Cayman S, 997S or M3 = Which is better overall?
 

I am thinking about selling my 2011 GT-R in search of something more entertaining to drive and less expensive to maintain. Don't get me wrong, the GT-R is plenty exciting and fast with a tune and a few bolt ons. However, I just miss shifting gears myself and want a more interactive driving experience.

The GT-R doesn't get exciting in my opinion unless you are driving it very aggressively at full throttle and redlining it, but this generally means exceeding 100mph+ which arrives in just seconds. It almost happens too fast to enjoy it. Sound crazy? I want a car I can enjoy driving aggressively and get a thrill , but also be lots of fun at more sedate levels.

I am budgeting $40k and considering an early Cayman S (06-08), early 997 Carrera S or 2008 e92 M3. Has anyone here owned a combination of either cars and which do you like better overall?

The car will be used as a part time daily driver and weekend fun car. I want a fun to drive, relatively fast, great handling car that is involving to drive. Something with charisma and character.

TIA

I only own a 997 (2006)
but to answer your question about charisma and character.

here is my reflection about buying a porsche.
my budget was in the 60k mark.
I liked the lexus is250 cab (new), the camaro ss cab (new) and a 997.1 cab (used)

so in terms of charisma and character, camaro and lexus are, IMO, like any other car. they don't make heads turns. the bmw fall into that category too IMO. but porsche stand out!

this is just the show off part hilarious
the most important part is which one you like. go test drive them...

Your budget of $40K may be a little restrictive with an early 997 S. I think you are more in the Cayman S range with that Budget unless you get a high mileage (maybe even has some stories) 997 S. I would go with the 997 S if possible, but the Cayman S would be a great choice - just not as fast. Great handling from both, however. I just think you are going to get a really great example of a Cayman S with that Budget as compared to a 997 S and I personally would be happier with a great example of a Cayman S at that price point.

My $0.02. Good luck with it. SHopping for them is fun.

You could get nice used Cayman S, do a few mods and have a car that is faster than a C2S. While my inention was simply to improve my Cayman S as a street and track car, the mods I have done made my car slightly quicker than a C2S. I was surprised I could pull them on the straits during my last track day at Road America.

I have owned both GTR and Cayman S (Gen I), and have driven many 911's and have owned 911 Turbo as well. The Cayman S is your obvious choice. Of the cars you have listed, including the GTR, the Cayman S is the funnest to drive when you aren't going 100 mph. The handling, and precision of that car makes it one of the best cars I have ever owned. I sold mine not long ago to make room for something else, but I will no doubt be shopping for the new Cayman S in the near future. The only drawback, is lack of torque... the car loves and feels alive in that 5k rpm range and up, but you will definitely miss the low end turbo kick you get out of the GTR. If you are going to track the car heavily, I would suggest looking into a higher mileage Gen II Cayman S over a lower mileage Gen I Cayman S. The Gen I has some oiling starvation issues that need to be addressed if you are going to track it hard on R Comp tires. Good luck!

My original goal was to get a 2007 GT3, which is the car I truly wanted. However, I decided to apply some of the GT-R sale proceeds towards my home renovation budget. Does the Cayman even come close to the GT3 in the fun to drive category?

Could you please elaborate a little on your thoughts of why the 997S would be better overall than the Cayman S?

Just curious, if you could only keep one, would you keep your Cayman or 993?

I assume Gen II is a 2009+ with direct injection? I don't plan to track the car much, maybe twice a year at the most. With that said, is it better to still look for a high mileage 2009 versus a low mileage Gen I?

Do you still have your GT-R? Looks like you have a nice modded pearl blue one. Would you personally ever consider replacing it with a new gen Cayman?

Yes, Gen II with direct injection doesn't seem to have the oil starvation issues, but if you aren't tracking the car hard or often, it's a none issue. I have driven the Gen II with pdk, and it's a nice car compared to the Gen I, but outside of that.. if you are getting a stick, I would save the money and buy a Gen I personally.

I still have the GTR. I don't think all cars can or should be compared because they are very different. You can't compare a GTR to a Cayman S... I owned both for awhile and really enjoyed driving the car that I was in the mood for. Trust me, there will be days you miss the GTR and the instant power... but based on your original post, wanting to feel connected to the car, and having a car that's more "fun" at slower speeds, the Cayman is a great choice. :)
You will love it in the canyons, and anytime the steering wheel isn't straight. Unfortunately, the car is a bit boring in a straight line.

I've had all 3.

The M3 just feels dead to me. The motor really doesn't get moving till you hit 5,000 RPM's and it really has no low end grunt at all. The great thing about this vehicle is that it has enough room to be a good DD, go to the mall, to the gym and back home. But if you want involvement, this isn't it.

Caymen S. Great, fun car to drive. Tremendous handling at the limits. Compared to the 997 and the M3, this thing is a little go kart. Probably the most involved out of the 3 cars you listed but the space is real tight inside. I don't know how tall you are but I'm 6' and it was real tight in headroom for me. On a drive longer then 30 min with my then GF in the car, it felt way too small inside. If you're going to track it, I believe it has steering pump issues you have to look into.

997 S. This car is not as involved as the Caymen but it's still plenty involved. The handling is not as crisp as the Cayman, front feels a bit more finicky but an aftermarket suspension fixes that right up. I would really do the 997 because it has the best combination of driver involvement and usability of the bunch. Also the 997 has a larger aftermarket community so placing parts that you need might be easier.

The M3 is just not in the same ball park as the other 2 vehicles. But I personally had the most fun when I had my Boxster. Boy was that thing fun to toss around...

Go with a 2nd Gen Cayman for the reasons mentioned above. The only reasons to go with a 997 is if you need to take 3 people in your car (very small third person) or you're concerned about what other people think about you driving it instead of a 911. Other than that, the Cayman is more practical and a better handling car, cheaper, more storage, golf clubs fit...
The Cayman also has a large amount of aftermarket parts and a lot of the 911 parts are the same.

I've owned all three (see signature). If you weren't set on the manual, I'd say E92M3 with the DCT in a heartbeat. It does so many things fantastic and the sound of the S65 engine blows the Porsches out of the water. Like someone else has mentioned the car is really dead at low RPM's with the 6MT though. Out of the other two, I'd take the CaymanS...easily the best handling car I have ever driven. It lacks power though. Was simply not impressed at all with my 997.1S.

I've owned a 2007 Cayman S, currently own a 2011 M3, and driven my buddy's CS2, all with 6MT.

From what you describe, I'd go with the Cayman S as long as you don't mind a 2 seater. It feels the most engaging and fun to drive at sane street speeds. I would've kept mine if not for wanting more passenger capacity, hence the M3. The M3 feels bulkier, the engine more peaky, and the car's feel is less connected compared with my Cayman S. I thought the CS2 was a boring drive. The Cayman S actually felt faster and more responsive at street speeds.

The M3's V8 sounds nice when you're wailing on it, but too quiet at lower revs. I have an exhaust on it now, which is much better. The stock intake honk of the Cayman S is more intoxicating. The CS2 sounded kinda boring too, like the stock M3 at times.

I own an 11 M3 and have extensive seat time (auto X, street driving) in an 07 Cayman S. I shopped both before making my decision on the BMW. In my opinion the cars are quite different and difficult to compare. A front engine V8 car is obviously going to be a different experience than a Porsche. That said, personally I prefer the overall experience of the M3. The V8 is an absolute blast to rev out and drive hard, it sounds amazing, and I've had no problem daily driving it. While the Cayman S handles well, for some reason I don't enjoy driving it as much as I thought I would. It doesn't have power that impresses, it's cramped (I'm 6'2), and the aural experience isn't in the same stratosphere as the S65. Obviously opinions and tastes vary. I'd save your own judgement until you've had adequate time to drive them both.

I hope this will help. I owned a new E46M3, I owned a 2008 CS, and have driven 997s, 997Ss, 997Turbos pretty extensively. For me, the 08 CS was hands down my overall, best balanced car for fun and spirited DD. I considered, carefully a 997Turbo before trading my 08 CS for my CR. I stayed with the 987 genre as you can see. My own personal experience, for what it is worht.

ive owned a few 911s and was never truely happy until i got a turbo. at the 40k price range the 996tt is the only 911 i would accept.

2013 Last year for the V8 M3....I'm biased of course, but a fabulous all around
performer for me.

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