YES! I loved everything, and I mean everything, about the Cayman except the lack of hp/torque, which made it a dog compared to the new Corvette, in my own opinion (which I am entitled to). I have owned 4 Porsches, and still race a 944 Turbo, but my daily driver was a Cayman S with headers and program to put it at 330 hp at the flywheel (stick shift) or about 297 hp at the rear wheels. It drove and handled well on the race track and around town and country but had NO torque compared to a mere 465 h.p. in my new car: a Z51 Vet. I could have added a rear-mounted turbo for around $15 K and thought long and hard about doing that, but then, the rest of the drivetrain may have failed with all that added hp/torque.

The answer in my lowly opinion: Porsche ought to make the entire drivetrain withstand 400 h.p. or more. It would be a Vette killer and beat anything else on the asphalt-race or street. I would definitely do it if I were an engineer at Porsche, unless overruled by marketing and the profit-making side of the house.

 

My 991 C2S is a better handling car than my 14 Boxter S or my old Exige. Instead of getting bogged down on theory, spend some time on the track. Yes the Boxter is more nimble in tight turns and a little more predictable however the 911 is faster and more entertaining. That includes comparison with the R8.

 

How tall are you guys? I'm 6'3" with 36" inseam -- if I put the seat all the way back, I'm too far from the pedals.

 

Not in a million years would I take any car porsche or anyone else makes over my 911 cab.

 

If you were to post this on the Cayman/Boxster site you would find out how Cayman/Boxster OWNERS feel about this question. They already know the attributes and limitations of the Cayman, so they could express for themselves what and why they like about the Cayman. I'm almost 70 years old and am still disappointed in the performance of the Cayman S, though it is faster than most 911s due to its superior balance from front to rear. Heck, my 944 turbo with less than 200 rwhp can keep up with all but the fastest GT3s in the slow corners of NOLA Motorsports race track (2.75 mile asphalt super track). You can push the Cayman to higher turning speeds on the curves in streets, turnoffs, country roads, etc., than you can push the most common 911s.

 

Even lowly Car and Driver says the GT3 handles better than the Cayman R.
http://www.caranddriver.com/features...11-gt3-feature

 

I do admit that I like the Cayman's lines and 'tossable' handling. If it had a superior power to weight ratio, it would be more desirable, but not enough to replace a 911. I'd consider adding one, but giving up a 911 is like giving up your Man Card.

 

Porsche is just part of the VW umbrella and they DO make a mid engined Porsche. It is called the Audi R8 and many people, myself included prefer the handling of the 991.

 

Cayman all the way, looks so much better to me. I can't over-romanticize the 911 because it is a 911. Like Ferrari guys that talk about "provenance" all day long.

 

Cayman cabin is way too confining and claustrophobic....the Boxster doesn't give away much at all in terms of handling performance and is more versatile as well!

 

Ukexpat - details please on how you got to 3.8 & 400 hp......I'm drooling.....I'll not do it, but still like to know.....

 

Not if you are 5' 5".....God had the Cayman built for me, not you....

Sorry......

 

I see it as built to fit me or intimate or closer to a true ****pit. I liked the one I had for two weeks. I did miss the back seat space though.
I do agree about the Boxster, I'm just not a cab guy.

 

I actually love the Cayman, but my issue is I NEED THE EXTRA SEATS!
911 is the winner, ONLY BECAUSE of rear seats.
Cheers
Luiz

 

Sorry, the GT3 appears to have won only because of its tires. Put the same tires on both cars, and I'll bet the Cayman R wins - they were too close in every measurement, and the GT3 has track tires on it, the Cayman R good street tires.

You can't do head-to-head tests on two cars with such different tires.

C&D should have made this point, but failed to do so.