I’ve just been driving the new Porsche Cayman S – the one with the new direct-injection engine and the limited-slip diff, the one that’ll now hit 60mph in just 4.9 seconds – out in Spain.
We’ll have a proper in-depth review soon, but for now, here’s what you need to know: it’s unbelievably, unbelievably good – brutally quick, completely useable and just a tiny bit unhinged.
No, the Cayman isn’t a friendly point-and-go sort of car: it makes you drive it properly. Stand on the brakes mid-corner and it’ll happily deposit you into a hedge, but take some time to get to grips with the mid-engined manners and it’s just magically, stunningly good to drive. One of the best ever, I reckon, especially if you get the manual rather than the double-clutch PDK gearbox.
In fact, the Cayman S is so savagely quick – the direct injection gives astonishingly sharp throttle response – and so pure in its handling that I’d take one over a 911 Carrera. No question.
But here’s where I need your help. The guys at Porsche are saying that – despite the general consensus that the Cayman S is now as quick as the Carrera over just about any sort of road – they’re not worried that potential customers might choose it over a 911. Different markets, different people, they say – while they admit the gap between the two ranges has tightened, people considering a 911 won’t look twice at a Cayman.
So what do you think – is Porsche right? Is the 911 just too iconic to make you ever think about a Cayman, no matter how fast? Or would you stoop just a little for a car as good as this?
I’d have that over a 911 any day but don’t tell porsche that or they’ll make it less good!
911 all the way! GT2 the best.
unless it’s a turbo,gt1,gt2,gt3 or a GT3rs
but Cayman over standard 911 any day!
…with a head and a brain would choose the cayman s then, as it would be cheaper, and better in every way. practicality, cost, and now performance…
please TOP GEAR! dont write this kind of articles, or porsche will start to downgrade the cayman!
The trouble with the Cayman (and the Boxster) is that owning one tells the world you can’t afford a 911. No matter how good it is it will always be beneath the 911 in the Porsche hierarchy. Porsche has created this problem for themselves, there are just too many variants of the brand. Ferarri F430, Gallardo, Aston Martin, they and others concentrate on fewer versions of their models and this makes them more exclusive – even desirable.
Personally I’d be ecstatic if a Porsche landed on my drive, but only if it was a top one. A bit like losing a tenner and finding a fiver.
997 C2S / C4S much better drive
I think Porsche is playing a dangerous game. You buy an expensive Porsche for the performance (well you don’t buy them for their looks, let’s be honest…), so why buy a Carrera over a Cayman? At the moment they might get away with it, but if they make the Cayman any faster and you’d be a fool to get the Carrera. It’s beginning to look like you either get a Cayman for semi-affordable performance, or your spend more money and get a Turbo or GT3.
I’ve always lusted after a Cayman though, so the faster they make it the better in my eyes.
I think they’re right, the 911 is just in a different league. The cayman can be a great car, but it doesn’t have the history or the appeal of a 911. I’d buy one, but only because it’s that little bit cheaper than the 911. But then again, the cayman is a bit of minger, the 911 is far better looking.
most of the 911 buyers are celebrities who buy them not because they love to drive it but to show the world “look, I’ve got the 911″.
to simplify – cayman for drives, 911 for assholes.
I think it’s a matter of perspective. I’d buy a Cayman because i’m a car fan and think it’s a better car. It WOULD be better if Porsche were less obsessed with brand issues. A Cayman only says you’re poor to people obsessed with money. Those people don’t matter. It says the right thing to the right people, that you’re vaguely sensible, but still appreciate a great car, and that you care more about the driving of your car than the image it creates.
Cayman all day long for me!
i hate how porches look in general, so i’d go with ash on this one… although the cayman is a step in the direction as far as looks go…
As alot of people have said its a ‘heart vs head’ thing. Im only 26 but growing up loving 911s mean i could never buy a cayman.
To be honest id rather have a old shape 911 maybe the 996 or a 993?
I know its said that alot of Porsche purist hate the boxster,cayman and cayenne but it has helped them become the most profitable car company so it better than them going under or turning into hot potsato like Aston martin.
it cant hide the looks still, just like the 911… in fact, the whole Porsche range can’t hide the looks can it? for the money it would cost to buy a Porshe Cayman S, i don’t see what is wrong with a Golf GTi, a load of tiers and a load of fuel on a track or a Nurburgring.
Well, having driven a Cayman and a 997 Turbo (Within minutes of each other actually), I found that the Cayman was a very fun to drive whilst the Turbo was very very fast and very very good it caught your attention for different reasons.
Given the choice of a Carrera or the new Cayman S, it’d be the Cayman. It’s only an added bonus that it’s cheaper!
Porsche designers are the laziest in the world.. Hasnt changed too much over the last 50 years has it? Probably a measure of how much of a cock you look driving one at the end of the day. In the immortal words of Clarkson, choosing between the 2 will be like going to the urinals next to a horse.. You are so gonna want a 911 Turbo or GT2 at the end of the day, so save up and get the car you want
The idea that buying a Cayman/Boxster shows that you can’t afford a 911 always leaves me shaking my head in disbelief, especially when it comes from petrolheads Jike Jezza and Hamster. Let’s look at that another way – buying a 911 over a Cayman shows that your first concern in buying a Porsche is how much it shows off your bank balance. Would anyone honestly think less of someone based on their perceived financial status because they brought a Porsche other than a 911? I’d say most people who buy Porsches do so because they recognise them for what they are – great drivers cars – and the other ten percent are more than welcome to spend their weekends showing off their sales receipt in the lounge bar at the Banker & Toerag.
Now, heritage – I do agree that 911s have history, but then so does Coventry and you wouldn’t take that over the south of France. The engineering expertise that Porsche have built over the years is present in all their cars in some form – contrary to popular belief Porsche don’t have a lockable soundproofed room that they herd the 911 design team into at nights to prevent them building anything else. The history of the 911 is a tale of a group of people refusing to see reason, and spending 45 years trying to overcome a dumb engine placement decision. The fact that they’ve managed speaks volumes for their dedication, but less for their sanity. If they’d started with a mid engined design and then refined that over the years, where would they have been now?
911s do have a lot of unique characteristics, sure.. but then unique isn’t always good. It’s become a circular argument where the 911 is great because of what it is, and therefore anything that doesn’t have those properties can never be as good. It’s almost as if snap oversteer, bizarre weight distribution and that weird see-sawing feeling define greatness, despite nobody else suffering from all three. You can’t help thinking that Porsche were determined to make a silk purse out of a sows ear just to make sure everybody knew they weren’t mucking about, and ended up playing the long game to avoid a public battering.
As for how they stack up – if the Cayman were made by anyone else then we’d all be falling over it like a pack of slavering greasehounds, yet it seems it’s become a victim of its bigger brother’s success. I often imagine the 911 starts with full marks on the review scoresheet and has a few deducted for minor infractions, whereas the poor Cayman has to fight its way up from the gutter each time. I know a guy lucky enough to own one of the limited Design Studio Caymans, and it’s utterly, unimaginably wonderful – I honsetly can’t see any way a 911 could beat it by the sort of margin owners suggest, especially when you take big bro’s little foibles into account.
If it were my money and I was faced with the choice of two similar looking cars, both from the same company, both equally impractical, both designed to make you feel like a driving god then I’d take the cheaper one.. especially if the more expensive one came with a whole truckload of historical baggage and overzealous and bigoted owners club members, and required you to learn all about its frankly unreasonable habits before you could properly enjoy it.
Well. Today the posts are about races, crashes and porsches. So, I would like to recommend the classic video:
http://www.youtube.com/wa tch?v=s2A5WxWgAD4
and this one, not so classic:
In my opinion yeah–the 911 is an automotive icon. Besides, the Cayman is hideous. Its proportions are all wrong, it’s just not pleasing in any way to look at. The 911 isn’t exactly a prize either, but it’s a damn sight better.
Of course if it were my money I’d skip both, buy a Corvette and pocket the change to buy gas for the next 10 or 15 years.
The way I feel about Porsche is that you buy it for all the logical reasons – running costs, day-in-day-out use, etc – and not because it stirs up something inside you…
So while the 911 may well be an iconic car, the logical money goes on the Cayman.
“The trouble with the Cayman (and the Boxster) is that owning one tells the world you can’t afford a 911″
Honestly, who gives a proverbial if it’s as fantastic as Sam makes it sound? It looks good, it goes good, and it’s cheaper than the 911*. Stuff what it tells the world.
*in theory
I’d have neither and go for an M3. It’s faster better looking and more equiped. And if you drive one now you DO NOT look like a cock.
if u can afford a 911, and it’s just as good if not a tiny bit better than a cayman… u’d buy it. no matter what u may think.
if you can’t afford a 911, but u can afford a cayman, u’ll obviously get that and be delighted that it’s as good. but if u’ve got that kind of money i agree with porsche, they won’t look twice at a cayman.
There is only one point in having a Porsche. Engine at the back! It’s a man’s car. Only men wouldn’t admit that theyed made a mistake by putting it in the wrong end. Rather then moving it they worked 40 years on perfecting something so deeply flawed as the 911 was 40 years argo.
911 any day (preferbly GT3 or GT2)
//Motto
Can’t I just have a Lamborghini Gallardo and be done with it (I’ll have mine in white please.)
No? Well since your making me choose I’d have…
I think I’d have the Cayman. It’s just something about NOT having the 911 that appeals to me. The fact that I can go just as quick in something not a 911 sound like good sense to me!
i agree with Roland, i would avoid the argument by just buying a used 993 turbo. better looks and performance than both and its aircooled which is ideal with the current weather conditions
No matter how good the Cayman is, or will be, i’d still have the 911, for its history. The Cayman is too new. 911 is the only real Porsche, all those Caymans and Cayennes are just marketing, so if you want a real Porsche, you have to get a 911.
if i were shopping for a new porsche, i’d take this over a 911 any day. i hate the 911. i hate how archaic it is and how they have to pretend-tune it to make it sound like an air-cooled engine. and i hate how people keep thinking “oh that’s the real porsche the best sports car in the world.” like clarkson always says, the engine is in the WRONG end! how about stepping into the 21st century? i especially hate how, until now, they’ve purposefully hindered the boxster/cayman to keep 911 on top. this new cayman is the smarter, better car than the 911 in every way
I’d choose the 911 over the cayman any time.
I mean just look at the cayman. it’s just plain ugly. It has something of a stretched ass thing going on.
and please excuse me if my English isn’t al to well.
as a daily driver i’d much prefer the 911, specially in four-wheel-drive flavour. it’s usable for grand touring as well as for pure fun, offers good comfort and grips perfectly, even when the road is slippery, icey or snowy, which it tends to be quite often during austrian winters
but for pure thrills, the cayman might be the smarter, more elegant and contemporary solution.
What’s the point of having a top-of-the-range Cayman? Wait a bit and buy a Carrera 2, which is the best 911 anyway (according to Hammond).
id have none of them id have da carrera gt but if id have 2 choose between dem id have the cayman based on looks but da 911 as a evryday car
Kuang, i think you are absolutely spot-on.
I don’t see the Cayman as a “911 minus X”, i see it as the REAL Porsche. It’s lighter, cheaper, the handling seems to be fantastic, and it isn’t bloated with useless but expensive extras. As Clarkson pointed out in an earlier blog: The problem with the 911 isn’t the car, it’s the people who drive it. Their message to the world outside isn’t “I like to have fun with my car”, it’s “I am very, very rich. Please sleep with me. Please.” The 911 became a car for posers. When Porsche presented the last 911 facelift, a friend said: “Look, they’re doing a coupé version of the Chayenne.”
If i see somebody driving a Cayman S, i simply know: Petrolhead! He knows his stuff.
I think it will get pretty exciting when tuners start boosting up the Caymans engine into 911 territory. Watch out, brokers and dentists!
If I had to go to a showroom and buy one of them new, I would go for the Cayman. I love the mid-engine layout since that is what I have driven my entire motoring life (MR2 Turbo from driving age, followed by an NSX).
They cost less and are equal in performance, and near as makes no difference to the same ammenities.
However, If I were just limited to buying a Porsche of any type for that money or less, I would simply pick up a second-hand, relatively low-miles 996 turbo.
You are all wrong.
I would get the Boxster!
It has to be the cayman, 911’s are still (largely)driven by cocks, a cayman says you care how the car goes, not how you look in it.
I’m afraid i’m still with Clarkson on the Boxster,as with all convertibles, it cannot be driven by heterosexual males.
Another question a Nissan GTR, A M3 or a Cayman S
Stop and ponder this:
IF — and that’s an enormous if — Porsche made the Cayman available with the same engines available in the 911 range which would be faster the 911 GT3RS or the Cayman “GT3RS”?
The fact is that although the Cayman has more potential than the 911, it is a notch below in the pecking order. And it will always be thus.
That said, I can’t wait to see someone cram a 911 Turbo engine (unmodified, if you really want to make a point) into a Cayman and then go to the Nurburgring.
@ Boo (Comment 36): The Nissan GT-R is two leagues higher than either of those puny adversaries. Despite costing around the same.
To be honest, all Porsches are fantastic (Cayenne aside), but because it’s so easy to spend £15-20K on options alone, it really does depend on finance. For me, if it’s high-spec Cayman or low-spec 911, it’s gotta be Cayman S. If I can afford a well specced 911 Carrera, I might as well go for it.
But at the end of the day, the best idea is just to test drive both and pick your favourite.
Right – would it confuse things if I were to say that I drove a Techart Cayman last year that looked stock but was packing a 997 Turbo motor? All 480bhp and it handled it beautifully, in a relatively tiny, useable package. And very, very driveable. A bit…er… sideways, but if you left the traction control on it was a puppy. Now that’s what I’m talking about…
All Porsches suck.
wow! A humourist! What a brilliant, brilliant username you’ve chosen there. So, so original. Are you 12?
I’m surprised Techart beat everyone to the punch on that one. I was thinking about this a while back and assumed that RUF would be the first, but then it occurred that they might not want to risk their ’special relationship’ with the Stuttgart boys by leapfrogging their business plan. On paper it’s hard to argue that the Cayman layout should have more potential for raw handling without the need for the trick suspension needed to stop the 911 turning backflips.. it could even be suggested that it may well form the future return to ‘raw’ motoring that successive generations of more technical 911s has drifted away from. I can see a future Clubsport Cayman being the one to beat in almost any environment once the 911 has topped out.
Did you get any vibe over how the Zuffies viewed the Techart beastie?
The 911 is an automotive icon, and is fantastic – but for me it would come down to a very mundane question – how many seats do I need?
My head says go for the cayman and take it’s engineering ‘rightness’ over the 911. My heart would say go for the one with the engine in the wrong place – thanks to the seats it’s more practical for my family and after a gagillion years of honing it almost handles as well as a car with the engine in the right place
)
As good as the 911 has been over the decades,it has always had 1 flaw……the rear engine.It ruins everything,even the look. I’d get a cayman over the standard 911 but the faster ones i’d take.
I’ve dreamed of owning a 911 for as long as I can remember, and the 997 Carrera S is currently the best looking car Porsche makes.
It would be a tough choice between a Cayman S and a Carrera.
I just think if i bought the Cayman, I would love it, but everytime I’d look at it, i would think, I could have owned a 911.
I recently went through this debate with myself last summer. Granted I was deciding between a used 996 and a new Caymen S, not the latest and greatest versions with DFI and PDK. I had the following observations:
Caymen: Felt like a go-kart, fast, agile, exhilarating, thrilling, a great ride for you and a friend (in my case, my wife). However it just didn’t have the power I expected when I really opened it up.
996: Stunningly powerful, incredibly agile, great handling, amazing grip, again a great ride for you and a friend (or wife) AND 2 others for a very short time.
At the end of the day I went with 996. It just felt better to me – a personal preference that all Porsche buys will need to make. One other side note – for the price of a new Caymen you can get a fully loaded 911 of various designations (993/6/7) at a reputable dealer. Take cost out of the equation and it’s really a personal preference.
The best way to sort it out would be a Top Gear test,Cayman s vs Carrera s.The fastest should be the car to buy.Stig will be required of course.And personally I’d have the 911 because it’s been fiddled with for such a long time that its almost perfect.I’ve driven a standard,manual box 911 and its epic.I cant even imagine how good a turbo or gt3 is.Plus the cayman is very,very ugly.The 911 is that Porsche is all about.Its the symbol of the brand and a symbol of motoring,no matter what Jezza says about it.
I have always wanted a 911 from being a kid. Then Porsche go and bring out the Cayman and confuse me. I have up to £40k to spend (on finance) and WILL BUY either a newish Cayman S or a not so new 911. Experts, what do you think. Haven’t driven either yet but but have driven the Boxster it seams like absolute raw power over handling.
Help?
Neither. I’m so sick of Porsche having no intelligence and imagination at all in moving their design standards forward. All are just 911 clones one after another.
“911″ is still the car to own but…
…Porsche in a big way is also mocking their own iconic and superlative 911 into a butt of jokes by turning the Boxter into a Cayman and the Cayenne into a Panamera.
See, not one ounce of imagination.
If i had to choose to get one for free, i’d go 911, but to buy with my own money, i’d go with the Cayman.
911 for me… however, like some people who pointed out, most 911 owners are just posers and to be honest, i hate these posers who buy a piece of brilliant motoring heritage and then show off.
Now come on! A 911 is supposed to be a driver’s car as much as the Cayman is as well. Sure, the engine is at the wrong place, but, that has made Porsche work hard and perfect it.
I’d stoop
Cayman is a beast. I got a poster on my wall and its also my wallpaper on my computer.
Good for you Yuri!
I hate porsche design (apart from the panamera) but a turbo, in white, is the only porsche(panamera aside) i’d buy
I would go for a Cayman every time over a stock 911. Yet again, I’m only 16 years old and haven’t even learnt how to drive properly, so I wasen’t around when Porsche had it’s glorydays in the 70’s. I wasen’t there when the 911 came out but I do remember the first time I saw the Cayman in a magazine back here in Sweden, the writer of the artickle was wildly exaggerating, I don’t think he knew a jack shit about cars, still, I thought it was awesome and it really deserves being as good as it can be
As much as i love the 911, i would be pretty easily swayed towards the Cayman. I do find it a bit sad that Porsche has decided to slot it between the Boxter and the 911, especially if it could be better than a 911.
I’ve always been of the impression “make it as good as it can be”. The Boxter has always been a silly car to me, its more about owning a vehicle that has a Porsche badge, than actually owning a Porsche… I’d much rather have a Honda S2000.
But the Cayman is starting to get to the point where it is becoming a contender to the 911, and the only thing holding it back is Porsche’s brand placement.
So yes, given the figures, and the cheaper price, I’d defintely have a Cayman of over a 911… Now if they would just split those horrid center aligned exhausts…
Graham well said. Admit it guys, if we had a couple of hundred million US Dollars in your checking a/c, we’d all go out and get 911 Turbo’s or higher any day of the year over the Cayman, Right?
Cayman ugh…sounds/ I mean it is a boxster (A Mid engine car with a hard top) No doubt, its nice, but don’t compare a boy’s choice over a man’s judgment.
Let Top Gear, Jeremy be the judge, a drive off b/w the new Cayman S and the new 911 Turbo.
Lets separate the boys from the men shall we?
911 Turbo will absolutely rape (excuse my language) the cayman day in and out.
I’d go for a Cayman.
Cayman over a regular 911 any day! A Cayman will better suit my daily needs while a 911 Turbo or GT3 will suit my run at the track.
personally if its down to money logic dectates you’d go for the caymen, but for everything else it has to be the 911 becuase the cayment looks too much like a boxter but with a hard top. unfortuntly im only 20 years old and the only time ive driven both is on the xbox 360 Damn it!
I test drove a Cayman when it was first launched, but ended up waiting and buying a used 997S (first gen)…because it was a 911.
They may be similar in feel and performance, but the Cayman is no icon.
New Cayman S = £44,105
911 Carrera = £59,968
Difference = £15,863
What do you get for your extra £15k+ in a 911?
Engine in the wrong place = Turn in understeer and pendulum effect oversteer
Cayman S = It would whip a 911 on a country road, and be more enjoyable too.
So if you’d like a serious sports car with excellent handling and performance, buy a Cayman S.
If you want to burn £15k and buy a car that doesn’t handle as well and won’t keep up with it on a country lane, then buy the 911!
911 because you want to say I spent 80k on a car. Cayman because you want the better package.
I have a feeling the Techart Cayman would spank any 911 variant like a misbehaving toddler in a supermarket.
Cayman – less money and much more ugly.
911 – more cash and the engine is in the wrong place.
Am I the only person who actually likes the looks of the Cayman?
When the Boxster was released I thought it looked a bit like a bar of soap without enough distinction between the ends. I think the sharp leading edge on the Cayman and the more purposeful front bumper give it a lot of presence. The smooth meld from the C pillars into the haunches looks great and I love the flowing wave that runs from the sills, past those shark gill-like intakes and over the flanks. The only thing I take exception with is the square-on rear view which looks a bit like a pouting frog, but I think if Porsche flowed a horizontal line/spoiler down and across from the inner slopes of the lights clusters and allowed the hatch to slice down through it, it’d be a show stopper. You could probably take a few loose cues from the 906.
For me the last few generations of 911 have just got a bit.. well, porky. I think the Cayman has a svelte elegance afforded by the layout that can only improve over time.
Oh, and just a final point to convince you all that I am, in fact, completely barking. Put a Cayman and a Karmann Ghia next to each other, defocus a bit and study the lines..
ive always secretly liked that car. i still think the boxter is hideous with its single center exhaust that looks like someone’s butt hole. but i digress. i dont know if i would take the cayman over a 911. appearance and name is everything in the car world. so its a tuffy
Well, I chose an ‘08 Cayman over a 911. The 911 is a brilliant car, but one with slightly mad handling characteristics. I still can’t over the sensation that it feels a bit like an old Beetle.
The Cayman, on the other hand, is poised, balanced and a hoot to drive (even the base model). The DI ‘09S should be stunning. In a perfect world, I have one of each. In the current world, I chose a Cayman.
kuang, i don’t *hate* the cayman, but lets just say i would take an aston or a masser over it as my mid life crisis vehicle…
Tom Ford: a bit late, i know, but Don’t Feed The Troll.
not hard, mate.
And could you not buy the Cayman and tune it later?
I find it funny how strident the opinions are of those who own neither car. I don’t know any current 911 owners that have anything bad to say about the Cayman. A good percentage of Cayman owners had a 911 previously. They are different cars. Both fantastic. I am on my second Cayman because I love the way it can outpace much more powerful cars on the track. My “dream car” (the car I have not owned yet that I would like to own) is a GT3. Not the RS. It is the only 911 I would trade my Cayman for. The 997.2 S is a brilliant car, but I just don’t need the back seats. As far as the issue of a Cayman indicating that you “can’t afford a 911″ is concerned, I chose mine over a used Turbo. A 2 year old good as new Carrera was another option. By the time you put a Cayman S in your driveway it is $70k. Honda drivers might think that is cheap. The last Ferrari driver I ran into at a gas station was as enthusiastic about my car as I was about his. Real car nuts are nuts about cars. The rest are posers.
meh, neither. live a little, get a Noble, have a near life experience.
I’m not sure why anyone would drive the heavier and slower 911 unless they needed the back seats to haul some toddlers around.
Seriously though, there are very few 911s as quick as my Cayman around the track. Those leaving comments here who haven’t witnessed a Cayman being driven in anger at the track really need to visit http://www.caymanclub.net and find out for themselves just how good of a car the Cayman really is! In fact I’m willing to go pink slips with Clarkson and his Ford GT vs. my Cayman if he’s willing!
I have a 997.1 Carrera. 6-speed, standard Australian spec. Could have bought a Cayman S instead and I drove a Boxster a couple of years ago and was really impressed.
But I wanted a Porsche and for me that is a 911. Maybe that’s narrow minded but that’s the way it is. Boxters and Cayman’s aren’t a 911 and to me that is a Porsche.
Am I a wanker then? Who cares. I love it.
I have to say…
I adore 911s. They’re gorgeous and they go fast. And they have cute butts ^^
But since I have never driven either…
I shall say I just like the idea of having something that beautiful.
Mr no. 17, Mr Kuang has a good point. If we were talking of the Porsche 911 vs the Audi Cayman, people would be flocking to the Cayman camp I think. If one really does care about their bank balance, they need to buy a 911 Turbo, and then buy a Cayman S to drive everyday. Now I haven’t driven either of these, so I am speculating. But for a drivers car, at R1m here in South Africa, one ca have an Audi R8, 911 C2, Cayman S, or BMW M6. A tiny bit less money will get you an M3 or Audi RS4. All brilliant cars,but the 911 is the only one with a LONG line of pedigree. The M6 is ugly and driven by young Indian men who fit enormous shiny wheels to it, and the Audi is driven but fat, bald men. So its a choice between the 2 Porsche’s. Back to where we started. Right. I would love to know what the power to weight ratios are, as well as hp/litre. Then put a stig in each one and see which is fastest. If you are a driver, you will buy the fastest one. If you are a motorist, buy a Suzuki Swift. If you are a fat bald man, buy the more expensive 911 C2. As I intend to be fat and bald, thats the one I’m backing
In August, I faced the choice. Spending around $55K US, choose between a 911 and a Cayman S for a fun daily driver (I live in Florida so snow is not an issue). I decided I would not do the base Cayman because the facelift was coming with more hp. I took both on test drives and I also drove a Corvette. I did not need extra seats, so that was not a consideration.
In the end I chose an ‘08 Cayman S because the car made me feel like a better driver from the first instant I pressed on the gas pedal. The car is seriously impressive when you first drive it and has gotten more impressive as I have gotten comfortable with it. It has completely changed my attitude about my daily commute and running errands. And one other thing….the car is an attention grabber, People notice this car.
I’m hoping Porsche will come out with the hybrid of the Cayman and 911 – call it whatever they want. It would be simply magnificent.
This new model will take the ZR1
When will Top Gear review more supercars. The people who want more every day cars should watch Fifth Gear. So they should stop complaining.
By the way the new porsche does look quite nice. But 911s are just better cars anyday.
The Cayman is just a Boxster trying to look good.
@Ash (comment 8): I have to disagree. Sporty 2 seater Porsches look decent, including the Cayman (I somehow seem to like the rear… don’t know why). And you don’t buy a Porsche for performance, but for prestige. Everyone knows Porsche and knows they are expensive. So you buy one. If you want to go quickly around a corner, why not buy a GT-R (or M3, if you want more practicality), or if you don’t mind about practicality at all an Ariel Atom or Radical. Or a Caterham. etc. etc.
Anyway, I like the 911s heritage, but I think I would get the Cayman, if it has to be a Porsche. If not, GT-R obviously (I still think it should be called Skyline GT-R). Also, the GT-R dates back to 1969 (or 57, if you also count non-GT-R versions).
I’d be happy with a Cayman, but actually I’d rather have an M3, like kadawashi said. I drove one as well as a 996S4, and, well… swwy!
The Cayman has finally come of age.
I have 2006 Cayman S, I was sold on the idea of buying this car 5 minutes into the test drive, its just awesome, nothing else like it on the market, looks great from every angle (even the drivers seat) and when you press the loud pedal that flat 6 boxer engine just sings at you! The new model can only be an improvement on what is already a great car. Go buy one!
I have been a 911 fan for longer than I can remember, the arrival of the Cayman intially held no amusement… Now i’m all over it. I would now take the Cayman S and purchase a 500 Abarth with the change. In fact dammit, i’ll do it next year!
Why buy a porsche at all? Porsches are good cars but I would rather have a Noble.
@ Comment 77 – a 320bhp Cayman S vs. a 640bhp Corvette ZR1 that actually corners?
Oh I get it. You’re joking…
i have always loved the cayman so as it gets faster it only makes me want one more
the 911 is just to old fashion for me
I like the Cayman over the stock carrera. The base carrera has such ugly back lights compared to the turbo and GT2 and GT3.
I think that if the made a GT2 cayman or a cayman turbo they could stop making 911’s and just make the orice higher on the wonderful cayman. P.S- The stig is James May, that’s why he is not at the Top Gear live tour because the stig is driving cars there.
eh… big hp/no handling get American. conservatives pls get German. only for looks pls get Jap. got too much money pls get Italian.
Alan is spot on! Xept for the japs, I think they’re butt ugly, all of them. But really, if you want for a 911, wouldn’t you rather buy an old one ’stead of brandnew? I mean, those teardrop rear sidewindows for starters, to be followed by the truly low rearend, no wings attached. That always gave me tears in my pants. The new one is just a car. A very very very good car, but… just a car.
So, correcting my earlier statement, I’d go for a 911, pre 964, no turbo plz. I’ll take that leadheavy clutchpedal into the bargain. Actually, I’d probably marry it. Her.
Muhahaa! James = Stiggy? Gawd… You’ve got a truly sick mind there.
Funny stuff, though.
Thing is, I don´t see the reason why anybody could by a Porsche today BUT the Cayenne [let me go on this a little bit more, please].
To be honest, Porsche is a bit of a “no-mans land”. They have always been sort of too bland for a supercar, and too posh and uptight for a sportscar. Too expensive, too much. I still think that the best ever Boxster was the first 204 cv one, as is the smallest Cayman. There was something about them that made them just right.
Now, funnily enough, and just as the best English sports convertible is built by Mazda, the best porsche is built by Honda, namely, the S2000.
Be honest. Nobody does really buy a Porsche because it is a good car. Else we will drool about the GT-R, a Vette or the NSX. As happens with cock-cars, it is bought because of the badge -and I´m not saying they are bad cars-. And for that, the Cayenne is the best Porsche.
And please, do not talk about heritage and so on. Every other brand in cock-cars does not even have the sporting heritage to match Peugeot, Citroen, Ford, Lancia, Fiat, Pontiac and so many others, but Ferrari.
I’ve got to take exception to any comparison between an S2000 and a Porsche.. *any* Porsche. The S2000 is well and truly horrible, regardless of what the satisfaction surveys say. It’s too fidgety, it’s terrifying in the wet, the power only develops when you’re running out of revs, it’s cramped and feels cheap inside, the instrumentation is awful and frankly it’s embarassed by the MX5 and the Boxster in every way. I almost felt ashamed for Honda at the motor show when they plonked the latest S2000 just across from the Clarity and the CR-Z concept – you could see all too clearly just how dated it is.
I can only assume the satisfaction surveys asked questions like ‘will it disturb my combover’, ‘does I feel it makes me look 20yrs younger’ and ‘if I give my secretary a lift home in it, is she likely to lock herself in the stationery cupboard with me at the office party?’. It might never break down, but I can’t help thinking you might wish it would so you could borrow something more satisfying.
My old man would never think of Porsche as anything as the 911, so Porsche are on the money. Cayman for me please
I wouldnt buy the Cayman to ugly at the back you cant beat a Porsche 911 of course the best is the 911 GT2 and 911 GT3 RS but I wouldnt mind a 911 Turbo S.
I´d rather drive a trendy little french convertible before I set foot in a Boxster or Cayman.
To the 911 deprived I can only say this: the 993 is great and you should get it. Hell even a 964 is cooler than an ultrafast chickmobile like the Cayman/Boxster…
I don’t think it matters which porsche you buy, they all look the same and go the same (except the cayenne ) Aston Martin are guilty of the same thing, one design stretched or shrunk to fit every model.
the 911 has been going downhill since the end of the aircooleds, i think it’s time that something else stepped in to take it’s place
If it does 0-60 in 4.9 secs in spain, as you said, how fast doest it do 0-60 in the UK (LOL)
the 997t is a wonderful car for crossing the continent in, but that is down to the fact it has become so big and fat. it used to be fun on the mountain roads, now its just nice on the autoroutes. now, put 480+hp into the cayman, slap in some 4 wheel drive, and you get what the 997t should really be. but then you shouldn’t have to change the original car to get what you want. i know if i had a turbo cayman running 500 hp, i would not be wishing i’d bought the 997t, i’d happy as a pig in ****., and laughing at the dope who paid out for a 997t who is also prolly wishing it handled and went like my cayman
Why a 911?
- Prestige
Why a Cayman?
- More attractive
- Just as quick
- Cheaper
Fine… If you buy a 911 you clearly know what you are buying, but at the same time you clearly have NOT done your research. If you want to look pompous, buy the 911. If you want to be a driver, buy a cayman. If you get the question, why not the 911? A: The Cayman is just as fast and a hell of a lot prettier.
i just think is because 911 fans should buy a gt1 or a gt2 ‘gt3 or a RS MODEL OR MAYBE A CAYMEN.
A Cayman and a trip to Mr. Ruf is as close to Porsche Perfection as you can get, unless you’ve got a Carrera GT in the garage.
I THINK YOU SHOULD GO FOR A 944,924,GT1,GT2,GT3 OR A RS MODEL. AND 911′S AND CAYMAN’S ARE BASICLLY APPROX THE SAME MPH.
cayman is better, it look better and sounds better.
Definetely 911 unless its faster than a GT2 which by the way accordng tot he Show is faster than a Nissan GTR and the hype that it had.
The Porsche Cayman is a bad car compared to my Turbo and except for the horid looks of the Cayman from behind you don’t get that Porsche feel in it since as I was told It was a mere business practice and they did not care to think much about hte cayman as they do with a 911 Turbo or Carrera 4S models.
You don’t get the best though even if it is faster and on normal road conditions it really dosn’t matter if it is a Cayman or 911 Turbo but you pay for a car that you can easyly take to speed as opposed to having a stupid excuse to build your level oif skill in rding a car.
The Cayman is damn ugly which makes it a none option imho. The same thing is also true of the Boxster and the Cayenne. Great cars to drive but ugly.
@ billy bob – the difference between porche’s cookie cutter cars and aston’s cookie cutter cars is that astons actually LOOK PRETTY, not like some horrible squashed frog…
Since I own a Cayman S I feel I can comment here. I didn’t buy the car for it’s looks I bought it because its a real sports car. It will smoke most of the cars compared here and with an aftermarket catback, plenum, and chip flash the CS will walk away from many 911’s. Of course that also depends on the driver as well.
Th comparison with a GTI that someone made above has no value, in a straight line the GTI will be eaten by the CS with relish and left for bones in turn one.
Went from a 986 Boxster to a 997S because I wanted the “icon” eventhough the mid engine cars felt better. I now have a Cayman S and am content again. The 911 needs to be downsized and lightened. Leave the engine in the back for those who want a back seat.
The fact is: are the Porsche customers sport-driving fans?
If the answer is yes, they can buy different cars for different requirements: roadster, coupè, saloon and suv.
But they are sport-driving fans anyway and i have to fit their cars, like a suit.
I can’t sell a model only, even if it’s “iconic”.
I must create a special world, the world of sport-driving fans with that “special” badge on the bonnet.
First off I neither like nor loath the 911. So have no particular bias to the model.
However, I do work in the city and one thing is for sure, the 911 is a symbol to all those working high up in the financial institutions. This is their status car that they go to work in everyday to fit in / show off to all their peers.
The Cayman is going to aim at the junior exec banker who who has money but not quite 911 money.
As the sort of people who buy 911s do so for that juicy price tag, fat cat image or are die hard fans, I would say Porsche have not overlapped their market at all….yet.
The Cayman are I would say for people that have less money and like driving. 911 are my absolute favourite in Cars and I would by a 911 even if did win a gazzillion bucks, it is the one, then there are people that cant afford a Ferarri but want to be someone more than a Boxer Cayman driver, sort of
and for the comments about down grading the Cayman, thats what they did in the beginning by taking away the diff, because it was already as non S lapping faster on the Ring than 911 when it had a proper diff
cayman s is the best
Cayman S is for thinkers, those who place higher importance on better handling and precision in a sports car,whereas the majority of new 997 buyers ( apart from GT3/ RS) who just buy the 911 coz its the flash more expensive Porsche and actually inferior in many respects.
Just look at the privateer Cayman S drivers in the Nurburgring 24hrs this year, they beat the FACTORY 997s by a mile!
Thats what you get for having your engine in a sensible place.
PS A lot of people also say those who buy a Cayman just can’t afford a 911, I say those who buy a 911 can’t afford a 430 !! A real supercar with soul..
i would go with neither and get a AM V8 vantage, probably the most beautiful car ever made and with a sound that makes me drool. i dont care if it doesnt have 6000hp or cant outrun germans or italians. it just looks sublime. puts me in mind of an 63-67 corvette stingray coupe. fantastic lines, fantastic noise.
PS please unblock the videos.
Everyone who states that only 911 is a real Porsche is a moron. If you guys are so interested in Porsche history, you should know that every real high caliber Porsches were mid-engined. It is true Porsche made money from selling “family” friendly 356s and 911s, but when they decided that they want something special they always made MID-ENGINED cars! We are just extremely lucky that Cayman happens to cost slightly less than a 911.
In my eyes, the 911 simply looks more fun than the Cayman. More beautiful too.
You are right if you buy a Cayman but, [please don't heat me for this] the only German car that I like is the McMerc
I’d take the 911 Carrera, it looks way better than the Cayman S, but you cannot argue that the Cayman is the better drive.
Get a Cayman Turbo out and stick ‘em both round the ring. With stig at the wheel of course.
Its goota be the right thing to do, buy the Cayman, £30,000 to spend on a Used 993.
I’d happily take whatever car performs the best. The 911 is iconic, and i reckon older people might want to go for that sort of thing. But I’m 22, i have very little appreciation for things without function, and when/if i have the money, i’m buying whatever car is faster. The long and wonderful history of the 911 is just that: history. To be perfectly honest, if i had the money in my pocket i’d buy the GT-R, and to hell with porsche overcharging for performance.
They are correct – somehow to be seen driving a Cayman (even if brand new) is seen to be a “wannabe” whereas driving even a 5-year old 911 is seen to be having good taste on the part of the owner.
911 are penis substitutes
lol @ all above posts. alot of folks who claim to own 911/caymans, sure dont know wtf they are talking about. sounds like alot of playstation gamers. save your posts for the gamers forum, leave the real world and real world cars, to real people who own real cars.
@alfaman, i guess you need a 911 more than most then?
Porsche “There is No Substitute”
thank you “theone”. end of thread.
@Vegas: As this is a motoring site, you might imagine that at least a few of the people who read it may actually own 911s of Caymans – I know at least three Porsche addicts/owners who read this and haven’t posted, so that’s a good thing because I think it’d really confuse you if they did! I hardly think three or four people out of the entire readership should be a reason for you to call BS..
I have been back and forward to the porsche showroom several times in the last month and apart from a quick once over I have totally ignored the Cayman and will continue to do so, the 911 is the only porsche that interests me ! I dont see the 2 as being in the same market at all, if I want something to compare a 911 with ill go elsewhere! The 911 is an Icon with performance guaranteed, but really how many of us will ever drive it to the limits? Having a 911 is a dream for many people, hopw many dream about a Cayman!!!
It would be better to decide on the matter after seeing the new 911. Yet, I agree with the guy who says ‘ if you have the money to afford both you would certainly go for the 911 and never look back ‘. I say more : Money being no problem I’d go for the top performance 911 : GT2 or GT3RS. Finally, a Porsche is a Porsche and the 911 is the true Porsche. I would never take a Gallardo or 430 over one because non would be a Porsche.
We just have to wait for the new Carrera.
It has to be even better to make sense.
And Porsche is German, it’s their second nature to be sensible.
For me its either the Cayman or 944 Turbo or
968 Club Sport.
@Vegas: a lot of the above are either 12-15yr teenagers or upper middle classes who can afford to act like same. TG-comment seems to attract them like honey does flies.
Still: without kids no dreams, without richess no sportscars. See?
@ kuang, read more, moan less. breath. then pass your test and go buy that punto you always wanted
Pah to Porsche, get a proper piece of machinery – it’s called a Ducati 1098 >:-)
^^ Not at TopGear it isn’t.
Here’s an alternative – the new Z4 CC
http://www.honestjohn.co. uk/carbycar/index.htm?md= 1473
Well Mr Hayden, you have a very good point there, defo not a match for an sb6 bimmy either!
Best looking Porsche in my mind, i ll take the cayman S everytime
Different cars…I would take a 911 any day…better looks too!
Personally, I think the Cayman is a bit too feminine from the rear, so would suggest women should go for the Cayman, men the 911… preferably a GT2 or GT3, although I’d go for a Nissan GTR over either of these.
Porsche “There is No Substitute”
http://www.telegraph.co.u k/motoring/carreviews/372 3863/Porsche-Cayman-revie w.html
911 Phew no contest soooooooo much better than the cayman!
i personally think that the cayman is actually quite cool. the 911 will aqlways be on the top of the porsche sports range but the cayman could easily beat it with a bit more character. the cayman i think is actually better styled than recent porsches.
911 vs Cayman.
I have owner a Cayman S since they were released. Owner a Boxster before that. This is just to demonstrate that I have some idea.
The two cars are completely different beasts, the manner with which you drive both is also different. I have recently taken a 911 PDK for a spin and it is fair to say that it is a completely different experiience to the Cayman. That said I am still not convinced by the PDK – nice system in the same way as strippers are good to look at – doesn’t mean you would want to live with one. There is a remoteness in the playstation stearing wheel controls. I’ll be sticking to the manual.
With regard to the money thing there will always be the comparisons. ‘911 because you couldn’t afford the F430′ so it is best not to get too hung up on these things.
The biggest issue with the 911 is that all the variants are so close. I agree wholly with the arguements that Porsche have slightly lost their way. Their success could actually start to be their demise in the current global economy.
For example have you seen how much it costs to extend the warranty by 1 year £1150. For 1 year.
Well if they are not selling cars where will the money come from!
in oxford there are loads of these all owned by men aged 27-32 i think girls look better with one. so i sat in the passengers seat whilest my wife filled up.that got the lads looking .I gave it back ~could feel problems developing plus its a hairdressers car.try your hands on a 911 GT3 with a alpine subwoofer in the boot and speekers to match .
cayman any day – ONLY 911 advantage can carry more than 2 for those rainy days !!
To me the Cayman is the spiritual successor of the Ferrari Dino. Light weight, mid-engine, six cylinder and simply gorgeous to look at. Two very different cars actually. 911 has become more of a touring car and the Cayman – well the new Dino.
Just a short response to some comments posted, COMMENT: Buying a Cayman tells everyone with money that you are “poor” or can’t afford the 911.
RESPONSE: Perhaps people with money who are smart with their money (assumption:at least some of the rich must be smart with their money to get where they are)will buy a Cayman over a 911 as their choice of the better car to get in terms of overall satisfaction-performance to price ratio, accesiblility for everyday driving, etc.).
COMMENT: The Cayman lacks “history” compared to the 911.
RESPONSE: “History” becomes history only when a new car model is born and after some time passes in which car buyers and drivers get to know and drive the car. So give the Cayman some time and then read about how it created history by daring to be born as a Porsche after the 911 yet providing different thrills and an appeal which transcend the iconic 911 for those who choose to have a Porsche to live with everyday and love.
First proper Porsche since the 914 6
First proper Porsche since the 914 6
P.S. Low polar moment.