graywolf624
08-11-2007, 09:02 PM
I have been fairly busy as of late but today I took some time to test drive a 2007 Porsche Cayman S. I do the tough drives so you don't have too. :P I was actually supposed to drive the base Cayman as well but that just didn't work out. I spun this trip as looking for a new track car, so keep that in mind as you read.
So the Cayman S. For starters I love the look of this car. Stunning from all angles, on looks alone it enters my top list of cars. Many people say the styling is derivative of the 911, given I'm a bit underwhelmed by the styling of the 911 I tend to disagree. (Imagines the hate mail he will be getting for the next few months based on that comment).
This car in particular is a Red Cayman S with the base 18" wheels. I must say the red is definitely alluring. Then again, for an extra 4k Porsche will make it any color your heart desires, just give them a paint chip. Which kind of really starts the theme for the Porsche in general; everything is an option. The base of 58k isn't so bad, but it feels like you could end up north of 100k without any problem.
Anyway, back to the car. Lets start with the boring things otherwise you would all read the driving bit and run off. First the storage space is absolutely fantastic. There is bucket loads of storage both up front and in the hatch. I'm quite impressed with this aspect of the car, albeit a bit nervous as the engine is practically inaccessible in it's present location. There is a tiny access panel for the oil and coolant in the boot. Otherwise I did not see any visible way to work on the car from up top. I'm really not surprised give my experiences with the washing machines that stand in for 911 engines, but still a bit disconcerting for someone who is use to a big engine under an even bigger bonnet.
I can report that the seats are comfy, albeit since these were not the sports seats they were not exactly supportive resulting in my clutch foot acting as a prop in tighter corners. I was assured the sports seats are much more supportive. The seats also are manually operated, which helps for weight but I'm sure ticks off many Porsche Clientèle. I was also told that for next year they'd be selling a dot legal carbon fiber race seat as an option. It would go well with the optional sports shifter, wheel, and Porsche active suspension management; All of which sadly were absent from this car. The carbon fiber brakes were also not in attendance, though honestly I think they are too expensive for most normal people to consider anyway. To be blunt, I did exactly what NthFinity did in his review of this car, I completely forgot to test the radio.
So fire up the car and away we go. I was taken to twisty roads per my request and let loose. The first thing is the sound. It has a fantastic wail, and wail is the only way to describe it. Not as high pitched as a Ferrari, but significantly higher then the deep bassy baritone of my Trans Am.
The Cayman S is extremely easy to drive. The clutch is very responsive, light, and there were no surprises on it's engagement. The shifter itself was also fantastic. There was none of the miss shifting of gears I experienced with the Solstice. Slot this car and go, a real joy to drive.
The car is also very quick. Especially when you wind it out. Honestly, I tended to short shift the car a bit as I'm not use to that long of a rev range, so I probably could have gone even faster. As It was I'm sure it and my Trans Am would be kneck and kneck in the quarter. The thing is, unlike my Trans Am's kneck wrenching torque the Porsche does it in a much more refined manner. If it wasn't for the sonorous wail I mentioned I wouldn't even have realized I was taking 15 mph turns at 50 (still obeying the speed limit mind you). I certainly wouldn't have noticed from the speedo, a little digital number so small you can barely see it in there with the big tach. "It actually sort of hid behind the steering wheel", at least thats what I can picture myself saying to the officer who might pull me over.
So about that 15 mph turn. I've been around said turn very few times in my life, 2 of them in my Trans Am. In the middle of that turn there is a slight bump and the whole thing is off camber. The main reason this stretch of road isn't part of my fun drive is basically because of this turn. It always sets the TA out, skipping the rear end out and leaving me 180 degrees around a tight corner. I may be nuts but I try to obey traffic laws and not get myself killed so I generally avoid this type of turn on a fun drive. The Porsche however took the turn in stride, never wavering. Then it crested the next hill... A bump that would send the T/A airborne. Again the Porsche stayed on the ground relaxed. Now granted, the T/A is suspended for smooth roads and/or drag racing depending on the springs you use so it may not be a fair comparison, but it still illustrates how much the Cayman hugs the road.
It also changes directions quickly with a ever so slight flick of the wrist. Theres communication through the seat and the steering wheel, really the total package in terms of handling. If you ever need them, as actually the dealer did (he drove the car off the lot before I took over), the brakes are phenomenal. He came up on another car at a high rate of speed and hit the brakes so hard I actually got nervous (a tough thing to make me do given some of the nut jobs I've ridden with over the years). Yet the car came to a quick straight stop. I repeated the same process myself and, unlike say the Nissan 350Z, there was no tail wag or even the sudden feel of ABS, just confidence inducing deceleration.
I finished the test drive thinking man I love this car. If I don't get myself the Vette I have to have one of these. I walked in and even talked numbers with the gentleman. Sadly, the dollar values as mentioned above, were sobering. Which brings me to my conclusion. At a price of almost 20k over a similarly equipped Corvette C6 I just can't recommend the car no matter how much of a blast it is. If you are independently wealthy, or wait until this car is used, I'd say this is one of the best cars I've ever driven. But to the average person where money matters I say get a C6. I've decided I'm doing just that. I go on vacation for a month, move into my new apartment, and need to get settled first. However I've now set a date regardless of special discounts. Watch this space.
So the Cayman S. For starters I love the look of this car. Stunning from all angles, on looks alone it enters my top list of cars. Many people say the styling is derivative of the 911, given I'm a bit underwhelmed by the styling of the 911 I tend to disagree. (Imagines the hate mail he will be getting for the next few months based on that comment).
This car in particular is a Red Cayman S with the base 18" wheels. I must say the red is definitely alluring. Then again, for an extra 4k Porsche will make it any color your heart desires, just give them a paint chip. Which kind of really starts the theme for the Porsche in general; everything is an option. The base of 58k isn't so bad, but it feels like you could end up north of 100k without any problem.
Anyway, back to the car. Lets start with the boring things otherwise you would all read the driving bit and run off. First the storage space is absolutely fantastic. There is bucket loads of storage both up front and in the hatch. I'm quite impressed with this aspect of the car, albeit a bit nervous as the engine is practically inaccessible in it's present location. There is a tiny access panel for the oil and coolant in the boot. Otherwise I did not see any visible way to work on the car from up top. I'm really not surprised give my experiences with the washing machines that stand in for 911 engines, but still a bit disconcerting for someone who is use to a big engine under an even bigger bonnet.
I can report that the seats are comfy, albeit since these were not the sports seats they were not exactly supportive resulting in my clutch foot acting as a prop in tighter corners. I was assured the sports seats are much more supportive. The seats also are manually operated, which helps for weight but I'm sure ticks off many Porsche Clientèle. I was also told that for next year they'd be selling a dot legal carbon fiber race seat as an option. It would go well with the optional sports shifter, wheel, and Porsche active suspension management; All of which sadly were absent from this car. The carbon fiber brakes were also not in attendance, though honestly I think they are too expensive for most normal people to consider anyway. To be blunt, I did exactly what NthFinity did in his review of this car, I completely forgot to test the radio.
So fire up the car and away we go. I was taken to twisty roads per my request and let loose. The first thing is the sound. It has a fantastic wail, and wail is the only way to describe it. Not as high pitched as a Ferrari, but significantly higher then the deep bassy baritone of my Trans Am.
The Cayman S is extremely easy to drive. The clutch is very responsive, light, and there were no surprises on it's engagement. The shifter itself was also fantastic. There was none of the miss shifting of gears I experienced with the Solstice. Slot this car and go, a real joy to drive.
The car is also very quick. Especially when you wind it out. Honestly, I tended to short shift the car a bit as I'm not use to that long of a rev range, so I probably could have gone even faster. As It was I'm sure it and my Trans Am would be kneck and kneck in the quarter. The thing is, unlike my Trans Am's kneck wrenching torque the Porsche does it in a much more refined manner. If it wasn't for the sonorous wail I mentioned I wouldn't even have realized I was taking 15 mph turns at 50 (still obeying the speed limit mind you). I certainly wouldn't have noticed from the speedo, a little digital number so small you can barely see it in there with the big tach. "It actually sort of hid behind the steering wheel", at least thats what I can picture myself saying to the officer who might pull me over.
So about that 15 mph turn. I've been around said turn very few times in my life, 2 of them in my Trans Am. In the middle of that turn there is a slight bump and the whole thing is off camber. The main reason this stretch of road isn't part of my fun drive is basically because of this turn. It always sets the TA out, skipping the rear end out and leaving me 180 degrees around a tight corner. I may be nuts but I try to obey traffic laws and not get myself killed so I generally avoid this type of turn on a fun drive. The Porsche however took the turn in stride, never wavering. Then it crested the next hill... A bump that would send the T/A airborne. Again the Porsche stayed on the ground relaxed. Now granted, the T/A is suspended for smooth roads and/or drag racing depending on the springs you use so it may not be a fair comparison, but it still illustrates how much the Cayman hugs the road.
It also changes directions quickly with a ever so slight flick of the wrist. Theres communication through the seat and the steering wheel, really the total package in terms of handling. If you ever need them, as actually the dealer did (he drove the car off the lot before I took over), the brakes are phenomenal. He came up on another car at a high rate of speed and hit the brakes so hard I actually got nervous (a tough thing to make me do given some of the nut jobs I've ridden with over the years). Yet the car came to a quick straight stop. I repeated the same process myself and, unlike say the Nissan 350Z, there was no tail wag or even the sudden feel of ABS, just confidence inducing deceleration.
I finished the test drive thinking man I love this car. If I don't get myself the Vette I have to have one of these. I walked in and even talked numbers with the gentleman. Sadly, the dollar values as mentioned above, were sobering. Which brings me to my conclusion. At a price of almost 20k over a similarly equipped Corvette C6 I just can't recommend the car no matter how much of a blast it is. If you are independently wealthy, or wait until this car is used, I'd say this is one of the best cars I've ever driven. But to the average person where money matters I say get a C6. I've decided I'm doing just that. I go on vacation for a month, move into my new apartment, and need to get settled first. However I've now set a date regardless of special discounts. Watch this space.