Try this again: Anyone own a Cayman and if so how would you rate it v. a 911?

 

Motor Week has reviewed both cars. Not the best source, but...

2012 Cayman R
2011 911 GT3 RS
2010 911 GT3

 

Porsche needs to stop screwing around, take the cayman chassi, give it some body panels/style that looks like the 911 (it's not that hard, really) and just CALL IT THE 911. The half-a$$ extra seat thing is pretty lame and you'd still have a front trunk if designed properly. Give it a new direct injection 3.0L twin turbo making 400hp and call it good.

I can't for the life of me understand why they keep trying to tweak the 911 to extend the RWD platform's life. They keep making the engine bigger and sooner or later it just swaps ends in a turn. Don't get me wrong, given many choices a GT3 would be one of my top pics, but it'd be that much better if it was a mid-engine.

Was looking at a boxster and 911 fairly recently.

 

Can't disagree. You pretty much touched upon what I was thinking that the 911 product line seems to be all over the map. The new Cayman S at 320 hp seems to be a pretty good value for just 30 hp less than the 911 C. I have not driven the Cayman but since even a used 911 has a pretty hefty price tag I can get a brand new fully loaded Cayman S for about the same price as a used 911 C without much sacrifice and even the new Boxter S at 315 hp is not a bad option either.

 

2003-2006 or so 911s aren't very expensive, but usually have quite a few miles obviously. Was looking at the boxter S as well, I just wasn't sure about the interior room and lack of a real hard-top. I think you have nailed it with the cayman. Awesomely balanced chassi, and I'm sure it wouldn't take much to make it outperform a 911 in many ways (like bigger anti-sway bars, etc).

Some of the current 911s just make no sense. 911 turbo (covertable especially), quite heavy, AWD system making up for lack of handling at extremes, bested by GT3 if you have the balls to try and take a GT3 to it's limits, but they've had to make it ungodly wide, which looks cool, but it just keeps going over the top IMO. It's cool that they've made so many variations, but that great engine just needs to be flipped onto the other side of the axle, and with modern advancements I think they could take the engine size down a bit and have as much or more power for better milege. At the least it wouldn't require the 10 foot wide rear track and tires, or AWD system, which all eat at mileage.

I still don't want to sound like I hate 911s, I love the styling and the cars in general, but it's time to fold and stop trying to fix the engine placement. If they are really clever they could still engineer some rear trunk space into a mid-engine layout, not that it's all that necessary if you got a trunk on one end and a little cubby-space behind the front seats for a bag or two (not the half-rear seats, I got those now in my current car and it's not like you can take people with you or anything).

I've seen some amazing videos of modded 911 turbos pushing out 1000hp and just killing modded vipers around a track. A car that can handle+HP always wins on a track.

 

I think on the new Boxter S you can get your hardtop.

Tequipment Boxster (2. Generation) MY09

 

glad this thread turned around from the original one

 

Does anyone own a cayman? ha...funny.This is a pilot forum, who can afford such cars?

 

One of the test pilots were I work had a new Cayman for a while, then and traded it on new 911 Carrera which he currently drives to work each day. He takes a lot of kidding for it.

 

I never buy cars new but I understand somebody has to if I'm going to enjoy my depreciation savings. Since you seem to be leaning toward a new Cayman, just wanted to make sure you're aware Porsche is about to introduce a completely new model. It looks like its going to be a pretty big step up so I would definitely wait for the 2013.
As far as the engine being in the wrong place in the 911, please, thats such an old saw. The ideal configuration for any sportscar is clearly mid-engine, but that design obviously has its compromises for a street car. Therefore 99% of cars are front engine which also trades performance for practicality. Porsche's racing success over decades with the 911 more than validates the design.
When it comes down to it, most of us aren't really going to notice the ultimate performance differences between a MR or RR setup, so it really comes down to which you prefer. You're going to have drive both to make that decision.