Last summer I started thinking about getting a Gallardo. I currently have a '00 Boxster S and wanted something with more power and a bit more exotic. But I keep seeing Caymans and loving the looks of them. The concern I have with them is that they just won't be that much quicker than my Boxster. I don't plan to get rid of the boxster, just want a car a notch up the scale. Another thought is to get into a 911 Turbo (or sell the Boxster and get a Turbo cab).

Are there engine mods that can make much impact on the Cayman? Is it worth it? Or should I just go for the Turbo or back to looking for a Gallardo?

 

Would you get the Cayman S?

I haven't driven a cayman, however, the specs (300hp, 280ft/trq) for a S are pretty reasonable. No LSD is ****ty though. Its not gonna be nearly as fast as a turbo or a gallardo, but it will definatly be a little more peppy than your boxster.

To be honest, were i in your shoes, if 997 turbo is an option (even if you have to get rid of the boxster and not get the cayman), i'd almost definatly do that.

The cayman's do look great though, friend of mine picked up a design edition in florida a few months ago. Car looks amazing.

 

I went from a 2000 Boxster S to a 2008 Boxster S, which has the same 295 hp engine as the Cayman S. The difference in the 2 cars is not small, however my new Boxster is no Gallardo if that makes any sense. I think you ought to go for a few test drives.

If you like the idea of having exotic performance without exotic attention, and have lots of money, you could always buy a Cayman S and send it to RUF and get the 3.8 litre conversion and X51 powerkit plus other mods. This would send your cayman towards 997TT prices but maybe it'd be worth it to have all that power in a mid-engine layout.

 

[quote=djmiroku;1724292]I went from a 2000 Boxster S to a 2008 Boxster S, which has the same 295 hp engine as the Cayman S. The difference in the 2 cars is not small, however my new Boxster is no Gallardo if that makes any sense. I think you ought to go for a few test drives.


I have a 03 Boxster S and will be replacing it with a '08 Boxster S which is due to arrive in about 2 wks (hopefully :~))

Not sure what your '00 S model's horsepower was, but my 03-S was ~257.....I'm really looking foward to feeling 295 plus the new variable cam engine..... supposed to be quite an improvement... Can you tell me what you notice most about the '08 compared to your '00.

Thanks

 

Get a 997TT. The day it stops scaring the hell out of you when you floor it in second gear and bang into the rev limiter before hitting 3rd, take it to Sharkwerks and have them start you on the EVOMS journey. You will end up with something around 700HP for the price of the Gallardo. And it won't fall apart or attract idiots like flies.

 

What your asking are completely different cars....

A Gallardo is more than a notch up from a 986 and so is a 997tt (or 996tt)...For me a notch up in the Porsche lineup would be a C2S or C4S....and what is your budget range? You're going from the 50s to nearly the 200s.

 

It depends on if you are looking for an ego boost or a a good driving experience. A Gallardo says "Look at me!" and a Porsche says "Drive me!" Plus a Porsche has the added benefit of a racing heritage - something a Lamborghini doesn't. On the other hand, Lamborgini's are part of the Volkswagen/Audi family (controlled by Porsche now) so the quality is better than in the past.

 

You are comparing apples and oranges....more like apples and tire irons. Its hard to tell if you are serious....

However, if you are, I would drive them all and then make your mind up. I guess boxsters and caymans are more like substitutes - 997TT and Gallardo's are substitutes. But, Boxsters and Caymans are not substitutes to TT's and G'.

 

Well said...

 

GCB,

Congrats on the new Boxster S! Post some pics when you get it.

The first thing I noticed about my new one was the color http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3059/...0a5cd94f_b.jpg

My 2000S was from Carmax and had 50k miles on it when I bought it on a whim (my first sports car). Also it was a Tiptronic, while my new one is manual.

It'd really be impossible to list everything that is better about the 987S, since pretty much everything is better. The 2000 was only the third year of Porsche making this car and while they had ironed out a lot of its initial problems it felt primitive compared to the 2008. Those extra years of refinement are pretty huge in my opinion.

The '08 always has acceleration on tap. Even at low revs it pulls a lot more than the old one. I guess its a combination of the vario-cam stuff that made it into the engine as of '07 and the 6 spd transmission.

I'm not a track driver so I dont know about extreme limit handling but the '08 feels a little more glued to the road, although the 2000 was really nice in that aspect as well, I wouldnt call it a night and day difference. However, the '08 feels better as a daily driver. The suspension feels more luxurious but still has awesome handling. There is some body lean when going around curves fast, so I have been considering getting coilovers, especially after reading about them from people on this board.

The '08 is much quieter on the inside on the highway, you can open and close the top while moving up to 30mph, which was a problem for me with the old one where I would have to find somewhere to park and close the top if it started drizzling.

The 08 has a deeper and more throaty exhaust note. Mine has the sports exhaust so I can have two different sounds at the push of a button. The sports exhaust at high revs is pretty loud and satisfying. I did really like the 986 sound too though, it had some of that higher pitch whine like a V8 Ferrari which I have to be honest I miss a little bit.

Theres so many more details, like the lighter front hood, top operating quieter, better Xenon headlights, better stereo, has a glovebox, much nicer interior... The car is just more refined and better in pretty much every way!

 

Yup, I know I'm all over the place with this one . On a Gallardo it'd be a 05 model and the target price would be in the 140 range. Thats why I'm considering it against a 997 TT Cab.

The reason the Cayman is in there is more of a 'ok, economy isn't great, may be a decent idea to not spend as much on a car'. And, honestly, i like the looks of the Cayman more than the 911.

I drove a Gallardo and loved the power of it. I drove a Cayman S and loved the handing of it but it felt limited in power. Not like it was underpowered, but not the feeling of tons of reserve power. I haven't driven a 997TT yet.

If I got a Cayman S it woudn't stay stock. And the way I had config'd it, the price was in the upper 60s. It would be only to get the mid-engine with similar feel to my Boxster and to then work on some big power upgrades to it.

Cool bonus for either the 997TT or the Cayman S is that this time I'd do European delivery on it.

 

I did notice a nice improvement on the 08 Boxster S from my 00 S but it didn't seem enough of a difference for the money. The power is up from 250 in mine to 295 in the new ones but to me it didn't feel that different.

Admittedly, part of what I'm also looking for is something a bit more rare/special.

 

cayman S on paper has more HP vs boxster.... love my CS, 1 thing i dont like is the no-sunroof. so if you are a covt guy, this may be a huge issue.

CS vs 997, more torque diff... once get the CS revving, not too noticeable (i've had both, wouldnt go back to 997... id step up and get the TT/Gall)

with that point, i agree w/ others 997TT/Gallardo is totally different class of car.

hope that helps, good luck! let us know what you decide.

 

Although I love the look of the Cayman I just don't think its going to be what I'd like it to be. Now if it had the 997TT engine in it...

Talked to some more people, including the dealer I bought my Boxster from, and I think that my best bet is to sell the Boxster and go for the 997TT Cab. Its just hard to get rid of the Boxster because its my first Porsche.

 

Or you can drop a 997 engine in a Boxster or Cayman...then you'll have the perfect sleeper car