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      12-08-2018, 12:30 PM   #1
HadesM3
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Sell my 11 e90 m3 zcp => 987.2 Cayman S?

Looking for a more involving driving experience and considering selling my M3 for a 2010 Cayman S w/ 6mt. I've driven a relative's Boxster S and find the handling and braking a lot better, which is probably due to the 500# less weight. The cockpit in the 987.2 is more cozy with quality a draw. However, topdown motoring is worthless to me, hence the Cayman.

The s65 motor is more special, but acceleration appears similar. Outright power is not my focus and I don't need a backseats for my fun car. I just want a fun to drive sporty car that rewarding in the canyons. I am guessing the Cayman is more reliable too.

Anyone here have significant experience with a 987.2 Cayman S?

Will I regret or enjoy the change?

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      12-08-2018, 05:44 PM   #2
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Don't have direct experience with the 987, but my parents got a 718 Boxster GTS and it's an amazing car. If you're looking for a "fun weekend car" as it seems you are, I would definitely make the swap if you don't require the space and rear seats that the e90 provides.

The 987/718 are sooooo good out of the box, quick, nimble, well balanced, it's hard to find a good competitor in it's class.

I say go for it!
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      12-11-2018, 12:05 AM   #3
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Depends on how tall you are. If you are tall then your knees will be at angle and if you can sit like you are seated in a non-adjustable chair in pretty much a 90 degree angle for everyday driving then it is great. Aside from legroom and seating position the car is pretty much perfect. If it was not for these two issues I would never have sold my Cayman S
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      12-11-2018, 08:05 AM   #4
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I'm only 5' 8".

The superior and more focused handling of the Cayman S is very appealing to me. The other hang up I have is the price of 981S are now in the high $40s. I just don't want to get a 987.2 and the next day wish I had the 981.

The interior of the 981 is superior. I'm on the fence regarding looks.
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      12-11-2018, 08:15 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ZombieM3 View Post
I'm only 5' 8".

The superior and more focused handling of the Cayman S is very appealing to me. The other hang up I have is the price of 981S are now in the high $40s. I just don't want to get a 987.2 and the next day wish I had the 981.

The interior of the 981 is superior. I'm on the fence regarding looks.
For high $40's have you thought about a 997.2? IMHO its the best 911. Last NA engine with hydraulic steering. If you haven't you should take one for a test drive. They are fantastic cars.
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      12-12-2018, 08:28 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ZombieM3 View Post
I'm only 5' 8".

The superior and more focused handling of the Cayman S is very appealing to me. The other hang up I have is the price of 981S are now in the high $40s. I just don't want to get a 987.2 and the next day wish I had the 981.

The interior of the 981 is superior. I'm on the fence regarding looks.
Some experience with both and greatly prefer the 981.

Looks way better inside and out, and the suspension tuning on those and the 991 cars is incredible.

Definitely recommend doing it right and getting the 981.
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      12-14-2018, 11:56 AM   #7
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You really have to drive these cars to know if it will work for you. The engine is less special than the S65, but it's also behind the driver, making it more difficult to work on. Having said that, the boxer 6 is a porsche sports car trademark and the attention to detail in the chassis is as special as the s65 is to our cars. The way it balances relative comfort and amazing performance is something to behold.

Having said that, the Cayman isn't to everyone's taste. It's a small car and doesn't have a lot of the space benefits of the e9x M3.
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      12-14-2018, 11:59 AM   #8
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I just drove a 2018 Cayman S 6mt. It was too damn small for me. However it was super fun to drive.
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      12-15-2018, 09:27 AM   #9
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If this is going to be your fun car & not a daily or practical needs car, definitely go for a Cayman, any generation! This is what these cars are meant for.
For canyon driving, I would prefer cayman over 911. I have driven 997.1 911 on SoCal canyon roads & had to drive fairly spiritedly to get the lighter front end feel. 911s, I think do better than Caymans on a track.
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      12-15-2018, 01:12 PM   #10
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I did E92 M3 6MT to 987.2S PDK than to E92 M3 DCT.

What do you want to know?
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      12-15-2018, 01:42 PM   #11
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981 or keep the e90 and remove all the rubber bushings. The 987 needs too much MX coming from BMW.
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      01-05-2019, 02:16 PM   #12
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The Porsche 987 is definitely a driver oriented car, but since you've already been driving around in an 2011.75 E90 M3 you'll probably appreciate the slightly newer 981-generation of Cayman/Boxster.

With an interior practically lifted out of the bigger brother 991-generation 911, there is now absolutely no compromise between driving dynamics and driver ergonomics. Still a very much "spartan" interior like the E9X M3 compared to many other similar vehicles, however the quality of materials and build are second-to-none. Basically a 991 for half the price. No joke.

I was recently was able to find a beautiful Sapphire Blue 981 Boxster S for my father since he was interested in buying a new vehicle for enjoyment/leisure purposes since he already has a daily beater.

I highly recommend watching a lot of the media reviews regarding the 981-generation; specifically the Carlos Lago MotorTrend video and the Chris Harris Drives Cars segment, both from a few years ago on YouTube. They both nail it on the head by putting into perspective the level of enjoyment and performance capabilities these cars possess. The midship performance and handling is something that simply needs to be experienced first hand.

P.S. its 2019 now, and considering that the 981-generation ended production in late 2016, its just around that time where a lot of lease returns should be popping up, which should give you some flexibility in terms of options and inevitably, pricing.


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      01-07-2019, 07:50 AM   #13
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I went to the Porsche dealership the other day to check this one out, and the dealer actually told me not to swap vehicles because it's a downgrade unless you go for GT4.
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      01-07-2019, 10:06 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kyrix1st View Post
I went to the Porsche dealership the other day to check this one out, and the dealer actually told me not to swap vehicles because it's a downgrade unless you go for GT4.
A 981 s or gts is most certainly not a downgrade driving wise

At all
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      01-07-2019, 11:59 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JackieChiles View Post
A 981 s or gts is most certainly not a downgrade driving wise

At all
That’s what I thought as well, which is why I went to check them out. I was actually surprised when I heard that from a dealer. Also recommended me a 911.1 S in MT :lol

I guess it depends on whether you prefer sheer speed vs nimble handling. Stock E92 M3 runs ~2:28 on Suzuka and the only Cayman AFAIK that comes close to this is GT4. The optional LSD equipped Cayman S/GTS may prove different, but M3 comes standard with one.
From my experience, Shorter wheelbase cars like S2K/Cayman tend to give an illusion of fast lap times but it is the relatively heavier feeling M3s/GTRs that put out the best laptime. Boy that front grip on 130R...

The issue I have with my M3 is that it feels too GT car at civil speeds. I feel like an idiot driving in 3rd gear catless+E race so I find myself driving in 5th all the time, boring. Wish it gave me that excitement my E36 euro used to give through out all speed range.
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      01-07-2019, 02:23 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kyrix1st View Post
I guess it depends on whether you prefer sheer speed vs nimble handling. Stock E92 M3 runs ~2:28 on Suzuka and the only Cayman AFAIK that comes close to this is GT4. The optional LSD equipped Cayman S/GTS may prove different, but M3 comes standard with one.
From my experience, Shorter wheelbase cars like S2K/Cayman tend to give an illusion of fast lap times from my experience but it is the relatively heavier feeling M3s/GTRs that put out the best laptime. Boy that front grip on 130R...
.
I have zero doubts about that. I'm still waiting to see a single fast GT4... have run across so many running Hoosiers and none of them is even entertainingly fast.

Maybe 80 track days after the GT4 came out I'll find a fast one. Not holding my breath.

I suppose for a mountain road pure sportscar experience it is a good solution
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      01-09-2019, 06:42 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kyrix1st View Post
I went to the Porsche dealership the other day to check this one out, and the dealer actually told me not to swap vehicles because it's a downgrade unless you go for GT4.

That's surprising to hear. That salesperson must have been a closet M fan.
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      01-10-2019, 10:10 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by ZombieM3 View Post
That's surprising to hear. That salesperson must have been a closet M fan.
or maybe he just hasn't drunk the kool aid so many people bathe in
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      01-11-2019, 06:41 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kyrix1st View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackieChiles View Post
A 981 s or gts is most certainly not a downgrade driving wise

At all
That's what I thought as well, which is why I went to check them out. I was actually surprised when I heard that from a dealer. Also recommended me a 911.1 S in MT :lol

I guess it depends on whether you prefer sheer speed vs nimble handling. Stock E92 M3 runs ~2:28 on Suzuka and the only Cayman AFAIK that comes close to this is GT4. The optional LSD equipped Cayman S/GTS may prove different, but M3 comes standard with one.
From my experience, Shorter wheelbase cars like S2K/Cayman tend to give an illusion of fast lap times but it is the relatively heavier feeling M3s/GTRs that put out the best laptime. Boy that front grip on 130R...

The issue I have with my M3 is that it feels too GT car at civil speeds. I feel like an idiot driving in 3rd gear catless+E race so I find myself driving in 5th all the time, boring. Wish it gave me that excitement my E36 euro used to give through out all speed range.
In my experience, having driven a 981 Cayman GTS as well as an E92 M3 on track, it feels that the Cayman is faster in the corners but the M3 has advantage on the straights, so I guess it depends on the track as to which one would have a faster lap time.

Yes, the E92 M3 does not feel that special when driving in the city with traffic. It NEEDS to be revved higher than 3000 rpm to be fun.

All older generation cars felt more fun at lower speeds - true for pretty much all makes & models!
Better technology, less friction, better insulation has a role to play as well.

987 Cayman felt more visceral at lower speeds than the newer 981 generation.

Just my thoughts 🤔
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      01-11-2019, 08:30 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BimmerMan33 View Post
In my experience, having driven a 981 Cayman GTS as well as an E92 M3 on track, it feels that the Cayman is faster in the corners but the M3 has advantage on the straights, so I guess it depends on the track as to which one would have a faster lap time.

Yes, the E92 M3 does not feel that special when driving in the city with traffic. It NEEDS to be revved higher than 3000 rpm to be fun.

All older generation cars felt more fun at lower speeds - true for pretty much all makes & models!
Better technology, less friction, better insulation has a role to play as well.

987 Cayman felt more visceral at lower speeds than the newer 981 generation.

Just my thoughts 🤔
What's special about E92 M3, at least in 6MT, is that 4,5,6th gears are really close, providing best acceleration in high gears. It is one of the few NA V8s that can hit 200mph when delimited on a stock engine.

This also shines at Suzuka's back straight after Spoon, where I've hit 240km/h(GT3 territory!) before tapping brakes into 130R: it accelerates so well after 4th gear it's fucking scary.
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      01-11-2019, 12:44 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kyrix1st View Post
What's special about E92 M3, at least in 6MT, is that 4,5,6th gears are really close, providing best acceleration in high gears. It is one of the few NA V8s that can hit 200mph when delimited on a stock engine.

This also shines at Suzuka's back straight after Spoon, where I've hit 240km/h(GT3 territory!) before tapping brakes into 130R: it accelerates so well after 4th gear it's fucking scary.
BMW lost their mind when building the E9X, it is wonderful. both the DCT and the 6MT are geared so well! In fast tracks the E9X surprises more than one person who has spent too much time comparing power to weight in Excel...
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