Hi,



Porsche of Stevens Creek has the base Cayman available for test drive. I went out there and drove the base Cayman (BC) and the Cayman S (CS) back-to-back on identical routes. Here are my takes:



As you well know, the major differences in the 2 cars are the power plant and the transmission. The BC has plenty of HP for daily street and freeway romps. I can certainly feel more oomph in the CS's engine. But for daily merging and red-light starts, the BC is plenty good for my needs. I cruised at 80 MPH, the engine RPMs were almost identical with the BC in 5th, or the CS in 6th gear (about 3,200 RPM). Punching the loud pedal at that speed, they almost feel the same in acceleration. Down shifting the BC to 4th gives slightly better acceleration than shifing the CS to 5th.



I'm sure each car is different, but the BC's shifter and clutch was more 'engaging' than the CS. The gear engagement in the BC was also more crisp. This is DEFINITELY NOT a generic conclusion for these 2 models by any means.



Sound: most have said that they love the CS sound. I stood behind each car as the salesman put each away. I can swear that the BC has a deeper rumble than the CS. That I did not expect.



Weight: The BC is about 120 lbs less than the CS. I did not take many hot corners, but I can truely feel the weight difference. I was VERY surprised by that.



I then drove the RUF on the same route. It is instantly clear to me how much more refined, pampering, and civilized the Cayman line is when compared to the 993 line. First, these cars are now 3 generations apart. More important, the buyers today prefer their Porsches to be a refined ride. The cayman cabin is like a cocoon compared to the vibrating cockpit of the RUF. The road feel (road connection), steering feedback, and engine roar are much more raw and immediate in the RUF. The Caymans filters the bumps in the road before it reaches the driver. In the RUF, I feel everything on the road. There is no right/wrong, better/worse here, just what one prefers. For me, if I'm balsting along on some canyon twisties, I'd prefer the rawness of the RUF. If I'm going to Sacramento to a meeting, I'd take the Cayman line as it won't tire me out as much. One thing's for sure, the RUF is much more of a rocket than any Cayman will ever be.



Conclusion: I am 95% sure I'd get a base Cayman as a daily driver, with minimum options (xenon, sports shifter, sports steering wheel). I'll drive it for a few years and change wheels to my favorite 18' deep-dish look (none of the Porsche wheels are deep-dish as of now). When I approach 100k miles, I'll refresh the engine with a motor transplant. As long as I have my RUF, there is little need for me to get the CS. But I'm a unique case. If this is the only Porsche in my garage, the decision could well be different.



CP