Cayman S

[TroyV]

I drove a Cayman S at a Devens event recently. It was an autocross course in our typical 2.1 mile configuration, and much faster than a standard parking lot course.

I had my Miata there on the harder track rubber, but still track rubber none-the-less. The Cayman was completely stock, with stock street rubber. I had several runs in with my car, and took one drive in this thing and beat the time in the Miata by around 3 seconds...without breaking a sweat.

I was pretty sure that with better rubber, and ghetto recaro seat liner, I could have turned very close to FTD with it that day.

Am I crazy for thinking this car is the shite? I actually enjoyed driving this car more than the C6 Z-06 I drove on Hoosier R6's that same day......and was slower than the Porsche by a second BTW. Has anyone here been on track with a Cayman that was being driven effectively, or have driven one yourself on track? It'd be nice to gather some evidence on it.

 

[Maynor]

Oh yeah, it is the shite. I was running with a Cayman and a brand new Cayman S at Summit Point 3 weekends ago in the instructors group. It was all i could do hang with them in the twisty's and one of the motivating reasons for me to finally get off my butt and improve my suspension.

They are very impressive cars and even more so up close. I was pitted next to one of the owners and couldn't stop gawking at S model Cayman.

Just around 300 hp, 3400 lbs (I think) and the looks are growing on me fast. One of these days, I will own a Porsche variant and that one is on the list.

On Edit: 3000 lbs, not 3400. Even better.

 

[TroyV]

One of our other club members has a GT3 RS in that crazy green color. I haven't driven it, but the guy has been running with us awhile. I put a 4 second beating on him in the Cayman. Then I rode with him and thought the cayman being mid engined had better balance in the Devens setting than the rear engined GT3 did.

I have no doubt that both the GT3, and the C6 Z would trounce the Cayman on track given that the drivers were equal in skill. I just never gave the modern poor mans Porsche much thought.

 

[Maynor]

Actually, I believe the Cayman's mid-engine configuration is better than the 911 variant. I still LOVE the 911 however and it would be a tough toss up between a GT3 or Cayman S. In the end, i think I'd go for the GT3's horsepower band in the end but truly, they are drivers cars right out of the box.

I got a ride along in a plain jane 996 with a GT3 suspension last weekend at NJMP. It was a blast and way more competent than my current platform. The prices have come down so much on the 996s, its tough to justify not buying one and replacing the Mustang.

 

[TroyV]

I wonder what the burn rate is on pads and tires. I would assume the pricing to be quite high on both items.

 

[Maynor]

See, there ya go bringing cost into the fantasy. Bad Troy! Bad Troy!

 

[TroyV]

HA!!! I know.. Sorry.

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

I ran an event with PCA at TWS, a while back, intermediate group.

There were about 5 Cyaman S cars in my group, they don't seem to lift for the corners, cornering speeds were astounding!

I was only able to get a point by from 3 of them, and one of them I had to let back by.

As far as I know, the ones I was running near all had treaded street tires, where as I was running an old set of 710s.

These cars are both beautiful and extremely potent! These cars are really dialed in.

 

[ac427cobra]

Porsche builds well balanced, fairly lightweight cars that handle well. But like the Corvette, it's the vast majority of people that buy them and the stigma attached to them that make them unattractive vehicles to me.


;-)oke:

 

[TroyV]

Agreed, and to be very honest, I never gave them a second look, reserving the word douche only for them at events.......but this car really impressed the shit out of me, and I can see why folks are buying them. Seriously, jumping in a stock vehicle with street rubber, and immediately ripping respectable lap times on a track or course where you had to work your ass off in your own car to get there is saying something......Particularly when your own car represents a very well set up example of your platform.

 

[racebronco2]

Here is a video of my following a cayman. The track is like a big autox. You can see the back of his car get loose a few times. The drivers is an old friend whom i used to autox's with years ago. He is a regional champion but don't know if he's ever made it to nationals.

[ame=http://videos.streetfire.net/video/lasaac-at-the-streets_158641.htm]lasaac at the streets 4-20-08 - Car Videos on StreetFire[/ame]

 

[CobraRed01]

Simply...Porsche's are in an entirely different league...at a price. Doesn't mean their drivers are though.

 

[01FR500]

At the Mid-South PCA HPDE this year in May there was a Cayman S and a 911 in my group and were the only two cars I couldn't keep up with or pass. They were regularly, and easily, reaching 5 mph more than me at the end of the 0.7 mile straight and could hold a higher speed through the long right handed carousel. The two cars seemed very controlable in places where I would have to put in some effort to cooperate. I wasn't much impressed with any of the Boxsters on track in my run group. As far as the sterotypical porsche driver goes. The 911 driver stuck to his own and I didn't even get his name. The Cayman driver was a very nice guy, most of the Porsche drivers there that weekend were friendly, only a few Ford jokes.

 

[gcassidy]

So I don't have to go to Porsche's web site and fumble around, is the Cayman basically a Boxter on steroids with a top?

 

[TroyV]

I think so.

 

[TroyV]

As for the Ford jokes from Porsche guys, I never got any at events where I was driving my Cobra. Most of them were fodder......bots to be driven around on track. Although there was one fellow at Tremblant a year or two ago with an Orange GT3 RS that was a retired touring car driver. He was running a couple seconds ahead of me, but the way he did it was impressive. He was a little bit faster everywhere, and pulled ahead at a slow but consistent rate. He stopped by in the paddock after the session and had some nice things to say about my car.....but ended in a very glib "that's a nice blah blah blah.......for a Ford..

He turned up the screws in the TT and almost took FTD, a full 7 seconds faster than my best lap.

 

[Maynor]

I think so.

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_Cayman"]The Wiki agrees.[/ame]

 

[gcassidy]

The Wiki agrees.

Ahhh...so it's actually a Valmet, from Finland.
That's impressive. :nonono:

 

[sunburned]

A guy down the street from me has one and I have to look at it all the time as I drive by. I'd love to own one, the prices on them are actually down quite a bit. I think an Exige would be much more fun, but the Porsche is definitely awesome for the handling and creature comforts you get.