Talk Me Out Of or Into a Cayman
 

I have fallen in love with the line of the Cayman. I have yet to pilot one. I haven't lusted over a car since I was 8 and lusted over the 911 Targa.

I have told my Wife that in the next few years I want to get one. She laughs and says I should think about a Camry or something along those lines.
Agh...no...F*** that! I don't work my arse off to reward myself with a bland hunk of tin! My family is well taken care of and I see no issues in working hard for something provided it doesn't consume the family operating budget.

So, what do you scallywags know about these gems?

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I guess that book deal advance was pretty phat.

Love our Cayman S!!

If I could buy one, I would, yesterday, or the day before that.

I want one to! The only thing that bugs me is its half Boxter.

Who cares? My wife's daily driver is a Cayman - since December 2006 - and it's a BRILLIANT machine. It has the most amazing sense of balance and razor sharp steering that I have ever experienced. I take it out on canyon roads on occasion and am always blown away by the unbelievable pace this car can carry - and it does it so easily and intuitively. It can carry an absurd amount of speed into a corner and then it just...turns!

The sound of the intake and exhaust at high RPM's is sweet too. There is no doubt who makes this car. :)

Go for it!!

Now, that's a good recommendation right there!

If ya got the hot lust? You gotta go for it!

The red one might be out of your budget...

If you're in love w/ it and haven't even driven it yet, you're a goner once you drive one. My only problem w/ it is its looks, (rear half is ugly to me--overall effect looks like a centaur). Absolutely no one on earth has ever complained about the way it drives/handles/corners/etc. It is apparently one of the greatest "packages" of automotive genius ever to roll on wheels.

Go get one today. How much are they?

Probably should wipe the butt of a 911 if it was properly setup.

I too love the lines especially the rear quarters!! plus the mid engine balance sounds great. I'm not in the place to spend that kind of money for a fun car. I also still use the back seats in my SC, till my younger son out grows the space its works for us.

If it works for you then go for it.:-)

Cheers Richard

Sold my 85 911 and got a 06 CS earlier this year - don't regret it one bit.

If you are looking for the raw visceral feel of the 911, the CS won't have that. The CS is more refined but still a hoot to drive - the mid engine balance is addicting.

For me, I wanted a little more comfort/convenience without giving up performance, and the CS fit the bill. (I loved the body lines ever since it was released). AC really works! and the bun warmers are a nice touch. :)

I've got one.

http://www.erikaslist.com/pictures/prettycs.jpg

+: I think it's gorgeous, it's probably the best handling car out there that is not a pure race car (or a lotus, but way more comfortable and usable), and it's easier to work on that people think. Surprisingly practical too, with 2 trunks, and you can put a 986 spare tire in the nose... Everytime I see that car in my garage, I go "wow"...

Now as far as talking you out of it.... I can try to do that too:

- It's a 2 seater, as you know, and that can suck sometimes...

- It's not as good a track car, stock, as a 911. You need to work on the wheels geometry, oil sump baffling, possibly an oil pump solution to avoid oil starvation... That's annoying to me since I like track days and my old 911s can go to the track bone stock. it's all tweakable, mind, but know it'll cost you a few thou to make it track-durable.

- It's got a few mechanical issues, like all porsches.. you know about the RMS/IMS possibility. I'm more concerned about piddly crap like my water pump going out at barely 40K miles ! Not cheap, annoying at that low of a mileage...

- It's too quiet, the gas pedal is a little hard to modulate from a standstill (stick) vs all my other cars, it can get a little hot inside (engine nearby) but on the flip side it cools off quick, small cockpit... and the gearbox linkages can be a tad noisy vs a 911 of the same era (the linkage snakes around the engine all the way to the gearbox).

- Also, it does not have that 911 "ass plant" in a turn that lets you shoot out of corners, it's more balanced throughout the turn though, so it's a matter of preference/driving style... I like both styles, unfortunately, so I am undecided... Oh, and unless you're a giraffe, you can't tell the rear spoiler is actually up, so you'll never know ;-)

That's all i got, trying hard to diss the car... Personally I think it's a screaming deal of a gorgeous car, w/ incredible steering feel and balance, easy to mod and maintain yourself with an ODB2 cable and software. Lots of aftermarket stuff too... A private party CS 2006 these days is high $20s.. why not, huh?
PS: I prefer the Gen 1 styling, but the GEN 2 cars (2009+) have the new DFI engine that removes the RMS/IMS issues, gives you 20 more hp and better mileage, if you can afford those...

Good write up Deschodt. lets see 06 s in the high 20s, Humm if I sold my driver SC and the targa project car, and threw in a couple thousand, Humm.

I love hearing reports from those that have them.

Cheers Richard

The dealer offered me $26K for my 40K miles 2006 CS, a few months back, in trade for an Audi S4 (what, I've got 2 kids now). PP value was $30-32. I got so pissed at them that I bought a used 528i for $5000 to drive my kids to school, and kept the cayman S ! ;-)

Let me add a post scriptum to this: S vs. base model ? I'm a proponent of the S if you can swing it, used... but if you don't track the car, it's not a HUGE difference in daily driving... and the 5 speed is a nicer gearbox than the S's 6 speed IMO. But if you buy used, in an era where an effing accord makes 280hp, you might as well buy the S ;-)

I want one, might be my next DD.

Downside? To me IMS is really the only one. If/when I need room I can drive my truck.

A Cayman S will be my next toy/track car.

-Z

Here ...

only a used one would be a good IMHO. Depreciation is very steep on these. I'd look for a 5 year old like the one above ...

That said, 993 money badly spent. ;)

George

My next Porsche will be a Cayman S. Ioved my '74 911 Targa but I need a few more creature comforts and a lighter clutch.

If you want to be talked out of one, watch the BBC Top Gear when they tested the first one. While Top Gear is still my favorite show, they don't give Porsche much respect at times...

I love the looks and sounds of a Cayman :)

I'm looking for a cayman "S" also......

Why would I talk you out of buying one of the best sports cars ever? A certified used S model will actually be less money than a new Camry.

Bought a 2006 Cayman S in October (19k mi., CPO $34K). I've owned 911(s) for twenty years, been tracking them for eleven years. After instructing in a students Cayman S at Laguna I was sold. Incredible cars, much quicker than my 993 was.

If you plan on doing a lot of track work (especially with sticky tires) then the genI cars will need some mods. However, the genII cars do not seem to have any of the same weaknesses. The Cayman Interseries uses 2009 and 2010 cars and are ran very hard, they use a stock motor and gearbox. From what I've heard those cars have been bullitproof on the track.

I'm planning some minor tweaks to my car before it gets on the track next spring.

Llike others have said, these cars are outstanding when the road is twisty.

On my radar too.. 09 Cayman. Could it be Porsche reserved the power plant and almost made too good vs. a 911? I know its not in the same regards but my other thoughts are a Beck 904 with a nicely tuned 3.2 and 915 box for in the mid $50's.

I would recommend, if the budget allows, to buy a 2009+ Cayman S. They have the DFI engine, no IMS issues, much more robust (as mentioned above). Heck, if I could afford it, that's the route I'd go.

The very best sports car bang for the buck there currently is.

CON:

they wont fit!!

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Another CON.....
If you are 6'4" like me, there's not much adjustment in the seat. You are all the way back and not much leg room. I'd get one for my wife, but she works downtown and has to park in a cramped parking lot.

you made a mistake in the way you approached the wife -- you shold have told her you want an F-car and let her know the going prices

THEN, let her talk you down to a Cayman


for now, just tell her the red one matches her hair

Vash - I will keep the Pilot for family transport! I will let the favorite one ride with me from time to time....

RWebb - her fav color is red but sadly she can't see color anymore. I could easily swing it if I got rid of the Targa but our Son would kill me!

In two to three years it will not be an issue. It takes her that long to digest certain ideas...

I have a date on Friday with a woman who tracks her Boxster and is looking into getting a Cayman Interseries.

Cayman Interseries

I like Caymans, could almost see selling the 73 and getting one.

Having 2 rugrats that love Porsches I too struggled with the "no backseat" issue. However, I was able to rationalize that in another year my oldest would not fit in the back of a 911 anyhow, that may ring true for you as well.

As for you tall guys, headroom is great, leg room not so much.

I raced one in Grand Am this year with very good reliabilty. Took a licking and kept on ticking
Like Steve said I'd definitely by a gen 2 (09 up) 911's handle better though

Plus one on that...didn't fit in a Boxster, so didn't even try a Cayman...well, not quite true..by the time the Cayman arrived, I was done with P-cars...

But hey...whatever floats Mike's boat..right? He's a little guy...he'll fit.

Talk you out of it.....why? I owned a 986 Boxster for close to a year, it was a fantastic car and dead reliable. I love the 911 but there's no substitute for mid engine balance, the feeling of the car pivoting around your hips is tough to beat. Having the engine intake just over your left shoulder is pretty cool too. It was also surprisingly practical with the two trunks, I took a long weekend trip with my son to a rally race in MO and didn't even use half of the storage. I can't speak for the Cayman, but the Boxster is also actually pretty easy to work on. As a bonus, I managed to get nearly 30 MPG on the highway.

Frankly I wouldn't worry too much about the IMS/RMS issues, they are real problems but seriously overblown (IMHO), particularly on forums. There's a very small percentage of cars that suffer from the issue, and if you're really worried there are upgraded parts available. I'm on my 4th 986/996 and have owned them for over two years (cumulative), overall they've all been fantastically reliable cars. Porsche also made improvements over the years, making the issues more and more rare the newer the car.

BTW, I'm 6'1" and about 225, in the Boxster I had plenty of room.

You have earned a Cayman, Lube. Go get one. Personally I will start with a Boxster.

Cayman....thumbs up......
 

My son has a 2006 Cayman S in silver w/black interior. It is a fantastic driving machine, gets reasonable gas mileage and a comfortable road machine. The only thing that I would call a negative is that the interior feels a bit claustrophobic to me. I have had a 911 for 14 years and like having the extra space behind the seats, not for anything in particular, just for the space. If I were to sell the 911, I might go for a Cayman as a replacement car. I would find a way to put a real spare tire in one of the trunks "just in case".

I'm buying an X5 for the wife today. Next year, we get back into a Porsche. And like Herr Doktor, it will probably be a used Boxster.

Vash - to me thats a PRO and thats what babysitters are all about , go for it. Buddy just bought a 2010 PDK "S" and loves the heck outta it, plans on moving up in 3-4 years, I have first dibs and can't wait, Like it said in the Jim Russell ad "if not now, when", signed up that day and I'd sign up for a Cayman if I could swing it - in a heart beat
Finn