This is in some parts a generic 981 review and then in other parts, Cayman specific. A couple of weeks ago my car was in at my local OPC for new tyres and my wind deflector clips being replaced. I asked for a Cayman as a loan vehicle and despite it being in heavy demand as a demonstrator, they managed to make it happen. Well, the first thing I decided I liked was the high level brake light. Makes sense for a high level light to be as high as possible, rather than just a little bit higher than the light clusters.
It was a 2.7 manual. The engine does sound good and the standard exhaust does sound like a sports exhaust. Sitting stationary and giving some revs on the warmed up engine, I wasn’t expecting to hear a throaty crackle when releasing the throttle. It did sound good, but for a car of this power level, it did seem a bit synthetic for it to sound like this. It would feel more so if it didn’t turn out to have a level of performance to match those noises of aggressive combustion whilst driving down the road trying to give that impression in the ears passer’s by. Inside the cabin is great quality in terms of design, fit and finish. Whilst I’d still want a leather interior, the texture of this standard interior seems better than on the 987. I didn’t like the position of the gear lever. It was too high for me and a fair distance away. When my arm is resting on the centre console arm rest, the gear level is out of reach. When working the gears my arm felt very elevated and little more outstretched than I’d like. Something I obviously hadn’t noticed in the PDK 981’s I’d driven. I’m biased to coupe versus cabriolet and I do like it inside the Cayman. The side window gives much more visibility over your right shoulder than in a Boxster with roof up. Much safer for a quick reaction overtake. (“So leave the Boxster roof down!†I hear you say[
]). With a Boxster, I do like driving roof down, but with the roof up it’s a significant compromise compared to a coupe and feels like wearing an oversized helmet in a Boxster. I guess it depends on how much you get the top down on your roadster. 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. Maybe the difference is due to something else but it definitely felt different to me. To get a feel for the speed of steering rack around the centre, I did try rocking the steering wheel back and forth around the centre position. The car didn’t change direction but beyond a certain shallow angle you can feel the car rocking. I tried this in the Spyder on the way there and the same thing happened, albeit over a smaller angle of rotation of the wheel. The Spyder would rock more for the same steering wheel rotation as in the 981. However, with both cars, no matter how small the angle of steering input, the car went where it was told immediately if that angle was held. If you rock back and forth quick enough the input has been cancelled out before the car has overcome inertia to turn, because a turn in the opposite direction has been applied. I.e. the wheels do change direction and the car with it but you can cancel it out before the inertia is overcome. I think the Spyder has a quicker steering set-up than this standard car. The steering on a standard car is probably a more relaxed set-up so that there’s less work to keep the car going straight. With the Spyder’s set-up there is less work to make the car change direction quickly and precisely but if you sneeze, you will change lanes. It's a trade off in the set-up the car is intended to have for it's intended purpose and experience. I do wonder that if Porsche had been able to conceal that the power steering has been changed from hydraulic to electric, whether the journalists would have made such a big issue about any lack of feel. It may lack some feel but it is very accurate. Now, I’m not saying that the 2.7 with 275bhp isn’t going to be enough for some, but for me, a sports car is not just about having a sporting looking body and sporty driving capable chassis, it also needs a powerful engine. 2nd gear with foot to the floor is pretty docile in the 2.7. Foot to the floor in such a low gear should be reserved for when you are on a serious charge. Overtaking wasn’t effortless like in a 3.4. I overtook a car that wasn’t going very fast and it took far too long. I dropped down to 3rd which is usually sufficient in the Spyder for a quick overtake. I’ll be past a moving car in say, 5 car lengths; the first car length to pull out, 2 to 3 car lengths to pass the moving vehicle and another car length to be clear to pull in. In the 2.7 it felt like the equivalent overtake took a lot longer alongside the vehicle being passed. I was going too quickly for 2nd gear and 3rd wasn’t giving the torque and acceleration I needed. I don’t think I personally would gain any increased fuel economy with a 2.7 vs a 3.4 as I would be working with the low gears much much more. With the Spyder I can pretty much attempt an overtake in any gear and only use 3rd if I want to be urgent and the throttle pedal doesn’t need to reach full travel to get some torquey surge. I didn't find a sweet spot in rev range / gear in the 2.7. It was always pretty docile throughout and the top end of 2nd or the mid-range in 3rd both left me wanting something in between. The Gen 1 Cayman S I had with 295bhp, which is ‘only’ 20bhp more than this new 2.7, had much more urgency about it, which will be more down to the extra torque than the extra horsepower. An upgrade from a Gen 1 S to a 981 2.7 would not keep you on the same level of in-gear performance. In fact, according to Porsche’s figures, 50 – 75mph in the 2.7 981 takes 8.0secs. In the Gen 1 Cayman NON-S they said 6.9secs and in the Gen 1 S, 6.6. I’d have to agree with that. I couldn’t give up the practicality of rear seats etc. without the performance gain and would take something like a Toyota GT-86 instead of a 2.7 - 4 seats, much cheaper and warm performance. OK OK, enough about the 2.7. I’m not bashing it, just explaining quantitatively why it’s not for me. 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. However, if the road surface is knackered, you don’t need to back off as it soaks up the bumps better. On picking up the Spyder I took the roof off the Spyder before setting off home, if only to remove the blind spot that afflicts a Boxster with the roof up[]. The Spyder has the advantage over a standard Boxster in that the roof can be left on with the rear screen removed, which removes the blind spot and the feeling of wearing an oversized helmet. OK, OK, I also took it off because it was a nice day[]. Back in my car the gear lever was in just the right place. Well within reach and the elevation of the arm from the arm rest to grab the top of the gear lever was next to nothing. The brakes felt like the discs had been contaminated. The car didn’t do much stopping on pressing the brake. Yes the 987 brakes require a healthy prod but after doing some miles in the 981 it made that more apparent. If you press the 987 brakes with the same apathy as you can in the 981, not much happens. Yes the 987 Spyder has good stoppers but the 981’s are well sorted in that there is much better initial bite without being snatchy (and this was the non-S brakes). I used to think I could do with a little more leg room in the 987, but actually it’s leg room under the steering wheel that I could do with a little more of. My seat is pushed back to the end of the rails but if the steering wheel could raise slightly higher off my legs, that would give me what I need. Nonetheless, I do prefer the seating position in the 987. I sit back within easy reach of the gear lever. In the 981, yes it's more roomy but I have to reach forward to work the gear lever. I’m going to keep this 987 Spyder. Why, well aside from the obvious (the brilliant drive and the looks), it fit’s me, like relaxing in an armchair with the remote control with reach at the end of the left armrest. When cruising around I’m sitting in a more relaxed, laid back position. That is not to say i'm keeping the Spyder over a 981 for that reason. No i've other reasons why i'm keeping it, but the seating position I just appreciated more after being away from it. In the 981 I think the gear leaver 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. In the few days that followed back in the Spyder, I went back to being the local celebrity. Well the car did, not me[&o][].
Alas, the Spyder is the last 2 seater I can justify owning as it’s already inconvenient at times in my personal home scenario, but the Spyder stays. But I’d love to have a 981. It’d be a Cayman S PDK in Speed Yellow with SportTechno wheels with black accents (not available on the configurator last time I checked but available for Boxster[&:]). Or if I went Boxster (which I personally wouldn’t) it’d be the same Yellow again but with Spyder look-a-likey wheels, erm I mean Carrera S wheels, painted in black. Yes the 987 and 997 are the end of a certain type of Porsche. But then so was the 993 and the 964 before it. 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. 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. But Porsche’s are for driving as much as possible IMHO and the new cars make that much more accessible. At the end of the day, we can't all be the same and make the same choices but it's great that all Porsches seem to offer something unique and great in their own way and I can still appreciate my Spyder whilst Porsche has moved the game on.
]). With a Boxster, I do like driving roof down, but with the roof up it’s a significant compromise compared to a coupe and feels like wearing an oversized helmet in a Boxster. I guess it depends on how much you get the top down on your roadster. 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. Maybe the difference is due to something else but it definitely felt different to me. To get a feel for the speed of steering rack around the centre, I did try rocking the steering wheel back and forth around the centre position. The car didn’t change direction but beyond a certain shallow angle you can feel the car rocking. I tried this in the Spyder on the way there and the same thing happened, albeit over a smaller angle of rotation of the wheel. The Spyder would rock more for the same steering wheel rotation as in the 981. However, with both cars, no matter how small the angle of steering input, the car went where it was told immediately if that angle was held. If you rock back and forth quick enough the input has been cancelled out before the car has overcome inertia to turn, because a turn in the opposite direction has been applied. I.e. the wheels do change direction and the car with it but you can cancel it out before the inertia is overcome. I think the Spyder has a quicker steering set-up than this standard car. The steering on a standard car is probably a more relaxed set-up so that there’s less work to keep the car going straight. With the Spyder’s set-up there is less work to make the car change direction quickly and precisely but if you sneeze, you will change lanes. It's a trade off in the set-up the car is intended to have for it's intended purpose and experience. I do wonder that if Porsche had been able to conceal that the power steering has been changed from hydraulic to electric, whether the journalists would have made such a big issue about any lack of feel. It may lack some feel but it is very accurate. Now, I’m not saying that the 2.7 with 275bhp isn’t going to be enough for some, but for me, a sports car is not just about having a sporting looking body and sporty driving capable chassis, it also needs a powerful engine. 2nd gear with foot to the floor is pretty docile in the 2.7. Foot to the floor in such a low gear should be reserved for when you are on a serious charge. Overtaking wasn’t effortless like in a 3.4. I overtook a car that wasn’t going very fast and it took far too long. I dropped down to 3rd which is usually sufficient in the Spyder for a quick overtake. I’ll be past a moving car in say, 5 car lengths; the first car length to pull out, 2 to 3 car lengths to pass the moving vehicle and another car length to be clear to pull in. In the 2.7 it felt like the equivalent overtake took a lot longer alongside the vehicle being passed. I was going too quickly for 2nd gear and 3rd wasn’t giving the torque and acceleration I needed. I don’t think I personally would gain any increased fuel economy with a 2.7 vs a 3.4 as I would be working with the low gears much much more. With the Spyder I can pretty much attempt an overtake in any gear and only use 3rd if I want to be urgent and the throttle pedal doesn’t need to reach full travel to get some torquey surge. I didn't find a sweet spot in rev range / gear in the 2.7. It was always pretty docile throughout and the top end of 2nd or the mid-range in 3rd both left me wanting something in between. The Gen 1 Cayman S I had with 295bhp, which is ‘only’ 20bhp more than this new 2.7, had much more urgency about it, which will be more down to the extra torque than the extra horsepower. An upgrade from a Gen 1 S to a 981 2.7 would not keep you on the same level of in-gear performance. In fact, according to Porsche’s figures, 50 – 75mph in the 2.7 981 takes 8.0secs. In the Gen 1 Cayman NON-S they said 6.9secs and in the Gen 1 S, 6.6. I’d have to agree with that. I couldn’t give up the practicality of rear seats etc. without the performance gain and would take something like a Toyota GT-86 instead of a 2.7 - 4 seats, much cheaper and warm performance. OK OK, enough about the 2.7. I’m not bashing it, just explaining quantitatively why it’s not for me. 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. However, if the road surface is knackered, you don’t need to back off as it soaks up the bumps better. On picking up the Spyder I took the roof off the Spyder before setting off home, if only to remove the blind spot that afflicts a Boxster with the roof up[]. The Spyder has the advantage over a standard Boxster in that the roof can be left on with the rear screen removed, which removes the blind spot and the feeling of wearing an oversized helmet. OK, OK, I also took it off because it was a nice day[]. Back in my car the gear lever was in just the right place. Well within reach and the elevation of the arm from the arm rest to grab the top of the gear lever was next to nothing. The brakes felt like the discs had been contaminated. The car didn’t do much stopping on pressing the brake. Yes the 987 brakes require a healthy prod but after doing some miles in the 981 it made that more apparent. If you press the 987 brakes with the same apathy as you can in the 981, not much happens. Yes the 987 Spyder has good stoppers but the 981’s are well sorted in that there is much better initial bite without being snatchy (and this was the non-S brakes). I used to think I could do with a little more leg room in the 987, but actually it’s leg room under the steering wheel that I could do with a little more of. My seat is pushed back to the end of the rails but if the steering wheel could raise slightly higher off my legs, that would give me what I need. Nonetheless, I do prefer the seating position in the 987. I sit back within easy reach of the gear lever. In the 981, yes it's more roomy but I have to reach forward to work the gear lever. I’m going to keep this 987 Spyder. Why, well aside from the obvious (the brilliant drive and the looks), it fit’s me, like relaxing in an armchair with the remote control with reach at the end of the left armrest. When cruising around I’m sitting in a more relaxed, laid back position. That is not to say i'm keeping the Spyder over a 981 for that reason. No i've other reasons why i'm keeping it, but the seating position I just appreciated more after being away from it. In the 981 I think the gear leaver 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. In the few days that followed back in the Spyder, I went back to being the local celebrity. Well the car did, not me[&o][].
