Big Dilemma

[Stephen Auty]

What car do I get next?

I've had my Cayman S for 2yrs now and it's a wonderful car , it really is. Does everything you could ever want but I suppose we are always looking for that next fix of a new car.

My only problem is getting in it, I'm 6ft , 16st  50yr old with a shagged back, neck and shoulders.

 

Top of my list is a Carrera T in yellow or white but they're now £80k and one at Silverstone up at £90k ..trouble is I know for a fact it isn't going to be £60k better than the Cayman so I can't justify that only that I think the price of that , like the Cayman will continue to rise so it's not wasted money...oh and I don't have £60k really (other than doing some creative maths) 

Slightly more affordable would be an early base manual 991 Carrera but they're nearly all black or silver and I simply don't want those colours and like the T it won't really offer much more than the Cayman does,that goes for 997's and 996's 

So I started looking at Jag XKR's Gen 1 and 2's but just can't make that move to a Jag, it's like giving in and accepting you're getting old...and they rust badly,  the Gen1's anyway.

I've done R8's , F Type's  , Maserati GT's !! and always woken up the next day thinking wtf..

But more than all the others I keep going back Mercedes Sl's and by that I mean the R129's (I saw a lovely one in Winchester last week on a small break the wife and I were on)  and the 230's and even the pre-facelift 231's , they're so cheap now. I found a very good white 231 SL400 for £25k.

And then I look in the drive and see the Cayman and think again , wtf were you thinking, that is a superb little car and you'll miss it so much.

Help required please and here she is ,  the problem.

 

Edited July 6, 2021 by Stephen Auty

[Andy]

That's alovely looking problem to have! 

Other than wanting a new car, do you have any reasons or need to change?

Why don't you look at changing up the Cayman you have, or perhaps going for a GTS,4 or an R?

[Stephen Auty]

It's getting in and out whereI have a problem, it's not the car it's me.

The Cayman is superb, it's an absolute joy to drive and I wouldn't want anything with more power , it's perfect at that magic 300hp and sounds lovely with the Carnewal exhaust job done on it. 

It's also a minter with 25k on the clock and clear PPF fitted from the dealership (AFN) from new so no stone chips.

No I guess it's just the want to try something else and that's why an SL might suit because it's bigger and probably more suited to someone of my age and with the chassis damage I have acquired over the years .

I'm not that keen on the 981/718's , the front is good but not keen on the rear just now, that might change though.

I'll keep the Cayman this year at least but always keen to hear what others think,

 

[Julian987]

Aston Martin V12 Vantage is around 90k (same as the Carrera T, which as a 987 R owner would be my only interest to move onto, but they are overpriced now).

I'd imagine, though no experience of, that the Aston is easier to get in/out of and better for your back. 

[Windymiller]

Alfa Giulia quadrifoglio

eg: 2019. 500 miles. 2.9V6 biturbo 500bhp. £54k

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106183948580?advertising-location=at_cars&year-from=2019&postcode=HP17 8yn&model=GIULIA&page=1&aggregatedTrim=Quadrifoglio&make=ALFA ROMEO&year-to=2021&include-delivery-option=on&sort=relevance

 

or the ‘poor mans’ lookalikey (with a 7 year warranty) - the Kia Stinger….

Eg: 2019. 4000miles. 3.3 V6 twin turbo 376bhp. £33k

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107064693303?minimum-badge-engine-size=3.0&advertising-location=at_cars&year-from=2019&postcode=HP17 8yn&model=STINGER&page=1&make=KIA&include-delivery-option=on&sort=relevance

 

easily get in and out of either of them 😉👍🏻

 

[Stephen Auty]

Looking for a 2 seater really although I do like the look of the Alpha.

Kids have flown so no need for a family car now

Saw a red SL55 AMG yesterday that looked superb but they are plagued with very expensive tech issues throughout

 

I'll maybe go and see what the newer Caymans are like for getting in.

[FLAT STICK]

Hi Stephen,

I am in the same sort of quandry want something just with  more go than my CS, i dont want RS3 or golf R want to stay with the porsche brand and so looking at 997.2

 

Dean

Edited July 23, 2021 by FLAT STICK

[Stephen Auty]

Trouble for me with a 997 is that it's too similar to the Cayman so why change and good .2's are up at £40k now, then you think maybe a 991 might be an option. 

 

I'm not really looking for more power, like I say 300hp is enough on UK roads to enjoy the capabilities of the car without moving at crazy speeds.. 

I'm going to keep the Cayman for now , I love it and look forward to taking it out but the motorbike has taken 1st place this year with all the amazing weather we've been getting up in Scotland.

I've gone off the idea of an SL , I saw one on the motorway and the guy driving it wasn't like me if you know what i mean.

[FLAT STICK]

Ye i think 400 is the right figure after having mine for a few years, £££££ cost vise i don't  think you can go wrong with a CS but most family cars have around 300 bhp these days even a yaris has 245

Dean

 

[Lennym1984]

16 hours ago, FLAT STICK said:

Ye i think 400 is the right figure after having mine for a few years, £££££ cost vise i don't  think you can go wrong with a CS but most family cars have around 300 bhp these days even a yaris has 245

Dean

 

 

There's always a faster, more powerful car...

 

For me, lighter weight would be the way to go. I keep eyeing up a Ginetta G40R

[FLAT STICK]

Ye there is but always nice to have more,Have looked at lotus but not sure how long my back would take it lol 

[Stephen Auty]

I have considered Westfields and Caterham's but too low , i'd feel really vulnerable around here as all the roads have hedges and stone walls along them , people cut corners all the time even the big forestry timber wagons.

I've actually got a deposit on a Hawk 289 FIA Cobra (kit car) , waiting time is 2 yrs and I'm nearly a year in.

Engine is a 302 cu/in (5L) Ford V8 but to be honest i'm loosing interest, my initial excitement has wained and I'm struggling to re ignite the enthusiasm I once had.

Someone wanted to swap my Cayman for an 88 3.2 Carrera that was in need of much work and welding and I did nearly do it but my partner stepped in and said I must be insane (she was right)

 

[Windymiller]

I know a guy who is selling his Atom due to impending redundancy:

 

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/12067563

[Stephen Auty]

I had a shot in one a few weeks ago at Knockhill (as passenger) 

It was a Supercar experience a good friend bought for me for my 50th

 

It was insanely fast , like nothing i've ever been in and I'd just come out the new AM Vantage V8 

I don't think i'd last long in one of those , too tempting to fly past everyone all the time and you get wet when it rains!

Amazing machines though.

[Stephen Auty]

Just an update on what has happened

I came across something that I'd never really considered and that wasn't on my radar.

I came to the conclusion that changing the Cayman would have to be with something different and that meant normal 911's (996/997's) would not  be considered, I felt there would not be enough of a difference/improvement over the Cayman.

That's when I came across a 04 996 Turbo manual. It was way above my budget but I could make it work, I got good money for the Cayman in fact I was offered good money by the dealer in px so I pulled the trigger and am now a very proud 996 Turbo owner.

It's insanely fast but comfortable and easy to drive, power is shocking especially at 5k, sounds like an air cooled car.

Interior is very familiar as I had a 986 Boxster before the Cayman and same colour (Boxster Red)

I am so happy with my new car, I can't imagine I'll ever want anything else, perfect blend of classic old school tech but also very reliable. 

This isn't my car but it's identical

 

 

The chap that bought my Cayman got a very good car and he's really happy with it.

[Hunter]

A black 996 Turbo (or maybe it was a GT3) was the first Porsche I remember seeing and being really 'wowed'. It really is a pretty car.

 

I hope it treats you well.

[Stephen Auty]

Forgot to mention this..

I took the Turbo along my road for the first time last week and the first notable difference I came across was body roll, ever so slight but I could feel myself moving in my seat where in the Cayman it would have been flat.

It feels slightly heavier but not much so, I suppose you can feel the 4wd but again it's hardly noticeable.

Power wise I always felt the Cayman was spot on for road use and I still think that, the revs would build up along with speed really nicely and the noise was amazing. 

The Turbo starts off like the Cayman but when the needle is pointing up , that's when fun begins...the surge you have available after that is incredible, I drove an AMG GTR a couple of years ago and that's the only car I can compare this with , and the internal noise is wonderful, sounds to me like all the air cooled cars

The Cayman was a brilliant machine and so is the Turbo, Porsche make the best cars, apart from a quick look at a Mercedes SL I never really considered another make, it's always been Porsche for me.

[Porschaholic]

Enjoy that beast! If I were ever stepping up from my Cayman, this is the kind of thing I’d be going for. 

[Stephen Auty]

Yeah I wouldn't say it's a step up really, the Cayman was a superb car but at 51 and 16st a Speed Yellow Cayman was more for a 30yr old + dude and not a fat balding cripple like me.

The 996 Turbo suits me more I suppose and I'll make the most of it for sure...hoping to do a few track days with it next year and a trip to Germany. I do prefer the interior of the 996/986 cars to the 997/987 cars but it's just an age thing and I really like the 90's feel of the 996 but having good reliability for long journeys through Europe.

They're both superb cars and we're all very lucky owning them but what I have recently decided as I've got older is to make the most of every year, try and do a few memorable events each year that you'll remember in the nursing home and realise you did alright and not too many regrets.

[Windymiller]

👆@Stephen - love your outlook and life philosophy there matey.
 

Approaching a similar age, level of follicly-challengedness, and with C-19 lockdowns invoking an unheralded level of laziness and general self-health apathy on my part, an ever increasing waste-line myself. 

 

But yep, life’s for making memories, cos once it’s gone, it’s gone…. 🥺

 

I love the ‘retro-modern-classic’ vibe in the 9X6 models, always like getting in my mates 986Bx - his 21 year old sports+ seats are far comfier than those in a 9X7 👍🏻
 

Wishing you many happy and memorable miles in your turbo-beast 😃