There is a lot more to life than driving in a straight line.

 

I'd feel embarrassed to be racing a sports car in a straight line.

 

Yeah I usually hit a drift circuit with all the ricers this was a rare occasion...

 

I've just decided that I really don't like Porsches at all. 911,996,997,991,997.2,gt2,gt3,turbo,turb o-s. What does it all mean!? I'm gonna agree with clarkson, they're all the same and there's never a "new" 911.

 

Cayman the only driver's car Porsche offers? 911 is just their halo car?

These opinions, stated as facts, just prove the old saying that "opinions are like a$$holes..."

The first generation (2004 to 2005) GT3 is considered by many to be among the most driver involved sports cars ever made... zero driver aid or electronics and made off the same production line as the GT3 Cup cars. (which in turn get pulled right from the normal 911 production line) The 997 GT3 , while it has some stability aid, is also such a far cry from the Cayman it cannot be compared to it. While the Cayman R is a better comparison, it still does not throw down the same laps a GT3 does. Just show me where it wins any pro races.

One of the best descriptions I ever heard was that with a Porsche you get about 80% of the race cars you see on the track and with the Corvette... about 20%. (The Tudor cars are pure Pratt & Miller and nothing like the Corvettes on the showroom floors)

I love my Vette, but the 2007 GT3 I owned was BY FAR the best pure sports car I have ever owned with a build quality so far superior to the Vette it cannot be compared from that standpoint. You get what you pay for and that is okay... the Corvette is perhaps the best sports car for the MONEY in the world, but the rattles, squeaks and flexing keep it from the upper echelon in most enthusiast minds and articles.

Unfortunately for me, the cost of tracking a Porsche GT3 was too much for me and you are certainly correct on that point... they are very spendy, however, every 911 I have ever owned appreciated in value over a average ownership of 3 to 4 years. Why is that?

With regard to the engine in the wrong place? Please... where do you want the weight when you accelerate? When you are threshold braking where do you want the weight? Come on Man! It's clear you have never driven a well prepped 911 on the race track. Is there a more responsive sports car out there?

Okay, off the soap box.

 

Never liked 911 style Porsches either and never will they will never have the sexiness and exoticness of a Lambo or Ferrari, the muscle of a viper or the all around bang for the buck of a Vette. The only Porsche I've ever liked were the V8 928's I can see myself owning one of those.

 

This is exactly how I feel. 944's are also fantastic little budget sports cars

 

note I started with IMHO- 'In my humble opinion'

GT3 is sweet, for sure. Engine is still in the wrong place. GT3 powa in a Cayman chassis... now that would be sweet.

Maybe I need to take off my tinfoil hat, but it does seem Porsche has hobbled the Cayman with older, less powerful engines & no limited-slip diff to keep the cheap car from threatening the halo car.

No argument the Porsche build quality & interior materials are excellent. It's almost as good as my 12yr old $15k Mazda I test drove a Cayman with 115k on the clock, it was tight as a drum, leather seats showed almost no wear... Phenomenal.

I still own the Vette as the performance/$ champ!

 

will be interesting to see if they release the GT4
A normal Cayman S with a $1200 drop-in LSD is a menace
add a $7k low-pressure turbo kit, and it is really a monster.

 

I keep hoping that they will make a low end Cayman/Boxster under the VW brand with the GTI engine/trans. ~2800 lbs ~250 hp mid-engine RWD with electronic diff, 6-speed manual and DSG options starting around $35k new would be the best new car on the market by far.

Cayman GT4 is neat but just a rich person's toy, not a driver's car IMO.

 

Never been a fan of 911 body style. I did like the 928's and thought they were really sharp. Cayman's look pretty good but are the same price as a new Vette.

Phil

 

Exactly.

I sold my C5Z a couple weeks ago, and I am currently shopping for a 997 Turbo myself.

 

Yeah I'd like to see what would basically be a mid-engine competitor to the BRZ/Miata, the only 2 sports cars of note still on the market today under $50k. 3000 lbs or less RWD with LSD being my definition for a "sports car of note" at this point.

 

People keep saying "you're comparing a z06 to a 996, of course the z06 will be better" but think about it, I'm comparing a $50k sports car to an $80k sports car, the $80k sports car SHOULD be better.

 

Better at what? Better build quality? Better long-term reliability? Better interior materials, fit, and finish? Better resale value? In many ways, that old non-turbo 996 actually IS better to many people. Or does it just have to be "faster"?

 

I was thinking about doing this next summer! I absolutely love the look of 997s!

 

Agree
Best values are the used market - Elise(30k), RX8(18k), S2000 (20k). All 3 of those are pretty darn sweet. BRZ is just too pricy(pushing 30k) for what it is... imho. Close to Mustang 5.0 price! which is a heavy monster, but quite a hoot.

I doubt the Germans will bring anything rear or midengine to the States under $50k.. We have a huge appetite for their premium models.

The 'budget' German $35k sports car is a VW GTI!

 

Bro...

 

I had a 2012 GTI, it's actually a terrible car to drive. Handles well for FWD but the clutch and throttle are both completely numb and there's massive input lag with the throttle pedal, it's like playing a video game with a laggy internet connection.

The BMW 228i is the current $35k car to get, but no type of LSD is available and it's still pushing 3250 lbs.

I really don't care who makes the thing, I'd just like to see an affordable MR car back on the market. Toyota was getting there with the MR-2 Spyder but failed to give it a real engine. No front engine car compares to the feel of a mid-engine car. Less weight on the nose makes the steering so much better it is insane that there aren't more options out there besides Porsche and other exotics.

 

I struggle to find anything better about the 911 I drove. Anyone who says the interior is better, it may be a hint better, but that's it.