'13 Z or '09-'10 Cayman (S)

bvl

Believe it or not there are a few decent ones. Like any make, there will be arrogant, uninformed pricks on all sites. Unfortunately this place has a high S/N from my experience the past 18 months as well.

OP: they are very different cars. I happen to be fortunate to own both. I won't give you the long story but I have posted a few times on it here. Currently the Cayman is the wifes daily during the nice weather, and mine during the old (Cayman + snow tires = Fun).

If you value feel, fun factor, and precision the Cayman is the better vehicle for that purpose. Its not night and day better, but it is, IMHO better. Weight, dynamics, low polar moment all combine into an amazing package. I won't discuss brand snobbery: if that is your thing its there. Its not my thing at all. I wish they were debadged: the beauty of the shape speaks for itself.

I happen to have a base engine Cayman. The S while nice isn't necessary to me. I like winding that flat 6 out to hear the mechanical symphony as much as I can, so a bit slower just extends this sensation.

The Z has its purpose as well though I happen to have the porkiest Z you can own (loaded ZR) and the weight difference is obviously there. The Z is no
slouch, and its package for me is that of upscale technology, torque torque torque, and a GT car feel.

Our cayman is stripped down a bit with only a few options. The 987.2 (09+) are lower in numbers but practically identical to the 987.1 in most parts. The major changes are the stereo is updated (PCM 3.0 vs 2.1) and the 09+ has a 2.9 non-DI engine as base with the first DI 3.4 with the S. Those are the biggest deltas.

If you can afford the 09+ I would go for it. There is no IMS bearing in that car though the updated design makes it so that the 987.1 rarely fails compared to 986 cars.

Maintenance is not bad actually. I spend 120-140 for 2x synthetic changes a year on the Z (I could spend over 200 on 4...if I was to use ester oil every 3K as S1 states, it would be 250/yr). The cayman gets 1 $200 OCI per year.

Other things are in 2/4/6y intervals unless you hit mileage first which is not typical with P cars. Buying CPO means that all maintenance must be *up to date* at the time of purchase, so be sure the dealer does the items per TIME. The sales dorks forget that sometimes.

I feel blessed at the opportunity to drive both cars. There are things I wish I could change about both of them: always will be. Seeking perfection is a fools quest. I just drive the machines and grin.

- b