The wife and I are looking for a toy car to complement my Mercedes C63 and a new SUV (still to be selected). Since we're leasing through the business, the toy needs to be new, rather than used. It should be usable as an occasional daily driver, but the emphasis is on fun. My wife defines fun as a convertible with a back seat good enough for a 10 year old (eg, M3), whereas I define fun as a pure sports car.

I've always wanted to a Porsche, so we're looking at the 911 cab, 911 coupe, Cayman, and Boxster. We tried a base Cayman with PDK yesterday, and we thought it was nice, but more comfy than sporty. So my question is, how does the Cayman R compare with the base Cayman? I'm looking for something much more pure and raw, with sharper steering, sharper handling, firmer ride, and more overall feedback from the road. Does the Cayman R offer enough improvement in these areas over the base Cayman? Or maybe a Cayman S with performance options would do the job, maybe at lower cost?

To give a little context, I saw a white Spyder in the showroom, and I think it's one of the best looking cars I've ever seen, at any price, but I think the soft top is impractical. Hence my interest in the Cayman R.

Thanks for any and all input!

 

Of course it's hard to quantify this sort of thing, but I was hoping it was more like at least 50% better.

 

if you need it to be a 50% improvement, get a GT3. It's got significantly more power and more of an "off the dealer lot" race car feel. Since you're leasing it, no point in modding it to get it to feel the way you want. GT3 stock will give you everything you want, not a Cayman.

 

Porsche knows it can't make the Cayman R any faster than the 911 (Also, Porsche is the laziest company in terms of design and technical improvements/changes between generations). You won't see much more than slight improvement from one model to the next unless you're comparing a base Boxster to a GT2 RS. Their marketing team aligns each model carefully so they're not stepping toes between one another.

 

The base Cayman has 265 HP
Cayman S has 320
Cayman R has 330

If you are leasing then the risidual value should be higher on the S and the R . a good lease is based off a high risidual value and a low money factor .
The only way to find out the answer to your question is go drive all 3 the same day if possible
The Cayman R is the best IMO .not only is it 150 pounds lighter then the S but it has a better suspension and some great looking accents on the car so if it fits the budget then thats the one!
it is rated at 0 to 60 in 4.7 seconds while the S is 4.9 and the base cayman is rated at 5.5 seconds
relatively speaking all 3 models are very close in terms of a 0 to 60 run .
It sounds like to do pretty good financially so If it were me I wouldnt think twice ,I would go find a cayman R and not even bother with anything else
This car is just AWSOME! in every way , THE Peridot Metallic" — a.k.a. Fruit Roll-Up green is THE "PORSCHE CAR TO OWN" Right now if you can get your hands on one you are a lucky dog
so to answer your question ,is the R a much better car then the Base ? the answer is YES ,no doubt about it ,much better in lots of ways ,and this is comming from an owner of a Base Cayman
GO R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

For a fun, weekend mostly car, the R would be a good way to go. For me, I'll be using mine as a DD, 12k miles or so a year. I equipped my S with PASM and ventilated seats, which are not available in the R. I figure PASM will be a better suspension for my needs. By the time I added back in A/C and upgraded electronics, most of the weight savings in the R were gone anyway.

 

Another thing to consider is that the 911 black edition looks pretty good, doesn't cost much more than the Cayman R, has similar 0-60 time, is roomier, has some semblance of a rear seat, and may be about as much fun to drive.

 

I think a Cayman S with mods would suffice. Unless you're really set on the Cayman R - it's not worth the premium IMO.

I find the 911 to be a little less engaging to drive. A GT3 would probably change my mind.

 

Drive one first. I have driven most models and find the Cay R/Box Spyder to be two of the most fun and engaging sports cars to drive at any price.

I don't really recommend a GT3 as your first foray into the Porsche world. The car is great but also a handful to drive at the limit. A GT3 is the Porsche model most likely to be found on the roof by emergency crews. No one believes it could happen to them and yet... it happens.

 

I drive a 2010 Base cayman and love it. Not to long ago I took a 2011 Carrera GTS out for a test drive and sounds like it may be what you are looking for. The one I test drove was equipped with the following options: 408hp 3.8 flat six, PASM+ (20mm lower to the ground with stiffer suspension) PDK , Sports Chrono Plus and a back seat to keep the wife happy.