mikes_996

anyone go from a 996 to a cayman? thinking of making the move... i know i'll be dropping down in hp and the two rear seats but the cayman will be 7 years newer. wondering if anyone made the move and wanted to see their opinions....

soverystout

Some consider it the best handling Porsche currently made do to the mid engine layout. I think they look great.

My wife wants one in the worst way. The disease is spreading.

VGM911

It's like women: women with curly hair want straight hair, and women with straight hair want curly hair. With Porsches, some with 911s would like to try the Cayman, and there are those with Caymans that would like to experience owning a 911.

I think you'll be happy with the move to a Cayman - handling is sublime and you'll have the advantages/benefits of a much newer car. Might you ever want a 911 again? Quite possibly, but do try the Cayman.

Ahmet

I'm personally quite biased towards the "bad" weight distribution of the 911, however I think the Cayman is an extremely well sorted package. A Cayman S feels very solid and I think it would make a sublime daily driver, while also being more fun than probably any stock 996 Carrera.

It'd be much more "new car like" moving from an early 996 than a late one, though it does feel more together even than the 997.1. I think if your main purpose is to get something "newer", you won't be disappointed, and it still feels very connected in the right ways. Have you driven one? I would not prefer a base Cayman over a 996 but the Cayman S is quite the car.

function12

I got a Cayman as a loaner one day. It was to small for me but I am 6'4". My 18 year daughter loved it though. It just happen to be her birthday that day and I let her have some fun.

Barn996

Have you driven a Cayman S? They are a fantastic Porsche to drive, certainly not a downgrade from a 911 IMHO.

Tippy

They do nothing for me...

Friend had an "S" for about 6 months and then traded it. I hate the way they look and the 1st gear is all wrong.....way too high.

I guess if I was racing it would be different but for the street I would never own one and will never have the desire too.

DanDotDan

I've been thinking about switching, when the time comes. But the longer I drive the C4S, the more likely I am to keep it longer.

It's surprising to me, but a Cayman appears to be marginally heavier than a 2wd 997.

function12

The one I drove had the PDK. It was not as fun as I thought it would be. Now it might be a different story in an 2010 Turbo with PDK.

rwiii

I've never driven one but I have two issues:
Porsche is not known for beautiful cars and I think the Caymen leads the ugly pack (my opinion).
Though I don't think the 911/996 is a beautiful car I have cared more about it then about any material posession I have ever had and I can't imagine liking another car more! (Unless I had a GT3!)

sparks259

i do not see any reason why not.
someone has already said that it is the best handleing p-car out there.
it never fails to impress me on track.

uberskier

Are you dropping down from a turbo? My friend just picked up a 2010 Cayman S with 320 hp, which is the same as my C4S.

quickxotica

I went the other way. Owned an '07 Cayman S from new... put 20k miles on it in 2 years including about a dozen track events and a cross country roadtrip with my wife.

Then I sold it and bought an '03 996mk2 C2, which I have now owned for 2 years.

Both are great. My personal bias leans slightly toward the 996 mk2 (partly because that's what's now in my garage, and partly because I find it more entertaining at the track). But the Cayman S is a sweet ride, feels very modern and nearly invincible on twisty roads.

On the track, the Cayman S can put more energy into its outside-front tire between the turn-in point and apex and therefore can carry more speed on the way into a corner (this is what makes it feel invincible on the street). The 996 makes up for its disadvantages in this respect by putting power down from apex to exit in a way that a Cayman S would struggle to replicate. Also because the 996 is rear-heavy, it is more "adjustable" mid-corner (i.e. it is less stable). The Cayman S is effective, but perhaps a wee bit less entertaining on track IMHO.

As a purely street car... and provided that you don't need the 996's rear seats, the Cayman S would get my vote.

Only you can be the judge for you. Go drive one.

Jon996

I have had the same thoughts, but have not driven one yet. While I would love a new 911, it's probably not in the cards. . . . The Cayman looks very nice to me, and is more in my price range (new). The idea of NEW and WARRANTY is pretty attractive, especially based on the repairs had made under my CPO.

All the DE instructors I know are really impressed with the Cayman handling. Anyway, nothing for a few years (as I pay off my wife's new Cowgirl Cadillac--a loaded F150)

mikes_996

I was just talking about my plans to the wife and she says no because the kids are going to revolt. I've got three kids and they all love riding in the 996 but if I get the cayman then only one can go at a time. Then my wife reminds me that I used the excuse of needing the back seats to get away with selling the boxster to pick up the 996.. Guess I'll have to wait...