So I'm in the market for a Cayman S...but have alot of other options I'm looking into as well...the Corvette and Audi S5 are the top 2 competitors for the Cayman S for me.

What about you? What other cars were you considering...and why did you ultimately pull the trigger on the Cayman instead of the others?

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I was looking at the C6 and Audi S5 as well.

I passed on the C6 due to the quality and refinement issue. I passed on the Audi because they did not offer the S5 with an automatic transmission.

I would hold on the CS, unless you want to by a used one, since they seem to be redesigning it for the '09 model, this way you will have the latest and greatest CS available.

I had a down payment on a Tesla for over a year. Me and my wife decided we did not want to wait another year or more to get a second car! So we bought our Cayman S, and decided to mod it up to the point where it would have cost to get the Tesla. ( $99K ) So we now have a Great car and could not be happier.

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Add Electricity and I Drive at night!

Considered and test drove the following:
Z4 coupe, audi TT3.2, lotus elise. The cayman was everything I wanted in a sports car and more.

I was ready to buy the BMW 335i convertible (the 1 was even close to being out yet) after looking at the Lexus IS350, Mercedes SLK 350, and Infinity G37. One day though I just happened to be passing a Porsche dealership and saw the Cayman from the road, so I stopped and took a test drive. It was the best looking car I had ever seen, but the test drive is what really sold me. The moment I went through the first set of twisties on the test drive was the moment I knew I would own one.

Lotus Elise supercharged and Mercedes Benz SLK 55AMG.

The Lotus handled like nothing else I've ever driven but entry and exit to and from the car is difficult. There was almost no trunk space and it only holds 10.6 gallons of gasoline. Those last two factors limit how long a trip you can reasonably take. It is an extremely beautiful car (exterior). The interior is Spartan. Lotus belives in keeping the weight as low as possible. The Elise weights about 2016lbs. The Elise is a roadster and comes with a soft top. A hard top is optional.

The MB is on the other end of the spectrum for interior goodies and comfort. It's a fast car, and is a hardtop convertible. It doesn't handle as well as a Cayman S because of the weight of the car. It only comes with a 7 speed automatic transmission.

Both the Lotus and the MB cost more to insure than the Cayman and Cayman S. If you want to lease a car the MB isn't too bad. MB offers their own lease program. The Lotus is $$$ because it's considered an exotic car and you have to use a company that specializes with leases for that type of car. Lotus does not have it's own lease program. The Cayman or Cayman S can be leased from Porsche. They offer a good rate by keeping the residual value high, not good if you plan on keeping the car at the end of the lease.

I drove all three cars and purchased a Cayman S. It can be used as a daily driver, has great performance and is a beautiful car. You can order an amazing amount of options to have your car a one of a kind with everything you want in the car. Just be aware it can get quite costly to order too many options. The search feature on this site will give you all the information about options etc about the car.

Welcome to the Cayman Club! Enjoy the search for your car, that's part of the fun!

Same as Kastrel.

135 and 335.
And my reason for not getting them?
I didn't need two extra seats Seriously, I did put that into consideration.
I still like them and would probably get them later if I needed those extra seats somewhere down the line.

My brother is looking at the A5/S5. But most people we know with Audi's (friends who's owned A4's and A6's) seem to always complain about electrical issues. I think he's going to end up with a 335 instead.

In a long strange trip, being a long-time Audi guy, I actually started out waiting for the US arrival of an Audi A3 with the 2.0T engine, quattro, and DSG. Alas, that was not to be. (Though NOW it may happen!)

I then moved on to the 335i, and though it is a fantastic car, it was not for me.

About this time, along comes the S5 and I fall in love. I wait and wait for information on the car, and then finally get to drive one. Again, a fantastic car, but not what I was looking for and the 14 mpg rating gave me considerable pause.

In the end I went with the CS (I know it's a LONG way from the A3!) and have loved every second of it.

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'08 CS - Meteor Gray, Cocoa, PASM, Sport Seats, Sport Steering Wheel, Bi-Xenon, and a few other goodies.

It's all I was hoping for and more!!!

It was E46 M3 for the longest time......
Then Cayman S
A little of the new STi
Then Cayman S for sure!

When I bought my Cayman I wasn't in the market for any new car. I had just come home from visiting my son and while visiting my son I got to drive his friend's GT3. That made me want a Porsche again so I visited the local Porsche dealership. Unfortunately the 911 type Porsches were out of my price range but I could rationalize a Cayman.

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Porsche Cayman 2.7
Mercedes E320 Bluetec
Ducati Paul Smart LE
BMW R1200GS

Before I decided to keep my 98 MB C280 as a beater, I considered the following:

MB E500. I was looking at a 2 year old one. Very nice, but surprisingly similar to the old C class, it made it very hard to justify taking on a car payment to replace a car that is owned free and clear; and

BMW 335i convertible. Very nice indeed, but not cheap.

My disappointment with the E500 lead me to decide that it made more sense to keep the sedan until it dies and get a sports car for fun. I considered the following:

Lotus Elise. I loved this car, still do. The handling is superb and I loved the whole "differentness" of it, especially the driving position and unassisted steering. But the negatives added up, and in particular, the fragility and expense of body repairs, general shakes and rattles, no trunk, just a rear glove compartment. No actual glove compartment, no dealer closer than an hour away, poor resale value, expensive insurance that is likely to get more expensive because of the aforesaid fragility and expense of body repairs. Notice that all of these concerns are addressed by the Cayman; and

BMW Z4M Coupe. Cheaper than a Cayman, but more cramped and with less storage space. I don't know how it drives. My local dealer (BMW of Arlington) stupidly refused to let me test drive and so I never got the opportunity to fall in love as I had already done with the Cayman. But I suspect even if I had test driven it, I would have gotten the Cayman S.

I had my heart set on a 996TT (used). I was just waiting for the right one to come along. Just out of curiosity I took a test drive in a Cayman S and that was all it took. Of course the 996TT has a lot more power but it weighs ~500 lbs more than the Cayman, and lacks the sharp reflexes and the light, nimble feel of the Cayman. The 996TT also has noticeable turbo lag below 3000 rpm. The Cayman reacts instantaneously to every driver input and is better at communicating what's happening between you and the road. It has enough power to keep you entertained without overwhelming you.

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John
'07 Cayman S
'89 944 Turbo - sold
'05 Saab 9-5 Aero