Ekona Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Well, this exact Cayman to be precise. It's a car I've had on loan for a week whilst mine was in the workshop, and having never had a Cayman for an extended period of time I thought it might be a good idea to get some thoughts about down in writing, and a comparison to a Zed as a fairly direct competitor. It's a basic non-S Cayman, so that means just 265bhp and a weight of about 1430kgs. The car did have the PDK 'box, and a few other fripperies like the Bose stereo, heated seats, multifunction steering wheel, satnav... Sounds very familiar to the spec of a 370Z, doesn't it? It's about £50K in this spec (!), so considerably more than a 370! Is it worth the extra? Well, yes and no. I'll start with the caveat that this particular car had the 19" wheels off a 911 Turbo on it, instead of the 17" wheels it should have as standard. Granted they do look better, but they're incredibly heavy for a car this light which very much blunts the nimbleness you would expect from a mid-engined car. You turn the wheel and the car almost stops to think about what you're asking of it, before actually turning in. The ride is atrocious because of this, as it's on the fixed rate dampers which again would be fine with the smaller wheels on, but here the car fidgets and crashes over the slightest mark in the road. A comfortable, flowing ride it is not. Then there's the powerplant positioned aft of your shoulders. At 2.9L it gives away nearly a litre to the Zed, and 65bhp with it, so you'd be expecting performance to suffer a bit. Thing is, it really doesn't, at least not from the sense of "Can I go quick enough to scare myself?". Even forgiving the fact that this was a brand-new car with a tight engine, when you were prepared to press on and keep the revs high there's genuine momentum to be found, and the gearbox is smooth and swift in the changes which almost make the car feel like it's got one giant perfect-ratio gear. Pootling around through town is a bit of a pain as it wants to get to the highest gear possible, which at 30mph is 6th, and while it's happy to trundle about like that there's no pull from low down. If you want to get a shift on, expect the 'box to be swapping cogs regularly. It doesn't make you sound like a bad driver from the outside though as no-one will hear it, such is the lack of aurul pleasure from the engine. It sounds tinny and weak, like a sewing machine at stitch, and certainly not what you'd expect from a Porsche flat-6. If you thought the V6 in the Zed was pathetic, prepare for a whole other world of disappointment. Never has a car needed a sports exhaust more than a base level Cayman: Luckily there's one on the option sheet for about £1500, which would be a must-buy. In actual terms of pace between the two cars though I don't think there's much in it at all, I really don't. I lost count of the amount of times I almost put my head through the windscreen, which for a change wasn't down to me going for the imaginary clutch but more because of how bloody sharp the brakes are. Bearing in mind these are the poverty spec normal brakes, they are absolutely as sharp as a needle borrowed from the earlier mentioned sewing machine. They stop with definite aplomb, and once you get past the initial grab there's plenty of feel there too. I personally found them a bit too sharp, but then maybe I'm just used to the larger brakes on my own car which are far more progressive. I suspect the Cayman brakes are designed to be like this to make up for their lack of capability on repeated stops, although you'd need to be at a track to be remotely disappointed. They really are superb in this application. It's such a shame that Porsche specced this particular car with the larger wheels, as with the smaller brakes found here I suspect you'd end up with one of the greatest driver's cars available without smashing the bank. Leaving aside the compliance issues, there is a wonderful sense of balance to the chassis as you tip the car on the turn in to a fast sweeping corner, and a confidence looms over you like a favourite snuggly blanket. It's very pliable at this point, and you can feel the adjustment from understeer to oversteer controllable with just a poke of your right big toe. Get more aggressive with it and the car will still play along, and the steering input allows for a sharp correction if you're deliberately provoking things without any sense of taking too much on. The fat steering wheel gives you plenty to grab onto, although I'd prefer the paddles rather than the push-me-pull-me buttons here. Where a Zed always feels at its best when you're bullying it around, the Cayman is happy to play at either end of the spectrum. You may find yourself seeking out the fun roads more often than not in the Cayman not only because you want to, but because you know that you need something to take your mind off how uncomfortable the standard seats are. On a short-ish trip of 40 mins, I couldn't ever find a single seating position that was totally comfortable nor supportive. The Zed's big luxury armchair seats are a million times better in comparison, despite having the same amount of adjustment (albeit electric on the Nissan, manual on the Porker). That's about the only place you'll find the 370 better than the Cayman though: Once again, the Germans really go have this interior design stuff down well. Where the Zed is a mis-mash of buttons, colours and textures, the Cayman is simple but elegant, and all controls have that very precise click when you caress them with a fingertip. The satnav alone has a load of different view points to change from (2D, 3D, north facing, rotatable, scalable, multi-routable) which almost makes up for the lack of full postcode search, and the Bose stereo is how you would expect a Bose to sound like: It's full and rounded, with Audiopilot software decoding and separate tonal controls for all inputs. I couldn't find a setting on low volume that didn't muddy the sound though, although I guess they expect you to crank it up to make up for the awful engine note. With two boots it's more practical than the Zed, although the rear one isn't as big as you would hope but the cavernous front one more than makes up for this. Fuel economy was very good, and I was seeing somewhere around 35-40mpg on a run, dropping down to maybe 20mpg if I was really pushing it. Seriously impressive figures, if you care about that sort of thing. I don't. So overall, is it better than the Zed? I refer to my earlier remark of both yes and no. In this spec no, it isn't, as those vile wheels just kill all the fun. I don't care if it looks better, I don't buy a sports coupe to look pretty on the outside but handle like a hamstrung dog when I want to push on. Remove them (and the £1300 they cost) and you'd be very hard pressed to pick a winner. If it's lots of long drives you do then a Zed may be the better choice here, unless you want to spec the sports seats for the Cayman in which case the pendulum is swung back to the Porsche. In terms of outright pace a good driver will get more satisfaction and speed from a well-driven Cayman than a 370Z, but you'd have to put up with that harsh note at revs which is far cheaper to remedy in Nissan. Assuming base for base, no extras on either side, a Cayman at £40K is a better car than the £30K 370Z, but for another ten grand you'd expect it to be too. What it doesn't do is absolutely walk away from the Japanese motor, and honestly I'd say it's swings and roundabouts between the two here. I'd be happier with a 370Z and £15K in the bank than the Cayman in the spec tested, which just goes to show how the right choices can kill a car. Now, if we were talking about a Cayman S with PDK and the PASM suspension, or even better the Cayman R... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R35LEE Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Good write up I had a Cayman S for a short while and it didnt do it for me I think it's because I have driven better spec 911's and it just didn't feel special. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 Good write up I had a Cayman S for a short while and it didnt do it for me I think it's because I have driven better spec 911's and it just didn't feel special. Totally agree. I was conscious of that and tried to ignore the fact I was waiting for my 911 to come back to me, but it does sound very snotty when you write off a £50K coupe as not being feeling special! It's nice in a way that it looks almost identical to my car on the inside, but when I got back in mine it was like night and day, even though my car is three years and 30K miles more worn in. I would never swap, not even for a Cayman R, there's just something about owning a 911 I can't quite put my finger on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Well I think you've definately not sold the Cayman to me. I could counter most of the points, but we'd be here forever. But from what I can see I'm very happy I didnt sink my money into a Cayman The wheels do look plain stupid though, the car sits so high on them! Main points to note for me - sounds like the brakes, seats, engine and handling are all worse than a 370z in that spec. Satnav, although sounds flashy, the Zed does all that too with Connect Premium, plus it now comes with a reversing camera. Interior, although better made in the Cayman, I just thought it was seriously boring I suspect it would be a different story with the Cayman S, but thats another league away in terms of price again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 Well I think you've definately not sold the Cayman to me. Given my preference for Pork, I'm just as surprised I didn't sell it to myself either. The trouble is that at the basic end of the range, buyers tend to opt for stuff that looks pretty and buy the car for the badge rather than the engineering that goes with it, and I have no doubt that the dealer will shift that particular car far quicker than one on standard 17" rims, which is such a shame and just solidifies the stereotype of people buying the car just for the badge. Goes to show as well how crucial wheels and suspension are to the handling of a car. If the Cayman had had the PASM on it then it would probably have been fine. Sadly it didn't, and that's why I didn't gel with it. I know I've been a fairly harsh critic of the 370Z as Nissan didn't build the car I wanted to buy, but genuinely I'd be picking one over a Cayman in this spec any day. Don't get me wrong about the engine, it's a lovely lump that begs to be revved and feels stronger than the 265 ponies it has, but I couldn't live with a car that made such a disappointing noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Totally agree. When I took the Cayman S out on track, it was brilliant, but the Zed is nearly on par and far cheaper. Same can be said for pretty much every aspect of the Cayman S vs 370z, and I feel the standard Cayman (having never been in one, basing it on your feedback), leaves you some what wanting for more. With the Nissan at its price point you can get away with it, but for a Porker, it should be giving more. Nice to know my hunch appears to have been right when I opted for the '70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarmac@TarmacSportz Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Is it me or do the wheels not fill the arches very well on the pics ? thought they would being 19's I drove the 3.4s and I must say I was pretty impressed with it, I actually love the looks nearly as much as I do the 911 too. Great write up Dan... I definately wouldn't consider the 2.7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK350Z Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 19" wheels are only £1300? sounds cheap for porche. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 That's only the cost to buy when new, they're about that for each wheel if you want to buy afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Mark (Abbey) was telling me at the weekend that in the States they have got 370's runnng reliably up to 600bhp on the standard internals - just mention that as a good TT/SC conversion on the HR engine and with brake/suspension upgrade to suit would still give plenty of change over the cost of a basic Cayman S, and give it more than a run for the money - on a track and with PSS of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Good write up I had a Cayman S for a short while and it didnt do it for me I think it's because I have driven better spec 911's and it just didn't feel special. Totally agree. I was conscious of that and tried to ignore the fact I was waiting for my 911 to come back to me, but it does sound very snotty when you write off a £50K coupe as not being feeling special! TBH, when I drove the 997C2 I was saying pretty much the same thing. Really nice and all, but not what I was hoping for in a £75K car Awesome write up though, stupid Q perhaps but how do you feel the handling compares to a lighter MR car, perhaps an MR2? Seems a bit of a strange choice making a 1500KG MR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisS Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 s it me or do the wheels not fill the arches very well on the pics ? thought they would being 19's Looks like it's on stilts. (I also thought about and looked at them before deciding on the 70. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 Awesome write up though, stupid Q perhaps but how do you feel the handling compares to a lighter MR car, perhaps an MR2? Seems a bit of a strange choice making a 1500KG MR It feels very much like a grown up MR2, but it's almost a tad unfair in the comparison. The 987 S I had back in the summer is much closer, and you can really throw it into corners with huge confidence, which was one of the things I loved about my old MR2. It's wonderfully balanced, and is the most complete sports car available today. Well, until the 981 comes out properly, of course. I've not driven a 997C2, was it a gen1 or gen2 car? I've driven a 997.1 T4S which is a fabulous car but I'm not a huge fan of 4WD in the 911. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rancer Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I actually think the 370Z interior looks alot nicer. Most German cars have impecable, quality but bland interiors. The visual impact of the 370Z Black Edition with a red interior knocks the socks off me - which is why it will likely be my next car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 To my eyes it's a mess of different materials, colours, analogue and digital. Each to their own though, it's arguably more exciting than a German interior that's for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I actually think the 370Z interior looks alot nicer. Most German cars have impecable, quality but bland interiors. The visual impact of the 370Z Black Edition with a red interior knocks the socks off me - which is why it will likely be my next car. This man has good taste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EH 370z Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Nice write up, very interesting. I have only driven an old 2.7, and found it a very differrant car to drive than the boxster, felt alot lighter. But only had a couple of hours up the A1 in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesmin Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 When you add the reliability of the 370 I think its a no brainer, I def wont be trading my 370 in for a cayman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 When you add the reliability of the 370 I think its a no brainer, I def wont be trading my 370 in for a cayman Are Caymans known to be unreliable? (genuine question). I've seen more Z4's and Z3's than Porkers parked at the side of the road waiting for recovery. Dont think I've ever seen a Zed but given how few there are thats not suprising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Awesome write up though, stupid Q perhaps but how do you feel the handling compares to a lighter MR car, perhaps an MR2? Seems a bit of a strange choice making a 1500KG MR It feels very much like a grown up MR2, but it's almost a tad unfair in the comparison. The 987 S I had back in the summer is much closer, and you can really throw it into corners with huge confidence, which was one of the things I loved about my old MR2. It's wonderfully balanced, and is the most complete sports car available today. Well, until the 981 comes out properly, of course. I've not driven a 997C2, was it a gen1 or gen2 car? I've driven a 997.1 T4S which is a fabulous car but I'm not a huge fan of 4WD in the 911. Gen1, felt very skittish on the road and nervous on turn in, interior felt cheap and tacky (still better than a 350 mind you ) ....... the engine was very good but felt quite a lot more toppy than I remember the 996C2 being Really struck me as the best car for the money only if you have to have a 911 TBH, was disappointed as I really liked the 996 Afraid the Boxster still holds a bit of a stigma for me TBH .... although I am still using an MR2 as a daily at the moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will370z Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Very interesting read, thanks for the write up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted February 1, 2012 Author Share Posted February 1, 2012 Are Caymans known to be unreliable? (genuine question). I've seen more Z4's and Z3's than Porkers parked at the side of the road waiting for recovery. Dont think I've ever seen a Zed but given how few there are thats not suprising. Early Caymans with the M96/97 engine are as prone to IMS/RMS issues as the 996 and 997.1 911s, so maybe a failure rate of between 5-10% depending on which interweb forum you go on, but the gen2 cars from 2009 on all have the redesigned lump that does away with the intermediate shaft altogether. There have been no known cases of this engine failing anywhere across the world from a design fault since they were introduced in the gen2 997 in 2008. It was a very big point in swaying me towards the later car, put it that way. The cars themselves are as reliable as any Zed, if not more so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 My brothers 986 is now on 140k. Got it 7 years ago with 29kmiles lol. So if you don't get the big problems they run forever and since 80% of parts are shared with the 91 parts are silly cheap. Also they redesign a lot of their parts so your not fitting another part that will fail with a common problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Also they redesign a lot of their parts so your not fitting another part that will fail with a common problem. Good to see some manufacturers out there use common sense rather than just replacing like for like and wondering why the failure happens again and again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EH 370z Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 They only come with a standard 1 year warranty though - Take that in any way..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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