sandwedge

I knew exactly what I was missing the first time I sat in one: Legroom. I'm 6'3" and both the Boxster and the Cayman are non-starters for that reason no matter how good the platform. Non-issue in the 997.

cvtbenhogan

Was considering the cayman before the 911. Legroom was an issue as was the noise from the engine. No room for the doggie sealed the deal for me. And I actually preferred the handling feel of the 997.

That said, the .2 cayman s has to be a tempting option. Good luck on your choice.

MY997

At about 4 replies into this thread I thought the same thing...

MY997

Dang man stop stealing my Post...Ha! Ha! Same for me as I am 6'4 (all legs) and originally went to check out a very nice 2010 Cayman S (looking to buy my first Porsche) and did not fit...so the salesman says have you checked out a 911...I am like "Yeah...but" and then he proceeds to show me this beautiful 2009 C4S...went for a drive and SOLD!!!

energetik9

This car looks nice. Have you checked the carfax? This car only has 25k miles which is awesome! Obviously this was a fun car on the side. Three owners? Hard to say. The carfax might tell you more. I like that this car has sport chono and the manual. Also like the heated seats. Seats look good in general, but I would have expected that with the mileage.

If you want a 911 and this is your price range, I would say this one is worth seriously considering.

Dennis C

You know in your heart that you want a 911. You will be spending lots of money, so if I were you, I'd make sure that I spent it on exactly what I wanted. I'd hate to spend all that money and then regret it every time I saw a 911. Don't get me wrong - I think the Cayman is a fine car. I just think you should buy what you want.

wardrive

911. Good call.

The Cayman is a great car but just go with the 911 if you have the chance.

Personally I'm thinking of getting a Cayman in the future as a track car.

Petza914

If you plan to keep this car for awhile, it being an '05 C2, I'll offer 2 things. Make sure you check the VIN against the IMS lawsuit to see if your car is excluded. If it's not excluded and the IMS hasn't been changed, factor in a couple grand for that. If it's excluded then it has the larger bearing and failure rates are below 1%. Both my 2005 997 C2Ss have the larger bearing. Also, a PPI is a must. Second, if kids are anywhere in your future, get the 911. My wife daily drives hers with our 7 & 10 year olds and does about 18,000 miles per year running them around. Lastly, but unrelated to the model year, I'd look for an S. They're better appointed and once the novelty is gone, you'll want the additional power and torque from the larger engine. If you ever decide to sell it, resale will also be higher.

Just my .02 or maybe .03

McCulla

In my 25 yr history with Porsche ownership, I went through financial cycles where at certain times I couldn't afford the 911 side. First Porsche was a
911 SC, then $$ decrease made a 944 S2 next, then back to a 964, then back to a 944 S2, on to a Boxster, then 993 C4S and finally 997. All the non-911 cars were "nice" but psychologically I was always unfulfilled in them. Every time a 911 drove by I was gutted. It's almost embarrassing how these damn cars make you feel. I vote 911.

BIG smoke

I had the pleasure of driving a new Cayman on the track for a day. Wow, was it fantastic. I could really grow to love this car. Very nicely balanced, excellent brakes, smooth everything. But your not comparing the same car. Two seater and four-ish seater. Could you live with two seats? As you can see from above, there are two camps. People that think the ONLY porsche is a carrera and all others just cars with a similar badge. To me, I like the 997. I like the two seater but could not live with a two seater. I drive my kids to school, I want to put two sets of golf clubs in the car, I have two leaf blowers to move, I have to pick up two new tires. None of that will fit in a cayman. The 997 made it more versatile for me. It was practical enough to shove it over to the car side of the sheet, vs the toy side.
Plus when you ever come to sell your car, four seats will defiantly appeal to a larger audience, possibly keeping your costs down.

Jaye Bass

Bingo...buy the 911 now, then when you can afford it pick up a 987S of some sort.

I'll also echo some of the sentiments here that the 911 is semi-practical. They are easier to tour in for me because my wife can lay the seat back to take a nap when we are going to the beach.

BrakingBad

I'm not sure why you are comparing a base cayman to a base carrera. A DFI 987.2 Cayman S goes for the same price as the Carrera you are looking at. My advice is to drive both and go with whichever tugs at your heart strings hardest. Just be realistic with your expectations.

In 2011, I went down to my dealership to purchase a 2008 base carrera. I drove it back to back with a similarly priced 2010 Cayman S. I came home with the Cayman S. At the time I wanted the more visceral feel and tactile feedback afforded by the 987.2 and the reliability of the new DFI engines sealed the deal.

A few years later, I sold the Cayman S and bought the 997.2 C4S I am driving today. I do not regret my years in the Cayman at all. In fact, as much as I love my 997, there are times I miss the 987. Good luck with your decision but know you are winning either way.

Little Green

If you buy a cayman you will look at every 911 and think "man, I should have gotten the 911" Fairly safe bet you will never be driving your 911 going " wish I had bought the cayman"
I have a base 05 997. In the IMS lawsuit. 33005 miles as of this morning. I beat her like a red headed step child after she is nice and warm. I am more than content with the power my car has and drive it much faster than I should on city streets. If power is that big a deal for you step right up to a Turbo S otherwise don't worry about a 30HP difference between S and base. Unless you are tracking it you can't use all the power in a base car on the street.


The car you are looking at is nicely optioned and the PO made some nice changes like the red faces, red belts and clear side markers. Add LED lights front and rear and call it a day. Go pick up the car so you can enjoy it before the weather gets nasty.

MY997

Excellent point...either way you will driving a Porsche...can't go wrong with that!

To make a point but with a different brand, back in the day I had a Vette (way back) and the new Eagle Talon Turbo's came out. I was in the USAF at the time in a shop of 100 guys...well everyday at lunch this guy with the Talon would talk smack about racing my Vette...I was not sure if my Vette could beat him but if the opportunity arose I would have gone for it...but he just kept talking smack. So one day after his smack talking I stood up and made a rather loud announcement in the lunch room as follows:

I said "Okay enough...let me tell you how it is...let's say we go find some back road and we race...and lets just say your Talon wins...bottom line is that at the end of the day I will still be driving a Corvette"...the whole room busted out laughing and he just sat there looking lost.

Needless to say about three weeks later we met up downtown and I smoked him...but the point of the story is no matter what you decide "you will still be driving a Porsche"...good luck!

Nova997

BINGO! I flirted with a Cayman also (until I got into one and needed a crow bar to get myself out of it (6'3", 195 lbs)). That qualified without a doubt that my only real interest was a 997.