Cayman S vs Z4 MC
- Thread starter Phil-E30
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The Cayman is lovely but it just doesn't have the Kudos, doesn't have that spark! Probably the best all round car money can buy, but a bit boring? maybe harsh.
The Z4MC is beautifully flawed, if you are an anal numbers kind of guy searching for perfection the Z4M won't be for you. But if you like noise, beauty and grabbing your car by the scuff of the neck and feel like your driving it.. Its perfect, couple of suspension mods and its right up there with the best. It is so rare that people just look, and the coupe especially is a diamond in BMWs design history IMO.
When it comes to value for money, I looked at buying one 3 years ago and went with the Z. Tech is about on the same level for interior equipment, but like for like spec/milage a good Cayman will set you back £4-6k more. The Z4Ms are certainly appreciating too.
The S54 is worth it, should be on a top five on all petrol heads list. Its also quicker in a straight line than the Cayman, returns better MPG in my limited experience.
Both have issues but the Caymans engine is more sensitive than the S54, the S54 has a lot more character too.
The Z4M can be used for all driving, I've put 16k on mine in 2 1/2 years and I live about a mile from my work and its a second car… Thats how much I love driving it.
Buy one before the best ones disappear!
The Z4MC is beautifully flawed, if you are an anal numbers kind of guy searching for perfection the Z4M won't be for you. But if you like noise, beauty and grabbing your car by the scuff of the neck and feel like your driving it.. Its perfect, couple of suspension mods and its right up there with the best. It is so rare that people just look, and the coupe especially is a diamond in BMWs design history IMO.
When it comes to value for money, I looked at buying one 3 years ago and went with the Z. Tech is about on the same level for interior equipment, but like for like spec/milage a good Cayman will set you back £4-6k more. The Z4Ms are certainly appreciating too.
The S54 is worth it, should be on a top five on all petrol heads list. Its also quicker in a straight line than the Cayman, returns better MPG in my limited experience.
Both have issues but the Caymans engine is more sensitive than the S54, the S54 has a lot more character too.
The Z4M can be used for all driving, I've put 16k on mine in 2 1/2 years and I live about a mile from my work and its a second car… Thats how much I love driving it.
Buy one before the best ones disappear!
I considered a 3.4 S before i got my M Coupe. The reason i didnt, apart from higher initial cost, was the extra 200cc, which would mean even higher import duty and road tax. Also the reviews all stated that the Z4M was a bit of a hooligan which appealed to me, plus it looks so much cooler to my eyes.
In retrospect though, after owning my very costly Z for 4+ years, I think I might be equally as happy, maybe even more happy, with a Cayman S instead... It would probably need less mods to make as i wanted it to and probably be more capable stock vs the M on our twisty roads and track. I've not driven one but reading and watching reviews this is the view i get...
Do I regret buy my M, no of course not, i love the car, but not having tasted the forbidden fruit that is the Cayman S who knows if i would love that more? A short test drive of either is definitely not enough for them to really get under your skin...
In retrospect though, after owning my very costly Z for 4+ years, I think I might be equally as happy, maybe even more happy, with a Cayman S instead... It would probably need less mods to make as i wanted it to and probably be more capable stock vs the M on our twisty roads and track. I've not driven one but reading and watching reviews this is the view i get...
Do I regret buy my M, no of course not, i love the car, but not having tasted the forbidden fruit that is the Cayman S who knows if i would love that more? A short test drive of either is definitely not enough for them to really get under your skin...
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original guvnor said:
More than a rumour young man
Sorry, but I have to disagree on a lot said here.
I don't own a Cayman or a Z4M, but have driven both a reasonable amount. The new Cayman S is a MUCH better car (in my opinion). Smooth, modern, fast (enough), quality. The M is fast (enough), but terrible interior by modern standards. Mpg is 30 something v 20 something in normal daily driving.
I know that the M owners here are all passionate about their cars. - rightly so. However, on balance - CaymanS for me. (and that's where my money will go).
I guess the difference for me is, I use my car all year round, every day. (and as for fast v 'fast enough', fast for me is motorbike category
)
I don't own a Cayman or a Z4M, but have driven both a reasonable amount. The new Cayman S is a MUCH better car (in my opinion). Smooth, modern, fast (enough), quality. The M is fast (enough), but terrible interior by modern standards. Mpg is 30 something v 20 something in normal daily driving.
I know that the M owners here are all passionate about their cars. - rightly so.
However, on balance - CaymanS for me. (and that's where my money will go).I guess the difference for me is, I use my car all year round, every day. (and as for fast v 'fast enough', fast for me is motorbike category
)I think the OP was talking about the previous Cayman S though? Plus, a lot of us acknowledged the Cayman, on a dispassionate assessment, was the better car. But you often buy a car in this category with your heart and how 'special' it makes you feel. That's where the previous Cayman falls down a bit. Park the two next to one another and I know which one would get more turned heads...
heres some balance.....
having experienced the sypder and cayman R extensively on track , imo both are better than z4mr /mc respectively, apart from the engine (that s54 is a wonderful thing) , every part of the car was better and more resolved.... i WISH i would have picked up a new spyder at the time, basically a roofless GT3 and jesus it looked so special in white, they are STILL 40k now.....
having experienced the sypder and cayman R extensively on track , imo both are better than z4mr /mc respectively, apart from the engine (that s54 is a wonderful thing) , every part of the car was better and more resolved.... i WISH i would have picked up a new spyder at the time, basically a roofless GT3 and jesus it looked so special in white, they are STILL 40k now.....
lb for lb I'd go for the Z4MC....again....obviously :wink:
£20k in a Z4MC will get a much better car than £20k in a Cayman S.
My dad used to own a Cayman S ('09 from new) and I drove it a fair amount. Lovely car fantastically poised, but no sense of occassion (as cited here) and it doesn't feel that fast. Coupled with poor residuals and non-exclusivity (around Surrey anyway), and it's not a car that interests me anymore.
Now a Boxster Spyder.....
£20k in a Z4MC will get a much better car than £20k in a Cayman S.
My dad used to own a Cayman S ('09 from new) and I drove it a fair amount. Lovely car fantastically poised, but no sense of occassion (as cited here) and it doesn't feel that fast. Coupled with poor residuals and non-exclusivity (around Surrey anyway), and it's not a car that interests me anymore.
Now a Boxster Spyder.....
Strangely enough after 4 years of ownership i am not looking at getting a Cayman S now.
Test drove a lovely 2011 last weekend... i find it far more refined and comfortable inside the cabin then my Z - and absorbs the bumps better.
However i'm struggling to find anything particularly well equipped within my budget (25-27K) so in that respects a MC would be atleast 10K less and give you far better toys.
Test drove a lovely 2011 last weekend... i find it far more refined and comfortable inside the cabin then my Z - and absorbs the bumps better.
However i'm struggling to find anything particularly well equipped within my budget (25-27K) so in that respects a MC would be atleast 10K less and give you far better toys.
I obviously drive a roadster not a coupe. I actually prefer the look of the Cayman to the MC, but that's a personal thing. As for dynamics the Cayman is a more resolved car. But then we come to the engine and there's little comparison. It may be in the middle of a Cayman S, but it's not at its heart, which is precisely where it is in the MC or MR, which is why I would choose the MC.
Beedub said:i WISH i would have picked up a new spyder at the time, basically a roofless GT3 and jesus it looked so special in white, they are STILL 40k now.....
It's not a roofless GT3. Far from it. It's a mildy warmed up Boxster S or a Cayman R with a leaky roof and 10 less BHP.
Had a play with a Cayman S the other day. Expected it to muller me, don't know much about them, assumed they were faster but obviously not! Looked the figures up and on paper was pretty much the same. Apparently not in the real world (in the wet anyway 
) he gave up pretty quickly!
The zed looks better and by the sounds of it is a bigger thrill. Go for the zed.
) he gave up pretty quickly! The zed looks better and by the sounds of it is a bigger thrill. Go for the zed.
This thread turned out to be awesome!
The general consensus seems to be in favour of the Z4MC. After continuing my research etc over the last week or so, I am very much in the Z4MC camp. The Cayman is great and has all the positives picked up in this thread, but I've decided it's not for me.
The hunt is well and truly on for the Z4MC, hopefully I will get something sorted soon and get going
The general consensus seems to be in favour of the Z4MC. After continuing my research etc over the last week or so, I am very much in the Z4MC camp. The Cayman is great and has all the positives picked up in this thread, but I've decided it's not for me.
The hunt is well and truly on for the Z4MC, hopefully I will get something sorted soon and get going
original guvnor said:Beedub said:i WISH i would have picked up a new spyder at the time, basically a roofless GT3 and jesus it looked so special in white, they are STILL 40k now.....
It's not a roofless GT3. Far from it. It's a mildy warmed up Boxster S or a Cayman R with a leaky roof and 10 less BHP.
incredible car. first hand experience with both and let me tell you, its awesome, that shitty roof which LOOKS awesome in the flesh and very bespoke cuts weight to 1275 kg!!! very impressive.
heres a snipet of eves review.. these will appreciate big time one day.
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So here’s the question. Can a leaner, meaner, re-prioritised Boxster weave enough magic to extinguish the Ferrari dream? I’ve got the Porsche Spyder from my house in Whitstable to Beachy Head Road, winding through the undulating downs above Eastbourne, to form an initial impression, but the mouthwatering prospect of a lighter, harder Boxster (a sort of GT3 RS version) is going to give objectivity a hard time.
Few car makers know more about sucking weight out of a car than Porsche, and the Spyder weighs a useful 80 kilos less than the Boxster S at the kerb. In fact, at 1275kg, it’s currently the lightest car Porsche makes. Ditching the electric roof for the rudimentary fully detachable hood called ‘the Cap’ sounds like madness but the new carbon-framed weather-repelling arrangements weigh a paltry 11kg all told. The aluminium doors and long rear deck save another 18kg and the carbon-backed bucket seats 12kg. The new ten-spoke rims are the lightest 19-inchers Porsche makes, and the shallower side windows weigh less than the standard items as well. The rear boot’s gone for a burton, limiting the amount of weight that can be added. Stuff can still be stowed in a small well just behind the engine, but you have to lift the entire rear deck to get at it, and with the detached hood occupying the space there’s no room for anything else.
Things look a little more familiar inside. And perplexing. The red fabric door pulls, untrimmed body-colour transmission tunnel and the absence of the cowl for the instrument clusters scream ‘obsessive weight-paring detail’ but on the other hand you get a decent sound system, air-con, cup holders and door pockets. In addition, our test car has the heavier leather Sports seats, a £2049 option. Which rather makes a nonsense of the door pulls, which are actually a right old faff to use too.
No matter. Sitting 20mm closer to the ground, the Spyder driver’s ‘office’ is as comfortable, ergonomically sussed and well made as the regular Boxster’s, with superb support from the seats. The driving position is millimetre-perfect, too, not just in relation to the major controls but to the windscreen, which is lower and further away than in, say, a 911 Cabrio, the better to deflect air over the occupants’ heads, while the cluster of overlapping major dials (with that big, central rev-counter) couldn’t be better placed.
With a light clutch and a beautifully precise and well-oiled gearchange, the Spyder is as untaxing to drive as any other Boxster. But the available urge, massaged by the extra 10bhp and the substantial weight loss, feels more charismatically 911-like than ever, the weight reduction amplifying mid-range torque and the baleful engine note at full chat (especially with the Sport button engaged), encouraging a red-line rendezvous at every shift.
Although lacking the almost organic feel of a 911’s, the Spyder’s steering marries good detail feedback with a well-judged amount of kickback; not a tugging at the rim so much as a gentle modulation, a sympathetic writhing. Shorter, stiffer springs, firmer dampers and new front and rear anti-roll bars, in conjunction with the 20mm drop in ride height, give the chassis a sharper, more alert response to steering inputs and a more hunkered-down stance on the road. The reduction in the mass of the roof means that the Spyder’s centre of gravity is actually 25mm lower than in the Boxster S. Body motions are brilliantly controlled, traction is almost scarily good and it’s a combination that inspires immense confidence within a few miles of getting behind the wheel.
By the time I reach Beachy Head and Henry Catchpole with the Ferrari, the Boxster Spyder has put in a captivating performance – effortlessly rapid, stunningly secure and, yeah, touched by a definite GT3 vibe. But, straight away, it’s obvious there are areas in which the car from Maranello flattens the Zuffenhausen upstart – not just in terms of extra power and a more evocative soundtrack, but harder to define stuff, too. The Ferrari has an aura. In isolation, the Boxster Spyder (a familiar shape with interesting distortions) probably turns as many heads. When inhabiting the same space-time as the Ferrari, though, the charisma shortfall is painfully obvious.
It isn’t even as if the 360 Spider is seriously wrong-footed by the Boxster as a practical proposition. All right, eyes closed, it gives every impression of being a road-going race car. Even at idle, this car’s tweaked exhaust note is loud enough to wake the dead; at full chat it might melt the circuits of the decibel meters used at most noise-sensitive tracks. Its two-seater cabin is lean and functional, with drilled pedals and passenger foot-brace and uncompromisingly firm bucket seats. And although there is a boot in the nose, it isn’t a notably big one.
It's a nice car, just not a GT3. I'm sure it will do well residual wise because like the CSL, Porsche couldn't shift them when they were new. About 18 months to 2 years ago I saw two in Porsche Nottingham with delivery mileage on at a big discount because they aren't exactly practical in the UK.