Cayman GT4....Damn you Porsche!!

[Ezio]

Originally Posted by 991GT3

My GT4 arrived

Cant believe people are paying 90k for these souped up boxsters.

[jphughan]

Originally Posted by Ezio

Cant believe people are paying 90k for these supped boxsters.

Well people are now paying $80K for "supped" 335i's -- or even $90K on a nicely optioned vert.

[ChrisF]

Originally Posted by jphughan

GT4 section of Rennlist

http://rennlist.com/forums/gt4/88645...-and-cons.html

http://rennlist.com/forums/gt4/87984...r-a-treat.html

http://rennlist.com/forums/gt4/88175...-pictures.html

http://rennlist.com/forums/gt4/87236...great-car.html

I've been reading those. Generally, very positive?

Originally Posted by Ezio

Cant believe people are paying 90k for these supped boxsters.

Seriously? Have you ever driven a GT car of any type?

[Ezio]

Originally Posted by jphughan

Well people are now paying $80K for "supped" 335i's -- or even $90K on a nicely optioned vert.

and they are morons.

[Ezio]

Originally Posted by ChrisF

I've been reading those. Generally, very positive?


Seriously? Have you ever driven a GT car of any type?

It doesn't matter how they drive. IMO it lacks in engine power, and exterior styling. Although like i said before it probably drives like a dream. I see more appeal in buying something that has more power, decent on the track, and aggressive styling.

the 911 is a better buy IMO.

Listen i am not saying the cayman is a bad car, in fact when i was 16 it was my dream car. After understand cars little better, and seeing how far 60k-100k can get you in the car world. I started to dislike them more and more. for me i see a cayman, i think its a "nice car". When i see a viper, or Z06 corvette. I say "wow".

[Da Hapa]

Originally Posted by Ezio

Cant believe people are paying 90k for these souped up boxsters.

Oh dear lord...

[EJT86]

[BrewRifle]

I love the looks of it and I didn't realize how low they sit. I'd be afraid to drive that thing around town as I think it's lower than my M3 on race springs and I'm already paranoid driving it around.

One sexy red GT4 - http://rennlist.com/forums/gt4/88175...-pictures.html

[jphughan]

Originally Posted by Ezio

It doesn't matter how they drive. IMO it lacks in engine power, and exterior styling. Although like i said before it probably drives like a dream. I see more appeal in buying something that has more power, decent on the track, and aggressive styling.

the 911 is a better buy IMO.

Listen i am not saying the cayman is a bad car, in fact when i was 16 it was my dream car. After understand cars little better, and seeing how far 60k-100k can get you in the car world. I started to dislike them more and more. for me i see a cayman, i think its a "nice car". When i see a viper, or Z06 corvette. I say "wow".

And that statement I bolded is precisely why people buy a Cayman rather than a Vette. People have different priorities. I want my car to look "good", and if it makes me go wow, then so much the better, but given the choice between a good-looking car that is amazingly fun to drive in corners and a car that makes me go wow and has crazy straight-line power but doesn't feel as engaging overall, I'd take the former.

Of course that doesn't even factor in the overheating issues that Z51s and Z06s are having on tracks in Texas summers....

[jphughan]

Originally Posted by ChrisF

I've been reading those. Generally, very positive.

Yep, the only concern raised here and there seem to be long gearing for a GT car, but I guess it depends on what you're used to. The 981 Cayman S has the same ratios mated to an engine with less torque, and the top speeds of the 991S 7MT in each gear are pretty similar to the GT4. I suspect the people complaining about long gearing are used to GT3s and RSes, so I don't anticipate much of an issue. Yes the top speeds in the GT4 for each gear are higher than the M3, but it's also 700 lbs lighter, so I suspect power to weight will offset the reduced wheel torque and favor the GT4.

[ridin135]

Originally Posted by Ezio

It doesn't matter how they drive. IMO it lacks in engine power, and exterior styling. Although like i said before it probably drives like a dream. I see more appeal in buying something that has more power, decent on the track, and aggressive styling.

the 911 is a better buy IMO.

Listen i am not saying the cayman is a bad car, in fact when i was 16 it was my dream car. After understand cars little better, and seeing how far 60k-100k can get you in the car world. I started to dislike them more and more. for me i see a cayman, i think its a "nice car". When i see a viper, or Z06 corvette. I say "wow".

To each their own. I think the cayman GT4 is a bargain for what you get. I can't really think of anything that really competes with it as an overall driving experience. The vetts and vipers are great cars but you can't really have fun with them on the streets. I am assuming you live up north. High powered cars like the viper and z06 are more geared for up there were you only have straight roads. I know when I lived up north for most of my life that always what i went for was more power. There was no where to exploit a well balanced and tossable car and the only real enjoyment you could extract from the car was a quick mash of the pedal. Now that I live next to some of the best roads in the US I don't want that power at all but a more balanced playful car. Six hundred pound feet of torque is not fun on the side of a mountain.

As for the 911 being a better value I have to disagree there. I have a 991s and and I am getting a GT4. My 991 lightly optioned was 126k my gt4 on the other hand was 87k. I am getting the same motor, mid engine, better brakes, superior suspension, and exclusivity for 40k less. If you are a porsche snob yes you are losing the elusive 911 badge and back seats but that is it. The GT3 is currently the only car I would have over the GT4 and I am not even sure I would as i think I would get bored of the pdk. This is of course under a 150k. I would love to add a Viper to the garage some day though.

[rjd598]

Originally Posted by Ezio

It doesn't matter how they drive. IMO it lacks in engine power, and exterior styling. Although like i said before it probably drives like a dream. I see more appeal in buying something that has more power, decent on the track, and aggressive styling.

the 911 is a better buy IMO.

Listen i am not saying the cayman is a bad car, in fact when i was 16 it was my dream car. After understand cars little better, and seeing how far 60k-100k can get you in the car world. I started to dislike them more and more. for me i see a cayman, i think its a "nice car". When i see a viper, or Z06 corvette. I say "wow".

i think you are what we call a fanboy

[LarThaL]

Originally Posted by Ezio

It doesn't matter how they drive. IMO it lacks in engine power, and exterior styling. Although like i said before it probably drives like a dream. I see more appeal in buying something that has more power, decent on the track, and aggressive styling.

the 911 is a better buy IMO.

Listen i am not saying the cayman is a bad car, in fact when i was 16 it was my dream car. After understand cars little better, and seeing how far 60k-100k can get you in the car world. I started to dislike them more and more. for me i see a cayman, i think its a "nice car". When i see a viper, or Z06 corvette. I say "wow".

As I have stated previously, if an e92 M3 is fast enough for you, then a Cayman will be also. Also, what good is extra power if it is too difficult to control? I can hammer my Cayman and it is just fun, fun, fun with little worry about being so powerful that I am risking my life on every twisty road at speed.

As far as looks are concerned, this is a seriously hot looking car:



I have owned my Cayman for over two months now and it is a SERIOUS head turner, at least in GTS guise. I personally find it a better looking car than the 911, but that's just an opinion of course.

What is not an opinion, however, is that every single person who has had the opportunity to drive a properly spec'd Cayman has been completely blown away by it. Very few cars even remotely close to its price can have that said about it. You just have to get beyond the "more is better" mentality.

[ChrisF]

Originally Posted by Ezio

It doesn't matter how they drive. IMO it lacks in engine power, and exterior styling. Although like i said before it probably drives like a dream. I see more appeal in buying something that has more power, decent on the track, and aggressive styling.

the 911 is a better buy IMO.

It doesn't matter how they drive?? Isn't that why we're all here - the love of driving?

The GT Porsche's (GT2 RS excluded) have never been about power, they've been about feedback, rawness and control. That's something very hard to find so well distilled in any other car (save maybe for the Lotus offerings). If you haven't driven a GTx, it's very hard to explain to someone. They are unique and special. That's why they have such a cult following. Add to that that they can be hammered endlessly on the track off the showroom floor.

After driving just about everything out there, to me, it's ALL about how they drive. YMMV.

[Da Hapa]

Originally Posted by ChrisF

It doesn't matter how they drive?? Isn't that why we're all here - the love of driving? ...

Yes but they don't have 5,697,481,945 bhp like some un-named sports cars do which is all but useless except on a track and except by very skilled drivers. After all, don't we all buy cars based on bhp/torque ratings and stated 0-60 mph times in Road and Track?

To each his own but claiming that a car which you've never driven, yet "probably drives like a dream" and does 0-60 in the low 4 second range all day long, somehow "lacks in engine power" is just silly IMO.

[EJT86]

Originally Posted by Da Hapa

Yes but they don't have 5,697,481,945 bhp like some un-named sports cars do which is all but useless except on a track and except by very skilled drivers. After all, don't we all buy cars based on bhp/torque ratings and stated 0-60 mph times in Road and Track?

To each his own but claiming that a car which you've never driven, yet "probably drives like a dream" and does 0-60 in the low 4 second range all day long, somehow "lacks in engine power" is just silly IMO.

5,697,481,945 bhp Which means you'd only be getting about 4,976,467,019 wheel horsepower 😕

[M3_WC]

Originally Posted by Ezio

It doesn't matter how they drive. IMO it lacks in engine power, and exterior styling. Although like i said before it probably drives like a dream. I see more appeal in buying something that has more power, decent on the track, and aggressive styling.

the 911 is a better buy IMO.

Listen i am not saying the cayman is a bad car, in fact when i was 16 it was my dream car. After understand cars little better, and seeing how far 60k-100k can get you in the car world. I started to dislike them more and more. for me i see a cayman, i think its a "nice car". When i see a viper, or Z06 corvette. I say "wow".

Those other cars you mention are too big, even the new 991 is too big. I would be more interested in 997.2 GT3 than a big Viper or C7 Z06. Plus the Z06 is an overheating mess.

I get the GT4. My buddy has a track membership and is at the track almost every weekend. He is going to beat the shit out of his GT4. For the price, GT4 size and precision it provides really is unmatched. The Cayman fits around you like a glove. HP in the GT4 will be more than enough for the track.

[LarThaL]

Originally Posted by Da Hapa

Yes but they don't have 5,697,481,945 bhp like some un-named sports cars do which is all but useless except on a track and except by very skilled drivers. After all, don't we all buy cars based on bhp/torque ratings and stated 0-60 mph times in Road and Track?

To each his own but claiming that a car which you've never driven, yet "probably drives like a dream" and does 0-60 in the low 4 second range all day long, somehow "lacks in engine power" is just silly IMO.

And that, too, only on a big track. On a tight track, that power can be a bit treacherous and less useful. It is all about bragging rights, and not about the actual driving experience. The Cayman GTS was the least powerful car I looked at when considering what my M3 replacement would be. One extended test drive in a Cayman S at my local dealership and I was sold. It just felt so good.

[FormulaMMM]

Originally Posted by LarThaL

As I have stated previously, if an e92 M3 is fast enough for you, then a Cayman will be also. Also, what good is extra power if it is too difficult to control? I can hammer my Cayman and it is just fun, fun, fun with little worry about being so powerful that I am risking my life on every twisty road at speed.

As far as looks are concerned, this is a seriously hot looking car:



I have owned my Cayman for over two months now and it is a SERIOUS head turner, at least in GTS guise. I personally find it a better looking car than the 911, but that's just an opinion of course.

What is not an opinion, however, is that every single person who has had the opportunity to drive a properly spec'd Cayman has been completely blown away by it. Very few cars even remotely close to its price can have that said about it. You just have to get beyond the "more is better" mentality.

Best looking Cayman I've ever seen by a long shot. That thing is awesome, nicely done.

Cayman owners are among the most enthusiastic that I chat with @ the track. Something good is clearly going on there.

[991GT3]

Originally Posted by Ezio

It doesn't matter how they drive. IMO it lacks in engine power, and exterior styling. Although like i said before it probably drives like a dream. I see more appeal in buying something that has more power, decent on the track, and aggressive styling.

the 911 is a better buy IMO.

Listen i am not saying the cayman is a bad car, in fact when i was 16 it was my dream car. After understand cars little better, and seeing how far 60k-100k can get you in the car world. I started to dislike them more and more. for me i see a cayman, i think its a "nice car". When i see a viper, or Z06 corvette. I say "wow".

Your comments are puzzling. At 2955 lbs/385 bhp the GT4 is roughly in the power to weight league as your cars.
And you do understand power is only one factor of a car, right?
This is a light, high quality, mid-engine, track ready car. It's basically a mid engine baby GT3.
Or do you scoff at a GT3 too because it doesn't have the same bhp as a hellcat?

[Beemdog]

I would agree, smaller and lighter sports cars are more fun to toss about in the twisties. It is the same in the motorcycle world. The higher-order Caymans have just enough power-to-weight to be in the realm of today's performance cars, and I also prefer the look of the post-2013 models to a (standard) 911. While it would be cool if all Caymans had at least 360 HP, at this point for me some variant of the 981 Cayman is in top running for an M3 follow-on/replacement.

I will say that some of the more open mountain roads around here are still fun with 500+ ft-lbs of torque pushing you around! The super tight stuff, meh, you don't need much motor...

[Ezio]

Originally Posted by ridin135

To each their own. I think the cayman GT4 is a bargain for what you get. I can't really think of anything that really competes with it as an overall driving experience. The vetts and vipers are great cars but you can't really have fun with them on the streets. I am assuming you live up north. High powered cars like the viper and z06 are more geared for up there were you only have straight roads. I know when I lived up north for most of my life that always what i went for was more power. There was no where to exploit a well balanced and tossable car and the only real enjoyment you could extract from the car was a quick mash of the pedal. Now that I live next to some of the best roads in the US I don't want that power at all but a more balanced playful car. Six hundred pound feet of torque is not fun on the side of a mountain.

As for the 911 being a better value I have to disagree there. I have a 991s and and I am getting a GT4. My 991 lightly optioned was 126k my gt4 on the other hand was 87k. I am getting the same motor, mid engine, better brakes, superior suspension, and exclusivity for 40k less. If you are a porsche snob yes you are losing the elusive 911 badge and back seats but that is it. The GT3 is currently the only car I would have over the GT4 and I am not even sure I would as i think I would get bored of the pdk. This is of course under a 150k. I would love to add a Viper to the garage some day though.

You have just opened my eyes. Yes I live up north. While I enjoy a great handling car, I also need power. We do a lot of straight line racing here. To answer everyone's next question. Why not get a hellcat? Because I don't like challengers or mustangs.

My group of car buddies to name a few cars, modded gt500, modded f10 m5, v10R8, rs5, etc we simply prefer bigger power. We also never track. Not even drag strip.

If I lived in CA with great mountain roads and tracks. I know understand why people get the cayman.