RX8 = Porsche Cayman @ 1/2 the Price
03-11-2008, 12:25 PM
#52
Originally Posted by Lame a$$ online review
Comfort
Taller drivers will substantially enjoy the extra head room in the Porsche Cayman's front cabin compared to the Mazda RX-8.
Taller drivers will substantially enjoy the extra head room in the Porsche Cayman's front cabin compared to the Mazda RX-8.
I've NEVER been able to drive or even sit in a Porsche (never had a chance in a Cayenne). I've seen them at car shows, but I can't actually fit. I seriously doubt that the Caymen will accomodate me. If it will, I'll go test drive one this weekend, that way I could learn something about this car.
Any information would be appreciated. Thanks!
03-11-2008, 12:34 PM
#53
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Can anyone confirm this? I'm 6'9" and fit comfortably (read snugly) in my 8. I actually find it more comfortable than most cars and trucks for that matter. Anyway, back to my question.
I've NEVER been able to drive or even sit in a Porsche (never had a chance in a Cayenne). I've seen them at car shows, but I can't actually fit. I seriously doubt that the Caymen will accomodate me. If it will, I'll go test drive one this weekend, that way I could learn something about this car.
Any information would be appreciated. Thanks!
I've NEVER been able to drive or even sit in a Porsche (never had a chance in a Cayenne). I've seen them at car shows, but I can't actually fit. I seriously doubt that the Caymen will accomodate me. If it will, I'll go test drive one this weekend, that way I could learn something about this car.
Any information would be appreciated. Thanks!
They foresaw people wanting to wear helmets
03-11-2008, 12:58 PM
#54
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I'm normally just a lurker here, but...
LOL I'm sorry but you just can't compare these two cars. As much as I love the RX-8, the Cayman S is just in a totally different league...
With the Porsche, you are getting heritage, badge, status, better looks (though subjective), more power, torque, quality, and SO much more.
You and I both know that the RX-8 does not make 232 horsepower. Weight distribution and stopping distances are meaningless in comparison to the FEEL of a car. Having the perfect balance (MR), the engine making noise right behind your head, and just driving a Porsche all contribute to it.
Some of you guys mention a 300HP RX-8 being better than a Cayman S. While you may be faster, speed isn't necessarily the only measure of how "good" a car is. A $5000 turbo civic can easily smoke a Cayman S, but isn't "better" than one.
Even if you compare a Ferrari 360 Modena to an NSX. One is twice the price of the other and they offer the same feel, but the NSX is faster around a track. At the end of the day, one is driving a Ferrari, and one is driving a Honda...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VjgbvpyCp8
LOL I'm sorry but you just can't compare these two cars. As much as I love the RX-8, the Cayman S is just in a totally different league...
With the Porsche, you are getting heritage, badge, status, better looks (though subjective), more power, torque, quality, and SO much more.
You and I both know that the RX-8 does not make 232 horsepower. Weight distribution and stopping distances are meaningless in comparison to the FEEL of a car. Having the perfect balance (MR), the engine making noise right behind your head, and just driving a Porsche all contribute to it.
Some of you guys mention a 300HP RX-8 being better than a Cayman S. While you may be faster, speed isn't necessarily the only measure of how "good" a car is. A $5000 turbo civic can easily smoke a Cayman S, but isn't "better" than one.
Even if you compare a Ferrari 360 Modena to an NSX. One is twice the price of the other and they offer the same feel, but the NSX is faster around a track. At the end of the day, one is driving a Ferrari, and one is driving a Honda...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VjgbvpyCp8
03-11-2008, 01:13 PM
#55
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At 9K rpm other sports cars would be making out their wills!
if you wanna drop an extra 20g's on pistons go ahead. i'll keep my 8. never been into status cars and badges but of course, some are. (everyone has a complex about something)
btw... in a jan 08 Rolex Series race the #70 RX-8 of the speed source team came in ahead of not 1... not 2 but 3 Porsche 911GT3's ending their domination of this series for the past few years. there was also an 8 in 5 and 10 place respetively.
go get your pistons... i'll keep my rotary.
if you wanna drop an extra 20g's on pistons go ahead. i'll keep my 8. never been into status cars and badges but of course, some are. (everyone has a complex about something)
btw... in a jan 08 Rolex Series race the #70 RX-8 of the speed source team came in ahead of not 1... not 2 but 3 Porsche 911GT3's ending their domination of this series for the past few years. there was also an 8 in 5 and 10 place respetively.
go get your pistons... i'll keep my rotary.
Last edited by DaBatMan; 03-12-2008 at 10:22 AM.
03-11-2008, 01:25 PM
#56
I had to get the non-sunroof version of the 8. That is how "snug" I fit...headroom wise. Now I'm totally curious about the Caymen. Wondering if there will be enough room to fit my long legs under (read around) the steering wheel and still be able to shift.
I'll check it out...wonder if they will actually let me drive one. Hell, I'll at least try to fit! And I'll give my opinion afterwards.
03-11-2008, 02:51 PM
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At 9K rpm other sports cars would be making out their wills!
if you wanna drop an extra 20g's on pistons go ahead. i'll keep my 8. never been into status cars and badges but of course, some are. (everyone has a complex about something)
btw... in a jan 08 AMLS race the #70 RX-8 of the speed source team came in ahead of not 1... not 2 but 3 Porsche 911GT3's ending their domination of this series for the past few years. there was also an 8 in 5 and 10 place respetively.
go get your pistons... i'll keep my rotary.
if you wanna drop an extra 20g's on pistons go ahead. i'll keep my 8. never been into status cars and badges but of course, some are. (everyone has a complex about something)
btw... in a jan 08 AMLS race the #70 RX-8 of the speed source team came in ahead of not 1... not 2 but 3 Porsche 911GT3's ending their domination of this series for the past few years. there was also an 8 in 5 and 10 place respetively.
go get your pistons... i'll keep my rotary.
Those other sports cars don't need to get to 9k to get thier HP and TQ.
New M-3 redlines at 8.5k
03-11-2008, 02:56 PM
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03-11-2008, 03:02 PM
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03-11-2008, 03:08 PM
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6-speed manual overdrive (short throw shifter)
Horsepower, SAE net 232 @ 8,500
Torque, SAE net (lb./ft.) 159 @ 5,500
Redline 9000
Displacement (L) 0.654L x 2
Compression ratio 10.0 : 1
ok then.... 8500 rpm for the HP and 5500 for the tq.
Last edited by Shoafb; 03-11-2008 at 03:24 PM.
03-11-2008, 04:00 PM
#65
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touche but once again... it's from a car that cost astrinomical amounts of $$$ compared to an eight. don't get me wrong... i'll take an M3 anyday. what p's me off is when people start comparing cars that aren't even in the same class as the RX8. bottom line... for the money you pay, the 8 kills anything in it's class and much of those that are on a higher pedestal.
03-11-2008, 04:04 PM
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03-11-2008, 04:09 PM
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03-11-2008, 04:10 PM
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touche but once again... it's from a car that cost astrinomical amounts of $$$ compared to an eight. don't get me wrong... i'll take an M3 anyday. what p's me off is when people start comparing cars that aren't even in the same class as the RX8. bottom line... for the money you pay, the 8 kills anything in it's class and much of those that are on a higher pedestal.
Yes, I agree on both counts the 8 is a great car for the money and seeing posts comparing it to cars that are in a totally different class makes no sense. Folks that really have the cash for a Porsche don't cross shop to Mazda..... they don't care about saving money.
03-11-2008, 04:19 PM
#69
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It is a complement actually comparing the 8 to such cars of higher esteem. When compared to cars of it's class, the 8 wins as the better driver's car.
03-11-2008, 04:34 PM
#70
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Isn't that a bizzare review? You'd wonder if the guy is a moonlighting food columnist, except his writing is so poor, he'd never get a gig.
The Cayman is a strikingly beautiful car. And at twice the price of the '8, you're going to see far fewer of them on the road, which will help keep that exclusivity sex appeal thing alive.
I know we're not supposed to buy sports cars for practical reasons, but it was usability that drove me into an RX8. Accessibility to usable rear seats, and a reasonable (two sets of clubs!) trunk is hard to find in a car that handles like ours.
Here's a cut&paste from another review of the Cayman that gives the nod to the RX8 for handling:
"The <Cayman's> mid-engined layout provides a more balanced weight distribution than in the rear-engined 911, so Porsche doesn’t have to work nearly so hard to make the car behave well when pushed. In general, the feel is very balanced. A touch of initial understeer can be readily counteracted, and then some, with a dip into the throttle. As sports cars go, this one is safe and easy to drive quickly along a challenging road. The Mazda RX-8 is even better in this regard, but the Cayman isn't far off the mark set by the Japanese sports car."
The Cayman is a strikingly beautiful car. And at twice the price of the '8, you're going to see far fewer of them on the road, which will help keep that exclusivity sex appeal thing alive.
I know we're not supposed to buy sports cars for practical reasons, but it was usability that drove me into an RX8. Accessibility to usable rear seats, and a reasonable (two sets of clubs!) trunk is hard to find in a car that handles like ours.
Here's a cut&paste from another review of the Cayman that gives the nod to the RX8 for handling:
"The <Cayman's> mid-engined layout provides a more balanced weight distribution than in the rear-engined 911, so Porsche doesn’t have to work nearly so hard to make the car behave well when pushed. In general, the feel is very balanced. A touch of initial understeer can be readily counteracted, and then some, with a dip into the throttle. As sports cars go, this one is safe and easy to drive quickly along a challenging road. The Mazda RX-8 is even better in this regard, but the Cayman isn't far off the mark set by the Japanese sports car."
03-11-2008, 04:48 PM
#71
I'd take a M3 to a stock RX-8, but if my friend wanted to trade his M3 for my RX-8 (and his M3 is one year newer than my 8), I would not do it.
03-11-2008, 05:11 PM
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I thought I posted in this thread, but after re reading it I guess I did not. I feel like I am in a very unique spot to make this comparison. You see I own an 8, yet I work as the internet manager for a Porsche dealership.
First off let me say that both cars perform very similar. This was very evident to me the first time I got behind the wheel of a Cayman. The acceleration feels faster in the 8, the braking feels stronger in the Cayman. Cornering feels a bit crisper in the Porsche, but at the limit I like the 8 better, it seems to be easer to handle, but that could just be the fact that I am alot more familar driving my 8 in those situations.
I absolutly LOVE the way the Cayman looks, even more so than I like the looks of the 911. In my opinion it is the best looking car that Porsche builds short of the Carerra GT (which is no longer produced) The RX-8 is also a very sexy looking car with a shape that is uniqly its own, which is something I really like, plus you get a FUNCTIONAL back seat.
With the exception of the backseat, the interior has to go to Porsche. The materials are of the highest quality and hand assembled, but thats just another reason you are paying so much more. And like someone else mentioned earlier, that engine screaming in your ear from behind the seat really makes an impression on you.
One thing I should mention though is even though I am comparing the base Cayman to the RX-8, anyone with half a brain would never buy anything less than the "S" model with 295hp and the manual trans. There is a night and day diffrence in fun factor, but to be really fun the Porsche really needs another 30 hp.
After driving the Cayman for the first time it really made me appreciate my Mazda. Here I have a car that drives and feels like a sports car that costs $20k+ more money. Kudo's to Mazda for pulling off such an achievment. Now if they would only give us another 50 hp
First off let me say that both cars perform very similar. This was very evident to me the first time I got behind the wheel of a Cayman. The acceleration feels faster in the 8, the braking feels stronger in the Cayman. Cornering feels a bit crisper in the Porsche, but at the limit I like the 8 better, it seems to be easer to handle, but that could just be the fact that I am alot more familar driving my 8 in those situations.
I absolutly LOVE the way the Cayman looks, even more so than I like the looks of the 911. In my opinion it is the best looking car that Porsche builds short of the Carerra GT (which is no longer produced) The RX-8 is also a very sexy looking car with a shape that is uniqly its own, which is something I really like, plus you get a FUNCTIONAL back seat.
With the exception of the backseat, the interior has to go to Porsche. The materials are of the highest quality and hand assembled, but thats just another reason you are paying so much more. And like someone else mentioned earlier, that engine screaming in your ear from behind the seat really makes an impression on you.
One thing I should mention though is even though I am comparing the base Cayman to the RX-8, anyone with half a brain would never buy anything less than the "S" model with 295hp and the manual trans. There is a night and day diffrence in fun factor, but to be really fun the Porsche really needs another 30 hp.
After driving the Cayman for the first time it really made me appreciate my Mazda. Here I have a car that drives and feels like a sports car that costs $20k+ more money. Kudo's to Mazda for pulling off such an achievment. Now if they would only give us another 50 hp
03-11-2008, 05:29 PM
#74
Definitely. My 8 makes more torque and hp, but it's also lighter. I have sway bars and the car felt more responsive and grounded. There was no comparison. In fact, after doing a few WOT runs with his car, I was underwhelmed.
Of course, his car was 100% stock. He has less than 20,000 miles on it cause he barely ever uses it.
Of course, his car was 100% stock. He has less than 20,000 miles on it cause he barely ever uses it.
03-11-2008, 05:38 PM
#75
If he ever mods his bmw, he'll be able to get 400-500 hp pretty easily though and leave me in the dust. But at that point he'll be over twice what I spent on my car including mods.