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Hi everyone. This was reported on the UK Cayman thread, and I thought I'd post it here in case some did not see it. Chris Harris writes for GT Purely Porsche, and his opinions are respected tremendously. His previous long termer was a 993GT2 followed with a short stint in a 996TT. His purchase of the 2.7l Cayman is pretty significant. As Canada is a couple months behind on the news stand, if anyone could scan his article in March's GT Purely Porsche I'd appreciate it.
Thanks
Last edited by KenRose; 02-11-2007 at 08:52 PM.
Reason: edited for accuracy
'Twas me that posted this on the UK section, as I thought it would be most relevant to UK readers, but I'm delighted to see it has made it to the international section.
I have taken the liberty of scanning the article and hosting it personally (so as not to embarrass this website). If anyone from GT PP objects, I will of course remove it.
After driving a 6-speed now for over five years I have to say that I agree with his impression that a 5-speed is all you need for normal highway driving. I don't know how many times I've skipped 5th gear. In fact, I'll go so far as to say a 6 speed is pointless on the vast majority of tracks. I suspect all 6 gears would get a workout perhaps on the Ring but the tracks I've done seldom see 4th for any period of time.
Thanks John for sharing this article with us. I too have been appreciating my 5-spd gearbox, so I'm glad to see a similar opinion from a knowledgable auto journalist. I love the long legs of the 5-spd, and it combines nicely with the 2.7 H6's relatively broad power band and willingness to rev. I certainly don't mean to slag the 6-spd, or those owners who love them (to each his own), but I've always felt that 6 speeds were really only necessary in cars with either small displacement engines or narrow power bands. For road driving in powerful sports cars, I prefer longer gears, and fewer. I test drove both the 6-spd and the 5-spd before buying, and the Cayman with the 5-spd fills my needs and wants perfectly.
I did however get 18" wheels and tires rather than the standard 17's. I think it was more of a visual preference rather than performance-related, but since wheels and tires are always a series of trade-offs, my opinion is that the 18's do the job best.
As the author of the article says, a lightly-optioned Cayman is a bargain, and a beautifully balanced package.
Paul
Last edited by Caymancouver; 02-11-2007 at 11:44 PM.
I have discovered another fact about the 5 versus 6 speed gearbox debate. With the 5 sp, the car has a slightly lower CO2 emission figure than with the 6 sp. In the UK this is very significant, as it drops the car into a lower tax bracket. I'd be interested to know the effect in other countries.
Hi John!
I can see what you are getting at! It's pointless for a car like a SL55 AMG( A grandtourer) or Turbodiesel 4x4 to have 6 speed---it had more than enough torque to pull with just 4 gears.
However, in a 'MODERN' sports car like the cayman or cayman s (a high revving 4 valve per cylinder engine and relative lack of low-down torque), I don't think I can do without a 6 speed box; esp. if I bought a 2.7l cayman. The whole point of this car is to make you work! If you hate changing gears or spend most of your time in traffic, go for the tiptronic!
When I first drive the cayman, one of the first thing that impressed me was the gearchange-It is so sweet! The other is brake feel! (Complete disagreement with Jeremy Clarkson!) I think 6 speed should be standard for a car this expensive. I don't think you can find any German sports car or hot hatches with just 5 speed. However, I don't think the price is unreasonable to add as an option esp. it includes the PASM.
I do agreed with you that the main appeal of this car is the FEEL of the control, not straight line speed. There are cars out there which is a lot faster for the money! It's just some of us do like some push in the back when the police is not around + the fact that I do not like being embarrass by a FOCUS ST or a X5 in the motorway is also important!
PASM - Porsche Active Suspension Management
This active damping system offers continuous adjustment of individual damping forces based on current road conditions and driving style.
The driver can choose from two setup modes, ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’, using a separate ‘damper’ button on the center console. ‘Normal’ mode is designed for general road driving and circuits with uneven tarmac. ‘Sport’ mode is intended for smoother track surfaces, where the harder settings help eliminate pitch and roll.
In either mode, PASM continuously evaluates the current conditions while automatically selecting the corresponding damper rates from the respective set of mapped values.
A range of sensors are used to monitor the movement of the body under acceleration, braking and cornering maneuvers, as well as on poor road surfaces. The PASM control unit then evaluates this data and modifies the damping force on each individual wheel in accordance with the selected mode. The result is a significant reduction in body movement as well as a better grip on the road.
For example: if ‘Sport’ mode is selected, the suspension is automatically set to a harder damper rating. If the quality of the track surface falls below a certain threshold, the system immediately changes to a softer rating within the ‘Sport’ setup range. When the quality of the tarmac improves once more, PASM automatically returns to the original, harder rating.
Need more information about PASM? Click this link: FAQ for PASM
Thanks for sharing the article, John. I am chuffed that CH bought a Cayman and for the right reason(s)
I do however withdraw my nomination for president. Seems that he complained about the C costing 3000 pounds more than the B and then went on to spend another 3000 pounds! And what is that about the C not looking good with small wheels in red? The retro, understated small wheel look is stunning in classic red! Seems to me some-one is trying to justify his purchase of full leather and PCM!
Would still want the 6 speed (if it was a low cost option) even though, having driven a 6 speed for 15 months, it probably is not needed.
edit: reread the article see he does mention that the pricing makes sense after owning the car for a while. The full leather is fantastic and silver/coco is a great combo so good luck laddie!
__________________
2007 Porsche Cayman 2.7
Last edited by Kwaaiman; 02-11-2007 at 04:01 PM.
Reason: amen
5sp versus 6sp? ... I'd agree that it should have a 6 sp as standard, but having unearthed that snippet of info about the 6 sp having fractionally higher CO2 emissions has got me wondering. Why on earth does an extra gear produce more pollution from the same engine?
The tax banding thing is important though, cos if these much heralded "green " taxes arrive, folk with the 6 sp box could find themsleves being taxed along with Cayenne Turbo owners. Not a good prospect, and it makes me very happy to be a tax band lower with my 5 sp.
As for Chris Harris, he too had commented on the lack of outright poke, and the frankly inexplainable pricing, but the whole point of his piece is that he has looked beyond these factors and found an excellent car. Something which few other, lazier, journos have bothered to do.
OK, I've got a pet peeve that I need to air. I can't stand when people say 'base Cayman'. The word 'base' used as an adjective has a negative or pessemistic sound to it. The Cayman is a fantastic car, period.
Since today is my birthday, I'm going to make a birthday wish. I wish that people would call the car a Cayman or a Cayman S.
I cannot understand the higher emission either!
I applaud you able to resist the temptation to opt for bigger wheels----there will be too much grip to have fun+better ride!
OK, I've got a pet peeve that I need to air. I can't stand when people say 'base Cayman'. The word 'base' used as an adjective has a negative or pessemistic sound to it. The Cayman is a fantastic car, period.
Since today is my birthday, I'm going to make a birthday wish. I wish that people would call the car a Cayman or a Cayman S.
Can I get an amen....?
AMEN......I have used the term "owner of a base Cayman" for the last time. I love the car and with twins in college I do not feel bad about saving close to 10K.............
