Really hoping the GT4 is going to become a reality, I have a feeling it's going to blow away anything that is trying to compete, especially handling wise!

 

I went from the 981 S to the 987 R. The R will murder a 981 S in power and cornering. No contest. The 981 S' motor is muted in comparison. The only edge I'd give to the 981 S is PSE sounds much better.

 

I completely agree with the OP.
I recently test drove a 991 S, and after we got back to the dealer the salesman said that if he was going to buy a new Porsche he would definitely get the new Cayman GTS.
At the time I had my heart set on a 991S.
They happened to have recently traded pre-owned GTS from another dealer, so I took it out for a test drive. WOW. Yes WOW.
I was completely blown away by the Cayman GTS.
It had noticeably sharper handling, was more agile, easier to change direction and toss around, better sound in sport plus with the sport exhaust turned on as the engine is right behind your head.
Overall, I feel that the Cayman is the "new 911 sports car", and the 991 is the new "Porsche GT car", bigger, heavier and less sporty.
Lets not forget the 911 is a 4 seater.
When you think of the term "Sports car" how many of you picture a car with 4 seats?
I just hope that the new Cayman GT4 comes out with at least 400hp and please Porsche if your listening.....a PROPER MANUAL TRANSMISSION.

 

Or should I say GTS to GTS...


430hp, and an A$$ like sweet butter...




Need I say more?




http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewd...r-convertible/

 

Not sure why I would care.. (And I'm not sure anyone really considers them passenger seats)..

But when I think about a sportscar..... a 911 comes to mind first, not the number of seats..

But argue all the merits of a 981 you want... I do find 981's to be great cars, I owned one) and loved it... But arguing that the quintessential sports car for the last 50 years, the iconic 911 somehow doesn't qualify as a sportscar...... It is just a lame assertion... Sounds like the jealous posts I see in the corvette forums

Doesn't matter if you like or could afford one, but It Just undermines any points you do have that might have been otherwise valid...

 

Hey it's not just me, more and more people are waking up the fact that the 911 has become a larger, bloated, heavier GT car rather than possessing characteristics most people consider to define sports cars.....great handling, agility, intimacy, nimbleness, rawness, visceral etc.
I believe when most people think of the words "sports car" they think of a 2 seater, at least I do. I don't consider an EVO or STI as sports cars.
When I buy a car I don't give a crap about it's history, what I care about is how the car makes me feel, how it drives, handles, sounds, do I feel "as one" with it, and the Cayman fits the bill better than the 911.
The Cayman is the "sports car" the 911 used to be.
The 911 is now a great "GT car", and I love the 911 and would buy one in a minute if I wanted a more comfortable GT car or if I had young kids.
But I want a more raw, visceral compact, loud, agile, tossable, great handling sports car and that's why I choose the Cayman.
They are both great cars that satisfy different needs.

 

I tried, but I can't disagree. I also agreed with scatkins previously that this is not normally acceptable (to suggest that ~the 911 is not at the top of a very short list of iconic sports cars). It has grown over the last few generations, and is no longer the stripped out car we used to know (that wasn't really comfortable for long drives years ago). The Cayman is appearing to fill that billet.

Weird.

 

Not debating what the 911, has become or not become... That's an endless debate that will continue, and occurs with any iconic car... some completely crap out.. But it is unquestionable that the 911 has retained an iconic sports car image.. I'm not really a fan of corvettes, but they are another that has keep it's lineage...

You may not give a crap about automobile history, and that is your prerogative, but you made an absolutely ignorant and ridiculous broad statement that doesn't in any way support your argument ( which in itself has reasonable merit... )

Ok maybe the 991 isn't the same as a 997, or a 996, or a 993 or go back to a 911sc... (because they have a rear seat only a child or dwarf cold use) But are none of these " sports cars?" By your definition? If not we then we speak an entirely different auto language...

 

I tend to agree with many of the points.. I do agree that the 981s are indeed that more stripped down sportscar.. And the 991 has evolved into a more luxurious entity..

But to suggest that no 911 is a true sportscar (including those over the last 50 years) simply because of the presence of the back seat..? Makes me assume the author is clueless... And merely attempting to substantiate his argument with irrelevant points..

What it does speak to is rear engine vs mid engine more than anything...

 

Roger. Agreed.

 

By the way I was not saying that all 911's are more GT's than sports cars, just the more recent iterations.
To me a sports car is supposed to stimulate all of your senses, and today's 991 just doesn't do it as well as the older 911's, especially the air cooled models.
With those cars you had a more intimate cabin, and that great air cooled sound, and were lighter and more tossable. They had a proper manual transmission instead of today's flappy paddled or push buttoned automatics. Can you tell I'm more of a purest?
With the air cooled cars you also got that burned oil smell from the engine.
That is probably the biggest drawback to the sports car industry today is the automatic transmission.
Sports cars are supposed to be engaging to the driver, and a proper manual is more engaging.
Today's 991 has gotten too big and bulky, refined and the salesman said something profound when describing the difference between the Cayman and the 991.
You look at the interior of the Cayman as a "cockpit" while you look at the interior of a 991 as a "cabin". Very different.
The 991 has something called a "sound symposer" which pipes in engine mechanical and induction sounds into the cabin and it works brilliantly.
I read on a forum that some jackwacks are actually stuffing foam and other insulation into the sound symposer tube to quiet down the cabin.
My God people, I thought the iconic Porsche 991 was a "sports car" and sports cars are supposed to be loud, and raw and visceral. If you want a quiet cabin, get yourself a Lexus.
Man, I just have to shake my head at people like that.
By the way, the engine in the 911 is in the wrong place for the best handling. It's not rocket science, just simple physics.
Have you not noticed that with every new generation of 911, the engine is creeping slowly forward.

 

A lot of what you just stated was opinion, or preference. You lost me here.

Seems we disagree a LOT on this post. But, we both have choices. I like the new 911. For so many reasons, none of which were mentioned above.

If you want a more visceral car, get a Lotus, Q1, Noble, FR-S, BRZ, or a Miata. Plenty of options here.

 

Yeah, this tired rear end debate has been going on since 1963... and the demise of the 911 rear engine has been right around the corner on every new model since then.. And they even tried to get rid of it with the 928... Unfortunately or fortunately... 911 sports car enthusiast like rear engine cars... The 356 was too rear end unstable ... And what replaced it? the 911...

Once you learn how to drive it properly there is no going back.. Quite frankly, the 991's at this point are too damn rear end stable for many 911 purists, myself included.... A rear engine is a different way of performance driving... Strangely enough for such a terrible design it manages to continually kick the *** out of comparable opponents on the nurburgring, which isn't exactly a straight line...

Lot's of Porsche sports cars have come and gone.. 928's. The 912's, 924/944, 914's all in their day were the more affordable entry level Porsche much as the same role the boxster/cayman had when it was first introduced.

I think the 981's have matured beyond entry level into their own place at the table. But they will never be a replacement for a rear-engine Porsche.

Appreciate your enthusiasm for what I believe is a great car and compliments a Porsche sports car line in a company that I believe has been spending way too much time lately on SUV's and 4 door sedans and diluting the brand (clearly my own opinion not fact).

But don't mistake personal preferences as fact and proof of a wider appeal.. For example I believe all sports cars should be either black or red.. Strangely enough not everyone agrees with me... Similar debate with transmissions....

In the end a sports-car is merely a car that people enjoy driving for the sake of the driving experience instead of just nice comfortable transportation. It is more a state of mind than anyone's self prescribed narrow definitions. It is always silly to spend time proving one is better than the other... It is like arguing religion or politics... it is about personal preferences.. the only people that agree with you are those who already agree with you.

Some like redheads, some blonds and others brunettes.. I like them all and don't want to limit myself to just one... they are just different... it's really just preference man.. don't drink your own kool-aid and assume everyone in the world agrees..

 

Just to let you know I love the 911 and was about to buy one, until I test drove the Cayman GTS.
The problem for me is that I owned an Ariel Atom for 6 years and it really ruined all other sports cars for me.
I don't think you can get a more raw, visceral, sense stimulating car than the Atom.
However after 6 years it got tiring always having to put a helmet on to drive down to the grocery store. And I also got tired of all the attention.
I've been looking to find a replacement for the Atom and the Cayman GTS fits the bill. Not perfect but acceptable.
Thought about a Lotus but it has such a wide sill that getting in and out is rather difficult.

 

You know - I was going to go off on the deep end and mention this exact car, but I thought,"Nah, that would be taking things too far..." Nope. It was exactly the direction I was headed. But you just summed up my point - there are far more visceral cars than a Cayman. Now we have begun --- compromise. Which compromise is best for you depends on ---- preference.

It's like saying - the Cayenne is too soft of a ride, numb, and non-responsive..., so I bought a Macan.

What happens when you want to get some charcoal or a propane tank (preference again) to grill some of those groceries you bought for a week of parties? That 911 is looking a little better now...