The 2013 Porsche Cayman…finally something else to dream about…

[baege]

I’ve posted here before about the fact that there is nothing in the horizon that I want like I wanted my Z4 coupe when I first saw the concept back in 2005. I dreamt about owning a Z4C ever since then and it took me a good 3 years to get it.

Now that I’ve had it almost 3 years, I find myself needing to look around for a replacement. I still love it, but the spectre of owning a complicated machine like it outside of warranty is one that my risk averse self has trouble with.

But when I turned my mind to what I would want next, nothing that was within my financial reach, stirred me like the Z4 coupe did. The scion frs caught my attention but the front end is a little too rx8ish for me and its not special enough to stir me. And so I’ve been left wondering what I will buy next (the m1 coupe has been on my radar but the odds of finding one pre-owned are astronomically low and I am not a fan of turbos).

But just yesterday I came across the spy photos of the 2013 porsche cayman, and it looks absolutely fantastic. The 1st gen cayman never visually appealed to me, there is an incongruence to its styling that just doesn’t work. But the new generation looks stunning. It looks like a beautiful morph of the 911 and cayman into a more rounded wider vehicle with a wonderful stance. And the mid engine design is as we all know highly praised for its driving dynamics.

I am going to start saving my pennies

[ZStig]

I don't know how you can judge a vehicle with the front and rear masking all the details on the test vehicles

[RevsPlease]

The Cayman R is supposed to the best bang for your buck in that price range. You should check it out. It borrows quite a few bits and bobs from the GT3

[jon_y]

I am sure it will be a good car, what I hope is that it will be more reliable and have less design flaws than the current one. Oil starvation, catastrophic engine failures, these are some pretty serious issues. This was one of the reasons that I stayed away from cayman and picked the z4m. Planet 9 is a pretty good forum for cayman related stuff. Not sure about the Cayman R, but I know the GEN II cayman still exhibit some of the same issues as GEN I, but at least you will have a warranty.

[gcochard]

It looks like they tried to mate the current cayman with the panamara and cayenne, along with the audi a5 and r8.

I like the old cayman better.

[baege]

Originally Posted by jon_y

I am sure it will be a good car, what I hope is that it will be more reliable and have less design flaws than the current one. Oil starvation, catastrophic engine failures, these are some pretty serious issues. This was one of the reasons that I stayed away from cayman and picked the z4m. Planet 9 is a pretty good forum for cayman related stuff. Not sure about the Cayman R, but I know the GEN II cayman still exhibit some of the same issues as GEN I, but at least you will have a warranty.

What do you mean by GEN II cayman? I thought there has only been one generation prior to the 2013 model yet to be released?

[Huz-Z]

I would be terrified to buy any Porsche made before 2009 owing to the concern about catastrophic engine failure and Porsche's flat refusal to assist second owners of out of warranty cars.

I would also want to be darn sure that any newer Porsche car did not have that issue before I considered buying it. It would be nice to see how the current cars go in this respect over the next several years.

Having said that, I have always liked the styling of the Cayman, its a great looking machine.

[jragan]

Originally Posted by ONLYZ4COUPE IN GTA

What do you mean by GEN II cayman? I thought there has only been one generation prior to the 2013 model yet to be released?

The 2013s will be, technically, the 3rd generation of cayman, but the 1st generation under the new model number designation (assuming they change it from 987 to something else).

987.1 (1st gen) pre 2009
987.2 (2nd gen) 2009-2012
????? (3rd gen) 2013-

The main feature of the 987.2s was the switch to DFI engines which come with their own problems like major carbon build up which has plagued every manufacturer in their first generation of DFI engines (essentially if you baby the car, you ruin the car. You have to be "on" it hard all the time to keep it clean.)

[Huz-Z]

Originally Posted by jragan

The main feature of the 987.2s was the switch to DFI engines which come with their own problems like major carbon build up which has plagued every manufacturer in their first generation of DFI engines (essentially if you baby the car, you ruin the car. You have to be "on" it hard all the time to keep it clean.)

Sounds like my old yamaha RD400 - full throttle all the way, front wheel in the air!

[RevsPlease]

Originally Posted by Huz-Z

I would be terrified to buy any Porsche made before 2009 owing to the concern about catastrophic engine failure and Porsche's flat refusal to assist second owners of out of warranty cars.

I would also want to be darn sure that any newer Porsche car did not have that issue before I considered buying it. It would be nice to see how the current cars go in this respect over the next several years.

Having said that, I have always liked the styling of the Cayman, its a great looking machine.

Good point to mention. As far as I've read, the 06 to 08 Caymans have had major oil starvation issues when driven on the track or at auto X events. I would definitely be weary of buying one of the older models.

Concerning the rest of the Porsche brood, I think the problems were limited strictly to the Cayman and some Boxsters.
We are on are second 911 and we haven't had any problems as of yet! (996 C2

[RevsPlease]

[QUOTE=RevsPlease;10389347]

Originally Posted by Huz-Z

I would be terrified to buy any Porsche made before 2009 owing to the concern about catastrophic engine failure and Porsche's flat refusal to assist second owners of out of warranty cars.

I would also want to be darn sure that any newer Porsche car did not have that issue before I considered buying it. It would be nice to see how the current cars go in this respect over the next several years.

Having said that, I have always liked the styling of the Cayman, its a great looking machine.

Good point to mention. As far as I've read, the 06 to 08 Caymans have had major oil starvation issues when driven on the track or at auto X events. I would definitely be weary of buying one of the older models.

Concerning the rest of the Porsche brood, I think the problems were limited strictly to the Cayman and some Boxsters.
We are on our second 911 and we haven't had any problems as of yet! (996 C2

[Sephiroth]

Have you test driven any Cayman yet? Im curious about the hype. The flat 6 sounds glorious when opened up though.

[baege]

Originally Posted by 1love

Have you test driven any Cayman yet? Im curious about the hype. The flat 6 sounds glorious when opened up though.

I've never driven a cayman, I've driven a boxster. The sound is glorious,but I could never get past the looks of the current cayman.

[Shipkiller]

Do a search on this board for Finnigans comments on the Cayman. He owned one before getting his MC. Some pretty good observations.

[epbrown]

Originally Posted by 1love

Have you test driven any Cayman yet? Im curious about the hype. The flat 6 sounds glorious when opened up though.

I test drove one of the early ones and it's a great car - nice handling, felt a bit roomier than the M Coupe, and I like the looks. I've long held the opinion that Porsche does their best work on the entry level sports cars (914, 968, 986, and 987). The reasons I didn't go with one at the time were:

1) Bang for the buck - the differences in performance and finish simply weren't justified by the difference in price, especially with the 2007 Cayman S being down 35 horses.

2) Running costs - shorter warranty on the Porsche, maintenance costs weren't included like the BMW, and concerns about the engine issues that plagued the 986/996.

3) The looks - I simply liked the edgy looks of the Z4MC more, though that wasn't as big a factor as the first two.

[krusty]

Originally Posted by cliffhopper

It looks like they tried to mate the current cayman with the panamara and cayenne, along with the audi a5 and r8.

I like the old cayman better.

+1

[ but then I like the E86 Z4 better than the E89 too ]

[sho-one]

Test drove a Cayman before I bought my z4 M, styling was much nicer in person. Car felt better built and more refined inside. Felt purposeful and you have great road view. The steering wheel was way too thin and large. The salesman was a douche bag so I didn't get to open it up much, but it needed to be rev'd for power, much like my old s2000. Feeling the engine behind you is amazing. The thing that bug me the most, may something you have to get used to, is the pedal placement was weird. it was like off center from the wheel.

In the end, I would still consider getting one, once my income level increases. All the options are super expensive. Plus without a maintenance warranty, your talking about 200$+ oil changes.

I love the cayman, the z4M feels more visceral. If I had the cash I'd go for it new, but used car to used car, I'd pick the z4M. Lol I'm waiting till 2014 anyways to see how the new M3 turns out, if they ever make a Z4M coupe again, if the ALfA Romeo 4C is the sh*t, or if the new Cayman will be awesome. In the end, there are a bunch of cool cars coming out soon

[baege]

Originally Posted by sho-one

Test drove a Cayman before I bought my z4 M, styling was much nicer in person. Car felt better built and more refined inside. Felt purposeful and you have great road view. The steering wheel was way too thin and large. The salesman was a douche bag so I didn't get to open it up much, but it needed to be rev'd for power, much like my old s2000. Feeling the engine behind you is amazing. The thing that bug me the most, may something you have to get used to, is the pedal placement was weird. it was like off center from the wheel.

In the end, I would still consider getting one, once my income level increases. All the options are super expensive. Plus without a maintenance warranty, your talking about 200$+ oil changes.

I love the cayman, the z4M feels more visceral. If I had the cash I'd go for it new, but used car to used car, I'd pick the z4M. Lol I'm waiting till 2014 anyways to see how the new M3 turns out, if they ever make a Z4M coupe again, if the ALfA Romeo 4C is the sh*t, or if the new Cayman will be awesome. In the end, there are a bunch of cool cars coming out soon

There are some other interesting possibilities coming out, even a Z2 coupe if there was a NA v6 option is this something I've contemplated, but if the 2013 cayman looks as good in production as it looks in spy photos, I'll be all over that.

[mikeinsf]

IMHO, the new Cayman looks barely different from the previous gen, to the extent that one can tell behind the masking.

[dubsesd]

Drove a cayman s before I bought my m coupe. Definetly enjoyed the BMW more. And after I put on my stromung exhaust and afe intake, the sound and driving experience are undescribable. The finish and level of "sportiness" is much better as well. I would however consider a gt3 as my next upgrade

[BIMMERGUY91]

current cayman looks better to me. Cayman R would be incredible. Tested a Cayman S before buying my Z4MC and the BMW is an all around nicer, faster, better car. Cayman is so sexy though