Top Gear 370Z v. Cayman article

Anatoray

Isn't what this comparison is saying the opposite of past such articles? I thought past comparisons with the Cayman S had the Z being even/faster in the turns, and considerably slower on the straights?

nicknick

Personally, I would not hold to much faith in what Top Gear has to say. I love all the shows (aussie, Brit and US). 5th gear is more geared towards real road tests, Top Gear is more entertainment biased.
I too thought from alll the magazine articles etc that the Zed was a very close match for the Cayman. I still beleive it is after driving one. TP....don't believe them. Additionally TP Brit is heavily biased towards Euro cars.

alan93rsa

Thought seriously about an '09' Z51 Vette. There are also some very good deals on used Z06's. But in the end the wife is not a Vette fan.

Bottom line, and it is a good one, we all have some very good choices.

__________________
16 Cayman GT4, Carmine Red, Buckets, PCCB etc.

cab83_750

To appreciate a Porsche, one must own and drive one for a period of time.

Buy a Porsche. In the first few days, you will most likely say,

1. "What is the big deal about the Porsches?"
2. "I paid what for this car?"
3. "This car is just too hyped up!"
4. "What have I done with my $$?"
5. "Did I just pay tend of thousands for the the badge? ......

Be warned that after a week, you will end up going "Wow!"

Don't get me wrong.....I love my Z. I even tend to drive it everyday and everytime. However, having driven Porsches for many many years, I quickly noticed within the first 3 days of driving the Z that in the handling, cornering, composure and predictability aspects, the Porsche (in my opinion) wins.

Again, I am very happy with my 370. I have plans of upgrading the springs, shocks, bars, etc. to improve the handling.

Cheers!

Forrest

Okay your better person to ask this too, since i have never driven a porsche for years or a day for that matter(would love to though). Do you suspect springs, shocks, bars may get you to the level you feel your porsche was at? Or do you suspect it may allways feel "worse".

cab83_750

In my humble opinion, the answer would be "no" -- there are too many 'engineering' differences such as weight, engine placement, etc.

No one should ever try to pursue making a car handle like another car; if you try, you might as well just buy the other car

All I am pursuing (perhaps dreaming) is to make the Z corner and handle better than what the factory delivered. At the mininum a) upgrade the sway bars, b) lower the car, and upgrade the shocks.


BTW,
If you do not work on cars (valve adjustments, engine drop, tranny drop, 12-14 quarts of oil changes, etc.)..... DO NOT buy a Porsche. Typical tuneup runs about $1,000.00!!!

Modshack

I sold a Boxster (face it, it's a Cayman convertible), bought an '08 Corvette and modded it nicely. Suspension, tune, intake and exhaust to 470HP. Sold the Vette to buy the Z. I like the Z better. Suits my personality, drives better around town and at the limit. The Corvette is a Long wheelbase, Fat tired car that feels far heavier than it's 3200 lbs. It was great when pushed, but you had to be at 8-9/10ths to make it really work well which will put your license in serious jeapardy. The Boxster was like a Ballet dancer in comparison to the WWF wrestler that the Vette was. The Z fits nicely in the middle. It's a little rorty, but light on it's feet. I've had 8 Porsche's. They are remarkable cars, but putting it all on the table, the $$ premium and inability to Mod the car kept me from going the Cayman route. The Z is quite good out of the box, and will be outstanding when I get done with it..

__________________

Steal my car! (SOLD)...Now Porsche Cayman S
Oil Cooler DIY: Here!

kannibul

Vette - George Foreman
Boxster / Cayman - Ali
370z - Mike Tyson

cab83_750

Boxster as a Cayman convertible???? Hmmmm......a lot would probably disagree with you. This statement is like (to me anyway) saying...... a 240Z is a 370Z. IMHO.


BTW, I saw a funny thread once posted by someone in one of the Porsche forums who said, "I do not like the Porsche Gayman or the Porsche Cockster........" What an uproar the thread started!!!!

oldschoollear

Hey man,

You on Pelican? If so I followed your thread about your Z purchase, btw thoses guys are waiting for a review I agree, Working on Porsches is half the fun, but time consuming, alas I sold my 85 911 euro a few months ago. I really have become interested in the z lately, it is A LOT of car for the money. Oh yea, first post, hello everyone.

The HACK

Let me put it this way.

I had a 350Z with coil overs, sways, headers, exhaust, intake, tune, and just about everything under the sun I can throw at it, including massive 19" super-light forged rims (19 lbs), fat R-comp rubber (245/275), and an oversized brake kit...

And my MZ4 Coupe was faster than the 350Z fresh out of the box. Bone stock. And not just a little bit faster. SIGNIFICANTLY faster. And the Cayman S I drove were every bit the equal to my MZ4 Coupe.

Yes, you pay a lot more for Porsche. But there's a good reason. And trust me, I'm no Porsche fanboi. I hate Porsche with a passion. I'd sooner commit ritual suicide by slicing open my stomach, than BUY a Porsche.

tkindred

But I think the 370Z is coming closer, that is why you are beginning to see comparisons. The 350Z, in the past, would not have been considered to be quite of a match.

355890

Let me Answer these questions individually:

1. Lots
2. Experience
3. No hype required, sorry.
4. Please
5. No, you paid for it's History as a superb automobile.

__________________

"Burnley Football Club supporter" ENGLAND...ENGLAND...ENGLAND

sensi09

The article's sentiments on the Cayman have been repeated time and time again, with both the old and new cayman and regardless of the competition, 350z, 370z z4, Mcoupe.

There's no doubt that the 370Z is the better bargain and in terms of sheer performance, will match or exceed a Cayman S, but in terms of driving dynamics and subjective attributes the Cayman is hard to beat. Oh in case someone missed it, the base Cayman with just 265hp was the car tested.

In terms of dollar amount though, if we're talking about a new Cayman S, I'd rather have a M3 or a used 997 S.

JonBoy

Cayman S with PDK does 0-60 in 4.1s and the 1/4 mile in 12.5s at 110 mph. It sticks at 0.99g on the skidpad and does 72.5 mph through the slalom. Those numbers blow away a 370Z by a wide margin.

Good luck with beating that. The Cayman S with 6MT is virtually identical to the 370Z in a straight line but the PDK tranny puts it WAY ahead.

I'm guessing you haven't driven a Cayman yet? It's so much better to drive than an M3 (any year, including the E30) that it's not funny. It doesn't have the grunt and punch of the current M3 with it's big V8 but it's still a way better car to drive (ie, it's much more of a driver's car).

The 997S is generally quicker and torquier but it's actually not as fun to drive, either. Yes, I'd pick a used 997S over a new Cayman S purely because I prefer the extra two seats, extra power, and better looks and because I won't ever take a 997S to a track because I can't afford to wreck it. However, from a pure driving point of view, you'll have to get a 997 GT3 to get a purer driving experience than the Cayman. The Cayman is really that good.