Just curious, has anyone else besides me changed their purchase choice from a 997 to a Cayman. I was dead set on the 997 Carrera S until I drove the Boxster S and wasimpressed enough to wait to place my order until I saw the Cayman in the flesh. Just one look was all it took. I'm sold.

yes, but...





I liked the Cayman but couldn't get one, gave up and went to Porsche Park Lane in London to buy a base 997 - 996 C4S Coupe was there for affordable money. I sat in the 996 C4S and in a 997 Carrea Cab (He had no 997 Coupes in the showroom).


I discussed with the salesman and had taken agreed I would take either a 997c2 or a 996 C4S .. then I mentioned that I really would have preferred the Cayman - no PATHETIC back seats and a proper boot (trunk) -


Imagine my surprise when he tells me the guy I'd bumped into while waiting had cancelled his cayman order and he could supply one :-)


long story short, My Cayman arrives Jan 3, 996 and 997 just had too much 'baggage' and not enough 'baggage space' for me.


personal opinion, your mileage may vary ... cost difference between my fully-loaded Cayman and the911's in stock came to under ten k, was not really a factor in my decision.





Colm

Yes, I have changed my order from 997 C4S to the Cayman only 3 weeks ago. My local Centre can supply one for Mar/Apr 06( a cancelled order perhaps ). My decision is partly financial ( a long story ), I've owned 4 911s, the current one is 996 C4 (3.4l). The performance figures are virtually identical between the 2, so I'll expect Cayman to be as quick in a straight line but will drive away from my current car on twisties. It's difficult to compare with 997 cos there's such big difference in price. If all those Nurburgring lap times are to be believed, there're <10sec between 997 & Cayman over a 12mile course! Don't think you can tell the difference on the road. Suddenly the Cayman becomes very good value.In the past if you want a Porsche but not a convertible there's only 911 to consider.Not any more.

Yes, Iwas planning a996 or 997purchase until I saw the Cayman. I only needed to see the rear end and know it would be more than a Boxster, that was enough.

Yes I changed from 997c2. I never really desired cayman until I saw it in flesh at launch. I then test drove back to back with 997 c2 and the 3 decision points for me were inthe fresh 'modern interpretation' of porsche with cayman, the fact that the 911's are everywhere and there will e relative (if only short term) exclusivity in cayman, and finally and most importantly the quality of the in-cabin engine and exhaust noise versus 997.

Yes I think the in-cabin engine note will enhance the driving enjoyment even at modest speed. In an age where speed cameras are everywhere ( in UK )itis a positive thing that you don't have to drive at warp speed all the time to have fun.

Glad to know I'm not alone. Thats reassuring considering I was formally so obsessed with the 997. When I visually compared the 997 and the Cayman side by side and realized that the objective performance differences between the the base 997 and the Cayman were driver difference variables I was convinced that the new breed of Porsche was for me. The fact that it struck me intuitively as better looking was also an unexpected suprise. It just looks right and somehow makes the 997 seem a bit more of a GT than a pure sports car, albeit a beautiful one. I'm almost sorry the Cayman hit the market when I was at a point that I could finally satisfy my longing for the 911. The Cayman evokes the classic silhouettes of the 911 while exhibiting historic styling embellishments that are as the advertisements state 'instantly Porsche'. Respect, Porsche. Well done.

When I decided to get a new car I was thinking Boxster or997 but also bought all the auto magazines to look at any other choices. It's a company car and my partner already spent $90k out the door on his BMW 645 so that was about what I had to work with.


That's when I saw and read about the Cayman S in a couple of the magazines. It was exactly what I had always wanted but I test drove a 911 and a Boxster to make sure.


I'll admit I thought about the 997, used C4, etc. even after I ordered, made trips back to the dealer to make sure I made the right decision butI love that I was able to get better performanceand get a new car loaded with all the options I wanted. Not to mention it looks better and will be unique.

After owning 4 911s when I decided to get my 5th Porsche; I naturally immediately wanted a 997. Yes, I was one ofthe '911 is the only Porsche' kinda of guy. Although I knew about the upcoming Cayman, I was never interested. One day, aftertest driving the Boxster S and the 997 back to back, I had an epiphany. I said to myself, 'This mid-engine Porsche blows away the rear-engine Porsche in handling!' I could not believe how much better the Boxster S handled and how much faster and confident I was when going though the twisties. I was just to closed minded to even test drive it in the past. The fact that the Boxster was a convertible didn't help, I personally never liked them and don't consider convertibles a serious enthusiast's car. To sum it up, I ordered my Cayman the following day. I'm confident the Cayman will be even more fun to drive than the Boxster. I can't wait to drive it!

Edited by - VicL on 12/07/2005 8:53:16 PM

Yes. I originally had a C4S ordered, then made the switch as I learned more about the Cayman. I'm an ex-NSX driver and have been searching for a solid mid-engine performance car for several years.

As I spent sooo many hours looking for the right options for an'06 997S, my dear wife said BUY the damn car already. So I went to the local dealer to place the order and get my negotiated 6.5% discount,the Cayman happened to be coming off the trailer. I fell in LOVE! As the sales rep parked the Cayman next to a silver 997, my immediate thoughts were that the Cayman is a modern 997, not some Boxster rehash. It flows like its moving, the 911 has long been forgotten. My order is placed! We have been early adopters of a wonderful car, an exciting experience. We only live once, and anyone who can afford a997 is blessed with a great life, but this car is awesome. Call your dealer and order one now! Enjoy every moment and drive it hard as Porsche as intended it.

To be honest the 997 was never on my list, and until the Cayman came along I was waiting to see how the Aston V8 would turn out. I came very close to getting a 996 C4S back in 03 when my Boxster lease ran out but it just didn't do anything special for me. I looked at the 997 when it came out, thought the base car was too stripped out for the money and the 997S too close in price to the AMV8 to make a commitment before seeing it in person. The Cayman changed my whole outlook. For me the Cayman is fresh and and distinctive in a way that the 911 hasn't been since the the 993 replaced the 964 version, and to me the Cayman actually looks more like a high end exotic than it's pricing would suggest. The Cayman ain't cheap but from my perspective I'm getting all that I want for a lot less than I thought I would end up paying.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">My situation is a lot like DaveC's. I looked at a 996but decided to wait for the 997 since it was due out in less than a year. While I like the 997, I was very impressed with a demo in the new Boxster S and the Cayman seems to be the car the 911 would have become if Porsche wasn't so wedded to the past. I also looked at the Aston Martin and a few older Ferraris and concluded the Cayman S will deliver everything I want in a sports car for a lot less money than the other cars on my short list. [/quote]My dealer has a silver Carrera 4 sitting next to the silver Cayman S and I stop by once a week to see them. [/quote]The Carrera is still beautiful but it looks a bit too familiar and seems like a large GT in comparison to the more sporting Cayman with its fresher styling.[/quote]

traded my 996 anniversary for a boxster S a while back, while waiting for my loaded cayman S... only a 996 TT would make me change my mind... or a 997 TT if I could afford one [img]/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/drive.gif[/img]

SmileDoc, Same issue with my wife. In fact she argued with me to buy the 997S instead of the Cayman after I changed my mind. Told me she didn't want to hear any regrets because i was so set on the 997. I think that the Cayman is such a fresh design though and the handling is by all accounts superb. I am still suprised at what an emotional reaction I had to the car even when parked next to a Carrera S with the same wheels and color.