ORIGINAL: flat6
Will look forward to your comments.
Just between me and you
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Your Cayman 981 mini-review is another hidden gem on the Spyder forum. I'm surprised you weren't bludgeoned with the blunt end of a GT2. You've taken a similar open approach to that of the PCNA article that was the thread starter.
I hope you don't mind but I've picked out a few things to comment on.
"These new cars offer a new kind of Porsche experience and anyone who is forward looking has the best daily driver Porsches in the new cars but unlike other marques, you don't lose any handling ability of the older cars, to gain some comfort. You might lose some feel but you'll get over that if you let yourself."
Clearly the subtlety of the feedback was not lost on you. Relax and ignore those inner demons! The question of the degree of feedback relates to individual experience and I've never driven of any sort of 987, day in and out, under the conditions that I drive my particular variant of the 981.
"If a Porsche is a weekend toy then I can see why different people will pick different eras, right back to the first cars of 50 years ago."
The "Toy" concept (often voiced) is a bit lost on me; I use mine as and when necessary. I prefer the concept of "downsizing". I'm most partial to your "era picking" idea. I was stuck with my era but was most fortunate to have the use of a LHD 911 in W. Germany nearly 50 years ago and I lucky to still be able to enjoy a Porsche in your era.
"..Though, push hard enough and you'll be surprised by the speed you're (eventually) doing when you look at the speedo. The ride is so well accomplished that you don't realise the speed you're carrying when you (eventually) get there. I could drive this car 500 miles and not feel tired. Then when pushing on through some corners it gives the same confidence that the Spyder does."
The "turn in" is excellent. I found that the "surprise" speed effect was more marked "roof up" in the Boxster than in the Cayman, with less frenetic engine noise & road roar in the Boxster's well insulated semi-hard shelled soft top. Top down the Boxster wins again; excellent wind rush without much buffeting, better intake & exhaust noise and less tyre roar. I suspect the tiredness defeating properties of either are linked to the unwanted "noise" reduction through the chassis, but it's clearly not enough to sap your confidence and hence awareness of the level of appropriate feedback whilst cornering.
"However, if the road surface is knackered, you don't need to back off as it soaks up the bumps better."
That seems to be a general property of the 981 chassis, even with 20" wheels; I've driven the standard suspension in both the Boxster & Cayman and would agree. The PASM variant is similar but better, you don't get the "patter" at slower speed which irons out as you press on with the non-PASM option. PASM's adaptive ability is excellent, and as I've already said I leave it in the "Sport" setting. For my pattern of road use it's too much of a fiddle to keep switching between the settings. I sometimes wonder whether the option is available as a sales ploy. With two dynamically closely overlapping settings why not you have one to encompass both? Maybe that's the next iteration. Some may find this controversial but I find PASM is simply more accomplished than the standard suspension. I'd be interested to try the X73, but it wasn't available at the time so I can't comment.
"I do also wonder if the steering set-up on the 981 Cayman is different to the 981 Boxster as this car felt less "˜floaty' than the Boxster I drove."
I couldn't really detect any difference between the steering of the Cayman & Boxster but then again on the road I couldn't detect any real difference in the "stiffness" of the handling between the two. I stepped from one to the other so maybe I was adapted to the rubbish steering! Both the 981's go where you point them, let you know where they're pointed and the stay pointed. I be interested to know whether the hydraulic and electric assist share the same steering rack. I assume they're both ZF?
"Now, I'm not saying that the 2.7 with 275bhp isn't going to be enough for some.."
I'd generally agree. Had a rare chance to try the 2.7 but my choice was dictated by the less frantic hill climbing ability of the 3.4. I prefer the smoother power delivery of the 3.4 and I think it's a better matched with the PDK gearbox.
"The 981's (brakes) are well sorted in that there is much better initial bite without being snatchy ..."
The brake feel, feedback & performance are outstanding. For some of the roads I travel they can occasionally be a little irritating on loose surfaces. Testing them on the PEC high friction surface (with somebody else's tyres) was stimulating. With practice you can get surprisingly close to the end barrier. The brakes and steering make "Game Dodging" a pleasure, but only up to the point that you don't!
"..In the 981 I think the gear lever is positioned to be in closer reach from the steering wheel, like in a race car, which clearly has an advantage if you're going to be on track more than on the road. I guess it just depends what you prefer and whether you like to lean forward or lean back. If you go for PDK you don't have to concern yourself with it and I'd for sure be with PDK in a 981 anyway."
Even though mine is PDK, I agree with the positioning of the lever. I do have the paddles but only use them as a manual override function in Drive (auto). For full manual operation, I'm old fashioned and prefer to use the gear lever. One small point, I habitually disable the stop-start function which, for relaxed driving in auto mode, switches off the sometimes lethal coast function on relaxed corner approaches; more readily holds manual override downshifts through corners; and reduces the propensity to hunt for higher gears on short straights between corners. For momentary pauses the stop-start function is annoying and I rarely drive in stop-start traffic. Puzzled by PDK debate, they always seem to miss the point that it's about when you change gear not how?
Finally, the following interesting comment (of many) taken from one of your posts on this thread.
"..I've no doubt the 981 has turned out exactly as Porsche has intended but I think it is directed at a wider audience, to take sales from customers at competitors such as Merc etc. who may have found a Porsche not relaxed enough. There's no less capability for those who want a Porsche to be a Porsche but I think it takes a different mindset to find it."
Imagine yourself back into the era of transition from 356 to 911 and re-evaluate that statement.
Sorry for being a bore.
FBR
..back to the thread..
