I usually take a drive early every saturday morning while the roads are clear... On my way home I stopped at Sam's Club to fill up the tank and ran into a bunch of Porsches gettiing gas... I recognized several from the Porsche Club and hadn't seen them in a long while ( especially since I sold my Boxster and also got busy...) They were going on a club drive to the beach, lunch, etc.

We showed off our cars and those I talked to loved the Vantage... Several said its their car on the "bucket list..." and when I started explaining the cost, ease of maintenance,, value, etc. They could not believe they could get into a Vantage for $30's and $40's...

These cars are timeless...

 

I'm still in the PCA and attend local chapter meetings (ready to get back to those!), even though I sold my 1990 911 C2 several years ago - to help fund my Vantage! The Porsche guys all appreciate the looks of the Vantage. And I appreciate the fact that I've got something other than a Porsche. :-)

 

I go to breakfast on Sunday mornings with a group of guys that I met through track days with PCA when I had my Boxster. I love when we leave one at a time and they tell me mine sounds the best.

 

Nothing like an early morning DB9 drive out in the country on 2-lane roads here in NC. Windows down..... Check!

 

Mid day drive to Home Depot - great way to buy a needed part and to have fun on the road! Just need to park out of the way to avoid the door dings and the nails...

 

I was a Porsche guy before my Vantage, and had a 911 and Cayman.

The connection between Porsche and Aston Martin I like to think of is Dr Bez Ulrich, who did considerable work on the 993 and then moved to AM and made the cars 'Ring and race capable!

 

can you compare the two? i'm wondering what advantages the cayman S (2009-2012) might have over the vantage (4.3L). thanks.

 

The 986/987 is a much more toss-able and agile chassis. The car has a 45/55 weight distribution, which makes it both eager to change direction and easy to control when traction reaches it's limit, a rare combination in a mid-engined car. Crank on the steering wheel and the Boxster would turn NOW. Completely flat and totally confidence inspiring. It has excellent visibility and overall seating position. It feels much lighter than the Vantage in it's reactions. I'd say the steering and chassis communication are about on equal footing.

Although both my Vantage and Boxster have/had the factory sport suspension, I personally felt I could drive more comfortably in my Boxster. It was a little noisier but the seats were a more comfortable fit for me and the driving position/visibility helped maneuvering and parking.

The flat-6 has a similar characteristic of the 4.3 in that they both like to be rev'd out to make their power. The 4.3 sounds much better in doing so. You also never get the feeling that the car is FAST in the Cayman/Boxster the way a Vantage is up near redline. There's always more torque from the Vantage. Even though the 4.3 has a bad rap, up near redline, it's a magnificent engine.

The Vantage feels really special, from looks, to smell to interior design and materials, The 987 is really nice, but doesn't really feel special.

 

Great post above and I agree with all points.

My Cayman was definitely more nimble and connected out the box, when compared to my Vantage. The cayman was definitely underpowered by comparison and did not sound as nice. The 911 had enough power and great handling, but was still a little too commonplace, even after heavy mods.

The Vantage looks and feels special out the box but needed some work to improve the driving experience! I've done considerable work to get it where I want it: changed to AMR brembo racing brake rotors, added KW coilovers, Michelin tires and HRE wheels, and lastly the Velocity AP tune makes the throttle response amazing.

I'd say while still a heavy car, it's definitely a lot more fun to toss around now, and feels planted on the road and on rails during sharp turns and hard braking.

I'll likely go back to a Porsche 911 one day in the future, but haven't had the itch for another one yet, and will likely go with another brand first before venturing back.

 

thanks for the feedback, guys.

 

I had planned to keep both my 987 boxster (not an 'S') and Vantage (coupe) because both cars had pros and cons... didn't want the Vantage roadster and still wanted fun open car for fall and winter here in Florida...

I didn't track either car but like spirited driving on open roads...I had a BWM I tracked...

Boxster was pure fun, well balanced but not a rocket (perhaps an "S" would have been better) and Vantage is strong, gorgeous, great sounding, limited production classic...With the Sport Pack Suspension and a bit wider track ( 20" wheels and some spacers...) the Vantage tracks well but because of it's weight, the inertia is greater to overcome for real nimbleness

sold the boxster a few weeks after getting the Vantage and after a few years, my wife is now open to roadster so back on the hunt for another Boxster...

IMO can't go wrong with either

 

One little item that I forgot to mention before, but is pertinent in real world use, is the front overhang in modern Porsches. On the M030 RoW sport suspension which lowers the front of the car about 1/2 inch from the stock suspension and adds a little to the rake, my Boxster was very susceptible to scraping it's nose on curbs, speed bumps and driveways. Very annoying. Aftermarket suspensions are even more prone to this. The Vantage has much less overhang. Not only does that make for a better looking car, it also alleviates a lot (but not all) nose scraping.