we just had a customer trade in his 997 c2s for a cayman s and he is now adding plenty of upgrades to the Cayman, ie coilovers, supercharger, etc. should be a fun ride!

 

I have a cayman, but I would say if you don't care about the stereotypes the cayman (or any "cheap" porsche has) the Cayman is going to provide a better driving experience than a base 997.

Ironically, for people who don't know much about porsche.. I have had people ask me if my car was above or below a 911 in the porsche lineup. A lot of people still have no idea wtf a cayman is.

 

easily fit 2 golf bags in the rear?! thats great news!!!

 

not entirely true, my vote still up in the air.... i think Advantyper put it best, liked alot of thing about the Cayman S - - just needs a little more power. seems Porsche knew what it was doing by limiting the HPs on it. if it was equally powered, then probably would be no contest.

and RichP's comment is funny, how some peeps don't know the diff... either case, the stereotypes about not being able to afford one is lame.

be back end of month for full test drives and will buy either 997 or CS and let you guys know! thx!!

 

One of my favorite car experiences: I pick up a date in my 911 and she notices that the engine is in the back. She exclaims "I know this car! I had one in college - a Karmann Ghia, right? Wow, they've changed..."

Another one: I'm passing one of those fund-raisers, a group of high school cheerleaders washing cars. One girl is standing on the median waving guys in: "Come on, let us clean your Mustang, dude. Hey, we can wash your Caddy." (Spies my car and scans it, looks confused). "What the heck's a Targa?"

 

both are great! i understand there is a power difference. honestly, i've never had the comment about not being able to afford the 911. but, then again, i am female. it also could be that we also have a 911. so, for most that know us, we can afford/do have both. i personally wanted something diff. than the hubby's 911.

i'll be in the market to purchase another pcar. my choice is going to be the cayman s. not because of the price, but because i love the mid engine car that is great for rally's and autoX! don't get me wrong. i LOVE our 911. it's beautiful and i love the power compared to my regular boxster.

each have their own great qualities. that's why i love having 2 diff. pcars in the family. =)

 

You can't go wrong with either. One thing I would consider is the amount of aftermarket parts available. I never thought that I would mod my car after 2 years, but the 997 has so much good stuff available!

 

To support the cayman, there is a pretty thorough aftermarket parts scene, as so much is shared between the 987 boxster and 997s themselves.

And...if you have the means, those 997 motors drop right [up] into the cayman! Then you have the 997 power with the lighter and better balanced 987 chassis. Truly a poor-mans CGT.

 

I have both the Cayman and 911 in my garage. I had it open today while I was working on my car, and I heard my neighbors talking about the cars:

"Dad look, there's 2 Porsches there! I really like the white one! It looks really cool. Its faster too, right?"

"I don't think so, son. That's a 911 in there, but I'm not too sure what the white one is." The dad starts peeking in to read the name.

The son pushes on: "I think its faster. Its the newer of the 2, and I bet its more expensive also!" The son points at the single exhaust tip of the Cayman. "Look at the big exhaust tip! Last time I heard it, it was louder than the black car. Can we buy one?"

The dad started yelling at him as they walked off. Hilarious! But it shows that many people are unfamiliar with the Cayman and its exotic looks!

 

have driven both. i think the mid-engine design of the cayman makes for a better overall driving experience. but there's something special about the kick of 997S. if both cars had the same HP, i'd take the cayman every time.

if budget not a concern, get a cayman S and do a 3.8L engine swap. best of both worlds.

 

I'm a golfer as well and you can fit 2 full size bags in the back.

 

Just keep in mind we are talking about a base 977... no widebody, smaller motor...

Here's another story:
I went to get gas at a full service station in CT. I usually pump my own gas there anyway; its the cheapest in town, and its sunoco so they have 94. The manager comes out and thanks me for pumping my own gas.. they generally don't like to pump gas for "exotic" cars!

I really want to do a motor swap.... some day...

 

Have it done at RUF!!! You might as well toss in the supercharger (R Kompressor) as well, along with the body kit!

I must say, the RUF cayman bumper is sweet!


BTW... base 997 and 997s have the same body width (narrow body). The C4, C4S, RS, and TT are the widebodies for the 997 (confusing I know since the 996 was totally different in its designations of wide bodies).

 

That's part of why I went with the M Coupe. Everytime I thought of getting the Cayman, I thought of engine swaps, upgrades, and such, which indicated I should just get the 997, but then that seemed so pricey for a car not as capable as the Cayman. In the end, I went sideways and skipped getting a Porsche altogether.

 

I actually chose the cayman over the M coupe based on practically, LOL. The two trunks made it a bit more useful for items I need to carry. In retrospect, I could have just relocated the MCoupe battery to the front using some euro parts but that is in hindsight.