders too much. The adaptive seats were nice, but damn pricey...

Anybody know what the differences in the various optional steering wheels are? Porsche website didn't make it obvious to me...

thanks,

Britt

[porcupine911]

Nice cars, Doug!

Britt - I don't have any quantitative data, but I believe the sport steering wheel is smaller in diameter. It also has a round hub vs the standard triangular look. A buddy of mine has the sport wheel, so I can get measurements if you are interested.

I'm curious as to why you are interested in the Sport Chrono package. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Sport Chrono package adds the "Sport" button on the dash that remaps the throttle. I've seen posts on Internet forums on how it makes the car much more responsive and enjoyable, as if it adds power. I really have to call BS on that one. My parent's old Buick Park Avenue employed this strategy to make the drivers think that they had so much more power available on tap. Also, I can't imagine fussing with the steering column lever to use the lap timer on a track. Transponders are a much better solution.

[brittbolen]

I was thinking about Sport Chrono for the sport button which is supposed to improve throttle response (my 911E revs so much easier with less pedal travel that I thought it would be easier, and it should make heel and toeing easier as there is less throttle movement needed to blip) and it also raises the thresholds where PSM starts to correct things.

I'm not really interested in it for the lap timing feature as you really need the PCM (nav) system to track more than 1 lap, and I don't think it's worth the money for PCM since I want a basic car, not a luxed out one...

B

[450knotOffice]

From what I've read (I don't have the Sport button myself) the increased throttle response can make the engine a little bit less manageable in steady throttle applications (like the highway) due to the much more sensitive nature of the pedal so it's not such a good idea for normal driving. For "fun" driving however, all of the mags I've read love it.

Britt, sorry you couldn't wind that car up when you drove it. Again, while it doesn't have the same kind of pull as the S model, once the engine spins up past about 4000 RPM or so, it really comes alive. It feels like a different animal, power wise, in the higher RPM range. Tons of fun, really. I'm surprised the dealer didn't let you spin it up once or twice.

[porcupine911]

Originally posted by brittbolen
I was thinking about Sport Chrono for the sport button which is supposed to improve throttle response...

My point is that it really only changes the mapping between throttle pedal position and throttle butterfly position. Is that really "response"? I can imagine writers raving about it because it feels great switching "sport" mapping on, but in reality it is exactly the same as pushing the pedal down an additional 1/8in.

Now, if it does raise the PSM threshold, that's something I could have used. It is a bit too intrusive on my car. I had to shut it off for the twisties yesterday morning.

Have fun!

[brittbolen]

the sport button changes PSM and ABS behavior, to quote porsche own web site...

As with every Porsche, the Cayman has plenty of performance in reserve. The Sport Chrono Package option allows you to further explore this potential by reprogramming the engine management system and electronic driver aids at the touch of a button.

Pressing the Sport button on the center console recalibrates the engine management system’s variable parameters for enhanced engine response. A modified throttle map empowers your right foot with more progressive reaction to each tap on the accelerator. In higher gears, a rev-limiter works in tandem to offer additional protection for the engine under acceleration.

With the Tiptronic S transmission, automatic gearshifts also become faster and more dynamic. Lift off the throttle, even at high revs, and the system immediately shifts down to apply engine braking. Unwanted upshifts in manual mode are also prevented. The payoff? More secure and predictable handling, particularly around corners.

While this is happening, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) switches to a more rigid setup with firmer electronic damper settings for razor-sharp cornering, improved high-speed stability and tenacious traction. Note: PASM is optional on both Cayman models.

Porsche Stability Management (PSM) is also performance-optimized with elevated thresholds for triggering automatic intervention by the ABS and engine management systems, resulting in a more natural response that is also less forgiving to lateral and longitudinal g-forces.

For maximum maneuverability, PSM can be set to standby while still in Sport mode. PSM simply monitors the forces acting on the car and intervenes only in the most critical situations—for example, when ABS assistance is required on both front brakes. The Sport Chrono Package includes a swivel-mounted time display on the center of the dashboard with a digital field that displays time to the hundredth of a second. Who says you can’t measure fun?

[brittbolen]

So i guess the question remains, PASM or No PASM?

B