Cayman S with PDK does 0-60 in 4.1s and the 1/4 mile in 12.5s at 110 mph. It sticks at 0.99g on the skidpad and does 72.5 mph through the slalom. Those numbers blow away a 370Z by a wide margin.

Good luck with beating that. The Cayman S with 6MT is virtually identical to the 370Z in a straight line but the PDK tranny puts it WAY ahead.

I'm guessing you haven't driven a Cayman yet? It's so much better to drive than an M3 (any year, including the E30) that it's not funny. It doesn't have the grunt and punch of the current M3 with it's big V8 but it's still a way better car to drive (ie, it's much more of a driver's car).

The 997S is generally quicker and torquier but it's actually not as fun to drive, either. Yes, I'd pick a used 997S over a new Cayman S purely because I prefer the extra two seats, extra power, and better looks and because I won't ever take a 997S to a track because I can't afford to wreck it. However, from a pure driving point of view, you'll have to get a 997 GT3 to get a purer driving experience than the Cayman. The Cayman is really that good.

The Cayman is mid-engined...

lol come to fullerton, california.
every other house on our block has a Z.
no lie.... we even nicknamed our hood the Z hood.
funny how it used to be all beamers and lexus's.

what is so amzing about the bloody cayman? Here it costs $150,000 and for that price you can get a Nissan GTR. now that is amazing. how come Nissan make a car that is so much better than a ayman yet price it about the same. Is Porsche ripping people off? i think so.

Since I completely agree, +1 rep for you!

It may be good but it is too overpriced.

I've probably never mentioned this, but I find the Cayman to be bug-ugly. I think it is the worst-looking Porsche ever sold to the public. The 914 is better looking.

They pit a Cayman against a GT-R in late 2008, and the Cayman won by 2 tenths of a second...The price difference, about $25 thou'! Gimme the GT-R!

I prefer to get my rep points from my normally inane, ridiculous, intellectually challenged, border-line idiot-tinged posts, not ones that make sense. But times are hard so I guess I have to take rep points wherever I can get them. There is a recession on, you know. :(

Obviously the GTR was not trying. The GTR from the stats I have read/seen would beat the Cayman with relative ease.

I have owned a 370Z and it is the best bang for the buck in it's price range. I currently have an '09' Cayman S with PDK, PASM and Sport Chrono Plus. Having driven both cars on the track and street I give the nod to the Cayman. At higher limits there is more confidence in the Cayman. With the PDK set to Sport Plus it is an amazing transmission. The 370 6 speed with rev match is a great product but it can't do what the PDK can on track.

You'll be north of $70k by the time you tick off the options on the Cayman, about double the 370Z. So is it worth it? I'd say the average person would say no. But if it doesn't bother you to spend the extra the Cayman is fun both on and off the track with great fit and finish thrown in.

However, you can take a sport/touring 6 speed 370Z toss in $10-15K of the savings and have a rocket with at least $20k left in your pocket. It just gets down to what you value. It's nice to have choices.

:iagree:

Good friend of mine had a Caymen S for a while and it is a great machine. It is nice to have choices :p

John

sorry but the cayman is hardly a realistic choice. to pay so much money for a car that is only marginally faster than the z is ridiculous. at that price range, there are so many better options on the market. Like an m3 or a used 911 carrera. or even just fork out the extra few thousand and upgrade to a gt-r. and its exterior looks really lame, too conservative, passive and girly.

:iagree:

This is America and you're certainly entitled to your opinion, but that is just what it is...... your opinion. As the original poster said....... it's nice to have choices. Thanks for sharing yours :tiphat:

wtf's going on here!

Ridiculous? The people who can afford these cars arent losing sleep about saving a buck.

I agree, they are happy to waste their hard earned bucks on a badge.

Which is fine. It's not like I want everyone driving Zs, right? The more options the better.

Does it bother you that other people drive a Porsche? I could care less, if they like the car and can afford it more power to them. Really don't see the need to attack them or the car.

No way. I wish all the people buying Zs would go buy porches as a matter of fact. I want to be the only 370 I see during my commute :icon17:

Guess what, I AM the only 370 I see on my commute :tup:

Ive seen one, but only once every couple weeks.
Anyway, I highly doubt if "some people" won the lottery tomorrow, they would be saying "I'm going to buy a nissan, it's the economical choice after all."

Pissing on people's choice's isn't cool!

:icon18:

:rofl2: So true, hahaha.

I'd probably still buy a Z but i'd also buy a '69 Camaro, and Aston Martin. The nice thing about the winning the lottery is choices are generally limited to space and availability.

Very true. We must have similar tastes, because a late 60's Camaro and an Aston would be on my short list also if money grew on trees :p

Funny because I always thought the boxster and cayman were more of a porsche on a "budget" (budget being a relative term of course) made for those wanna-be porsche owners who cannot afford a 911 carrera. At least that's the impression you get from carrera owners and how they look down on boxster/cayman owners. I strongly doubt anyone who can afford a carrera would downgrade to a cayman/boxster

I think that's true of the Boxster, but the Caymen really handles well compared to a stock 911, and Porsche was so concerned about the two being too close, that they detuned the Caymen engine. Of course when you get into GT-3 territory, it's a whole nother ballgame, albeit an expensive one.

a civil discussion! :tup:

Amen bro :tiphat:

Hang on, a 911 is a flawed design. the cayman is not. the cayman had to be held back so as not to "outperform' the 911. people are buying the 911 based on history and image and the nodding admiration they will get by morons who do not know about the car but the porsche name is enough for them. If porsche put the 911 engine in the cayman it would be lights out for vthe 911 and porsche knows that. cayamn is not really a downgrade that is what illl informed 911 owners would say because their ego can not accept otherwise.

You didn't see the stats for the 2009 Cayman S with PDK, obviously.

0-60 in 4.1s
1/4 mile in 12.5s @ 110 mph
0.99 lateral gs
60-0 in 104 ft

Those numbers match a 2009 Corvette in a straight line for time though the 1/4 mile trap speed is lower (purely a function of power). The 2009 Cayman S is significantly quicker (when launched) compared to a 370Z. It grips as hard or harder and it brakes better, plus it is better balanced (this goes for all the Caymans, not just the 2009 models).

It's as quick or quicker than the M3 and it's just as quick as a base 911 from a dig and only marginally slower than the 911S (997S) with PDK. Only from roll would you see the M3 and 911 pull away (again, purely a function of power).

I'm not saying it's worth $70K (I wouldn't pay it - I'd buy it used for $20K cheaper in two years) but it's definitely a LOT quicker than a 370Z when it has the PDK transmission.

I also agree that a Nissan GT-R is a huge performance bargain for the price but it's also very expensive to maintain (seen the "required" maintenance costs yet?) and close to $20K more than the Cayman S after it's all said and done.

are you guys like spec-racers? :confused: who cares.

just enjoy your Z for wat it is. no need to compare it with a porsche. they have their niche, nissan has theirs.

I agree 100%.....................One can only image if Porsche placed a 3.8 liter twin turbo 500 HP in the Cayman!

It would give the GTR a real challenge!

It's interesting what appeals to us. I really don't like the GTR. I think the Z is a better looking car. I like the 997's and they are good cars but I like the size and lines of the Cayman better. The new Vette with the Grand Sport option is another car I like.

I suppose we all take a look at the overall picture and pick what fits on an individual basis. Of the cars discussed I think there is no wrong pick. Only right picks for each persons perception of 'their' car.

Enjoy

I was thinking the same thing the other day...what if I had $200k lying around....would I still be buying a Z? I thought about it for a few seconds and decided "yes", but I wold also buy a GT-R and a Benz E-Class. The Z would be my DD :icon17:

My thoughts exactly!

I've driven the Cayman S and I agree with everything you say. I also think the Z is a much-better looking car. I find the Cayman's styling to be a bit whacked. For the money, I'd rather have a modded-out Z! Or maybe 2 Z's!