ccaarmerciill

Was running some errands in town today, and while passing Porsche of Honolulu decided to stop by and check out the new 981's. Let me start off by saying that I've always loved Caymans. Love the balanced nimble feel, the lightness, liked the interior, and most everything about the 987's. I just never loved the way they looked on the outside, to me they looked very held back and tamed, kind of bland. When I saw pictures of the new Caymans at release I fell in love, not only was the car improved in many ways, but now it had a much more aggressive look in my opinion. So much so I've been telling myself that I need one...

So after the test drive today of a new decently optioned Cayman S today with PDK, I must say I still love the car. When I thought more about the price though I kind of woke up from my "dream"... the sticker on the car I drove was $80k. To me, as much as I loved the car, and could see myself spending a good amount to get it. $80k just seemed absolutely overpriced for what you get. There are so many other options out there for so much less, that will give you much more performance, a different feel yes, but to me there are so many other cars nearly at half the price that compete well with the Cayman. Even more so, the last gen Cayman's are still very capable albiet without a pretty facelift and more gadgets, but you can get them in the $20-35k range now after that huge depreciation hit.

So I'll say I'm very envious of those of you that have an easier time dropping that $ on one. I guess I'll have to wait for them to depreciate more into what I could see myself spending on one. I think a big part of this is that I like to work on cars myself, so buying a new car for the warranty etc doesn't seem worth it for the huge depreciation. I really wonder when I could nab a 981 Cayman S for maybe $35k...

What actually interests me more than I thought I ever would be, is the new Corvette. Starting at $50k, you're getting a lot more for your $. Then again, I may be better off getting a C6 Z06 at that point.

FullThrottle64

I think that the Cayman S can be a decent value if you don't over-option it. Try building one as a more pure sports car - with just a manual transmission, sport seats, 19" wheels, and sport suspension. Get down into the high $60s or $70 even, and it starts to look a lot more reasonable in comparison to a similarly-equipped Z51 at $62. I agree, though, that once you start adding options, the 991 C2 becomes the better buy in a hurry.

I'm probably going to go with one of these (Cayman S or Z51) within the next 60 days.....tough choice. Brute force vs. finesse.

ccaarmerciill

I'm a 100% fan of manual transmissions. I've only owned one automatic out of all 10ish cars I've owned, and hated it. I hated the SMG transmission on the E46 M3's I test drove before finding one I liked in manual. Yet the PDK is definitely something special... I almost didn't want to test drive it because it was a PDK (they didn't have any manuals available) but the more I drove it, the more I actually enjoyed it. Hard to say if I'd get bored with it, and how soon it would take for me to miss my third pedal...

william_b_noble

if you are used to the manual, a PDK is quite a change, I for one am still very ambivalent about it. There is another downside to the Cayman/Boxter that I hadn't thought about until I encountered it, and that is, if you are waiting for someone listening to music in your car, you can't recline the seat and relax because the engine is in the way, whereas with the 356/911/944/etc you can recline way back. The newer cars are also very sterile and pretty much devoid of personality.

yemenmocha

agree in many respects. For the money, you can get alternatives with superior performance. So the styling and subjective elements have the justify the $ for you. For me, they don't. At least they don't for a new car. I might like a used Cayman R though.

perfectlap

While I agree that the 981S (and 991) are 'over-priced' relative to some other cars, it is what it is when it comes to Porsche. Take it or leave it, but they get their Porsche tax.

That's why I have never considered buying any German car new. I'm an enthusiast but I'm also an investor at a time when even my auto-pilot 401K is up 25+%. I'm not yet at the point where I can be "okay" with watching an over-priced German car lose half its value quicker than a 4th quarter Tony Romo turnover, and I don't think I will ever be okay with luxury premiums. Because that's what Porsche is now, a luxury brand. Once the 981S, in tin top or no top, comes down to reality (sans Porsche tax) then I think you'd be hard-pressed to come with a better Porsche value...EVER. Just look at what a new Porsche purchase cost you in purchasing power back in the 80 and 90's vs. today. The Coxster/Boxster is hands down the fastest/best handling/easiest to maintain value we've seen yet.

One gripe from folks that I don't get with 981 Coxster is that the pricing is "too close to a Carrera". First of all, these are two very different cars. One is grand touring now competing with Jags and Mercs, the other is a sports coupe closer in proportion and handling to an actual water-cooled Carrera. The 911 didn't make its name as grand touring, why would you want that just because you're spending more? If you're going to put more money into the purchase then get a GT3, at least get some actual race build in your Porsche and not just "image" enhancing.

phlegm

William, you seem rather dissapointed with your new vehicle based on this post, and others in this forum. Sorry to hear it.

That said, I'm not sure the "can't recline" criticism is necessarily fair for a 2-seat, mid-engine vehicle.

blackboy

Actually it 's a bit ridiculous, kind of like the people who buy a house near a race track then complain about the noise.

william_b_noble

I'm not criticizing the "can't recline" restriction, but I am pointing it out - it was something I just had never thought of, and I'll bet many other buyers wouldn't think of either.

I am a little disappointed, and I'm probably a little unreasonable in that disappointment - I can't quite figure it out - I like my 944, I liked my 993 (but I didn't like the convertible top due to wind noise), I didn't like my 991 and got rid of it, so maybe it's me, or maybe the cars have changed away from what makes me happy, I don't know - I wish I could figure it out. The new cars (991, 981, etc) are pretty, full featured, fast, comfortable, etc - so what's not to like? I guess to me they are just sterile - maybe that's a fancy way of saying they don't have some nasty quirk that you have to deal with (like the 993 being very jumpy and prone to stalling if you weren't careful, or the 356 filling the car with fog if you drove over a puddle with the heater on)

Maybe because the car is so "sterile", small things become annoyances - thing you wouldn't have noticed on a car with more quirks.

Frank 993 C4S

If your focus is on power for money, you are much better off with a Corvette. I am sure they are great cars. We bought our 981 Boxster in order to add a convertible to the stable and for my wife to start with DE events. We were specifically looking for a low option base car with PDK and paddle shifters and we have not been disappointed. Being a die heart manual fan, even I have to admit that the PDK is simply an awesome piece of technology that adds to the extremely agile feel that I missed on the 991. The new Boxster is simply a pleasure to drive and provides the best fun for the $$ out of the entire Porsche lineup. I am sure the new Cayman is a great car as well.

phlegm

I can appreciate that point of view. I'm looking at getting my first Porsche (hence my lurking here), so I'm probably overly eager.

I think we all probably watch Top Gear, and I think it's Clarkson who will often admit a car is engineered flawlessly (typically a German one, like the R8), but lacks some craziness or quirk, like you'd see in a Zonda, for example. Seems like you have a similar point of view.

In any event, I do appreciate the input and insight from long-term owners as I decide upon my first.

ClassJ

I can relate a lot to this. I have not bonded with my 981cs yet. Not sure why. It is odd. I love my 944. Love my 06 mustang.

For some reason I almost feel like the car is too capable. The exhaust note around town is a little dull and sometimes sounds nasal. I think I miss some noise vibration and harshness. I miss some engine vibration in the shifter, etc. the gearing is very long. Two shifts at redline and you are doing over 80. Emergency brake still bothers me after 3 months

I think if I would have ordered the PDK I would have sold it already.

At the same token, the car is stunning to look at, comfortable and quick. But, in no way is it overpowered, and it can be very hard to make it behave badly.

william_b_noble

you know, maybe that's what's missing from the new cars - with the 993 I could go scary fast but it was "scary" and with the Cayman and the 991, it's just "fast". Why risk a speeding ticket if there is no thrill?

ninjabones

"For some reason I almost feel like the car is too capable"

Guilty as charged.... the new cayman S rocks, both on the street and at the track. I've driven or instructed in just about every model Porsche imaginable. The new 981 cayman S is an absolutely phenomenal car, especially with PDK.

Unfortunately, the cayman is not available with the same 7-speed manual as the 991, and the manual tranny in the cayman is less than optimal. However, the PDK is just absolutely ridiculous... glorious sounds, lightning fast shifts, and incredibly intuitive and versatile programming (with sport chrono package). I did learn that a few pricey options are "essential" to get the most out of the driving experience, most notably: sport design wheel (with paddles), porsche sport exhaust, PASM, and sport chrono. I am still going back-and-forth on the decision to opt out of Porsche torque vectoring. The car definitely could use a limited slip. However, I'd prefer a real mechanical motosport LSD (e.g. Guard), and I don't think that would be compatible in a PTV-equipped car.

ClassJ

I drive pretty hard on the street within reason, and this may be the first car I need to hit a DE event with to really appreciate. Which maybe is a good thing!

Roundel reviewed the new M6 a couple months ago, and essentially their gripe was that the car did too many things well, almost to the point where it made driving fast feel like driving an appliance. Thankfully Porsche is miles away from that feeling

Good luck with your build. My build included PASM and PTV. I did not get the exhaust and regret it somewhat although I hear it is louder mostly when you are on the throttle. I want it a little meaner all around.

Sport design wheel is a must. I stuck with manual seats and don't regret that. I added convenience package, Bose, Sirius, and dimming mirrors since I drive an hour each way to work. Smokers package makes for a nice clean look on the console. I stuck with 19" wheels.

PDK is a technological marvel. But at the end of the day while I respect and appreciate the capability it adds, and I have driven a bunch of them, and they are faster. Something is missing for me. I drove a PDK car for an afternoon, after 2 hours I had no desire to paddle shift it, and essentially I was driving a very good automatic. An argument on PDK vs manual could go on forever.

Someone needs to make a new gear set for the 6 speed trans. It does not need more gears, just lower the shift points by 10mph or so. I routinely shift from third to 6th when pulling onto the highway. 4th gear is a fun passing gear. 5th gear is a waste. 6th should be a few hundred rpms taller.