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There is no substitute...is there?

crxvtec

crxvtec

PCGB Member
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Hello,

My wife is expecting our first born...we therefore need a new car. Cause for celebration of course but I cannot part with the Cayman. I also cannot think of anything that's baby friendly that would be as interesting to drive. Can you?

My shortlist has the following:
Porsche Macan GTS
BMW 340i or M3
Mercedes C450 AMG or C63 AMG
Jaguar F-Pace
Golf R
Jaguar XE S
Audi S4 (B9)

What do you suggest?

I'm also having to adapt the Cayman so it is more comfortable, hence my other thread looking for regular seats so that I can fit a child seat on the passenger side!

Thanks,

C.
 
C,

You've made a list of interesting cars, to which you could add Audi RS3.

You've omitted 997 Carrera 2S ..

Condor

 
Thanks Condor. You're right, I forgot to write Audi RS3. A 911 is sadly a non starter due to a lack of back doors and the roof/seat squab height being as low as the Cayman. Hoisting a child with child seat into a low car would put undue strain on my wife's back and whilst pregnant will be as uncomfortable to enter/egress as the Cayman. That was actually my first suggestion however a friend of mine did run a 991S and soon changed it to a Macan.

 
RS3 or RS6 avant depending on funds.

But if you are keeping the R it's a non issue and you can buy anything !

If you are selling the R let me know.

 
My wife and I managed with a Triumph GT6 through having two children and had it until they outergrew the back seat that I had by that time fitted ( a very rare option ), we coped, not always easily as it was a small car, having said that it was 35yrs + ago and things were different for most people then, there is one comment concerning the fitting of a child seat into the Cayman in that you need to ensure you have the passenger airbag override fitted. It was available as a retro fit on the Gen1 a copy of the driver's manual for which is available through the FAQ section, see page 58, otherwise check your own manual or ask the OPC. I'll see if I can find a link for the Gen2 Driver's manual since Porsche saw fit to remove it from their site.

 
With the greatest of respect, I would suggest that adapting a two-seater Cayman to be able to use one seat to transport a baby is not something which I would want to align with any driving pleasure.

Think about it: if you drive...with the baby. This means you get to look after the sprog. On your own. Good luck with that one...

[;)]

 
Audi SQ5 might work well and keep the Porsche for sure!

(by the way - i'm new here, collecting a Cayman on Saturday - first Porsche, 3 more sleeps...... :) )

 
I remember a similar situation with our first born. Drove an Austin Healey Sprite and my mother in law constructed a cot that fitted snuggly behind the seats. "Elf and safety"? - those were the days!!

Macan GTS? - probably too late to expect completion of an order before April 2017, although there may be cancellations when the initial orderers cool after a test drive (?March?). A new Turbo the best option or a Diesel S if funds limited.

Just my pennyworth.

 
Poor mans Cayman compared to you guys :)

987 Cayman 2.7 base model

i'm coming from an Audi TT v6 - and I'm seriously looking forward to owning a boy hood dream (Guards Red Porsche), the handling / brakes / driving experience will be a game changer

this is a weekend car for me, need a large estate car for work, so funds are tied-up in the sensible side of life.

really looking forward to owning and loving the Porsch....er experience tbh.

 
Congratulations - it should be a proud moment and I doubt you will be disappointed. Like many others, I purchased my first 911 some 15 years ago in my thirties and waited a long time having sat in a similar car when I was 16. I recently sold an S3 saloon (great car) but needed to have another Porsche again to sit in the garage to truly satisfy my Porsche weekend needs. Enjoy!

 
I had a series of Hot matches through my children's younger years --- though it has to be said that a car seat and booster cushions were very different almost 30 years ago !

But the kids loved going round corners making screeching sounds whilst listening to Bad and various other "favourites" :)

 
Hi all, thanks for your replies.

Here's the latest: I'm still shopping for a set of immaculate condition sports seats in black, then I'll have the OPC fit an airbag deactivation kit so that I can carry the child in the passenger seat safely. I'll put the CF buckets indoors for now and use them to reminisce :)

I've got a deposit down on a Jaguar F-Pace but that's fully refundable. In the meantime the shortlist has shrunk to:

Porsche Macan GTS (build date in Nov/Dec 2016 so bit too late but waiting to drive the petrol S as the Diesel S is a slug)

Jaguar F-Pace First Edition (build date in April - deposit paid)

Audi RS3 (waiting for the facelift)

Golf R (waiting for the facelift but really hated the interior and the NVH, hence the Audi is in the mix despite being dynamically inferior according to a lot of reviews)

Mercedes C450 AMG (waiting for release in the UK; I drove the C63 and whilst it's got a wonderful interior, the drive feels considerably detached compared with a Cayman R)

I tried the Audi SQ5 and hated it. It just seemed naff for £55K (I also have an A2 and really struggled to tell the difference other than newness, smoothness and speed - none of which are worth the premium).

A couple of leftfield choices appeared: VW Tiguan (the new one coming in Spring) and the BMW 2-series Active Tourer (I know, I know...) the idea behind these is that whilst I won't enjoy them at all, they are much cheaper than the shortlisted items.

 
Great choice, Condor. I quite like it - Mrs does as well so will go to test drive one.

...and then she changed her mind and wants the new VW Tiguan instead.

 
I thought I'd update this thread with the final outcome for those that are interested...

So I got something from Stuttgart :D

It has red seatbelts and carbon fibre and alcantara like my Cayman R does and to add, it has a Burmester sound system and 4 wheel drive as well as a V6 twin turbo.

And whilst you're all thinking Macan you'd be wrong...I got a Mercedes Benz C43 AMG saloon. Still running in so nothing to report really but on paper it's faster than the Cayman R with 0-60 in 4.7 with an automatic transmission.

 
Yes - seats swapped over now, airbag deactivation kit fitted and isofix bracket installed too.

 
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