the cayman is the better sports car.

the question is, what does the $30k price difference mean to you?

some people would spend $30k on a lot less than that sort of difference. to others its paramount that the addtl $30k buy a totally different level (which the cayman may not be)

as far as long term reliability goes, i cant see the cayman costing less than an 06Z to maintian.

 

I would be leasing the Z or the Cayman. The lease difference would be about $400 per month. I am test friving both side by side today and will give a report!

 

 

Best ---??? JD is a fluke --- I wouldnt base my decision on a "initial quality" because thats using the opinion of people who purchased the car and their "opinions" of quality

The Cayman is nice and Porsche has made big strides in the interior of the boxster --- it shows in the Cayman --- fit and finish looks good

If your going to actually drive this car and own it for 10-15 years I would go for the Z --- it will cheaper to insure, maintain, modify, operate by THOUSANDS of dollars

I love the MR layout of the Cayman and would probably own one to tinker with (3.8L 911 S motor + boost) but MOST people wont touch the car

If your on this board your probably a little like me so figure with 10-15K into the Z youd own an exotic level performance car that is cheaper to own/operate than the Cayman ---- does 600+whp sound appealing? Or will the 295 flywheel hp of the Cayman be enough?

Not in the game? Thats funny

From a status point -- no
From a pure numbers point -- anyone who can read will see they are very similar

One thing you have to remember is the Z has more compromises in it for cost and comfort of regular people --- once you add suspension pieces and engine mods youll transform the car

Considering I paid 32900 for my track Z with forged 19 wheels and bremo brakes the Road/Track as tested price of a 73K Porsche seems a little over the top --- is it 40K better --- I dont think so with just half the much youd have Z that could probably hang very well with a 996 Turbo

For the money and experience I would rather drive this (minus the stickers)

 

I just completed a 3 year lease on a 2004 Touring 350Z (ended up buying and selling it for a profit since it only had 19000 miles on it) and am 1 month into a 3 year lease on a '06 Cayman S with Sport Chrono, Bose surround sound, and a few other options (MSRP $65000). My opinion: both cars are nice and will make you happy.

Price/lease: I paid $550/month for the Z, am currently paying $860/month for the Cayman. I was able to get the dealer to discount $6000 off MSRP as he had 2007 models coming in and wanted to get rid of the '06 cars on the lot. Obviously, 350Z wins here.

Insurance: Equal (at least for me). $582/6 months for the Z, $600/6 months for the Cayman. Obviously this depends on your age, location, driving record, etc.

Interior: no question here, Cayman wins. The Porsche simply has much better build quality (of course, you're paying for it). Although the Z's interior is pretty plasticky and spartan, it's functional and I didn't mind it for 3 years. The Cayman S also has almost exactly twice the amount of trunk/storage space compared to the Z - the front trunk is quite deep (you can actually fit a large wheeled suitcase in there).

Handling: Cayman wins here, mainly due to the mid-engine configuration and near perfect weight distribution. Various magazines have actually stated that the Cayman outperforms the Ferrari Enzo and the Ferrari F430 in the slalom, and can pull up to 1.01g on the skidpad.

Power/performance: About equal here. Similar amount of hp (350Z = 300hp, Cayman S = 295hp), 350Z has noticeably more torque in my experience. However, Porsche does have a habit of understating numbers when it comes to specs of their cars.

Basically, it boils down to what your priorities are. If your #1 priority is to save $, then get the 350Z - it is the best bang-for-the-buck sportscar available on the market today, IMO. If you're into the Porsche name/heritage, want more trunkspace or a better interior, or if the $30k+ price difference doesn't matter to you, then get the Cayman S. If you buy/lease based on your priorities, you'll be happy with either car.

 

In terms of straight line performance the Cayman S is quicker then the Z. The mag times for the Cayman S was low 13s @107. The quickiest time for the Z was a 13.7@102 or so. But for the huge price difference it should be quicker. Porches have below average reliability by Consumer Reports. My 03 Z has over 31k miles and had minor warranty fixes. Maintaining the car is average. I'm sure German cars are alot more expensive to maintain. Keeping a Porche for over 10yrs is going to cost and arm and a leg. But most Porche buyers don't keep their cars long.

 

Actually, the new 997 Carreras and 987 Boxster/Cayman models have very low maintenance intervals, so in the end the cost balances out (assuming no major repairs need to be done, of course). In fact, the Cayman, Boxster, and Carrera owner's manuals recommend an interval of 20,000 miles or 2 years between oil changes.

That said, it's true that the maintenance costs for a Porsche will be higher than for a Z - especially if you plan to keep it for a long time. You gotta pay if you wanna play.

If the original poster is leasing, then reliability shouldn't be much of an issue for him. Regardless, apparently 90+% of all Porsches ever made are still running in some form or another from what I've read.

 

Or better yet. "I drive a car that has 300hp" or "I drive a car with 500hp."

 

Cayman is a good choice, just the extra money on top of the high standard price for some extra options is ridiculous. You can easily spend 25/30k on options on a porsche.....

 

How about the hot-rod SLK55 AMG?
It's got great looks, a hand built V8 engine, and a retractable metal roof.
Can't think of a better ride to blow both the Z and the Porsche off the road for less than $65,000.00
Corvette Z06 has 500hp, but the cheapo interior is a joke.
Sorry GM - "Z06" stitching on the back of standard Corvette bucket seats (with manual, not power recliners) doesn't cut it in today's market.

 

Or how about "I drive a sleeved/boosted Z that has 1000whp"

Seriously the Z06 is nice but at 70K+ for one you could have a much quicker Z

At least the Porsche has a nicer feel to it for the price --- GM's cheapy plastic bonaza has never made me say "I want a vette" because I dont and the more vettes I drive the less I like them

The Cayman is one of two porsches that really catch my attention --- all they need is a 3.8L swap and some boost and it would be a very very capable performer and a whole lot cheaper than a GT

But thats the real difference -- as a daily left stock the Cayman is very nice --- but once modded the Z represents a better value

Both are very capable machines and still have a quality feel --- when I sat in my friends blown C5 (525whp 12psi) the shifter felt like *** and the car felt very cheap to me

Anything can be made fast with enough money so performance isnt really the question --- in the end the Porsche will "feel" the nicest and have the most prestige

Hard choice --- the Z4 Coupe is a nice choice too --- 20K cheaper than the Porsche and is quicker FWIW

 

Just get a 911 Turbo.

 

Already exists. You can get 3.8L X-51 engine upgrades from companies like 9ff and Farnbacher Loles that will increase power to 400hp. Not cheap, but for the price of a 997 Turbo you can get an extremely fast MR configuration car that will easily outhandle anything out there:

 

I actually drove a black 06 Z to the Porsche dealership accross the street and parked it next to a black 06 Cayman S. Here are my impressions.

1. The 06 interior of the Z is far and away better than earlier z's. So those of you complaining about interior being cheap need to look at an 06. Compared to the Cayman, the Z shined in a couple of areas. First, the Z has real aluminum trim. The Cayman had fake plastic cheap looking trim. The Z had a leather steering wheel, the Cayman did not. The headliner looked like it was made from the same factory. I could not tell a difference! The dash of the Cayman was a soft vinyl material. The Z had a quality hard plastic material. The Z also felt bigger on the inside. The seat leather was very comparable on both cars. In short, the Cayman dash material was nicer, but the trim was MUCH better on the Z.

2. Both cars have awesome pull. The Z felt more torque at lower RPM's. The Z engine sounded strong and deep but was also relatively quiet.The Porsche engine sounded like a jet aircraft and was much higher pitched. You can hear the Cayman transmission and engine very loudly in the cabin when accelerating.

There was a 360degree on ramp that I took both cars to. I hit the gas and when I just started to feel the car lose grip, I checked the speedometer. The Z was doing 50, the Cayman 55. I was able to drive the heck out of both cars and spent several hours doing it. I was really ready to like the Porsche but was shocked at how close the Z came to the Cayman S. I can certainly get what I want but it was the Z that put the biggest smile on my face! It was the one I kept staring at when I walked away. My wife couldn't believe it.I like the style of the Cayman S better but I have never drunk the coolaid of the Porsche mistique. There just isn't enough difference between the two models to justify an extra $500 per month payment. And with a few mods, I just don't see how the Z could get any better. I was impressed beyond words with the 06 Z and will be ordering an 07 in January!

 

Wow...that 997TT is positively Bad A$$.

 

YOu can not even order aluminum trim for the Cayman. You can get "aluminum look" trim which is actually plastic! The interior on the Cayman I saw was on a 72K car! Also the Z has LDS which you cannot even order on the Cayman! Everything that comes standard on the Z is an expensive option on the Cayman. You guys and gals who are driving the Z really do have something special.

 

This is definitely true. Nissan really packed a lot of cool high-end technology into its $30k sportscar - a lot of things that are expensive options on the Cayman, or aren't available at all.

Part of the reason why Porsche did this is to keep their 911 as the flagship model. It's common knowledge that Porsche detuned the Cayman so its performance, power, and numbers fell almost EXACTLY between the Boxster and the 911 - which isn't something I necessarily agree with, but it's a trade-off I was willing to take when I bought my Cayman S. Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear had the same complaint - he basically said he believes that when a car manufacturer builds a car, it should build it to the best of its ability and as good as the car design can handle. Porsche clearly knows that a mid-engined sportscar like the Cayman with a 3.6L or 3.8L Carrera engine, LSD, and other things would be faster and handle better than their 911 Carrera - and that's not acceptable to their image.

 

Obviously the Porsche is a better car just becasue of the price difference, but comon. If you get a Porsche go big or go home, don't get their ****tiest model, get a carerra! Seriously though dont get a cayman, my dad has a c6 Corvette, costs less then the cayman, and it smokes it! Go with the Z, or go big or go home on the Porsche.