Hmm, good move by Porsche but I think that pricepoint is a bit high. With only 245hp I’d expect the price to be right at $40k but that would undercut sales of the Boxster at $45k. Add tax and some options to the MSRP of the new Cayman and you have yourself a mid-$50’s price tag on your hand, and for that price you might as well buy yourself a different car with 300+ horsepower.

The Cayman is great, but it’s a bit disconcerting for me when my G35 Coupe has 300hp and cost $35k, but it can outrun a new Cayman coming in at $50k. I’d love to get into a Cayman, but going from the G35 to a Cayman would be more of a downgrade in terms of performance, and that gives me a stomach ache when I look at the $15,000 price difference.

What little you’d lose in performance would be more than made up for in styling and handling. And, oh yea, you’d be driving a PORSCHE instead of an Infiniti…

I wont argue… id rather have the G35 Coupe over the Cayman

Badge snobbery may be a good argument for buying a Mercedes over a Lexus, but let’s hope performance car buyers aren’t paying $15K more for less car, just to be in a Porsche. That’s just sad.

I´d rather have a 350Z.

“What little you’d lose in performance would be more than made up for in styling and handling. And, oh yea, you’d be driving a PORSCHE instead of an Infiniti…”

Morons like you are the reason why certain brands feel secure in charging ridiculous premiums for products which demonstrate no distinct superior features in relation to their inflated prices. Have you even seen the interior of any current Porsches? I seriously doubt it. They’re crap. As a former Porsche owner I can speak at length about them, and let me tell you, the quality of Porsches as a whole has taken a nosedive since the 963. Especially in mechanical terms. Just like Mercs, they’re simply not worth the premium anymore. As for performance… take your head out of your ass, you (and most people, for yhat matter) probably don’t have the skill to fully exploit the capabilities of a $28,000 350Z, why would you spend $50K (right on the money, Mike) simply to cruise and say “I have a Porsche”.

People who think like that (ie. new rich morons with no criteria other than “brand”) are the reason why companies banking on past glories/reputations keep selling substandard products to jackasses who can’t tell they’re being shafted; and the rest of us who know what these cars/products used to be like are forced to accept inferior product at higher prices simply because daft rappers, porn stars, and newly rich white trash (name your Hollywood starlet here) and their ilk are seen on TV driving/wearing/pushing this or that brand.

I doubt anyone will be cross shopping a 350z and a Cayman…and the G35, for that matter. True competitor to Cayman is the $42K 255hp Z4 Coupe 3.0si. The Cayman is a car for people in the late 30s to mid 40s, the young executive type, whereas G35 has a 20-35yr old target demographic. So don’t get all worked up, these cars are for different audiences.

On a separate note, 350z has an awful plastic interior and G35 is not superior in performance to the base Cayman. Maybe the new one will, but the current one isn’t. I personally would pick the Cayman over 350z and G35 if I had the dough, but then I’d pick the Z4 3.0si over all of them.

Great!, Now more people can think they are cool in a cheap Porsche.

too expensive and way toooooo slow.

Northeasterner,

Key phrase in your post is “if I had the dough”… meaning you don’t, and therefore you neither own, nor have you ever owned one of these brands. Hence you don’t know what you’re talking about. Unlike you, I’ve owned cars from every German brand, especially BMWs, incidentally. And while you’re absolutely right about BMWs being a far more compelling price/performance/quality ratio product than current Porsches, your comment on the interior of Nissan’s 350Z is just stating the obvious: “350z has an awful plastic interior”. Yes, but it’s $17k cheaper, and at that price it’s a very compelling weekend/track car purchase. As for your marketing analysis… I’m an independent 42 yr. old entrepeneur, and I do have the dough to purchase a wide variety of cars, and I’d still purchase a 350Z. I find your comment ignorant and objectionable simply on the basis that you’re missing the point: it’s a matter of the premium matching (or at least having some relation) to increases in performance and quality in order to justify itself.

My guess is that you’ve been reading a few too many Road & Tracks.

On a different note, cant we at least congratulate Porsche for debuting the MORE powerful S-variant FIRST, creating more demand for the now-introduced less-powerful version. I always seem to think it is smarter this way from a marketing purpose…let all those who cant afford the Cayman S salivate for awhile, then give’em a version they can afford to own…

Derek,

Look at the history of Porsche and the pricing of their models and then come back and post.

Jon.

I gotta say, RAS and people like him, who stay on POINT, are much welcome.
Whomever Porsche thinks is going to buy this lightweight chariot is not our problem. That’s for their marketing department to decide. The fact that it exists is great, but the price point does make a world of difference. And do you really think anyone is going to pat you on the back buying the wimpiest Cayman? It’s just another low-end Porsche and the snobs and purists won’t let you forget it.

RAS,

The Cayman will out corner the G35. It’s a more balanced car and it weighs less (3485.5 lbs. vs. 2954.2 lbs.), a lot less than the G35. Even if you don’t take it to the limits (and as you point out, few will) the drop in weight is noticeable when cornering, even in an every-day, boring traffic-riddled commute. Yes, Porsche milks the brand name for all it’s worth, but at the say time the Cayman looks better than the G35, or the 350Z.

Jon.

As usual Porsche rips off Canadians. Porsche announces the new Cayman will be “less than C$70k” in Canada. At the current rate of exchange it should be about C$56K. Oh maybe I forgot about the Porsche Canada tax!!

You guys, first of all Porsche is about all around ballanced performance. My friend owns a 2002 Boxter, and let me tell you that thing has such a ballanced ride. It might never smoke a corvette or even a BMW M3, but overall its a great car. Infiniti G35 is a great sports car but it leans toward luxury instead of sport. Its fast no question but you dont get the all around ballanced ride.

expect horsepower to be more than the claim. The cayman s dyno’s stock at around 280 stock (rwhp SAE). I expect this cayman will probably be underated too.

Jon,

If you truly want balance, poise, superior acceleration and a massive pleasure per mile quotient, get a Lotus Elise. Trust me. As for the Cayman outcornering, outbalancing, underweighing a G35. Okay, but I never mentioned the G35, and again, considering the premium, if the Cayman didn’t do a lot of things better than a Nissan, well then, what would be the point? It’s the price/performance gap that annoys me. Back in the days of the 944 Turbo there was a world of difference in any quantifiable area between the Porsche and, say, a 280zx or an RX7. That difference/gap is no longer there. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with a $50k Porsche, I do think however, that considering the offerings from other companies, Porsche should offer more at that price.

My point is this, again: premium brands (Porsche and MB, in particular) are now offering substandard vehicles at their usual premiums because markets have shifted in such a way that undiscerning customers willing to buy into a “lifestyle” illusion will pay anything with complete disregrad for the substance behind the brand.

Believe it or not, that’s hurting the discerning enthusiast, because to obtain the superior product, you’re forced to pay through the nose (Cayman S). In other words, enthusiasts are subsidising the posers. Porsche has become a “lifestyle” brand, and its products reflect that reality. If you’re a true enthusiast, and I suspect you are, you should be as angry as I am for the way great marques are currently being managed and cynically marketed, and we should protest. Why do you think Nissan launched a reasonably priced 350Z? Because enthusiasts stopped purchasing $40k 300ZXs.

As for styling, it really is a personal issue. Me, I’ve never warmed up to the Boxster back end, especially with the hardtop on. In black, I think it looks like a ****roach from the back. But if you think that’s worth $10 or $15K on its own… okay.

omgwtfwhy….i was set on getting a cayman when i have the $, but look at this piece of junk. there are two cars this car should fear. the lotus elise/exige and bmw Z4M. both priced between 40-55k. the lotus will handle just as well if not better than the cayman and the bmw just has gobs of power to do its talking (like a corvette). not to mention all the problems boxster owners have and i think porsche needs to step up their game, they arent immortal.

RAS,
Don’t jump to analyze me – respond to topic at hand, its more convincing (and respectable) that way. I do own a BMW, just for the record.
First, you are 42yr engineer, and you don’t mind beeing seen in a 350z, but I know many people who are in the 40s and would’t be caught dead in a Nissan with a cheap interior. There is something called luxury and exclusivity, and people are ready to pay for that.
Second, 350z could match Cayman’s straight line performance, but there is more to it than horsepower and straight-line performance. I have driven a 350z and a Boxter, and I’d take the Boxter any day. It is a lot more engaging and fun to drive than the 350z.

P.S. I don’t want to sound snobby, and I am not defending that the Cayman should be 50k, I think it should be priced 40-41K… like I said before, I’d pick the Z4 3.0si over the Cayman. But come on, realistically, 350z is not a competitor because of different target demographics and what these cars represent to consumers.

Jon,

First of all, I’m not an engineer, I’m an architect, and I did respond your query. Secondly, when you reach a certain level of maturity, you stop caring how other people perceive you. So, I don’t care what other people might think of my ride, because they (just like you) have no idea what else I have parked (now or in the past) in my garage, you twat.

As for your rant on exclusivity and luxury and being ready to pay for it… I thought we were dicussing sports/performance cars, where does luxury come in? And when did a Boxster become exclusive? Don’t make me laugh. I see dozens of them everyday. And yes, a Boxster is a better overall drive than a 350Z, but do you know how to make the Boxster instantly better? Take $5k off the list price as it should be. In any case, if you judge your purchases on some ridiculous notion of exclusivity, then you’re one of the morons to which I alluded in a previous post, and I have nothing but poison for you.

Please, do go out and be “ready to pay [inflated prices]for exclusivity”, so that you don’t get caught dead in something with a cheap interior. Do remind them to pass on the fat profits they make on people like you, as discounts on the properly engined models to people like me.

And then go suck your thumb.

“when you reach a certain level of maturity, you stop caring how other people perceive you” – apparently you haven’t hit any level of maturity. Your tone and use of language indicate how mature you are.

Forgot to say, I don’t own a 350Z. But it’s one hell of a perormance bargain, and whoever thinks otherwise should have their head examined.

“My point is this, again: premium brands …are now offering substandard vehicles at their usual premiums because markets have shifted in such a way that undiscerning customers willing to buy into a “lifestyleâ€? illusion will pay anything with complete disregrad for the substance behind the brand….In other words, enthusiasts are subsidising the posers.”

–well said, regardless of the argument at hand

Let it go Jon and Northeasterner, RAS burned you both!!

RAS RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!

RAS,

Have you gone insane? You started off in Post # 6, I then responded to you in Post # 14. Then you responded to me in Post #: 18. Then, I stopped posting. Yet, you in Post # 22, you scold me regarding something I never posted…and seem to lecture regarding maturity…

Jon.

Sorry, that should read: “yet, you in Post # 22, scold me”.

Jon.

Lush interior, exclusivity–is Porsche suddenly a Louis Vuitton on wheels?

I did not know that!

Ras did not post #22, jon. Face it, RAS is right, and he’s on topic, you and Northeasterner are not.

RAS, great comments, very nice to see someone with the *ability* to purchase X, Y, and Z cars stick with what they love because they love it, not because somebody told them they’ll love how it looks on their keychain.

Before I got the G35, I was looking at the 330ci because a 3-series is what I had always wanted (but couldn’t afford until now.) After driving the 3 and driving the G35, I realized which car I liked better regardless of what it cost and that was the Infiniti. The attention and genuine help I received during my Infiniti purchase process was a stark contrast to the aloof and uninterested attitude the BMW salespeople had shown, and that made me even happier with my choice. That, plus the G35 has almost 80 more horsepower

I was responding regarding post #22. I had not post a response to post #: 18 because I was trying to consider if he was truly right about the brand becoming a ‘lifestyle’ brand, or if they simply took the guise in order to keep on selling cars, or if in fact all of the brands sell a type of ‘lifestyle’ in one way or another.

Jon.

RAS and Jon are both strong posters with a history of good comments.

RAS hit the nail on the head. Think about it. Most Porsches sold are automatics and Mercedes doesn’t even sell manuals in their AMGs. Who’s buying automatic performance cars? If I had a dollar for everytime I see look-at-me types cruisin’ maybe I could afford a Cayman.

Whatever. I did not say 350z wasn’t a good performance car and that Cayman was the worth the price. MY POINT WAS in response to post #4 where RAS compared 350z to Cayman, that these cars are in different categories and are not cross-shopped, therefore not an apple-to-apple comparison.

North… Of course the Cayman and the 350Z are cross-shopped. Do you think people live within brand categories? Someone may want a lighter, prettier Cayman and be able to spend the premium–or they may want to save the money and get a rougher, more powerful track car and then pocket the cash for something else.

Using the 350Z to bolster an argument may or may not be correct–yes, that’s true. But to say the Cayman doesn’t have to stand up against a much cheaper insurgent car like the 350Z is giving Porsche a pass. The playing field is changing–Porsche has to stand up against value brands, no matter how they categorize their cars.

If you are in the market for a weekend/track car, like RAS said, to have fun then you are going to cross shop Caymans with 350Z. I would even look at a MIata. If FUN IS THE POINT. If you want brand kudos only then you might not crossshop, but like michael said, nobody will pat you on the back for buying the wimpiest Porsche.

The Z4 looks like a Halibut.
The 350Z is getting dated.
The Infinity (just buy a Nissan if ‘brands don’t matter) is dated too.
The Porsche Cayman will probably outlast them all, and thank God the old Boxter headlights are gone. But I’m not gunna buy one. No room in the fantasy garage.

Hi, Just checking for grumpy day!
XOXO

I think the real issue is Porsche is trying to protect the Carrera where Porshe even admits is obsolete from an engineering standpoint compared to the Caymen. They feel they must retain the Carerra on top because it is iconic. Well great, you have the top of the line Carrera with poor distribution because of the engine hanging all the way out back, and the car still performs well (by means only God knows how), but its not worth the lost cause. I’m not saying to get rid of the Carrera, it isn’t a bad car, its iconic. Let the “purists” have their Carrera but let everyone else who has the money to have the Caymen as it was meant to be, 350+ hp.

If the Cayman had a LSD, and the 911’s suspension, it would destroy the 911 in terms of handling. But, Porsche is never going to allow the 911 to be dethroned by the cheaper Cayman.

And I think the ‘purists’ want a proper Cayman. Nothing harkens back more towards the days of the 356 than the Cayman.

Jon.

Posts #39 and #40 both illustrate my point about premium brands’ cynical marketing. As a chassis, that Boxster/Cayman is a superior platform. Why then is it marketed with underpowered engines, if not to provide market segmentation for their models. Especially considering the major difference between six cylinder Porsche engines of any model, and (except for turbocharged models) are cylinder liners. I don’t know about everyone else, but I have trouble believing that a set of thinner liners is worth an extra $8k. So, I ask again, are Porsche prices justified nowadays? If a basic Cayman carried 350 hp, then it would definitely be worth the asking price. Incidentally, who disagrees with me that the S should really have been turbocharged?

I just find it hard to pay 4400USD more for the base cayman over the base boxster. I mean the convertible top itself costs a substantial amount. Its not like the base cayman has 255hp, it only has a 5 hp increase, and the torque rating remains the same. But I am still going to test drive the base cayman before deciding whether to get the boxster or the cayman.

all of the cars mentioned have their good aspects.

the 350Z is a little less refined than “name brands”. its got straight line performance like a the Cayman, a little bit roomier than the others mentioned, and some “cheap luxery” if you know what i mean. i dont know a whole lot about the G35, but it sounds to me like even more straight line performance and more roomy and more roomier, but from the pictures ive seen of it, i wouldnt want to see the numbers from its skidpad. the Cayman is very well rounded. with a serious weight advantage over the 350Z and G35, horsepower is not too much of an issue. along with less weight comes a much better skidpad. on the other hand, this weight loss comes from a smaller car, taking away form the “luxery” aspect. though i have not personally seen the inside of a cayman, all pictures look quite nice and whatever the screen is impressed me.

obviously what is bothering you all so much is the high price on this new porsche. easy answer: light weight, high tech material as apose to the heavier but cheaper materials in the other 2.

~David

Yup.

Bottom line, the fact you have to convince yourself of lighter, more high-tech etc… just proves the point: with Porsche’s low-end offerings at least, they’re becoming a luxury brand that you have to keep telling yourself is worth the money. Screw that!

I just skimmed through some of the posts up their. I really don’t understand what most of you guys are talking about. I have an E46 325Ci and we also have a 350z in the household. If you track you’re car and all you care about is your track time, the 350z is great, otherwise is a boring piece of ****. The car feels like a constipated monkey with balls the size of a gorilla’s. The BMW is a 100hp less and still much more fun to drive. Suspension calibration in the BMW is like nothing else in it’s price range, and yeah, it was $5K less than the 350Z.If track time vs $ is you criteria, go buy a WRX Sti.

p.s. Nissan’s don’t even compare in fit and finish exterior/interior and quality of materials.

Sorry, very late on this thread, but just thought I’d point out the following.

Automobile Magazine:

“A lap of the Nordschleife is long, some 12.9 miles, and Porsche tells us that a standard Cayman S completes the circuit in eight minutes and twenty seconds, just five seconds slower than a 911 Carrera”.

The big difference between the base Cayman and the S is the engine size. Chassis is the same. In that light Porsche’s base offering seems like a relative bargain.