Hello,

I have been struggling with what to buy recently. I recently Sold my 500+ hp 2005 Mustang GT. At first I was certain that I wanted a Cayman S. However, after several test drives in the new 436hp 2008 Vette, I am not so sure. The 2008 Vette addresses four things that turned me off on the 2005-2007 models.

1) The manual transmission shifts so much better than the previous versions. In my opinion, shifts as well as the one in the CS. The clutch effort seemed much improved as well.

2) The steering has much better feedback and has a lighter touch than the earlier C6. I do not know what GM did, but it is greatly improved. It does not feel like wrestling with an 800lb gorilla any more.

3) The new dual mode exhaust gives the engine a fantastic rumble. (Always loved a good V8 Rumble) However, is fairly quite during normal driving. It is the best sounding stock Corvette that I have ever been in.

4) The new two tone 3LT interior looks fantastic! The fit & Finnish was much better than previous models. I honestly think it looks much better than the base interior in the CS. There is also a full leather 4LT, but it adds $4,000.00 over the 3LT interior. If you compare the full leather in the Vette or the CS, I would call it a toss up…

I drove both the Z51 model and one with the magnetic ride. The magnetic ride in sport or touring mode does a fantastic job of keeping the tires planted on rough pavement. In sport it is nearly as stiff and the Z51, but in touring mode it rides smooth. I felt that the Z51 was simply too harsh of a ride for me to enjoy on long trips. The magnetic ride like the PASM seems like the best of both worlds. It also seems to greatly isolate unwanted road noise. It was the first time I had driven a Vette with that feature. I was impressed.

The new clear top is very cool. I am quite tall and have trouble seeing traffic lights. In the Vette, I can look through the roof. It might not sound like a big deal, but tall drivers will understand. I also like the fact that I can take the top off if I want to. It is like having a CS and a BS in one car.

The new LS3 engine feels much more refined. The 436hp (with the dual mode exhaust) LS3 pulls extremely strong in the entire rpm range.

The Boses stereo also seems like a better deal as it is a 6CD/MP3 in dash with Aux input. It sounded great.

Anyway, I am honestly now leaning toward the 2008 C6. I priced one with the 3LT interior, Magnetic Ride (which now has the Z51 brakes) Dual Mode Exhaust, Dual Roof package, Polished forged alloy wheels. The MSPR was about 58K and the dealer offered to take my order at $7,200 off of MSRP!! (that is below invoice) A similar Cayman S is around $70K. The best offer I have got from a local dealer is $65K for a similar CS.

For me, it is really hard to justify an extra $15K for the CS considering how many new features and improvements the new 2008 C6 has. I have to say that I have never been much of a Corvette fan, but this new C6 does not seem to have any significant flaws. Has anyone else tested the new 2008 C6? If so, what were your thoughts?

well here is my opinion, I think that one buys a Porsche because one wants a Porsche, not neccesairly bcoz it is the best/better looking etc... I know that there are some cars out there that can outperform many Porsches (not just a Cayman), yet, I'd still choose Porsche over any of them, why?! Because that is the car I love. Still, I am strongly biased and its just my opinion

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"Sir! We're surrounded!" - "Excellent! We can shoot in any direction!"

A good car will get you from point A to point B. A great car... will just get you into trouble!

if you like it, buy it!

kinda like that Cadillac commercial, what happens when you turn the car on?
does it return the favor?
for most people here, the CS is the answer but it's more about an emotional response than the pricing

think the CS is overpriced (but I still like it and bought it) and that has been debated here ad nauseuem

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Papa in Austin

"be young, be foolish, but be happy!"

2007 Speed Yellow Cayman S

The exact opposite happened to me. I was looking at corvettes when I decided to get my CS. It is all about how a car moves you and touches you. From the description you gave I would say that the vette really did move you. Plus the $15K difference can't hurt. Go with you heart.

I traded my C6 to get my Cayman S. The C6 is a great car and, to be honest, there are times when I miss the raw power of the C6. However, I find the biggest difference between the C6 and Cayman S is that the Cayman S just seems to do what I want it to do and I don't have to over think it. The C6 handles very good and goes very fast, but, in my opinion, just doesn't connect with the driver as well. Perhaps the 08 model is better in that regard - I know the manual shifting is much improved and the exhaust is excellent.

I used my C6 as a daily driver and knew its strengths and quirks very well. Last summer I did a 3 day Porsche Travel Club trip through Germany and Switzerland (1200 Kilometers) in the Cayman S and Carrera 4. It didn't take long to appreciate the handling and connected feel of the Cayman S. I traded my C6 for the Cayman S a month or two later. Now I just need to get some more power for my Cayman S.

I don't think you will be disappointed with either car, they are both fantastic. Pick the one that suits you best.

I could not have said it better.

Different strokes for different folks

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'07 Black/Black Cayman S
'07 White/Black Lexus IS 250
'08 White/Gray Jeep Compass

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"Sir! We're surrounded!" - "Excellent! We can shoot in any direction!"

A good car will get you from point A to point B. A great car... will just get you into trouble!

I think you said it best when you said you were never a Corvette fan. Have you always been a Porsche fan? I have always been a fan of both. I wanted a Corvette since I was a kid. My dad had one for a while. I took it out ONE DAY and immediately got a ticket! Sorry... back to the point... Corvettes changed so much over the years. Always an awesome looking car, but the CS is just SO gorgeous. I the end I went with my heart as well.

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2 '98 Harley Road Glides
1 '07 RX-8
1 '06 Cayman S (I have arrived at last!!!)

I just sold my '06 C6, and I spent 700 miles in an '08 C6, and I'm anxiously waiting for my special order CS to arrive, so I suppose I'm a ringer for answering.

I agree, '08s C6 are very much improved over the '05-07 versions. I've noticed other improvements too, like seat construction, in the '08s versus my '06. I agree with your points on the new steering. C6 manual transmissions, on the other hand, are highly variable in quality, to the point where I wouldn't buy a particular car without test driving it. I have driven four manual transmission '08 C6s for one reason or another, and only two were an improvement over my '06, and none were better than the '05 convertible I drove that got me to order a C6 in the first place! The clutch on the C6 is also difficult to modulate, including the '08. If you find a car that feels great to you, I'd recommend buying THAT car.

The LS3 is one of the industry's great engines. Folks are regularly trapping 116-118mph in the quarter mile, which is amazing for $50K. The gearing in the C6 manual leaves a lot to be desired, though. That 6-speed is really a 5-speed on all but the fastest and flatest of highways.

The brakes on the CS are much better than any C6 brakes, IMO. Even the Z06. By better I mean easier to modulate and have a better "feel".

The 4LT interior is a mixed bag, IMO. The leather work is equal in quality to anything Porsche offers, what there is of it. The dash and doors get a great treatment, and you get more leather on the seats, but there are many oversights. Same cheapo steering wheel found on a Saturn Sky, same cheapo seats as the 3LT cars, vinyl shifter and ebrake boots, cheap carpeting compared to a Porsche, etc. Would I recommend 4LT if you're buying a C6? Yes. Does it make the C6 interior measure up to a full leather sport-seated CS interior, not in my opinion.

Nonetheless, when you're in the mood and the road is right a properly optioned C6 can make the CS feel a little inadequate. I can honestly see where some people just honestly like the C6 better. But for me the right mood and the right road didn't happen very often. I found myself liking the CS a lot more than the C6, and I had to be honest with myself, I enjoyed driving my MB C350 SS with a manual transmission more than I did the C6. That, to me, was pretty damning.

The C6 is a huge accomplishment, but it's not for everyone. I think it makes you want all of that performance pretty badly. Make sure you know what'll satisfy you before you make a mistake that depreciates so quickly.

When I bought my CS it was a choice between that and ordering an '08 C6. The '08 C6 specs weren't out yet, so I had to make my choice based on '07 test drive impressions.

I was leaning toward the C6 purely from a value perspective, but the CS was the one I really fell in love w/. Once I found a good used CS that shrunk the gap price-wise, it was a no-brainer.

I've since driven a friend's '08 C6, and was very impressed w/ the improvements - esp. the steering. I could be happy w/ an '08 C6, but still prefer the CS, ex. perhaps on days like today when it would be nice to be able to remove the targa top.

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'07 Guards Red Cayman S
'08 Honda Ridgeline RTL
'99 Miata 10th Anniversary Edition
'07 KTM Super Duke 990
'07 KTM 300 XC-W / '06 KTM 450 XC