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Spyder vs R... again

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flat6

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Has anyone seen this?
http://www.excellence-mag.com/issues/196/articles/open-and-shut-case-track-test

Also, did anyone read the Spyder vs R test in the Sept issue of GTPorsche magazine?

How could they get opposing results?!

Personally i'd like to think that the lower centre of gravity and lower weight of the Spyder give it as much advantage as the 10 extra HP in the R.

What say you?
 
ORIGINAL: flat6

Has anyone seen this?
http://www.excellence-mag.com/issues/196/articles/open-and-shut-case-track-test


What say you?
Click to expand...

I say having just returned from a 40 miles country roads blast just couldn't imagine the fixed head "R" being any more fun for me [8D]

Both are amazing pieces of kit and far beyond my humble skills to ring anywhere close to the last ounce of grip or speed from them

Horses for courses I am a topless lover so it can only be the Spyder for me while others will be FHC only types and will only go for the R [;)]


F54559D69EED4CB986ECEE2EE516785C.jpg
 
I've driven both at the Handling circuit at Porsche Centre Silverstone (three others in my group did too).
We all walked away deeply impressed by the CaymanR and all agreed it was a much better handling car than the Spyder.
Chalk and cheese.

If it wasn't intentionally underpowered it would be a giant killer.
 
OK, interesting comparison - but on a GoKart track? 1st gear corners? Not particularly sensible.
 

ORIGINAL: Rodney Naghar

I've driven both at the Handling circuit at Porsche Centre Silverstone (three others in my group did too).
We all walked away deeply impressed by the CaymanR and all agreed it was a much better handling car than the Spyder.
Chalk and cheese.
Click to expand...

I did this too a couple of weeks ago. Reached the opposite conclusion!!

I was expecting to be blown away by the R but somehow it didn't excite me, jumped into a PDK Spyder for the second stint and it was home from home. May have been down to tyres, think the cars had been used to their full potential that day!
 
Just coming towards the end of a 2k plus miles trip having completed two stelvios and two col de torinis already!! Have to say that the handling of the boxster s sport has been brilliant and hard to imagine the R being that much better- the cayman s certainly felt little different - except of course we wouldn't have enjoyed the 7 days of glorious sunshine !! Doing grasse to Grenoble tomorrow before the boring flog through the rest of France - it will be hard convincing Linda that we need another 911 after this!! Even the 991 that's planned .
 
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I haven't driven either car, yet, but have much interest in them both. I'm losing faith in car magazine tests and I think getting multiple differing views on a forum is much just as useful.

Anyone else driven them both?
 
Alan Woods, a member who also posts on here has a Cayman R and I think toyed with getting a Spyder before finalising his decision so may well be able to offer a useful opinion.

I think the choice between the two has to be down to personal preference, not because one is "better" than the other. As a 2nd car, the Spyder does it for me - those looks, incredible performance/handling and wind in your hair motoring are a very attractive combination. It is however severely compromised as a motorway cruiser, particularly roof up if you like keeping up with outside lane speeds, due to excessive wind noise.

The Cayman R is probably a more sensible daily proposition and is obviously preferable to those who like a fixed roof over their heads.
 
I'll look forward to hearing from Alan. Haven't noticed him on here for a while.

... and I don't mean to say that magazine car tests aren't useful, I just think that the outcome can often be influenced by the magazine tester's personal preferred evaluation criteria, rather than being a balanced view, so the more views the better.
 

Cayman R is UK's Best Driver's Car
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motoring/cayman-r-is-uks-best-drivers-car/259527/pictures/cayman-r-is-uks-best-drivers-car.aspx

The Porsche Cayman R has emerged triumphant in Autocar's annual Britain's Best Driver's Car comparison for 2011. Of the 11 cars on test, it was the Cayman R's completeness and ruthless efficiency, which stood out for the six judges, no mean feat considering that last year's winner "" the Porsche 911 GT3 RS - was also a contender.

The rigorous three-day test took place at Rockingham's 1.7-mile long Motor Speedway, featuring a fine mix of second, third and fourth-gear corners as well as a plethora of changes in gradient and camber, sometimes mid-bend. To complete testing, we also took to some of the Midland's most challenging B-roads.

In a well-deserved second place was the light-footed (and one of the cheapest) Caterham Seven Supersport, followed by the Aston Martin V8 Vantage S and the 911 GT3 RS.

Despite the McLaren MP4-12C's technical brilliance and undoubted pace, speed does not necessarily equal fun, so sixth place was the best it could muster in our testing, one place below the Lotus Evora S.

Editor-at-large Steve Sutcliffe described the winning Cayman R's steering as "about as sweet as it gets," while its ride is "150 times better than it has any right to be considering how little body movement there is when you're really going for it".

For the full story, see the 12 October edition of Autocar magazine, on sale today.
 
That was some serious competition it was up against.

The Cayman R is also a candidate in the Auto Express Performance Car of the Year.
 
ORIGINAL: flat6

That was some serious competition it was up against.

The Cayman R is also a candidate in the Auto Express Performance Car of the Year.
Click to expand...


This seems pretty conclusive so Spyder vs R it probably has to be the R even though I'm a proud Spyder owner [8D][:D]

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-video/britain%27s-best-performance-car-2011-video-review/
 
Having worked with several motoring journalists in the past and a family involved in magazine publishing, it always amazes me how journalists metamorphose into 'experts' when move titles. Particularly so when they previously wrote for Pangolin Fanciers Weekly, American Fridge Owner or Manhole Cover News. In my view there are just a handful of journalists who are subject matter experts and worthy of respect and none of them write for Autocar.
 
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