Porsche Cayman

k.alexander

You’re right in the money Sir! And yeah I’m slowly taking myself into it. Just don’t know what to do as an alternative if I don’t. Hey 14 more years and my Z is officially a classic


Supra—no. Looks a bit too fast too furious. I would have been all over that 10 years ago, but sadly, we all grow up I did see one briefly pulling into a dealership recently; looked better in real life—agree—but I wouldn’t trade my Z for it on looks alone.

M4–has been my dream car for over 20 years (back when they used to call it M3 . But I dunno, it’s just not calling my name anymore, or at least right now. I haven’t looked up the numbers on an M4 recently, and I’m sure they’re crazy off-the-charts, but as I said I’m just not being drawn to it anymore. I can totally see owning something like this in the future (it will probably be EV by then); feel like this is my last chance for “are you f’in crazy for buying this?” [which btw is exactly what my ex-gf told me 11 yrs ago] hoorah. More seriously though, I’ve always valued good handling way higher than more power; and with even just Toyota Camry sedans making like 300ish HP nowadays, it’s just gotten silly. At the end of the day, unless you’re on the track, how much is too much?

As I said, I’m slowly talking myself into the Cayman. But as I am not in a rush, you guys are reminding me that I shouldn’t have so much tunnel-vision and should at least go and check out some of these other options. Man...the next few weeks/months may actually be fun!

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/Angelo350Z/

The M4 will not disappoint. Ever since I bought the BMW, the Z has been sitting in the garage and collecting dust. As one should expect, given the disparity in price, the F82 is a far superior car in every aspect. The S55 does not sound as good as the VQ, but it pulls considerably harder. The interior is probably what makes the car feel somewhat dated. I ordered mine with extended Merino leather which makes the cabin feel a little more plush; but to be honest, aside from the HUD and a few negligible M4 competition details, everything else is identical to my wife's F30 which costs a third of the price. Let me know if you need more insight on the M4. Anyway, congrats on the Porsche!

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ZCanadian

I think that you are on the right track with the Cayman.
It’s expensive, but rewarding to drive.
Just have to settle on the model trim, and find the deal.

I’m good at spending your money! :-D

ZCanadian

Yup, it!s fun to kick the tires on a few sport cars, and this is a great time to be shopping for that sort of thing. As you say, we’re at the peak of the petrol-fuelled horsepower age. Future gains will almost certainly be from hybrid or electric powertrains. Nothing wrong with that, but this is likely the best time in the history of the automobile to buy a high quality new or nearly new internal combustion performance sports car (especially if you lust after a clutch pedal).

So go out and try a few. At worst, you will have fun and make your decision a little more complex for a while. At best, you will know with certainty the route that you should take.

As long as you are doing so, try a few of the outliers listed here. They won’t likely sway you from the Cayman, but after you have purchased, you will be less inclined to cheat on it with another hot car! ;-). Life’s about the experiences you have and the memories that you make. Not about stressing over things that should / could be fun!

Enjoy the process. I’ll bet you still come home with a Cayman of some description. But at least you can say you’ve driven an AMG, Alfa, //M, high-performance Audi, GT-R, or whatever else tickles your fancy!

Hotrodz

I have gone through this same process in my head so many times as I wait for my motor to be built for the Z. I generally end up at the same place. My Z will be faster than any production car and cost me less if nothing else in insurance, monthly payments, registration and maintenance. It doesn't get me any luxury or modern tech. Speaking of dream cars, I drove past a Lexus FLA that was pulling out of gas station today. What a beautiful car. Speaking of which, Lexus F-Sport is in the league as the M4. The more I see them I like them even more.

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k.alexander

So a bit of an update...it’s been a busy weekend. Test drove a few more Caymans yesterday. Drove a ‘16 Cayman with a flat 6. Man, I now know what everyone is talking about, that engine sounds like god himself singing (and I’m not even that religious)! I mean just wow! But that was about it, nothing else about the “older” Cayman, other than the engine sound, is better. Drove a few 718s to try to see if I can tell the difference between the base and the S and the GTS. On the road at least, the difference is minimal, like really minimal. Side note: this other dealership I went to, has some of the best back roads around them, just great!

Anyways, taking my time exploring. The Lexus F-Sport mentioned by @Hotrotdz for example, is something to consider. But all goes back to all these cars M3/4, R/S5, F-Sport, looking the same...just mean [upgraded] versions of what everyone else is driving in their daily slug-fest...errr....commute.

On that note hanging out with someone tomorrow who has two older 911s and an M3 as a DD. Let’s see where that goes...

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USMCram

I've been doing the same. I tested a 2018 Cayman with 500 miles on it. Dealership offered me 14.5 for my Nismo. I'm having a serious heart to heart with the wife tonight.

k.alexander

How did it go with with the wife? :-)

More seriously, what’s your take on the Cayman vs your Nismo? Curious to hear other people’s thoughts.

Further update on my situation:
On Wednesday went to a Porsche Experience event at a local race track, was invited by the dealer. Unfortunately all they had were 991.2 and brand new 992 911s to throw around the track—what a disappointment :bowrofl In all honesty though the things are absolutely visceral! Just sick sick cars! Unfortunately this did nothing for me as even though it made me consider a 911 for a few minutes, I’m really not in the market for that car—for what and especially how much I intend to use the car, there’s really no reason to pick a much more expensive 911.

This weekend the dealer gave me a brand new 718 Cayman S (unfortunately PDK but it doesn’t really matter for this exercise) to drive around. Had it all day yesterday, drove a lot without actually going anywhere on some nice backroads not too far from where I live. Plan on doing some more driving and some normal driving around town running some errands today. All I can say is that the car is properly quick! It is also a great handling car. Also pretty damn loud actually, like all the time. I’ll have an update tonight or tomorrow after I drop it off.

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USMCram

She was surprisingly on board, but we also traded in her old 2 series for a Macan a while back.

Cayman vs Nismo..

Oh man.

It was weird driving something other than the Nismo, as it's been my daily for the last 9 years.

Just going to get it out of the way, but the sound of the engine is really different from what I'm used to. I've always really liked the sound of the VQ. It's got this great mechanical sound to it and the exhaust (Nismo stock) was quiet.

Cayman - Mechanical sounding, but more so than the VQ. It doesn't make me cringe, but there is a part of me that is like "aww". I like that sports exhaust makes it louder, but still.
I probably won't get over that, even if it faster.

Drive -
Nismo is fun. God it's fun to drive. It's raw, it's aggressive, and handles well.

Cayman, from the little test driving I got to do, was fun too. Handling is a lot better and it feels fast especially once boost kicks in. Its really comfortable too and I feel like I can see more of the world in front of me. Where the Nismo is raw, the Cayman is very very refined. I can't explain that too well, it just needs to be experienced.

The Nismo is like that hot girl/guy you dated back in the early years of college. Fun, smart, fast but a little..immature?

Where the Cayman is more like the hot girl/guy you dated after grad school that's like smart, fun, but way more mature and not as crazy...?

I still love that I can feel the road in both cars. Which was a big deal for me.

I love my Nismo. I really do. It was a car that I grew a deep sentimental attachment to, because I bought it as a reward to myself for living through my time in the 'stan. Not to mention the Z was my dream car all through HS and college.

That being said, I feel the same way you did. I've grown a lot. I'm different. I feel like I've sort of outgrown the car too, despite how much I still love it.

I'm still on the fence, because I know this Cayman wouldn't be my next sentimental car. I think it's going to be my rebound until I'm in a place to get the new GT4 RS that comes out this summer...rofl.

k.alexander

@USMCram Oh man, we're in the exact same boat. I know exactly how you feel, and I understand exactly what you're describing.

I'm still on the fence too. I mean just like you I've driven the Z as a DD for almost 11 years--there's a bond, man, a real bond there! I do get attached to my cars. My previous car was a last gen Honda Prelude which I drove for 9.5 years and had almost as much difficulty parting from as I am having right now just thinking about selling the Z.

I agree with everything you said except that I never found the engine/exhaust sound of the Z particularly pleasing (maybe it's better on the Nismo). I agree with literally everything else you wrote.

The dealer gave me a 718 Cayman S (PDK unfortunately) to drive around for the weekend. These (very nice) "geniuses" gave me a brand new car with not even 100 miles on it, for the weekend, with a full tank of gas (I had to get more) and told me to have fun. I put 300 miles on it going nowhere, but I did discovery some amazing back roads within 10 min of my new house, which also go nowhere, but are AMAZING!

I had fun! And man, I am going to get into sooooo much trouble if I end up getting the Porsche.

The power in the 718 just comes on so strong and so fast. It feels like the scenes in the Fast and Furious movies when they hit the Noz button And that power is there almost all the time, anything over about 2,200 Rpm, and the boost is just there, full on! It's almost difficult not to drive the thing hard.

I was very curious how I would feel after I dropped the 718 of Sunday night, and got into the Z. Up until that point, I was ready to start looking for a 718. Then I got into the Z, and although it feels bigger and (I wouldn't say slower, but would say) not as fast; I didn't feel like it was serious step down. It was just different.

So now a few days later, I am still banging my head against the wall deciding what to do. Sooner or later the writing is on the wall, the Z is almost 11 years old and although it is a reliable bulletproof beast, eventually I am going to have to get something new. Maybe I should look at it as a reward for working hard, or whatever.......not sure.

I'll post updates.

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USMCram

Dude, yes.
I've been beating myself up over the decision, and I've looked at everything else and nothing really strikes me like the Cayman. I looked at the Lexus RC 350, I've looked at a few Audis, and they just aren't my thing. The Cayman feels like a natural progression since GTR prices have gone up so high.

I did pull the trigger today though. It took me a bit to say goodbye to the Z, and I feel sad about it, but driving home in the Cayman, and hearing that engine and the sports exhaust, and just feeling how refined it felt taking turns and accelerating, I gotta say, it's not going to take me long to get over it. Plus, my synchros were crapping out, and I didn't feel like swapping the transmission. Lol

I opted for the PDK base model. Wife wants to learn to drive it, and I'm a bit of a tech geek, and I absolutely love the actual PDK and how it works. It's a genius piece of technology.

I dunno. I'm interested to see what you do too.

CRiZO

Have you driven an RS 5? Because... you'll buy one.

ZCanadian

Too bad you were forced to track 911’s. ROTFL.

I get that it didn’t help your decision, but a pretty sweet consolation none the less! That’s one more off your list. ;-) I agree, a great car but if it’s not in the frame then it’s not in the frame. You could fill your garage with capable cars for the price of one new 911. Probably own and maintain them all for the cost of doing the same to the 911, too.

k.alexander

First, with Veteran’s Day yesterday, allow me to thank you for your service! Genuinely, Thank You!

Second, Good for you! I’ve been agonizing over the decision. I over over over analyze everything. Happy you were able to make the decision quicker and hopefully easier.

If you read my posts on here, I’m completely with you, the Audis, the M3/4, and whatever the hell Merc makes nowadays (just the fact that I can’t think of what it is, is telling) just don’t do it for me anymore. The RC350–eh, just like the new Supra, which I just realized today doesn’t come in a stick...”I may as well just keep driving the Z”.

”I may as well just keep driving the Z” — should be my catchphrase. :-)

I’ve basically narrowed down the cars I’m interested in to the Cayman. The other stuff in roughly the same price range is just boring, and cars one level up: the GTRs, the 911s, are both out of my comfort zone price range and are also overkill for what I’m looking to use the car for.

So it’s do I spend money and get the Cayman or do I keep driving the Z (see what I did there? :-) ) and see if something pops up over the next few years.

Anyways enough about me. So you got a base PDK? Curious on your thoughts about the car; I mean I’m sure they’re all super-positive right now, but still curious. PDK is amazing from having just spent the weekend with it, it’s just brilliant, really! But I figure I’ve got one more old-school manual car in me. I was between the base and the S, and figured for how long I plan on keeping this car, I can’t go down from the 332hp Z to a 300hp CB, even though with the weight difference (to say nothing of the mid-engine layout) the performance of the base is about on par with the Z.

What other options did you end up with?
Mind PM’ing me, would love to know what kind of car you got, new, used, CPO; and at what discount.

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USMCram

Thanks, dude. I really appreciate that.

Going for the PDK was a tough choice, but it's amazing how that thing shifts.
I almost went for a used S, but I got better financing with a new model and my trade in.

Now that I've had a chance to drive it around a bit more, I'm really happy with my choice, and I'll agree with your earlier statement. This thing actually sounds a lot better than the Z.

So far, I like it. Gets the same amount of attention (good and bad) as the Z, but that's to be expected.

The drop in power bothered me too, but honestly, you can't tell. It actually puts out more power to the wheels than the NISMO. It's the main reason I considered getting a used S. Not only that but I did a little research and found out you can do a basic Cobb tune on it and get about 345 HP out of it, no mods. So, there is that. I think the fact that it's already boosted it will make it easier, and cheaper to mod later on. I wanted to TT my Z but I couldn't justify the 20+ K it would have cost to do it.

I kept the options pretty basic. 20" Carrera wheels, apple carplay ( 2k less than PCM w/ Nav ). Got my wife's old 6s, but in a google fi data only sim and it's my new NAV. lol. Porsche Nav is ok, but not as good as Waze. My wifes Macan has it and it's hit or miss, so it wasn't too big of a deal not having it.
Got sports exhaust, no sport chrono package.
Only thing I will change on it is replacing the steering with the multifunction controls, as mine didn't come with it. I thought I would be ok without it, but now I think I need it.

I really wanted to wait for the T. The way it's setup and being sold, is exactly why I bought the NISMO initially, but with the issues I was having, I didn't want to wait.

Like I told my wife, and the salesman, I'll just use this, and when I'm in a better position, I'll get the GT4 RS that's coming out this summer. (obviously not going to be this summer that I get it. lol)

But yea, shoot me a message.