I actually find it frustrating to be honest. Porsche has a better design in the cayman, but neuters it so it does not cannibalize sales of its ever bloating, archaic designed 911. But demand is high so how can they really change it so I understand their viewpoint. It is like when companies merge and they have legacy programs that are so engraved that it takes forever to move on, regardless of how good other programs may be. That is what I see from Porsche...and probably why I will pass on the 911 and look at other high end cars.

 

Bloating and archaic? Every generation gets better. Sure the design is flawed, but as Hammond said on Top Gear, "The flaw is like Cindy Crawford's mole or J Lo's enormous buttocks." Truthfully, you sound like sour grapes.

 

I should be a little more careful in the 997 forum I suppose, but in any conversation worth having both good and bad aspects should be considered.

"bloating" means the weight continues to increase so I would think this is a fact. I am not just making things up.

"archaic". OK, that is an opinion and debatable...but you even said so yourself so its not like its coming out of thin air.

As stated previously, I discussed positive and negative aspects of each car as I know them to be true. It seems you have keyed upon a few words and neglected prior posts.

 

As archaic and bloated as the 911 may be,
it is still considered by most experts to be one of the best ,
if not THE best all around sports car available in the world today .
Ever since this archaic design was introduced , it has been and
still is the benchmark by which all others are judged .

And why are you refering to a Cayman as being "neutered" ? The Boxter/Cayman is
what it is . And it's designed to fit into the mid-price range. Not to compete with a
"high end " 911 or Ferrari .

When other manufacturers proudly announce that their latest creation
could be a " Porsche beater ", they don't mean a Cayenne or the Boxter/Cayman.

What I can't figure out is why you find that fact frustrating .
You don't have to buy one.There are many more "modern" cars
available out there and ,lucky for you, most of them are a lot more affordable .

 

What other high end cars are more affordable? Maybe I can save some cash since I am starting to look at ferrari and lamborghini as my high end ride.

The 911/cayman debate will go on forever. I am trying to be as objective about it as possible and base it on my personal experiences and facts. Both cars have tremendous strengths but also have some weakness. If 911 owners want to think the car is flawless, well then its not much of a realistic discussion then.

The original poster was just pointing out how he was surprised by the cayman. Many 911 owners will not even consider it, or even bother to drive it, because its not a 911. That is certainly less than objective. I love to hear from owners who went from a cayman to a 911 or vice versa since I find them credible sources and often agree on most points. The strict 911 guys usually have little to offer because they are not basing decisions upon any real knowledge.

Heck, I may even get a base 997 or 997S if I can find a good deal and alternate driving days. Actually that may be a lot of fun.

 

You should get a 911 (GT3 preferred)! Outside of a Vette Z06 and Nissan GTR, there really is no other choice for an affordable sports car.

Some of the GT3 owners on this board have shown how good it is against competitors: GT3 pulling away from Gallardo, etc. The high end competitors, Ferrari Lambo Aston, don't have much to offer, except exclusivity.

 

I went through the same thought process this last week. Wanted a Cayman S, but by the time I loaded it up with options it was a 72-75K car. I went with a C4S, mainly because I always wanted a 911 and if I were going to spend 75K, I should just go ahead and spend a little more. What really swayed me was the dealer was willing to cut all 12% profit from the Cayman S at the drop of a hat. I had to look long and hard for a deal even close to that for the 4S. For what it is worth, I enjoyed both cars. I would have been satisfied with either one.

 

I am not ready for a GT3 experience yet. I need to get my skills up with the cayman first. I would just waste the GT3 at this point. I did originally think about it, but truthfully I would just be a poser in that car.

Aston looks good, but I will save that for when I hit my 40's. Ferrari and lambo have a certain coolness to them that I would like to try out, but ultimately I still need a daily driver...that is where the Porsche shines (and allows me to get my skills up to speed). I may work the 911 in as a daily driver, but that would certainly hold off getting a ferrari or lambo so not sure if I am willing to make that sacrifice.

 

Agreed, the cayman pricing is a bit deceptive. While the base is lower, you need to add some options to make it comparably equipped with the 911. So in reality the spread is quite small. I actually think the 911 is very affordable since it holds its value better and its always better to get a car with few options than a lower based loaded since resale is poor. The

If you are just a poser then there is no option but the 911, but if you like cars and want a good driver car you need to consider both. What I am disliking about the cayman now is its a little femmy while the 911 is more masculine. Kind of starting to bug me to be honest, but the car is a blast to drive.

 

Like many here, I too have dreamt of the 911 since childhood. For me, it epitomizes all that is Porsche and the dream of Ferdinand. I understand the loyalty from the 911 commmunity and why it is held in iconic status.

With that said...in my personal situation, i have allocated space and funds for the addition of one car. I don't flip cars every year so each purchase is quite meaningful to me. At the end of the day, all I want to do is purchase the best car available in the class I am interested in. That's it. Loyalties, dreams and all that aside. I dreamt of bangin sophia loren at one time, but doesn't mean i would do it now if I had the chance.

so if the best car sub $100k is the 911 so be it. If it's the Cayman, the RS4, M3, Nissan GTR or whatever then so be it. At the end of the day it's a performance vehicle. And last I checked the badge doesn't improve track times.

just my opinion...

and btw...i'm going with the 911

 

^^^ totally agreed. I always like seeing this commercial when I think about why I bought my 911!

Damn that Porsche marketing!!!

Here's another fun commercial showing that the 911 is definitely a "masculine car"

 

Interesting, I always thought the cab looked femmy and most cab drivers I see are women. Never know, she could be a lesbo.

 

Hozer,

I wouldn't worry about "wasting" the GT3- most of us, myself included, could not drive a C2 to its limit, much less the GT3. The driving experience is something special, although it doesn't suffer fools- as I found out!

BTW, 40 is NOT old! Before you know it, you'll be 40 and feel exactly like you did in your 20's.

 

Once you get in and drive a 997 ,You will never regret it.If you can afford one get it.
The way I got around the high prices was I ordered one from the dealer with standerd options except sport chrono and PSE,I paid 73k before tax and the car is 2900lbs.It's light and fast.I love every minute I am in it.

 

2900lbs?

That has got to be a typo. You'd have to strip a 997 to get down to that weight.

I *wish* my C2S were 2900lbs though.