Ordering a new Cayman...suggestions and advice needed...

[Giff Nickol]

7 hours ago, DJMC said:

I find the most entertaining thing about my 981 is... the engine noise at higher revs.

 

If you love your bikes, one member here commented "Ducati?" when listening to the 718S running circuits around the Rockingham Race Track, being driven by Carrera Cup champion Charlie Eastwood.

 

For me a sports car has to sound like a sports car, which is one of the main reasons neither the 718 nor hybrid nor electric "sports" cars appeal. But others, almost entirely newcomers to Porsche, say they prefer the flat 4 noise. Can't be true petrol heads, none of them, in my opinion. I guess V12 owners could say the same about my meagre 6 cylinders too.

 

Engine sound is such a subjective thing, and like you, I cannot imagine myself driving an electric vehicle. If the Cayman sounds like a Ducati, I daresay I wouldn't be disappointed in the slightest!

(By the way, my favorite engine sound of all time is a Rolls-Royce V12 as used in the P-51 Mustang...there is nothing like standing on the sidelines at an airshow when a Mustang goes past at full song.  My second favorite engine sound is that of the two-stroke Detroit Diesels that powered our Seagrave fire engines and ladder trucks in the Baltimore Fire Department. Barely muffled, with a roaring growl that you could hear blocks away, they were just magnificent!)

 

 

[Windymiller]

Hi Giff,

 

the problem with asking for opinion is, everyone’s is different. ?

 

I think the only way you’ll decide which is best for you is to test drive them all - 718 ‘base’ and S, M2, and do try a 981 (base, S, GTS), on your (glorious sounding) Appalachian mountain roads and see which you prefer. 

 

Its inevitable that the 718 will be a devisive development for many in the Cayman (and Boxster) communities, it’s radically different after 12 years of flat 6’s in Caymans, and nearly 20 years in Boxsters. 

 

20 years from now our kids will look back at us fossil-fuel burning ‘dinosaurs’ and wonder in disbelief at our lunacy in consuming so much natural resource just to power our (slow) combustion engine ‘toys’, when they’re all in electric Caymans with <3seconds 0-60mph Times... ?

 

I bought a 987.2 manual because I wanted the ‘analogue’ Feel of a flat-6, hydraulic rack&pinion steering and gear-stick stirring for future classic potential, but in comparison to a 981, and now the 718, it’s clearly a ‘backward step’ technologically. 

 

If if I was in the market for new, then no doubt a 718S (or GTS!!!) would be top of my list. 

 

Most importantly - welcome to the Cayman OC community, I hope you do find a Cayman to suit you and I look forward to hearing about your inaugural drives of it on those envy inspiring Appalachian mountain roads. 

 

(And don’t forget, reds ARE faster.... ????). 

 

Best regards, Jason

[DJMC]

46 minutes ago, Windymiller said:

 

20 years from now our kids will look back at us fossil-fuel burning ‘dinosaurs’ and wonder in disbelief at our lunacy in consuming so much natural resource just to power our (slow) combustion engine ‘toys’, when they’re all in electric Caymans with <3seconds 0-60mph Times... ?

 

 

 

I recall speaking to an American in Florida a few years ago about fuel prices and the USA's change from gas guzzling V8's to smaller engines. He honestly believed that the world's oil crisis was propaganda and that as oil was made from a natural decomposition cycle there would always be enough as it's continually made at a greater rate than its consumed. Is he wrong? If so, where does oil come from?

 

As for electric cars, where do they get their power from in future? Unless we vastly step up our nuclear program it just won't work out.

 

And then we come to "driverless" cars. 

As one who was very nearly in a nasty accident because my wife's BMW decided to take control when there was no situation to avoid I'm firmly of the belief these will be taken off the road after the first few thousand accidents and deaths. In my case, a truck was approaching from the opposite direction on a single carriageway A road. I saw that it was a little close to the centre line, maybe a foot to its own side of it, and took absolutely no avoiding action as it was not deviating from this line and I was maybe four feet to my own side of the centre line. The BMW beeped briefly to signify an approaching danger, then a split second later slammed the brakes on fully, activating the ABS in doing so. My son and I were thrown forward with me shouting "what the F***" but fortunately we were on a straight piece of road so the X1 didn't swerve into the truck's path or off the road. That's BMW's "Collision Warning" system for you.

 

Also, although I enjoy the thrill of a roller coaster ride, who in their right mind is going to let their car drive round a twisty mountain road, or on a busy motorway, whilst reading a newspaper or watching a film? I'd be scared s**tless!

 

So, don't worry. Electric cars won't have enough power. Driverless cars won't have enough driving skill. Petrol will last forever! 

[Beanoir™]

 

 

[PMGPete]

Giff I certainly didn't mean my comment as an insult, I apologize if it came across that way.

 

What I meant was that while a 4 pot turbo usually is quite effective with its performance it isn't usually a stand out part of the package it's fitted too.

 

The 987 and 981 were such a well rounded package in each their own rights and the sound and power delivery of the 6 pot really did add to that package.

 

The 718 though feel like something is missing in comparison, whilst the car feels very capable it does feel like something is missing.

 

However if you haven't driven a 6 pot Cayman you may find it a fantastic car as the chassis is wonderful and everything else is fabulously Porsche.  

 

I by my nature don't generally enjoy driving turbo charged cars unless they are of the older Japanese variety.

 

Everyone is different though.  Still dont rule out a 981 GTS

[SR911TT]

Before I ordered my 718 Cayman GTS (due in March) I test drove a 718 Cayman S with sports exhaust. I was concerned the sound may be disappointing given the reviews but I was pleasantly surprised. I was more than pleasantly surprised with the performance  and given my daily drive is a 997 Turbo the performance is outstanding. I have owned a number of great sounding cars, AMG's and M's but the Cayman sons is perfectly acceptable, and of course the handling is peerless!

[Giff Nickol]

On ‎12‎/‎30‎/‎2017 at 03:59, Windymiller said:

Hi Giff,

 

the problem with asking for opinion is, everyone’s is different. ?

 

I think the only way you’ll decide which is best for you is to test drive them all - 718 ‘base’ and S, M2, and do try a 981 (base, S, GTS), on your (glorious sounding) Appalachian mountain roads and see which you prefer. 

 

Its inevitable that the 718 will be a devisive development for many in the Cayman (and Boxster) communities, it’s radically different after 12 years of flat 6’s in Caymans, and nearly 20 years in Boxsters. 

 

20 years from now our kids will look back at us fossil-fuel burning ‘dinosaurs’ and wonder in disbelief at our lunacy in consuming so much natural resource just to power our (slow) combustion engine ‘toys’, when they’re all in electric Caymans with <3seconds 0-60mph Times... ?

 

I bought a 987.2 manual because I wanted the ‘analogue’ Feel of a flat-6, hydraulic rack&pinion steering and gear-stick stirring for future classic potential, but in comparison to a 981, and now the 718, it’s clearly a ‘backward step’ technologically. 

 

If if I was in the market for new, then no doubt a 718S (or GTS!!!) would be top of my list. 

 

Most importantly - welcome to the Cayman OC community, I hope you do find a Cayman to suit you and I look forward to hearing about your inaugural drives of it on those envy inspiring Appalachian mountain roads. 

 

(And don’t forget, reds ARE faster.... ????). 

 

Best regards, Jason

 

 

Thanks for your comments and insights, Jason. It has indeed been interesting, reading the variety of responses to what I had thought would be a relatively simple inquiry! But that's why we're enthusiasts, isn't it? We are passionate about automobiles, and driving, and we have definite opinions on those subjects. That's not a bad thing at all!

 

The evolution of automotive technology, just in my lifetime, is astounding, and vehicles are going to become only more complex in the future.  When I was young, I wrenched my own cars and motorcycles; today, I have a garage full of obsolete tools (feeler gauges, timing light, dwell-tach, valve lapper, etc.) that I haven't used since I sold my last MG Midget back in 1992.  Between the complexity of modern cars, and the infirmities of rapidly-advancing old age (two back surgeries), my Golf R goes to the dealer for its routine maintenance. (Although I do change the oil on my BMW R1200R.) A close friend drives a Prius; the drivetrain on that car is astoundingly complicated to me!

 

One of the reasons I want to make a good, well-informed decision here is that whatever I buy will be my once-in-a-lifetime "dream car" purchase.  You know, one of my doctors drives a Panamera; it's leased by his medical practice, and when that lease is up, he'll get another similar car. He's not really an enthusiast, and the Panamera is just one in a series of luxury or exotic cars he has driven over the years. My situation is completely different: I am a retired firefighter, working in my second career. I am happily divorced, my sons are grown, I earn a decent living, and I live within my means, so I am in a position to do something I've wanted to do for years. I'm going to keep my Golf R, which will be my daily driver, and use my new toy recreationally. (I'm thinking of it as a four-wheeled motorcycle!) I'll be 65 in March, and I anticipate that whatever I buy will be passed along to my sons someday....so I want to get this right.

 

One of the advantages of living in the Mid-Atlantic states here in the USA is that we are so close to so much. My town is almost exactly halfway between Washington, DC, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...90 minutes' drive north or south puts me in either of those cities. New York City is a relatively easy three-hour hop up I-95. And two hours west of here are Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, two of the most beautiful roads in this country. They are connected, begin at the Shenandoah National Park in Front Royal, Virginia, and end at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the North Carolina -- Tennessee border; 574 miles, or 924 kilometers, of two-lane mountain road, with no stop signs, traffic lights, housing developments, and some of the most glorious scenery imaginable. I've driven and ridden that route many times over the years, and plan to do so again next fall...probably in my new Cayman...but we shall see!

[Giff Nickol]

On ‎12‎/‎30‎/‎2017 at 05:06, DJMC said:

 

I recall speaking to an American in Florida a few years ago about fuel prices and the USA's change from gas guzzling V8's to smaller engines. He honestly believed that the world's oil crisis was propaganda and that as oil was made from a natural decomposition cycle there would always be enough as it's continually made at a greater rate than its consumed. Is he wrong? If so, where does oil come from?

 

As for electric cars, where do they get their power from in future? Unless we vastly step up our nuclear program it just won't work out.

 

And then we come to "driverless" cars. 

As one who was very nearly in a nasty accident because my wife's BMW decided to take control when there was no situation to avoid I'm firmly of the belief these will be taken off the road after the first few thousand accidents and deaths. In my case, a truck was approaching from the opposite direction on a single carriageway A road. I saw that it was a little close to the centre line, maybe a foot to its own side of it, and took absolutely no avoiding action as it was not deviating from this line and I was maybe four feet to my own side of the centre line. The BMW beeped briefly to signify an approaching danger, then a split second later slammed the brakes on fully, activating the ABS in doing so. My son and I were thrown forward with me shouting "what the F***" but fortunately we were on a straight piece of road so the X1 didn't swerve into the truck's path or off the road. That's BMW's "Collision Warning" system for you.

 

Also, although I enjoy the thrill of a roller coaster ride, who in their right mind is going to let their car drive round a twisty mountain road, or on a busy motorway, whilst reading a newspaper or watching a film? I'd be scared s**tless!

 

So, don't worry. Electric cars won't have enough power. Driverless cars won't have enough driving skill. Petrol will last forever! 

 

I cannot imagine any circumstance where a computer, no matter how sophisticated, can replace human judgment, especially in the operation of a vehicle...but that's just my opinion.  Automotive pioneer Bob Lutz has written recently about his forecast for the future, when driverless "transportation modules" will be used to take humans where they need to go, in total safety...but we are a long way from that, and I doubt I'll live to see it.

 

Back in the spring of 2016, a Tesla driver got a permanent lesson in the limits of modern technology...

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/06/20/the-driver-who-died-in-a-tesla-crash-using-autopilot-ignored-7-safety-warnings/?utm_term=.617d9cd08341

[Giff Nickol]

On ‎12‎/‎30‎/‎2017 at 05:23, PMGPete said:

Giff I certainly didn't mean my comment as an insult, I apologize if it came across that way.

 

What I meant was that while a 4 pot turbo usually is quite effective with its performance it isn't usually a stand out part of the package it's fitted too.

 

The 987 and 981 were such a well rounded package in each their own rights and the sound and power delivery of the 6 pot really did add to that package.

 

The 718 though feel like something is missing in comparison, whilst the car feels very capable it does feel like something is missing.

 

However if you haven't driven a 6 pot Cayman you may find it a fantastic car as the chassis is wonderful and everything else is fabulously Porsche.  

 

I by my nature don't generally enjoy driving turbo charged cars unless they are of the older Japanese variety.

 

Everyone is different though.  Still dont rule out a 981 GTS

 

Thank you...your comments are based on your perspective and experience, and I appreciate that. Having no basis for comparison, I suspect I will be thrilled with the 718 when I drive it...however, if you are used to previous generations of the Cayman, as we say here, "your mileage may vary"!

[fergusor]

Like you I considered the purchase of my 718 Cayman (2.0 base model) to be the purchase of a lifetime that I intend to keep.  With that in mind I chose the spec that I thought appropriate for this type of purchase and what I would want in a pure drivers car (and also what I could afford). 

 

Some of the options could be considered unnecessary for a purely weekend/fair weather car but I deemed them important.

 

These are the options I went for (and an explanation for some of them):

 

Miami Blue
Sport-Tex leather interior in black - I don't like full leather or alcantara, and the fabric looks and feels really nice (also get the leather-covered dash which I like)
Exterior 718 Model designation '718'
LED headlights including Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus (PDLS Plus) - I like to have the latest technology and LED are the best lights you can currently get (and I like the look of them)
Fuel filler cap with Aluminium look finish - looks more special than the black plastic cap
Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) - my first auto but I chose this so I could have the better performance figures and the option of launch control
Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) - glad I chose this option as the handling is so much better with it switched on
Sport Chrono Package including mode switch - I like the dash clock (and the launch control)
Sports tailpipes - look better than the single pipe but didn't want to the sports exhaust
20-inch Carrera Sport wheels
Cruise control - probably not necessary for a weekend car but for travelling long distances I wouldn't be without it
GT sport steering wheel - smaller than the standard and looks/feels nicer (also chose not to have multi-function wheel to keep it looking neat)
Sports seats Plus (2-way, electric) - had to have these, came with the interior choice
Two-zone automatic climate control
Smoking package - to get rid of the hole in the centre console, I'm a non-smoker but you also get a spare power socket
Passenger footwell storage net - it was free!!
Sports style pedals and footrest
Navigation Module for Porsche Communication Management (PCM) - although could use an external satnav I wanted the latest connected technology
BOSE surround sound-system
Digital radio - I'm sure one day analogue radio will be phased out, just future-proofing the car
Connect Plus - same as for PCM

 

Hope this helps in your decision making

[graham.reeds]

@Giff: I suggest you try a 981 with the 6 cylinders.  I have a 987.2 and the song of the engine at >5000 rpm is glorious.  The only problem is that once you get there in 6th you are waaaay past the speed limit.

 

Re: the Bose sound system. Sounds good (I have in mine), but I like the note of the engine and drive with the stereo off. In my BMW I had my radio (stock) as that was a just a 320Cd.  I would prefer a lot better bluetooth connectivity (and to be honest a lot 09 cars from lesser marques have better bluetooth).

 

As for computer replacing humans, guess what my day job is...

[John Whalley]

Giff: 

 

The 718 non-S is quite quick enough for road use - although it could do with another 80 - 100 bhp for track use.  It may sound like a 1938 John Deere tractor at idle - but pretty good a high engine speeds.  I know what the "purists" may say, (although my old 912 4 cylinder sounded fine), but the turbo 718, actually a 982, drives better than the 6 at low speeds, simply because of its higher torque produced lower down.  

 

As to extras, heated seats are essential. so is a sports steering wheel - maybe even a heated steering wheel - they are much colder in the morning than my E82 BMW was); the lowest sound system upgrade is enough, (no Cayman is a quiet car).  The PDK gearbox is excellent, but not for me, (extra weight, high cost, less control).  Prettiest wheels help, but I would not go mad on specification.  Do not choose a dull colour. 

 

I wish you well with it.

[Buggyjam]

4 hours ago, John Whalley said:

I would not go mad on specification.  Do not choose a dull colour. 

 

 

 

Two fine bits of advice.

 

Please spec it right so when you flog it on the used market I can buy it

 

dont choose a dull colour. I’m biased

 

Dont go mad on spec. I like em basic. Engine, roof, seats and wheels will do thanks

 

oh, can I, [cough], sorry, you,  choose a manual box?

 

thanks a lot  

Edited February 18, 2018 by Buggyjam