Guys,

I'm contemplating on purchasing a Cayman S for a track car. Only a few track days (less than 10). In the past I had a spec Miata and a GT3 with a trailer and the whole 9 yards for the track. Those days are over (I hope). Too much work with the towing, loading and unloading. I currently have a Stradale for my weekend fun and to get that track feeling.

My concerns are getting the best handling car for the track and street comfort for mostly some short local runs and comfortable enough to drive too and from the track while towing a small tire trailer and that is a bit more street friendly and not as raw as the GT3 (mine had motons and was lowered so felt every expansion joint in the road).
I will be adding sport bucket seats and harness bar. I have no issues with the sport bucket seats for local driving as they were in my GT3.

My choices: 2008 987S sport, 2012 R or a 981S. I'm leaning towards the sport because of the low cost and fear factor on the track of crashing an expensive car.

Looking for current and past owners of any of these cars to chime in.

Thanks,
GB

 

I'd go with the CS since you'll be using it mostly as a track car. I'm considering selling mine pretty much track ready. Pm me if interested.

 

Thanks for the offer, I will keep you in mind.

 

After some research I narrowed my search down to the 2012 Cayman R and the 2014 981 Cayman S. Both with PDK. (I love manuals on the track but I'm not the best heel to toe shifter). I'm a lefty. Some of us get confused with things like this. I think our brains are in wrong.
Today I test drove them both back to back on a local road with lights so max speed 85mph and a small few mile trip on a back road stretch with some nice curves. Both had PDK and both had Sport Chrono. S on 20 inch wheels R on 19 inch wheels and sport exhaust. This was my first time in a cayman.

First Impression on the S. I love the styling. I actually like it better than the 911. The interior is very refined almost like my wife's Audi A7 and my Range Rover Evoque. The seats were 14 way adjustable with heat and the electronic tilt /telescoping wheel with the paddles is thick and adjusts to a very comfortable position. The driving view is ample from the windshield, both sides and rear. Changing lanes is a breeze. I'm average height 6'0'' 205lbs and felt at ease in the car. Started her up. Quiet. Reminded me of Yamaha 350 outboards (Almost forget their on so quite). After letting car warm up, started on my way. The gas pedal felt weird at first, had to be really pushed, very stiff. Once the tires warmed up, I took off a little up to 85 mph max. (Just before this a red GTR with a girl driver was pulled over on the shoulder by a cop). The steering is beautifully weighted, balanced and crisp. Felt very tight. I felt almost no roll when I shimmied the wheel abruptly from left to right. Brilliant. Hit a few hiccups in the road on purpose and the shocks were excellent. Did not even feel them or make the car jolt. I was very impressed. Brakes felt find but this drive was not a true test for break performance. Had one incident when I had to slow down fast when a car pulled out and it was good. I'm not concerned about the breaks. They are Porsche's. I already know what needs to be done already to improve the R 's breaks. I would have to track the S for a day to really find out what needs to be improved if anything. The S has good pickup and took off nicely and off the light form a stop it was adequate. I understand its a cayman S 3.4 liter and I'm not comparing it to the 911. But for what it is, the speed from a stop is very competent for the track. I would only really need this for exiting the pit anyways. I'm sure at the track on the long straights, I will be waving off the GT3, GTR, Z06 ,458 you get the point. But after the drive on the back roads, I can tell the Cayman S will be holding its own and pushing the big boys out of the way in the turns. I was very impressed with the handling. I love the steering and it put a smile on my face wishing I could test in out on a track at that very moment.
The PDK in normal mode makes the car rev at the 2000 - 3000 mark almost is all the gears. Feels like its bogging out. I understand this is to conserve fuel. In sport mode it improves and 7th gear drops to 5th (higher rpms better sounding) and in sport plus drops to 4th gear (sounds the way it should like a 6-speed. The way to drive the car fun is in manual and shift with the paddles in either sport or sport plus mode.

Now to the R. This thing reminds me so much of the 997.1 GT3 RS in the orange and the green (I pasted one up along time ago, big mistake) that its scary. I don't want to say a mini me GT3 RS but I just did. Doesn't feel that way when your driving it though. Its a cool looking car. This one in particular had black rims. The interior again is all GT3 RS. Not like the luxury S. It has more of a track car old style look. I like it. The line of sight was same as 981. The seats were not the sport buckets and felt less superior to the 981's seats. I would have to change out the seats for sure. The steering is beautifully weighted and crisp as well. The car did roll way more than the 981 when wheel turned abruptly. It was way more loose that I would have expected. I would add sway bars for sure. The sport exhaust was hard to tell any difference over the stock exhaust that came with the S. Once the car was warmed up I did notice upon down shifting a sound like a baffle closing or opening not really sure. When the S was in sport plus, the sounds between it and the R were unnoticeable to me, but I was in the car. I would add a BGM or some other exhaust to either one.

The R with the softer gas pedal took off about the same as the S. It was a little looser but have a great feel. O to 85 both cars felt the same on the straight road. The R handled the back road flawlessly but not as tight as the S, but very close. The R felt less refined but very very stable and was a true pleasure again with that GT3 feeling. I had that same smile and wish for track time feeling immediately. The R did not have any of that bogging out sound and feeling as the S did. Again it felt more like a tracker.

In conclusion. Both cars are tops, both fast and fun.. Both cars are very capable as DD's. I feel the S is a little sharper. I'm a past GT3 owner and both have the right amount of softness for the road and the stiffness for the track. My GT3 was lowered, had modified exhaust and motons all around so every expansion joint in the road made you feel like you were in a stage coach but the car handled like a Rotax Kart on the track. Best I have every been in.

The S in my opinion is simply stunning both outside and inside. The interior is rich and modern. Better than the R on both accounts. But, and I say but, because the R looks like a race car it looks like it belongs on the track not at a fancy restaurant parking lot were the S would fit in perfectly next to the F-cars , Lambo's , etc.

I have not been on the track with either but from this little drive and from past experience and seeing them at the track, the S and the R in my opinion would be great track capable cars to both drive to the track and drive on the track and have the ability to give you that race car feeling without having to take it to the next level. (the tower, trailer, spares, tuning and plenty of $$$$$$). Both are exciting and capable and by no means harsh on the road. If they were the same price I would take the 981S.

I am finding that the price difference between them isn't that far apart because I'm not looking for convenience options in the S I'm looking for performance options. I will try for a nice tasty R first and if I can't find a good deal I'll go for the S. I have been doing my research on all the R's out there. Found a few prospects already. It feels exciting to be in the hunt.

 

excellent write up, it's nice to hear feedback from a previous GT3 owner. GL in your search for the perfect cayman.

 

Since this will be a track car, I would not buy a first generation CS. Best to buy a 987.2 CS with It's DFI engine, 4 oil pick up pumps, which fixed oiling problems and no IMS issues. So out of the two, the CR is the choice. I sold my 06 CS for an 09 CS for the above reasons stated.