Test drove a Cayman
- Thread starter mr.tourette
- Start date
Really? Ive always quite liked the look of them, a bit squat looking I guess but not an ugly car imho.. I guess its subjectiveMr Tidy said:mr.tourette said:
I think the Nissans were developed with the US market in mind so are probably a bit more GT than Sports car, and by all accounts are heavier than Z4s.
But 370Zs aren't exactly lookers! I can (reluctantly) live with £600+ a year road tax for my MC, but would never pay that for a 370Z.
I hope you enjoy whatever you choose.
mr.tourette said:Hehe.. that old chestnutPondrew said:Shame it's not a 'proper' Porsche.oke:
Only joking....of the cars you've looked at; Corvette (?), Merc SL, 370z (?), it would be a Porker for me any day of the week. It's a Porsche!
I am old enough to remember when a Porsche was the pinnacle of automotive engineering. Still is, arguably!I think Ive ruled out the 370z..looks nice and the 3.7 v6 is tempting but I object to putting 615 large into the taxmans pocket every year for a weekend toy.. porker is half that.. sl is a non starter after the test drive, its down to the corvette and the porker I believe
I believe you’ll have to avoid the ”s” if you want avoid the £600+ road tax
mr.tourette said:well that was nice!! Im impressed
Needless to say it drove lovely, was a 2006 3.2s, probably wont be buying that as Im looking to the 987.2 series with the upgraded engine but in terms of driving experience it was way ahead of the z4 and the sl340, cabin was understated but a nice place to be, engine was fantastic.. brakes not so much but it had been sat ona forecourt for a while.. its certainly heading to the top of my very short list
Was it a manual or an auto? I'm following this with interest because a move into a Boxster or Cayman one day is on my wish list. I've never owned an auto but would be open to a PDK.
M1k3yC said:mr.tourette said:well that was nice!! Im impressed
Needless to say it drove lovely, was a 2006 3.2s, probably wont be buying that as Im looking to the 987.2 series with the upgraded engine but in terms of drivng experience it was way ahead of the z4 and the sl340, cabin was understated but a nice place to be, engine was fantastic.. brakes not so much but it had been sat ona forecourt for a while.. its certainly heading to the top of my very short list
Was it a manual or an auto? I'm following this with interest because a move into a Boxster or Cayman one day is on my wish list. I've never owned an auto but would be open to a PDK.
Having driven my mates 911 991.2 with PDK all I can say is it is a fantastic box, lightning quick changes. I would have it over a manual any day.
I know its not a Cayman but essentially it's the same car. I have driven a few Boxster's over the years on road trips and the like and I have always been blown away by them as an overall package. They are really practical too for the size!
The first one I drove was a 987.2 S Black Edition PDK (Shown below) I took this to the highlands for a week with my wife and had an amazing time, it had quite a few desirable options including all important sport chrono pack and the switchable sports exhaust.
The Second one i have driven recently is a 718 GTS PDK (Shown below) I took this out around Dartmoor and Devon and it was a completely different animal to the 987, it doesn't sound as good but other than sound its a much much better car in all aspects. It was silly fast too with all the extra torque the turbo brings to the table.
I haven't driven 981 but I am led to believe they are brilliant cars with the great sounding engine and some more creature comforts over the 987. The only downside is the steering feel isn't as good being as its the first effort at electric steering.
I'd stay away from 987.1 cars in general as they can have reliability issues, also be a bit careful with the 987.2 S as a few of them have started to see a few issues (no where near as common or as major as the 987.1 issues though) the sweet sport for reliability of the 987 is the base gen 2 model with the 2.9 litre engine.
Options wise see if you can find one with the sports seats, Porsche sports exhaust and full leather as it really makes the car that extra bit special.
I am always keeping an eye out for a Cayman as they offer alot of car for the money, servicing and maintenance is a massive step up over BMW though so bear that in mind. I'd recommend you get a PPI done if you aren't up to speed with the common weaknesses which there are quite a few.
Good luck with the search, if you decide to go for one.
The first one I drove was a 987.2 S Black Edition PDK (Shown below) I took this to the highlands for a week with my wife and had an amazing time, it had quite a few desirable options including all important sport chrono pack and the switchable sports exhaust.
The Second one i have driven recently is a 718 GTS PDK (Shown below) I took this out around Dartmoor and Devon and it was a completely different animal to the 987, it doesn't sound as good but other than sound its a much much better car in all aspects. It was silly fast too with all the extra torque the turbo brings to the table.
I haven't driven 981 but I am led to believe they are brilliant cars with the great sounding engine and some more creature comforts over the 987. The only downside is the steering feel isn't as good being as its the first effort at electric steering.
I'd stay away from 987.1 cars in general as they can have reliability issues, also be a bit careful with the 987.2 S as a few of them have started to see a few issues (no where near as common or as major as the 987.1 issues though) the sweet sport for reliability of the 987 is the base gen 2 model with the 2.9 litre engine.
Options wise see if you can find one with the sports seats, Porsche sports exhaust and full leather as it really makes the car that extra bit special.
I am always keeping an eye out for a Cayman as they offer alot of car for the money, servicing and maintenance is a massive step up over BMW though so bear that in mind. I'd recommend you get a PPI done if you aren't up to speed with the common weaknesses which there are quite a few.
Good luck with the search, if you decide to go for one.
Big Bad Boris said:mr.tourette said:Hehe.. that old chestnutPondrew said:Shame it's not a 'proper' Porsche.
Only joking....of the cars you've looked at; Corvette (?), Merc SL, 370z (?), it would be a Porker for me any day of the week. It's a Porsche!
I am old enough to remember when a Porsche was the pinnacle of automotive engineering. Still is, arguably!
I believe you’ll have to avoid the ”s” if you want avoid the £600+ road tax
Yup[ I'm looking at the 2nd gen 2.9 , pokey enough for me
Good info Hopz..thanks
I'm still in 2 minds with the boxster..it just looks ugly after the zed although I will miss the roof down 
M1k3yC said:mr.tourette said:well that was nice!! Im impressed
Needless to say it drove lovely, was a 2006 3.2s, probably wont be buying that as Im looking to the 987.2 series with the upgraded engine but in terms of driving experience it was way ahead of the z4 and the sl340, cabin was understated but a nice place to be, engine was fantastic.. brakes not so much but it had been sat ona forecourt for a while.. its certainly heading to the top of my very short list
Was it a manual or an auto? I'm following this with interest because a move into a Boxster or Cayman one day is on my wish list. I've never owned an auto but would be open to a PDK.
It was a manual buddy which would be my preference for a weekend toy..wouldnt rule out an auto tho if the right car/spec/price was right
NS66
Member
I previously had a Boxster and it was good - too good plus expensive I recall. Some of the parts I ordered were eye wateringly expensive!!
Anyway I say too good because the handling was fantastic and I just couldn't get the best out of it even at the odd track event. Even driving like a nutter I couldn't get to the its limit. The Z on the other hand is way behind the Boxster in handling but to me is far more fun and far more satisfaction because it can be driven up to its limit at much lower speeds. I do miss the noise and sometimes the looks of the Boxster but the Z is my preferred option.
Anyway I say too good because the handling was fantastic and I just couldn't get the best out of it even at the odd track event. Even driving like a nutter I couldn't get to the its limit. The Z on the other hand is way behind the Boxster in handling but to me is far more fun and far more satisfaction because it can be driven up to its limit at much lower speeds. I do miss the noise and sometimes the looks of the Boxster but the Z is my preferred option.
I seriously considered one before my coupe - test drove a 2.7 that had been lightly track prepped with buckets and harnesses and it was fabulous car to drive.
Outright speed theres little in it - the Z4 seems to have a bit more low down torque but the Porsche really sings at 7k. The steering feel is miles ahead of the Z4, the E86 just edged it for me in terms of looks and exclusivity and straight six BMW's of that era are easy to work on!
Outright speed theres little in it - the Z4 seems to have a bit more low down torque but the Porsche really sings at 7k. The steering feel is miles ahead of the Z4, the E86 just edged it for me in terms of looks and exclusivity and straight six BMW's of that era are easy to work on!
Have driven a couple of different models and have always found them very much like the interiors, clinical and functional without being of any great note. I think they tend to be overpriced for what your getting. Others I have known who have owned them have had reliability issues, all minor but annoying and expensive. Just my humble opinion but I would never actually buy one.mr.tourette said:
I'm liking this discussion. I too have been looking at Caymans as well as Z4/m for some time. I personally have a soft spot for the z4 3.0si as I had a 130i 6mt previously and loved the engine + gearbox. Having driven a mix of 987 Cayman/997 911 and Z4MC, I can say one thing, I now know why Porsche are miles above in regards to popularity. The Z4MC I would consider as rather hard core weekend toy where as the Cayman is a great allrounder where it can be both a weekend toy or daily vehicle. Caymans can be easy to drive even for the most amateur manual drivers where the Z4MC can catch out even the most seasoned manual drivers.
