nowakm99

While I haven't owned a 911, I had the same thoughts on the 911 vs. Cayman as the OP. Three years ago, I finally decided to realize my dream of owning a Porsche and began shopping for a 997.2 base or S model. I was set on a 911, but during my shopping process was convinced to give a 987.2 Cayman S a try while checking out some cars at the dealership. I test drove it and ended up totally smitten with the visceral driving experience. Needless to say, I ended up pulling the trigger on the Cayman.

I still hold the 911 in very high regard and will likely own one someday. That said, I found it muted compared to the Cayman with respect to the overall driving experience. I liked it and it's obviously a very capable car, but the Cayman S just put a smile on my face.

911 Rod

Try tracking an air-cooled if you want visceral.

moab

seriously? you want visceral. take a 991 to a track and push it to its limits (or to where you feel comfortable) and pull some serious G's. and then tell me you prefer the Cayman S.

Wild Weasel

Yeah... this is kinda the entire point here. He mentioned the track. He mostly drives on the roads.

Torontoworker

jumper5836

Can't agree more. More visceral and more feel means you need to be driven a car with far less ability. This is why they have a 991 Touring and 991 GT3 touring. Slap ****ty skinny tires and no aero on the same car and it becomes more fun.

theiceman

I am sure there are a few torsion bar car guys who track their cars just biting their tongue while reading this thread .

ekam

I also drove the 991 4S /w PDK in Germany. Did 267km/h, it's completely effortless and un-dramatic and I felt like the car's doing all the work.

LastMezger

There's a reason I don't own a 991.

ekam

^You do have a Viper ACR... I'm sure it's a workout to drive it.

LastMezger

I do. It's just great. Biggest failing is that's a smooth surface (ie racetrack) car. A rough, winding country road isn't much fun and you can't explore the aero on the road. It's definitely "visceral" though!

theiceman

I remember being at the old track at the airport in Dunnville. a couple of guys brought out Vipers. That is such a tiny track I thought these guys were the best drivers ever, as they managed to keep those monsters actually on the track .

MaxLTV

I thought about this a bit in planning my car purchases to keep this hobby fun, legal and safe. Here are some of my thoughts:

The better car is the one that makes you feel better and delivers more smiles per unit of time or money. So which car is "better" is very subjective and different cars can be better for different people.

Cayman and Cayman S, at least unmodified, is interesting in a way that it feels unflappable up to 5/10 and then it starts to feel sloppy, like it's getting on the edge. It makes it more "exciting" at lower speeds. But for me it stopped working once I realized it's only 5/10 of what the car can do when it's starts to feel like I'm pushing it and "doing the work". It all was only an illusion of a limit/challenge. So I wanted to go to 6/10 or 7/10, and there it no longer feels that great - too sloppy to enjoy. So I could no longer enjoy 5/10, knowing that it's like bowing with the gutter bumpers raised, and I could not enjoy 6/10 or 7/10, because the car starts to feel noticeably worse than it feels further from the limit. So Cayman just stopped working for me very quickly.

The 991 Carrera feels right all the way to 7/10 and only then progressively starts to get sloppy, like any sports car gets when getting to its true limit. The problem with that is that driving 7/10+ on public roads is rarely prudent and almost never legal, in almost any modern car, definitely so in Carrera or Cayman.
Going with a less capable car was something I considered but quickly realized that it was the same trick as with Cayman - they just feel like they are at the limit, but realistically there is at least 0.2G still there to extract, and going there would be too dangerous on public road and more fun in a more precise car on track. Just try it - give BRZ or MX-5 a good workout on a windy road and then look at G log - how many times do you come to sustaining over 1G all the way through a corner? Likely not once, and that what either of these cars can do EASILY. Why is that the case - because these cars start to feel like you are "doing the work" WAY before any work is done or any significant skill is required. And they are still more capable than can be safely exploited on public roads.

My solution was to find enjoyment elsewhere. On the road I find enjoyment in precision, connection with the car and other things that make the limit or car capability irrelevant. Think dancing rather than walking a tight rope. More precise, better executed car is more rewarding for that purpose, so Cayman and Carrera would both be very good cars for that. I also enjoy an occasional (brief) rush of acceleration or a tiny powerslide, which again does not require getting close to the limit or endangering anyone. For everything else - car control, finding and straddling the limit of adhesion, etc. there is track. And there a Carrera would be better, in my opinion. But just minor mods to Cayman can make it even better than stock Carrera, and a dedicated track car would beat both, so it's a different story.

terene

. You have answered your own question , I have owned both cars, a 2015 Cayman S and a 991-1. One is a great touring car and the other is a great car for buzzing around the back roads. My wife likes the 991 better do to the larger interior and accessibility of rear seat. Coats, packages etc. (happy wife thing) . I have to admit I like the 991 better on longer trips. Cayman was a lot of fun to drive but you will probably keep your license longer with the 991.

BioBanker