Should I trade my R3 in for a Porsche Cayman??
 

Ok all I went and drove an 07 Porsche Cayman today. I have to honestly say my first thought when shifting into first and taking off was WTF? There are pluses and minuses to it although I was shocked to find that a car that cost $50k at one point was "less nimble" than my rx8 :-/ I am seriously on the fence about this one because I love my 8 but I would really like something with more power (plus its been a dream of mine since i was a kid to own s porsche lol)and I can't afford an Isuzu so here I am :-P I would just like some input from some fellow rx8 owners as I remember seeing quite a few people mention having driven some other sports cars, thanks a lot everyone ;-)

Yes. At the very least, get it out of your system. Then give it to me, cuz I really want one, too :)

Low-mileage specimens are coming in well under $30k now. Very tempting.

I doubt the Cayman is less nimble than an RX-8. Maybe it felt that way, but there's a reason that Cayman are in a faster class than the RX-8 in autocross.

The cayman has been one of my eventual car "goals" for awhile now. It's a lot of mid-engine'd-car for not that much money (all things considered). I wouldn't expect it to be cheap to run one though - it is after all, a premium German sports car. But given some of the RX8's "special needs" it might balance that out a bit ;-). I don't think there is any doubt the cayman is more capable on the track than the RX8, but how much of that extra potential will you really be using on the street on a regular basis? Well, the torque difference would definitely be obvious (which is why I like it when I get an excuse to drive my fiance's 6MT 135i). The cayman is a bit short on luggage space compared to the RX8...

And of course the cayman does also come with a Porsche badge, which to some people is worth its weight in gold.

Test drive one and see if its right for you.

Don't get me wrong it corners just as well but it just doesn't feel like it does it as clean as the 8. This particular one isn't the "S" btw so only 245hp201lb ft of torque

The Cayman has heavier steering feel, and a completely different weight distribution, on a shorter wheelbase, so it's not that it actually is less nimble, as the steering is heavier, and the weight of the engine is behind the seats, so that takes away from the light feeling back end of the car through twists.

So, I can understand you feeling that the heavy feeling of the Cayman "feels less nimble" than the RX-8, but it's just two different car designs.

BC.

There's a Cayman in my local AutoX club entered in BSP that regularly gets "fastest time of the day." That car is pretty sick.

Wow I expected more people to say keep the 8 but this is nice :-P lets keep em coming! Lol

Attachment 225554
Here is said car

Looks pretty sharp. Get a compression check and... wait a minute, wrong car.:lol2:

Nice Porsche! If i were you, i will get it.

If you find a good one and have the means then you should pursue your dream of owning one. Life's too short for regrets especially over something easy like a car. Worst case, it doesn't match your expectations, then sell it in a year and get another 8.

What's the price tag on that puppy?
I only ask because there's a 40K mile 2006 Cayman S south of the rust belt for $29k

It's $26k

Holy crap do it man!

Don't buy the Cayman, buy a Cayman S or R if you want one ;)

I've always loved the Cayman. Then again, I've always loved the RX-8. I considered a Cayman instead of my RX-8 as my toy, but I went with the RX-8 for these reasons:

* I personally like the looks of the RX-8 better, inside and out
* cost of purchase
* cost of maintenance (I'm mechanically useless, so I pay to have all work done)
* I like oddball things, and the rotary is more oddball than the boxer engine!

If money had been no object, I probably would have gone with a Cayman, but I wanted a new car, and even the non-S Cayman was pretty damn expensive. The Cayman and RX-8 are probably my two favorite recent cars.

Go for it

I have a friend who recently switched from an S2000 to the Cayman, and he loves it.

Such an awesome car.

Ok I turned it down so my 8 is staying lol In researching the cars it seems that up until 09 they had problems with the intermediate shaft engine bearings failing and with this car having 70k on the odometer and having an interior half as nice as mine amongst many other surprising disappointments I just decided it wasn't worth it to me :-/ a replacement engine alone is $20k so yeah lol thanks for all the input though guys I really appreciate it :-)

Yah, the IMS bearing failure issue plagued a bunch of porsche's cars. From what I've read, the issue was less common than RX-8 engine replacements but the cost was a berjillion times higher and there was no rebuild option - it ate the damned motor.

I'd still buy one if I had the money.

when it comes to Porsches, for me the only car I would buy is the 911. its like buying a BMW SUV, whats the point. not saying cayman's are bad cars. its just you will get the poor man's porsche title all the time.

That's because people like yourself keep regurgitating that nonsense.
Just like People who can't say FIAT without saying Fix It Again Tony, or Found On Roadside Dead, or any of the other nonsense spouted by people who typically don't have a clue what they're talking about.

If you're going to rule out a great driving car just because someone, somewhere, with shit for brains, might insult you that you didn't spend an extra $30k on your car, what exactly does that make you?

BC.

^really well said.

meh for the same kinda money for a cayman, I have so many more choices for much better cars and less of a midlife crisis car.

Midlife crisis car, eh? Isn't that the definition of most sports cars that are purchased by men between the ages of 30 and 50?

Well, I just got mine two weeks ago, and I'm 35, so that sounds about right...