Cayman R versus Exige S240

[stuart tanner]

Hi guys,
Have posted on pistonheads but have for a while wanted a Cayman R with manual, buckets, PSE spec to sit alongside me 996.1GT3 in the garage.
Have just recently sold a very fast Caterham SLR which I liked as was cheaper and less precious about and felt could enjoy it more and track it without any guilt. Car was amazing. Now this is sold I'm back to still kinda wanting an R, but recently seen a lovely Exige S 240 very close to doing a deal on. Obviously it being smaller/lighter and prob more nimble the consumables prob be lot cheaper on it than a Cayman R and quite abit cheaper on purchase cost. Just wandeter what people's opinions are or if anyone's swopped out of one for the other???

ps anyone know of any nice decent spec Cayman Rs coming to the market soon ?

thanks
stuart

 

[Masher]

I'm guessing it depends on what you're after as to what the answer is. If you want a car that is 80% track and a bit of road, cheaper (though check out Exige repair panel costs!) and a lot of fun, I expect the Exige is the better choice. If you want a beautifully balanced road car that can be taken to the track and accept a good thrashing 5 (made up number) times a year, looks less likely to suffer depreciation and probably turns more heads, the CR is for you. I imagine that after the Caterham both will feel heavy and sluggish on track. Another car I have hankered after is a Ginetta G40R which at 850kg and up to 200BHP promises to be fun on track. Might hire one soon to scratch the itch.

Check out the white CR at JZM - almost exactly the spec of mine (which I love)

Have fun whatever you get,

Mick

 

[MrDemon]

I would say if you want a Lotus feel but want a Porsche get the 987.2 Spyder.

Having had a Exige and Elise, and R and GT4 and Spyder

the Spyder is the only keeper for sure, it's a great week end car which can do the odd track day.

And you can gate crash the LOT events in it also ;-)

 

[Steve Brookes]

Whilst Masher added a CR to his 964, I swapped my long term 964 for the CR. There has been quite a trend in 964/RS owners who track their cars going out and buying CRs. As current/ex 964 owners we believe we're a pretty discerning bunch about the driving experience which should tell you something about the CR.

A standard CR is most definitely a road car. For some it's just a little too firm on the road and many of the original owners will have sold the car on for that reason (especially if they bought it as a daily driver). The current owners like it for that firmness and the way it talks and communicates to you when playing with it on the road. That's the main difference to a standard S and is the reason why we like it and why it feels that little bit more focused. With a few minor upgrades (brake pads, cooling ducts and tyres) it's immense fun on the track and will surprise many with its pace (driver dependent of course). It's not going to have the pace of a GT3 (or GT4) or the Exige you're interested in. But where it comes into it's own is that you can drive across Europe to the track and you won't feel shattered when you get there. And it's highly reliable. It's a far better drive and quicker than the equivalent S round the track. Some will tell you, you can save £10K by buying an S and spend money to make it better than a standard R. This might well be true but it'll never be an R and you won't get the upgrade money back. You might even devalue the car because it's no longer a standard S.

Like I say, it's not an out and out track car but it's still great fun and capable on track. Here's a little video of my old 964 and new CR on trips we did to Zandvoort. A great European circuit and just as much fun in both cars:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lmLsjRwenU

and here's what a manual CR can be like on track with a good driver (Andy Fagan at Oulton Park):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pnHLFYsNDg

P.s Stuart, I'm sure we have met at 911UK days many years ago? Steve (aka Boxsey).

 

[stuart tanner]

Hi Steve

I'm sure probobly have met over the years, I had a midnight blue 993 for years and now a 996.1GT3 iris blue, funnily enough in your 2nd video at oulton, I was the mobile chicane half way through . Did you go to the dinner / pub after that evening with Chris W / Tim B / Christian etc

It was my first time at Oulton / 1st full day with GT3 on track, generally used to use Caterham at more local tracks.

I saw you had recently got the R, persume you bought it private ?

I wanted an R so can come and play with you guys occasionallay in Spa etc . Was reading your thread on your recent trips. Somewhere I've always wanted to go hence sold Caterhan as not really suitable to drive long distances as such Unlike the R. Too Be honest guessing I'm very tempted with the Lotus as in all respects it be probobly so much cheaper to run in all areas. It's just finding an R at the right price I guess also!

Hope too see you somewhere soon..

 

[Steve Brookes]

Actually this year was the first RS day I've missed for a while. I had just sold the 964 and didn't have the CR yet. But normally go to the Chetwode meal after the trackday with all the guys you mention. Just not this year.

Yes I bought mine private for just under £40K. My buddy Kev also bought one at that price a couple of weeks ago. Both of ours are PDK as that's what we wanted and both have the important bucket seats and spyder wheels. A good spec manual car might cost a bit more. If you exercise patience one at the right price will come up but you have to move fast because dealers also jump on the private sales quickly.

And you would be welcome to join the trips...there's usually a merry band of a dozen of us and we're mostly in Caymans these days!

 

[ChrisW]

The trips are mega fun ...

My feeling is that the Cayman takes quite a lot of learning. You think you are going fast, --- but the more you try the faster you go --- and the slower everything seems to happen. At some point the car becomes very forgiving and you stop worrying about how you might use any extra power ... and instead find yourself gently sideways in lots of places, riding the chassis.

The learning is in the journey

 

[stuart tanner]

Thanks for all the responses guys, I've put down a deposit on a lovely private R the weekend which im sure will be a known car for the right reasons. Lovely white manual one with the right bits. Looking forward to collecting it...

ps anyone going to the goodwood charity track day October ?