Time to move on to something else....2016 Cayman GTS

[808MGuy]

The time has come. While I loved a lot of things about the M3, I felt for a long time that I could never get everything that it's capable of out of it because the roads here just don't allow it. The 400+ HP was never put to good use. I almost never have anyone in the back seat and using as a DD in traffic just kills the gas mileage. So I decided, why not eliminate the back seat, get something smaller with less power that I can make better use of.

In comes the Cayman. At first I thought it was just a long shot that my wife would go for this. We finally saw one on the road and she commented that it was a two seater that she could live with. So we decided to go to our local dealer and check it out. Well, that was it. I've read other people say, don't test drive it unless you plan to buy it. One drive is all it took. Months went by with me figuring out how I was going to make this work. It finally all panned out and my order was submitted and accepted yesterday for an early September build and late October delivery of a 2016 Cayman GTS.

I'll miss the V8 rumble but I'm sure my neighbors will have plenty to be pissed about with the PSE exhaust on the Cayman

[buddalun]

Congratulations!

Your situation seems perfect for the Cayman. I think you're going to be quite happy.

Edit: noticed you're in HI too. Cayman would be perfect!

[LarThaL]

Originally Posted by 808MGuy

The time has come. While I loved a lot of things about the M3, I felt for a long time that I could never get everything that it's capable of out of it because the roads here just don't allow it. The 400+ HP was never put to good use. I almost never have anyone in the back seat and using as a DD in traffic just kills the gas mileage. So I decided, why not eliminate the back seat, get something smaller with less power that I can make better use of.

In comes the Cayman. At first I thought it was just a long shot that my wife would go for this. We finally saw one on the road and she commented that it was a two seater that she could live with. So we decided to go to our local dealer and check it out. Well, that was it. I've read other people say, do test drive it unless you plan to buy it. One drive is all it took. Months went by with me figuring out how I was going to make this work. It finally all panned out and my order was submitted and accepted yesterday for a September build and October delivery of a 2016 Cayman GTS.

I'll miss the V8 rumble but I'm sure my neighbors will have plenty to be pissed about with the PSE exhaust on the Cayman

You will love the GTS!! Firstly, remember that the car is 600lbs lighter than the e9x M3, so the lower hp doesn't mean less straight line performance. As for torque, you are only down 15lb-ft. Finally, with mid-engine, there is so little driveline power loss.

What the engine lacks in V8 sonorousness, is adequately compensated by the epic exhaust.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MkpTyMNV8E

[beats]

Congrats! Love the GTS. If I only I didn't need a backseat I would buy one in a heartbeat! Enjoy!!

[EJT86]

Originally Posted by LarThaL

You will love the GTS!! Firstly, remember that the car is 600lbs lighter than the e9x M3, so the lower hp doesn't mean less staright line performance. As for torque, you are only down 15lb-ft. Finally, with mid-engine, there is so little driveline power loss.

What the engine lacks in V8 sonorousness, is adequately compensated by the epic exhaust.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MkpTyMNV8E

Wonder what the dyno results would be for the two cars

[Haywood]

Love the GTS, but between $90-$100k new, I wonder if getting a slightly used 911 is a better option?

[Da Hapa]

Originally Posted by 808MGuy

The time has come. While I loved a lot of things about the M3, I felt for a long time that I could never get everything that it's capable of out of it because the roads here just don't allow it. The 400+ HP was never put to good use. I almost never have anyone in the back seat and using as a DD in traffic just kills the gas mileage. So I decided, why not eliminate the back seat, get something smaller with less power that I can make better use of.

In comes the Cayman. At first I thought it was just a long shot that my wife would go for this. We finally saw one on the road and she commented that it was a two seater that she could live with. So we decided to go to our local dealer and check it out. Well, that was it. I've read other people say, don't test drive it unless you plan to buy it. One drive is all it took. Months went by with me figuring out how I was going to make this work. It finally all panned out and my order was submitted and accepted yesterday for an early September build and late October delivery of a 2016 Cayman GTS.

I'll miss the V8 rumble but I'm sure my neighbors will have plenty to be pissed about with the PSE exhaust on the Cayman

Former Carrera S owner here who now owns and loves an E90 M3 but has a GT4 on order.... great choice. The 981 Cayman is a wonderful sports car. The GTS package is just about the way I would have optioned a Cayman S out if that was what I wanted too...

Many happy, safe miles.

BTW - just saw this video review yesterday. I'll share it here in case you haven't seen it. The reviewer has owned an S2000, Miata, 987 Cayman, E90 (or 92? I can't honestly remember) M3 and now has a 997.1 GT3. I like his reviews and think he's pretty fair.

Enjoy your new car in good health.

[Da Hapa]

Originally Posted by Haywood

Love the GTS, but between $90-$100k new, I wonder if getting a slightly used 911 is a better option?

If you want/need a backseat, don't mind buying used, and prefer the dynamics of a rear engined car then maybe?

I loved my 911S and I don't fault anyone for preferring a 911 to a Cayman or vice versa but I do question why the 911 is always the default. The 981 chassis Boxster and Cayman are FANTASTIC sports cars in their own right.

[Haywood]

Originally Posted by Da Hapa

If you want/need a backseat, don't mind buying used, and prefer the dynamics of a rear engined car then maybe?

I loved my 911S and I don't fault anyone for preferring a 911 to a Cayman or vice versa but I do question why the 911 is always the default. The 981 chassis Boxster and Cayman are FANTASTIC sports cars in their own right.

I agree. From what I've read, the Cayman is getting close to the 911 in terms of performance over the years. But, the price gap is not as large as it once was with the intro of the GTS and GT4.

[808MGuy]

My build was closer to $80k. I guess you could consider my build a stripper GTS. The only high dollar option I added was PDK. Wasn't interested in the CF trim or alcantara interior. I got the standard sport plus seats as I liked the fit better than the 18-way seats. If you go crazy with options then yes, $90k comes quick. As to why I didn't go with the used 991S, I just felt that I liked the 981 chassis better. I've also heard several owners of both say the 981 is more useful as a DD because of the usable trunk and frunk. In the 991, there is no trunk.

[Longboarder]

Congrats on the upgrade!

[LarThaL]

Originally Posted by Haywood

Love the GTS, but between $90-$100k new, I wonder if getting a slightly used 911 is a better option?

The 911 is just a different car. It is the traditional iconic Porsche, and is, arguably, the most iconic sports car of all time. Only the Corvette comes close. To me, however, the only thing better about the 911 from a driving enthusiast standpoint is the better straight line acceleration. That said, a PDK equipped Cayman GTS will get to 60 in 4.2-4.3 seconds, so it is still pretty quick.

From a looks standpoint, I much prefer the Cayman GTS over any 911. Here's why...

1. The more angular front headlight assembly of the Cayman looks a little more menacing vs the softer "beetlesque" look of the 911.

2. In GTS spec, the front fascia of the Cayman also looks more aggressive.

3. The front fenders of the Cayman are a little more flared and arched than the 911. This better balances the flare of the rear end. On the 911 the butt is big, but the front relatively narrow. This is not aesthetically balanced IMO.

4. The rear fender arches of the Cayman, and the way the rear hatch mold between them is a very cool design element.

5. The rear quarter window design of the Cayman is better looking to my eyes; very Aston Martin like in this regard. This is one area where the 911 just looks really dated.

This is not to say the 911 isn't a good looking car. It is, and it has a presence too, but the 981 Cayman when properly spec'd has an almost exotic look to it.

From a driving standpoint, a Cayman GTS is (per the Motor Trend channel, I think) faster around a track than any other Porsche except the GT3 and 991 Turbo S. This is before the GT4. So while the 991 and 991S models may have more grunt, it is not any more useable in terms of extracting track or back road performance. I am willing to bet that most drivers would be able to drive a Cayman harder and feel more controlled and confident than in a rear drive 911 variant.

Finally, there is the value factor. Simply put, a comparably equipped 991S is about $30k+ more than the Cayman GTS counterpart. It is not $30k better, if better at all.

Check this out.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mooq7jpNk_g

[808MGuy]

A used 991S can be had for about the same price as a new 981. That 991S I drove was selling for $85k. At that point, it's about which car suits you. The 991S was also CPO with only 13k miles on it so the warranty issue with buying used was out the window and something I had to think about for awhile.

[arter]

Good choice, I think you will enjoy it.


Turns so quick and great sound.

[Ezio]

the cayman is a popular pick for M3 owners, seems to be a great car.
nice pick

[ECAM3]

991 is a big car. To me the 981 Cayman is the "right" size. Congrats OP, I test drove a GTS recently and it is an epic car.

[LarThaL]

Originally Posted by ECAM3

991 is a big car. To me the 981 Cayman is the "right" size. Congrats OP, I test drove a GTS recently and it is an epic car.

And it is just so hot looking too !!!!

[sgrinavi]

I went from an M3 to a 2014 Cayman S, it was a fun car, but I'm liking my 911 GTS much better. IMO skip the Cayman and go straight to a CPO 991. Same money, longer warranty, more room, more zoom.

I'm going to hang on to this for a little bit and trade up to a 991 too.

[LarThaL]

Originally Posted by sgrinavi

I went from an M3 to a 2014 Cayman S, it was a fun car, but I'm liking my 911 GTS much better. IMO skip the Cayman and go straight to a CPO 991. Same money, longer warranty, more room, more zoom.

I'm going to hang on to this for a little bit and trade up to a 991 too.

Given the choice between a new loaded up Cayman GTS, and a used, less optioned 991S for the same money, I would take the Cayman any day. Now....if you are talking about a comparably equipped new 991 GTS and feel it is worth the extra money, that is a different story entirely.

[808MGuy]

Originally Posted by sgrinavi

I went from an M3 to a 2014 Cayman S, it was a fun car, but I'm liking my 911 GTS much better. IMO skip the Cayman and go straight to a CPO 991. Same money, longer warranty, more room, more zoom.

Curious to know what you mean by more room. When I saw the interior of the 991S I thought the useable space was less than the 981. Back seat in the 991 isn't really useable for passengers and reaching over the front seats to grab stuff you store back there seemed cumbersome. I'd rather get out and just remove items from the trunk of the 981. I'd like to hear your opinion on it though since you've experienced it for longer periods of time.

[ridin135]

Originally Posted by 808MGuy

Curious to know what you mean by more room. When I saw the interior of the 991S I thought the useable space was less than the 981. Back seat in the 991 isn't really useable for passengers and reaching over the front seats to grab stuff you store back there seemed cumbersome. I'd rather get out and just remove items from the trunk of the 981. I'd like to hear your opinion on it though since you've experienced it for longer periods of time.

911 feels a little roomier when your in it. The seats make for nice luggage storage during long trips. But the out of box storage capacity of the cayman is very nice for how little of a car it is.

[sgrinavi]

Originally Posted by LarThaL

Given the choice between a new loaded up Cayman GTS, and a used, less optioned 991S for the same money, I would take the Cayman any day. Now....if you are talking about a comparably equipped new 991 GTS and feel it is worth the extra money, that is a different story entirely.

To each his own I suppose. I love the way the 911 squats down hard under acceleration how you can you feel it when it starts to give out. It's very predicable, but still feels wild, fast and tight.

I think it would be easier to get a fast time out of the Cayman GTS if that's your goal, but the 911S is probably going to be faster at the end of the day once you master it.

The extra power is noticeable and addictive.

Originally Posted by 808MGuy

Curious to know what you mean by more room. When I saw the interior of the 991S I thought the useable space was less than the 981. Back seat in the 991 isn't really useable for passengers and reaching over the front seats to grab stuff you store back there seemed cumbersome. I'd rather get out and just remove items from the trunk of the 981. I'd like to hear your opinion on it though since you've experienced it for longer periods of time.

The 991 feels substantially larger than the 981 Cayman, the 997 feels larger, but not quite as big as the 991 feels. Sure, you don't have the rear storage area, but it's a funny configuration, I used to throw a small bag in there once in a while. You can throw a lot of shit in the back seat of the 911 and it's really easy to get to. On my car the back seats are installed with Velcro and come out in seconds.

You're not going to carry any full sized adults around in the back seat of your 911, but a couple kids fit in there in just fine.