Caymen/Boxster Question.

[Guest]

OK, I'm totaly new to the scene, in fact I will not be buying my first Boxster for a few months yet, so please be gentle with me if I'm asking a 'stupid' question.

My idea of a realistic (for me) Porsche, is Boxster S. Its quick, good looking and, importantly, its a convertible.
To my (novice) eye, the Caymen is a Boxster with a roof, for which you pay extra so as not to be able to drop the roof in the Summer!!

Now I know this will upset some people, but it's not meant to, I am genuinely interested in why people will pay more for a non convertible version of the 'same' car.

If the Caymen is not a Boxster with a roof. what are the differences that warrent such a price differential. Or is it because Porsche know people will pay??

 

[thboxster]

I suppose the biggest difference is the engine. Having a bigger, more powerfull engine under the bonnet, boot, back-seat, whatever. A 3.4 delivering 295bhp instead of the 3.2 giving 280.

 

[oliver]

Porsche are keen to expand their range to the widest possible audience. The Caymen fills another niche.

However, it won't appeal to everyone, and Andrew Frankel summed it up pretty accurately in yesterday's Sunday Times:

"...I'll be surprised if the Cayman S is a runaway success. The market suggests that if you are building a two seater coupe it has to have rear seats (911), and a two seater needs a convertible roof (Boxster)..."

Because it is a new model it will receive a lot of attention, and inevitable comparison, during the next few months, but it will eventually settle into the range and most customers will make their own judgement on which model best suits their needs and lifestyle. IMO Boxster S is a brilliant choice.

 

[NicD]

It handles a little better cos it is stiffer and set up for a more sporty drive - I saw it was driven round the ring 11 secs quicker than a Boxster S! Maybe not an apples and apples comparison re spec and set up, but even if only 2 seconds quicker, then thats still a lot.

BUT after lots of soul searching, our next one will be a Boxster cos of the opening top (unless something changes, of course). Remember the British roads dont allow high speeds, so its more the quality of the drive than how quickly you can arrive (via the Police holding cells)

 

[IainCameron]

ORIGINAL: NicD
... our next one will be a Boxster cos of the opening top. Remember the British roads dont allow high speeds, so its more the quality of the drive than how quickly you can arrive (via the Police holding cells)

Fully agree with you there Nic. I will be re-ordering a new Boxster S for those two reasons when and if the new promised DSG gearbox ever gets installed.

And now that Porsche have bought 20% of VAG maybe we will get it sooner than promised by Porsche a year ago! .... although I have seen talk on the internet on VAG forums "that the new DSG gearbox tourque limit on them is 350 Nm"

Hmmm! perhaps it will be with the tiptronic then.[]

ps VAG=Volkswagen Audi Group[8|]

 

[THX911]

ORIGINAL: IainCameron

And now that Porsche have bought 20% of VAG maybe we will get it sooner than promised by Porsche a year ago!

ps VAG=Volkswagen Audi Group[8|]

I think VAG used to referred to VW and Audi but now VAG is just Volkswagen AG. Under the Volkswagen group comes the automotive division and the financial services division (Europcar rental, etc). The Automotive division has the two key brands Volkswagen brand (VW cars, Skoda, Bentley and Bugatti) and the Audi brand (Audi, SEAT and Lamborghini) and Porsche has now got 20% of all that, wow!

See http://www.volkswagen-ir.de/English_version.337.0.html if you want more details...

 

[Guest]

How is 2 seconds round the Ring a lot? Your demands are abviously a lot more than mine, but I doubt you'd even notice that on the road. And around a 2-3 mile curcuit, it equates to less then 1/2 a second.

 

[lazza]

Best reason for getting a Cayman over a Boxster is that it is likely to hold it's value better than a Boxster - at least for a couple of years (see other thread on Boxster prices).

Lazza

 

[JCB..]

How is 2 seconds round the Ring a lot? Your demands are abviously a lot more than mine, but I doubt you'd even notice that on the road. And around a 2-3 mile curcuit, it equates to less then 1/2 a second.

Blimey a mathematician! [&:]

A 2-3 mile circuit ain't the Ring