Interesting, because I'm 6'2" with a long torso, and my buddy who also has a Boxster S is 6'3" - you are nuts, bro. I fit in mine with a freaking helmet on and still clear the roofline.

 

That may be true, but RELATIVE to the 911, I think he may have a point

 

my last car was an e46 m3...jump to a 996 turbo if you can....that's what I did and you won't regret it...

 

Not true at all - I have no more head clearance in a 911 (unless it has sunroof delete) than a Boxster or Cayman.

 

I'm not talking about headroom, I'm talking about the fact that I am squeezed into the cabin like a sausage...I'm 6'1", 215 lbs...the cabin is WAY too small but perfect for my 5'6" 115 lbs wife.

 

I drove lots of 911's, 997S and 996TT's and hadn't really given teh Cayman the time of day. But I came across a good deal and after driving it twice it is IMO the funnest Porsche I have driven.

I know people will try and deny it, but the handling is second only to the GT3. Its also cheaper which is just that much better. It is not a second choice, 911 is pimpin and the Cayman is pure driving. Mid engines rule.

 

Regular 997 and chip it.

 

It is testimonies such as this that lead me to believe my next car will be a cayman s. Then again my next car won't be for another 10 years

 

I wonder if the response would have been different had this question been posed on the 997 board?

 

no.

......

 

cayman = easier to drive fast

997 = rewards experience more.

modern 911s..."weight in the back" is good - traction!

 

I really don't buy this anymore at all. Its an inherently undesirable weight distribution that Porsche has moved mountains to make suitable and while it is quite an awesome car, a Cayman with the same motor would simply crush it.

I don't want a bad design engineered to perfection, I want a car with a superior platform engineered to perfection.

 

I drove several Porsches (and other makes for that matter) before finally deciding on the Cayman S. The quick test drives did not convince me. It took two extended weekend test drives for me to really appreciate the Cayman S.

As others have said directly or in so many words, the Cayman S feels more agile when compared to the 996/997 Carreras (both S and non-S). Without argument, the Cayman S does not have the power of the Carreras and if that aspect of the driving experience is high on your "must haves", then the Cayman S may not be the best car for you. For me, the Cayman S strikes the right balance between power and agility. Additionally, coming from a Honda S2000, I feel the CS is more of the enthusiast driving car compared with the 911s. The 911s felt big around me, where the Cayman S just *fit*.

More subjectively, I prefer the lines and proportions of the Cayman S design.

Finally, high on my list was buying new, not preowned. Too many bad experiences had me convinced I would not feel good about buying a car of this caliber/cost and find some short coming that bugged me down the road. That piece of mind was worth the price difference and that made the Cayman S an easy choice, because I was not comfortable forking over $80k-$90k for a new 911 and discounts were big on the CS. Besides, I am young and this gives me something to move up to later.

 

Best answer? Cayman S with RUF 3.8 X51 engine swap. Or get down-right nasty and get their super-charged motor swap.

Yowza.

You didn't really give criteria for making a choice, though, so I will trot out the tired, but true reply of "drive them both and decide for yourself." They are both excellent cars.