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  #21 (permalink)  
Old 05-01-2008, 03:41 PM
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Are you buying or leasing? I assume you are buying since the Cayman is used. If they are the same price I would get the 2008 335I. The 335i is a fantastic car and was my second choice but I chose the Cayman for several reasons. I paid 56900 for my 2008 Cayman S a few months ago so I got a good deal and the 335XI was about the same. Both were 2008 models so that was not a factor.

Reasons for YOU to get the 335i I think are:

The 335i is just as fast, and you are right with a few thousands bucks you can tune it and it would kill the Cayman S in a straight run.

Back seats, maybe practicality. However I use my Cayman S as a dailer driver along with a 2005.5 A4. With the Cayman S I have gone grocery shopping, carried a huge desktop and xbox in the front storage, paint cans ect. I think the Camyan S is VERY practical for daily driving and storage. So the 335i looses some of its advantage there imo.

The 335i has more gadgets for sure and you can probably get Navigation as well for the cost of the used 2006 Cayman S

The tip transmission is just as fast or even faster I think then manual. If you are concerned with traffic get the tip for now.

The 3351 is a 2008.

The 335i will be faster then the Camyan tip for sure in either tip or manual.

Reasons to get the Cayman S

First why I got the Cayman


1. Its a Porsche, there is no substitute!

2. Loyalty to my friend who owns Audi/VW/Porsche dealer. He hardly ever charges me for labor even on things out of warranty, always gives me cost on parts, I never wait for appointments with service. I wanted a 2009 A4 but with a sept release I started to look at BMW thinking I could never afford the Cayman. I have loved the Cayman since it came out but at first thought it would be too expensive. When the owner offered me a car on the lot for the price he did I took it without hesitation or even a though of the BMW.

3. Cayman S just is a better driving car. The 335i and 3335xi (I test drove it 3 times) does not compare, imo.

4. The 3ers are sooo common here in NYC and elsewhere I assume. After 2 months of ownership I saw one Cayman S at the Westchester mall and have seen over 25 335i's, no to mention another 20 or so other 3ers that look identical anyway save a few styling queues and the exhaust.

5. The Camyan S is a stunning car. I think it is one of the best looking cars at any price on the market. The 335i is also a very stunning car in the coupe but again its common.

6. The attention you get in the Cayman S is unquestionable. I have had people hanging out the window on the highway looking at the car, giving thumbs up screaming "nice car". Pedestrians starring and pointing at the car when driving. When parked people stopping, taking pictures, video, talking about the car. You will NOT get this with the 335. I know this sounds a little vein but damn it feels good when people drool over your ride.

7. Its a Porsche, there is no substitute!

Why I think you may want to hold off on the Porsche

Get the 335i now because it is a 2008. Wait for DSG, DFI and maybe the facelift and then sell the BMW and get the new Cayman S. This may not be an option as you mentioned a dealer order for a Cayman is very expensive for you.

Now that Porsche does sound fairly loaded. My only concern is it is a 2006 and the value if you decide to resell will probably be less then the 2008 BMW, but I dont know the market there.

Very very tough choice you have. My passion would be to go for the Porsche in all honesty, despite my rational breakdown favoring the BMW. The Porsche is just too nice to pass up.
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Last edited by pfr0g; 05-01-2008 at 03:43 PM.
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  #22 (permalink)  
Old 05-01-2008, 05:51 PM
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I own both, although my 335i is a sedan..all comparos show the sedan=coupe in performance.

First of all, the 335i Step is faster than the manual. You can take my word for it...I am a daily visitor of e90post.com or go search the forums yourself for actual test results. The Steptronic on the 335i is a fantastic transmission with paddle shifters, 100ms shifts, virtually instantaneous lock-up TQ converter...It's ZF's current answer to DSG and is being chosen over DSG on some models. Note this is NOT the GM sourced "old" Steptronic.

Second, the 335i is faster than the Cayman S in most straight line contests. Perhaps in all out acceleration they are about even as their 1/4th mile results indicate...but in everyday use the 335i is quite a bit faster due to more "power under the curve". Of course, the 335i has easy and cheap power upgrades available turning it into a mid-12's 108-111 mph 1/4th mile car, so modification for power advantage is clearly to the 335i.

On a road course track, the Cayman S has an advantage...but not nearly as much as you might think. Published N'ring and VIR times are within 1%. Of course that's for 1 lap...the 335i being much heavier will go through consumables faster and there are some reports of brake fade...though I had no brake fade issue on the track. Also, watch out for overheating in the 335i...aftermarket of course can fix both issues. Note, Cayman S has it's track weaknesses as well that should be fixed.

Third, the Cayman is a sports car, the 335i a GT. The Cayman S is much funner to drive but at the sacrifice of utility. Decide which you want and that is what you should buy. They really are 2 different animals...as pfr0g said passion versus rational.
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Last edited by sdiver68; 05-01-2008 at 05:59 PM.
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  #23 (permalink)  
Old 05-02-2008, 12:44 AM
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Anyone considering the N54 (135i, 335i, 535i) considering increasing boost with a piggyback unit should keep track of the threads on e90post.com and 1addicts.com.

There's a some tension concerning BMW's possible ability to now detect these mods even after removal and dropping warranty or portions of warranty, something everyone knows is a possibility but it seems that BMW is now getting more serious with their new DME. It was a matter of time. Dinan seems to still be a reliable option however.

There are other isolated issues, including failed turbos, boost spikes and emissions test problems. In any case, buyer be warned. Certainly wouldn't catch me buying a used N54 motored car without making sure it wasn't previously tuned and perhaps w/o warranty.
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  #24 (permalink)  
Old 05-02-2008, 01:08 AM
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pfr0g
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Thanks guys for the great advise. After I think about it. I still wants a cayman s over a 335i. There's no real tracks here. The roads are narrow here. Terrific is horrible here. I drove both cars before and I gotta say the c s I immediately felt in love. 335i is also not bad and feels more torque. I know a chip and an exhaust will smoke most of the cars out there but I am not a 16 year old anymore. If I really want power I can go ahead and find a good condition 996 tt. I will smoke 335i any day anytime. 06 vs 08 335i the price is almost the same. Again, that cayman has PCM, PASM, Sport Chrono, Sport seats, 19" wheels, short springs, 19" 3 pieces rims. 335i will be nothing and I but I will spend so much $ modding the car and regret didnt' get a cayman. It's the best if I have both a cayman s stick and a 335i sedan steptronic.

That's not possible for now. ;o(
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  #25 (permalink)  
Old 05-02-2008, 06:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pekopeeus View Post
pfr0g
sdiver68

Thanks guys for the great advise. After I think about it. I still wants a cayman s over a 335i. There's no real tracks here. The roads are narrow here. Terrific is horrible here. I drove both cars before and I gotta say the c s I immediately felt in love. 335i is also not bad and feels more torque. I know a chip and an exhaust will smoke most of the cars out there but I am not a 16 year old anymore. If I really want power I can go ahead and find a good condition 996 tt. I will smoke 335i any day anytime. 06 vs 08 335i the price is almost the same. Again, that cayman has PCM, PASM, Sport Chrono, Sport seats, 19" wheels, short springs, 19" 3 pieces rims. 335i will be nothing and I but I will spend so much $ modding the car and regret didnt' get a cayman. It's the best if I have both a cayman s stick and a 335i sedan steptronic.

That's not possible for now. ;o(

I believe that this is a good decision on your part. One that you will not regret. When I got my BMW I told myself that it was a step towards getting my Porsche. Now I have my Porsche and I am very happy with it. Being the fastest is not what it's all about (just some of the time), having the car that is the most fun to drive is much more rewarding. Enjoy you CS as I know you will.
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  #26 (permalink)  
Old 05-02-2008, 03:18 PM
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I had a similar decision on my hands as a friend of mine owns a bmw dealership in orange county (ny). For me im not in love with the look of the 335, i know its attractive now but with soooooo many of them on the road in 2 years its going to look boring. On top of that if you are buying go used porsche over new bmw. The porsche certified warranty is great and you wont get killed with that first years depreciation. This way when they redesign the porsche or come out with something new you have the flexibility of selling the car.

o yeah and there really is no substitute
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  #27 (permalink)  
Old 05-05-2008, 03:31 AM
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A couple months ago I purchased a 2008 335Xi Coupe and a 2006 Cayman S. Both cars are currently fitted with high performance run flat summer tires. I can't sense a difference between the cars in straight line speed (0-60 MPH time for both cars is about 5.2 sec), although the Cayman S does feel more nimble around tight curves. The Cayman suspension also feels firmer. A noticeable difference in engine performance between these cars is torque. The BMW 335Xi puts out 300 ft/lbs of sustained torque from 1400 to 5000 RPMs, the Cayman S requires higher revs of 4400 to 6000 RPMs to put out 250 ft/lbs of torque. The 335Xi is more useful for hauling around stuff like groceries, children and golf clubs, the Cayman S turns more heads. For me, the 335Xi will see winter duty with four snow tires, while the Cayman will see a five month winter vacation. Living in Michigan, I require something that can handle snowy roads, and the 335Xi, not the Cayman, is my choice for this chore. Until the next Ice Age arrives or you move from Taipei to Helsinki, road ice and snow shouldn't influence your choice between these cars. If for no other reason than the shear delight of driving, pick up the Cayman S. If you plan to multi-task while on the road, pick up the bimmer. In the end, neither car will disappoint. Good luck.
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  #28 (permalink)  
Old 05-05-2008, 04:00 AM
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I just sold my 10 month 335xi and purchased the CS
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  #29 (permalink)  
Old 05-05-2008, 04:40 AM
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Definitely get the Cayman. There are simply too many BMWs around, especially in Taiwan.
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  #30 (permalink)  
Old 05-05-2008, 06:08 PM
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