350Z vs. the new Porsche Cayman S?

What does everyone think. Looks like very similar performance, size, layout, etc. But, of course, the Porsche costs nearly double when optioned out. You KNOW the car mags are going to run these two cars against each other. Will the Z's value factor take it over the Porsche? Is the Cayman worth the extra money?

 

I would put money that they dont. Its a different car completely, price reflects that.

Stupid comparison, your better off comparing 06 drop top vs s2000.

 

When the early photos of the Cayman S came out, I saw one magazine recommend a few other cars to look at if the buyer couldn't wait until the Porsche was available later this year. One of the cars they recommended was the Z. So it wouldn't suprise me if you see a magazine or two do a comparison from the sense of "is the Porsche worth the extra dosh or not". When it comes down to it, I am sure the Porsche will spank the Z in every category with all of it's options. I know the performance figures are close, what was the weight difference?

g

 

Why is it an inevitable comparison? Z has always been about affordable sports cars for the masses. Not Porsche. Tough to compare a 65K car with a 35K one.

 

Good point, but they do these types of comparisons with bikes all the time. Comparing an MV Agusta F4 vs a Suzuki GSXR 750 as an example. The MV is twice the money of the gixxer. So you never know.

g

 

I'm putting my money on the forseeable comparisons:

1.) C6 Corvette (NOT the Z06) vs. Porshce Cayman.

2.) Nissan 350 Z vs Toyota "New" Supra (if it even comes out).

3.) Toyota Camry Hybrid Vs. Honda Accord Hybrid (more likely to be cluttered into an article titled "Hybrid Shoot-Outs with 5 other Hybrids).

 

Yeah, the cayman is a totally different car. I'd take the Z and mod it for that amount of money any day.

 

You know, my I was just having this conversation with my husband. Last night I configured and printed out info on the new Cayman. I gotta say, I really like the way my Z looks better, and the Porche's performance doesn't justify paying twice as much as a Z. Not for me, anyway. Don't get me wrong, it's a great car, and I'm not bashing it in any way, I just don't want one.

However, I do think it's going to be one of the best selling Porches of all time, and I'm looking forward to seeing lots of them on the streets around here sometime soon.

 

Thanks for asking, but I don't have $49,000. And I don't bother looking at things that I cant afford.

 

i like both cars. i think the Z is more sexy IMO but the performance of the cayman s cannot be denied... its supposidly faster than a 911 around the 'ring. it also has an extensive (and expensive) list of options including composite brakes.

having said that, I agree comparisons will be made. Ultimately, $ for $, I think both cars will fare well, and I expect them to conclude that whichever you can afford, buy and enjoy.

 

I will second that. Same reason I dont go look at the NSX - it would be my sports car choice if I wanted to spend the munch money!

 

lets see im guessing mags will compare it.

 

LOL! Z more sexy than the Cayman? Get real, Z's are good looking but that porsche is just HOT!

 

A more realistic comparison will be the regular Cayman with the Z. It will be cheaper and have a little less power. The S weighs less than the Z and makes better power. But I agree with the poster above who said they would take the Z and throw on a couple thousand in tasteful mods and blow the Cayman in the weeds for tens of thousands less.

And I don't think it is "HOT". I don't like the look much and actually my favorite Porsche was the 1997 911. But then everyone has their own taste and opinions and I am sure Porsche will sell a bunch of the "Boxster Coupes'.

 

The C6 Corvette is habitually compared to the Porsche 911 and does very well in all the categories considering it costs about $30K less. The fact that the Vette is even considered a rival to the 911 is a testiment to the 'Vette's value. A C6 Corvette would slaughter the Cayman which is nothing more than a boxster with a hardtop. The new Z06 @500hp would spank the 911 in just about every category, IMHO.

I can foresee the Z going up against the Porsche Boxster, the Honda S2000, the Audi TT, and dare I say it, the BMW Mini Cooper S.

A Hybrid Shootout would be about as interesting to read about as a Consumer Report on toasters.

 

exactly, this is why, if i were porsche, i wouldnt want to have a mag do an article comparing me with a car so far from my entry price point. it takes the value away from the porsche, and adds it to the z (not to say that porsche owners are buying for value, they're not, but they probably wouldnt like seeing their baby compared to economicaly inferior vehicles). i dont see this matchup happenning - though i can see why some would think of it.

 

I have to disagree. I don't like the looks of the cayman. It's like driving a car with a front that looks like a duck's bill. It's like something squashed the front. Am I saying porsche is better then nissan? No. Just saying that I do not like the way the cayman looks.

It's like the Crossfire srt-6(the faster version). Sure it is more expensive then the Z, sure it is faster then the Z. But IMO, I don't like how it looks at all. It's the same with the cayman.

Just because a car came from a prestiges company and it is expensive, does not automatically make it a good looking car. Anyhoo. this is just my personal taste. People have very different taste, look at all the Aztec driving around...

 

it'll definately be compared to a Z...one of those "best bang for your buck" articles...

 

Well.....What got me thinking on this was that Car & Driver did a recent comparison between a $48,000 Corvette and $80,000 Porsche 911. That's not a test I would have predicted either. Car mags will do this from time to time. They won't do it in a "group" shootout, but I have seen it done with two cars. It's the "Is it worth the extra money?" idea.

 

The only time those tests make *any* sense, is when they want to show that the $48K car either matches (or nearly matches) or rivals the performance (or some aspect) of the $80K car. Then it's more like showing how good the $48K car is (as good as an $80K Porsche). This makes sense.

If the $80K stomps the $48K car though, there's no point in reading the article.