I'm pretty much of a die hard Nissan/Infiniti guy. Been driving Nissans since 1984....when they changed the name from Datsun. I've had one ever since. Eight in all, if you include my current two Infintis. And I've never really cared for German cars. I've got an LR 06 6MT coupe with sport package and I love it.

But I recently did a little reading about the Porsche Cayman S. Pretty nice little package. I'm not in the market right now. I'll drive my coupe for at least another 3 years (it already has 86k mile on it). But when that time rolls around a 2010 Cayman S might be tempting. And I'm just curious what folks think about it. Not totally just compared to the 6MT coupe, but sort of. Pros and cons maybe.

Of course the biggest issue is that even used, there will probably be an $8k to $10k price difference between it and a similarly equipped G35/7 coupe of the same year.

 

no 911 no care

 

It's a fantastic car that can take much more abuse than a G. I see them at the track all the time, and they're FAST. They have a better weight distribution than a 911, since they're mid engined, and I'd take one over a 911 any day for this reason. They handle 99% as well as my Elise, but they're also practical and comfy at the same time; wonderful cars. They're true sports cars whose brakes, engine, etc, hold up much better to high intensity driving than those in a luxury/sports car like a G. On the downside, they're a lot smaller with less usable interior room since the mid-engine really eats into the back.

 

Probably a silly question but how do you like your Elise? How do they compare in price? How do they compare in reliability...doesn't the Elise have a Toyota 6?

 

Used Elises are cheap (< $30k). They have a Toyota 1.8L 4-cylinder engine, not a 6, they're not super powerful cars, but they handle like nothing else. I can't imagine not having one, it's so fun to drive, and compared to a Cayman, it's much more "raw" and the steering feedback is like nothing else on the planet. You can go remarkably fast on the track given the tiny horsepower, but more modern sports cars with big engines and good handling will soundly trounce the Elise. Elise vs Cayman S, the Elise wins in the twisties, hands down, but with just 190HP, it will lose on the straights.

 

I have heard it said that the Cayman is the "most perfectly balanced" car Porsche has ever made.

 

Of course unbalanced cars are a Porsche hallmark!

I wonder about maintenance and reliability for Porsches.

 

Porsches are constantly at the top of the JD Power reliability ratings:
http://www.insideline.com/porsche/jd...st-issues.html

 

i was just looking into these as well but an 07. everything ive read says they are spectacular. only thing though this car had a spot on top gear and they made a good point. it is exactly in between the boxster and the 911 in every category. hp tq price etc. which means they only made the car to bridge the gap between the other two cars. so you can take that as they didnt build this car to make it the best it could be. just another option for you to look at. either way its still on my radar though!

 

I'd say the only real difference between the boxster/cayman boxster S/cayman S is if you want a coupe or convertible. The differences between these two cars is the same you would find between many other cars, g37/g37 vert for example.

 

i dig the panamera.

 

The Caymen R for 2012 is priced at $78,000. This will make for about a $20,000 difference between a g37 and Caymen R. A 2007 Caymen S will cost you $40,000.

 

the Cayman is more rigid and lighter feeling than the boxter...
it transitions nicely and turn in is much sharper...
the S package adds a touch of stiffness which isn't to everyones liking
but it makes the car that much better in my mind. on the track its a little
down on power but makes up for it on road courses with unbelievable
brakes and cornering ability, lap after lap.

and besides all that it's a Porsche ! lol

 

That was in regards to the older models 06-07 etc. Just looked at the updated models. Does look very similar now performance wise. Tough choice either way.

 

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop...ejPAqNVw&gl=US

The video of said review fyi