Sometimes Plans Change

[ZMM_OMG]

With 12 years and 200k on the clock of my beloved e46 325i, I was excited at the announcement of the new F30 3er and began stashing away as much cash as I could to "pre-fund" the car's purchase. I planned to wait for the F30 M-Sport package and take European Delivery on an Estoril Blue/Black Dakota 335 with 6MT, ZMM, ZPP, ZTP, and ZCW.

Fast forward a few months and I had the opportunity spend some serious seat time in a friend's 335 ZSL and another friend's AH3. One thing kept bugging me... In every measurable dimension, it's faster and more capable than my e46, but I just didn't LOVE the car the way I felt when I bought the e46.

I had turned to BMW's options sheet to spec an F30 with a litany of whiz-bang technology, only to find that I really wanted was something more visceral. So I went in search of something else, and found the solution with one of BMW's German neighbors. Enter the new addition... an '07 Porsche Cayman S.

Let me be clear... the F30 is a great car and is FAR more practical than the Cayman. For those on this forum who (like me), have expressed concerns about being removed from the driving experience, all I can say is that I have been physically unable to remove the ear-to-ear grin from my face after copious hours of the Cayman's snarly exhaust, mid-engine balance, knee-high to a June bug driving position, and rifle-bolt 6-speed.

I'm not leaving the BMW family as I'm keeping the e46 and am eagerly awaiting the specs and details on the upcoming M2. In the mean time, a big thanks to the forum mods for proving excellent information on the F30's specs and to all the members who satiated my lust for pics of EBII. Happy motoring, all!

[GB72]

Originally Posted by ZMM_OMG

With 12 years and 200k on the clock of my beloved e46 325i, I was excited at the announcement of the new F30 3er and began stashing away as much cash as I could to "pre-fund" the car's purchase. I planned to wait for the F30 M-Sport package and take European Delivery on an Estoril Blue/Black Dakota 335 with 6MT, ZMM, ZPP, ZTP, and ZCW.

Fast forward a few months and I had the opportunity spend some serious seat time in a friend's 335 ZSL and another friend's AH3. One thing kept bugging me... In every measurable dimension, it's faster and more capable than my e46, but I just didn't LOVE the car the way I felt when I bought the e46.

I had turned to BMW's options sheet to spec an F30 with a litany of whiz-bang technology, only to find that I really wanted was something more visceral. So I went in search of something else, and found the solution with one of BMW's German neighbors. Enter the new addition... an '07 Porsche Cayman S.

Let me be clear... the F30 is a great car and is FAR more practical than the Cayman. For those on this forum who (like me), have expressed concerns about being removed from the driving experience, all I can say is that I have been physically unable to remove the ear-to-ear grin from my face after copious hours of the Cayman's snarly exhaust, mid-engine balance, knee-high to a June bug driving position, and rifle-bolt 6-speed.

I'm not leaving the BMW family as I'm keeping the e46 and am eagerly awaiting the specs and details on the upcoming M2. In the mean time, a big thanks to the forum mods for proving excellent information on the F30's specs and to all the members who satiated my lust for pics of EBII. Happy motoring, all!

Errm...ok

[stom_m3]

Congrats!!! Great car. I personally had a 997S and loved it. Sold it back in 2010 to get the new 2012 991S until I realized the price differential from old to new. I have to have 4 seats and the 911 fits that bill pretty well. I'll eventually work my way back to Porsche. It's a completely different feel. Enjoy the car!

[sr5959]

Looks great, congratulations!!! But why no red calipers on the rear?

[KORALLROT]

Looks great, and yeah, i'm sure drives much better than the f30. Apple and oranges come to mind here.


Congrats! Clean car. What's your warranty situation?

[DarkTrigger]

Originally Posted by KORALLROT

Looks great, and yeah, i'm sure drives much better than the f30. Apple and oranges come to mind here.


Congrats! Clean car. What's your warranty situation?

+1

He must not have kids....

[finaloption]

so basically the point of this thread was to bash the f30...

[ZMM_OMG]

Originally Posted by stom_m3

Congrats!!! Great car. I personally had a 997S and loved it. Sold it back in 2010 to get the new 2012 991S until I realized the price differential from old to new. I have to have 4 seats and the 911 fits that bill pretty well. I'll eventually work my way back to Porsche. It's a completely different feel. Enjoy the car!

Thanks! Definitely a different feel. The Cayman is a blast for canyon carving, but dunno if I would use this as a commuter car. BMW definitely holds the advantage when it comes to pricing. Porsche offers incredible amounts of customization, but the options and pricing drive the sticker through the roof faster than the car's 0 - 60 times! I'm lucky to have picked this one up, gently-used (27k miles), for 1/2 of its original price.

Originally Posted by sr5959

Looks great, congratulations!!! But why no red calipers on the rear?

It has them. It's just the lighting in the pic that makes it look otherwise.

Originally Posted by KORALLROT

Looks great, and yeah, i'm sure drives much better than the f30. Apple and oranges come to mind here. Congrats! Clean car. What's your warranty situation?

Thanks! The original warranty has long since expired, so I'm surfing the Cayman forums and learning a lot about what can/cannot be done as a DIY project.

[ZMM_OMG]

Originally Posted by DarkTrigger

+1 He must not have kids....

Lol... correct.

Originally Posted by finaloption

so basically the point of this thread was to bash the f30...

Uh... no. Perhaps you missed the part where I said that the F30 is a great car. It just wasn't the best solution for my needs.

[GB72]

Originally Posted by finaloption

so basically the point of this thread was to bash the f30...

I personally think its more of a girls Porsche!

[KORALLROT]

Originally Posted by finaloption

so basically the point of this thread was to bash the f30...

I don't believe so. I think the point was for a potential f30 owner to show some fellow BMW enthusiasts his very nice, new wheels. And also to remind the rest of us that we are suckers for paying $50k for a sedan. J/K!

[KORALLROT]

Originally Posted by GB72

I personally think its more of a girls Porsche!

No sir, that was reserved for the last generation Porsche Boxter. I personally don't see anything girly about a Cayman, and wish my personal circumstances permitted for me to buy one. It's pretty much a 'de-tuned' 911 on a lighter body. Pure Enthusiasts car right there.

[roadcarver]

You have great taste in automobiles IMO. I have an 08 e92 that I plan on keeping much longer but plan on either adding an upcoming 235i or a lightly used Porsche Cayman in the next couple of years. We just bought the wife a new 335i m sport which we do like but I understand your feeling of being not quite as connected to the car as your current BMW. I have discovered that after driving her new car for extended drives one does start to bond with it quite nicely though. It is just a little different driving experience but it is a great driving and handling automobile nonetheless. This being said though I am really craving a Cayman right now. By the way, are you a cyclists also, I have been riding for over 25 years now. I dont race but ride 150 to 250 miles a week all year. I think biking makes us better drivers also as it seems to keep the reflexes sharp.

[GB72]

Originally Posted by KORALLROT

No sir, that was reserved for the last generation Porsche Boxter. I personally don't see anything girly about a Cayman, and wish my personal circumstances permitted for me to buy one. It's pretty much a 'de-tuned' 911 on a lighter body. Pure Enthusiasts car right there.

Only joking its a excellent car and I'm a tad jealous!

[johnofcross]

You wanted a more 'visceral' feel, and this Porsche will definitely more than provide. F30 compromises more, and it sacrifices 'visceral' feel for everyday comfort. Have fun and enjoy your ride! I remember you wanted that AH3 badly, unless I've mistaken your avatar for someone else.

[ZMM_OMG]

Originally Posted by GB72

I personally think its more of a girls Porsche!

Find somebody who has one, then take it to a track or a good technical road and see if you feel the same.

Originally Posted by KORALLROT

I don't believe so. I think the point was for a potential f30 owner to show some fellow BMW enthusiasts his very nice, new wheels. And also to remind the rest of us that we are suckers for paying $50k for a sedan. J/K!

I personally don't see anything girly about a Cayman, and wish my personal circumstances permitted for me to buy one. Pure Enthusiasts car right there.

^^This. If I were limited to having 1 car, I wouldn't have picked the Cayman. Interior/storage space is limited and frankly, the mpg blows (though that might just be attributable to my driving style ). I'm very fortunate that my life and budget accommodates a daily driver and a "fun" weekend car. I thought that as a site for car enthusiasts, people might appreciate knowing that there are other options out there. BTW, used Caymans can easily be found priced in the mid-30s and insurance was on par with an F30.

Moral of the story is that life is short... live the life you want to live!

[ZMM_OMG]

Originally Posted by johnofcross

You wanted a more 'visceral' feel, and this Porsche will definitely more than provide. F30 compromises more, and it sacrifices 'visceral' feel for everyday comfort. Have fun and enjoy your ride! I remember you wanted that AH3 badly, unless I've mistaken your avatar for someone else.

Thanks, man! The AH3 was somebody else. Having spent some time with one, it's an interesting car, but not my cup of tea.
Cheers!

[lukeb817]

Originally Posted by ZMM_OMG

With 12 years and 200k on the clock of my beloved e46 325i, I was excited at the announcement of the new F30 3er and began stashing away as much cash as I could to "pre-fund" the car's purchase. I planned to wait for the F30 M-Sport package and take European Delivery on an Estoril Blue/Black Dakota 335 with 6MT, ZMM, ZPP, ZTP, and ZCW.

Fast forward a few months and I had the opportunity spend some serious seat time in a friend's 335 ZSL and another friend's AH3. One thing kept bugging me... In every measurable dimension, it's faster and more capable than my e46, but I just didn't LOVE the car the way I felt when I bought the e46.

I had turned to BMW's options sheet to spec an F30 with a litany of whiz-bang technology, only to find that I really wanted was something more visceral. So I went in search of something else, and found the solution with one of BMW's German neighbors. Enter the new addition... an '07 Porsche Cayman S.

Let me be clear... the F30 is a great car and is FAR more practical than the Cayman. For those on this forum who (like me), have expressed concerns about being removed from the driving experience, all I can say is that I have been physically unable to remove the ear-to-ear grin from my face after copious hours of the Cayman's snarly exhaust, mid-engine balance, knee-high to a June bug driving position, and rifle-bolt 6-speed.

I'm not leaving the BMW family as I'm keeping the e46 and am eagerly awaiting the specs and details on the upcoming M2. In the mean time, a big thanks to the forum mods for proving excellent information on the F30's specs and to all the members who satiated my lust for pics of EBII. Happy motoring, all!

Congrats! Very nice, I considered a Cayman as well, but alas, I couldn't escape the practical realities of getting older...and went for the first sedan in my life. I love my F30 335, but have to admit I'm a bit envious of your Cayman S. Check out a few clips of the Capristo exhaust for the Cayman S on YouTube...very cool.

[ZMM_OMG]

Originally Posted by roadcarver

You have great taste in automobiles IMO. I have an 08 e92 that I plan on keeping much longer but plan on either adding an upcoming 235i or a lightly used Porsche Cayman in the next couple of years. We just bought the wife a new 335i m sport which we do like but I understand your feeling of being not quite as connected to the car as your current BMW. I have discovered that after driving her new car for extended drives one does start to bond with it quite nicely though. It is just a little different driving experience but it is a great driving and handling automobile nonetheless. This being said though I am really craving a Cayman right now. By the way, are you a cyclists also, I have been riding for over 25 years now. I dont race but ride 150 to 250 miles a week all year. I think biking makes us better drivers also as it seems to keep the reflexes sharp.

Definitely a different driving experience. The F30 is decidedly more comfy and much quieter, whilst maintaining impressive performance credentials. This might sound weird, but I actually felt like acceleration in the F30 was a bit too easy. In a straight line, the F30 is likely a bit faster than a Gen 1 Cayman S, but I love the Cayman's soundtrack and working the engine to wring out performance.

Yup, a cyclist as well. I hung up the racing career after a few seasons as I just didn't have the time to do credit to the training and spent what felt like every spare moment to be a lowly Cat 4. I have an enormous amount of respect for folks who have the dedication required for racing. Now I do weekend rides and commute to work a few days a week and have to say I'm happier for it. I wholeheartedly agree that cycling makes a better/more engaged driver.

Originally Posted by lukeb817

Congrats! Very nice, I considered a Cayman as well, but alas, I couldn't escape the practical realities of getting older...and went for the first sedan in my life. I love my F30 335, but have to admit I'm a bit envious of your Cayman S. Check out a few clips of the Capristo exhaust for the Cayman S on YouTube...very cool.

Thanks! The Cayman is definitely a blast and a brilliant dance partner in the twisties. I lucked out and found a car with the factory sport exhaust. No power gain, but sounds good and is very quiet at cruising speeds. That Capristo exhaust sounds amazing!

[JulieDriving]

Congrats, great pick-up!

Originally Posted by roadcarver

You have great taste in automobiles IMO. I have an 08 e92 that I plan on keeping much longer but plan on either adding an upcoming 235i or a lightly used Porsche Cayman in the next couple of years. We just bought the wife a new 335i m sport which we do like but I understand your feeling of being not quite as connected to the car as your current BMW. ...

Originally Posted by ZMM_OMG

This might sound weird, but I actually felt like acceleration in the F30 was a bit too easy.

I felt the same way after testing an F30 335i Sportline. It was less visceral and "fast" felt strangely "too easy" as well. So I know what you mean.

Later on, I got to test a 335i M Sport with the M adaptive suspension and I liked that one better.

Nevertheless, you wanted visceral, and you went straight to the best in that price range IMHO.

Doesn't take anything away from the F30. They just have different objectives. The upcoming M2 may be a better replacement for your E46.

[DerekS]

Congrats on your "new" Cayman ! Very sharp looking car ! I would never have guessed the MY from the photo; it looks like new !

Very nice photo too; that orange building in the background really transmits some energy into the composition.

Happy riding !

[ZMM_OMG]

Originally Posted by JulieDriving

Congrats, great pick-up!

I felt the same way after testing an F30 335i Sportline. It was less visceral and "fast" felt strangely "too easy" as well. So I know what you mean. Later on, I got to test a 335i M Sport with the M adaptive suspension and I liked that one better.

Nevertheless, you wanted visceral, and you went straight to the best in that price range IMHO.

Doesn't take anything away from the F30. They just have different objectives. The upcoming M2 may be a better replacement for your E46.

Thanks Julie! I'm definitely looking forward to the specs on the M2.

LOVE your e92 M3! A buddy of mine has an Interlagos Blue e90 M3 and that car is NUTZ!

Originally Posted by DerekS

Congrats on your "new" Cayman ! Very sharp looking car ! I would never have guessed the MY from the photo; it looks like new !

Very nice photo too; that orange building in the background really transmits some energy into the composition.

Happy riding !

Thanks Derek! The condition was definitely one of the selling points. Whoever owned it before took great care of it and it shows. The interior is absolutely flawless! Thanks for the feedback on the photo... it was definitely a happy accident... lol.

Question for you... does the M-sport package come standard with the turbine wheels in Canada? Looks great!