PCA SDR

Here are a few photos of the new Cayman over at Pioneer:

http://www.pcasdr.org/photos/2005Cayman/2005Cayman.html

I'm not sure, but I assume Hoehn has one too.

Stopped by Pioneer to see the new "alligator" car myself. Damn nice looking car! Delete the dash board stop watch and a few other foo-foo items and I could really fall for this new Porsche...

Beautiful! Nice pic's, Ted.

I wonder how well a tall (6'2" or >) person will fit; esp. with helmet? The '04 and earlier Boxters were "too small" for me for me, and "like-statured" folks. Last time I drove an '04, I sat with eyes above the windshield frame (thank goodness for Ray-Bans).

Ted, did you sit inside the car? Chris H., any ideas about head-space for "slightly taller than normal" types? Just curious.....

Dan,

I asked Chris whether or not the Cayman came in a sunroof version and he said "no." Evidently they left enough room inside for drivers wearing helmets. I sat in the car and it wasn't even close to the top of my head. You should go down there and check it out. We will have to wait until January to actually see cars that will be available for sale. The floor model is on loan from Porsche and they won't let anyone drive it.

Ted

Tim Comeau wrote:Delete the dash board stop watch and a few other foo-foo items and I could really fall for this new Porsche...

If they made a lightweight "Sport" model and put a GT3 engine in it, they'd get my attention. Otherwise, it's just another good-looking luxo-barge.

TT

ttweed wrote:If they made a lightweight "Sport" model and put a GT3 engine in it, they'd get my attention.

Yeah Tom, your attention, and a "whole lotta" other people's attention, too; especially if your at a competitive driving event. GT3 engine in that "shell"?..... Yikes!

ttweed wrote:Otherwise, it's just another good-looking luxo-barge.
TT

I think that "barge" is gonna reak havec on the AX 986 class drivers. And with a touch more HP than the 986S, maybe a good contender on the big tracks, as well. For a "barge", that'll be impressive.

We'll just have to see how it does, once someone brings one down to the Q, or out to the TT's.

Thanks for the info, Ted. I'm hoping I get a student with one sometime next year.....

I asked whether there would be a "club sport" version, as had been rumored in some of the magazines. Garth told me that Porsche insists that there will be no racing version of the Cayman. He then reminded me that mere months before the announcement of the C-GT, Porsche was also denying they would ever do a super-car.

The car is a lot nicer to look at in person than the photos in the magazines suggest. But (1) I love my drop top, and (2) it has even less storage than a Boxster, if you can believe that. The space under the hatch is a laugh.

But the car is very nice inside and out, and I guarantee it will be a terror at the autocrosses next season.

Tom Tweed wrote:... just another good-looking luxo-barge.

Could that be the sound of fear? Is Tom worried that a "good-looking" water-pumping street car could break into the TTOD top ten without modifications and displace a few of the old guard?

I saw it the other day and thought it looked better than the pictures too.....

I am selling the 997 in order to get a 993 or older car that I dont have to worry about wrecking or putting expensive tires on etc...I really want to do some big track stuff and dont feel the 997 is the right car for that.

The 997 is a great car in and out for sure.....Just needed a real daily driver(3 kids and business) and dont want to pay for a car that nice or expensive to just drive a couple days a week....

I wish Dente's old 993 was still for sale....

Kim Crosser wrote:Could that be the sound of fear? Is Tom worried that a "good-looking" water-pumping street car could break into the TTOD top ten without modifications and displace a few of the old guard?

No way, not in SS trim (with no modifications.) There might be a chance if a good driver buys one and prepares it to at least S class, with lowering springs, a good alignment, and some Kumho 710s. Given that the Boxster S in Stock class last year had a best OA placing of 12th (Bill Thorp on 4/30/05), I suppose a well-prepped Cayman could squeeze into the top-10 if there were enough of the "old guard" absent from the event.

I'm not holding my breath in anticipation and fear, though.

TT

In my "showroom stock" 2.7L Boxster on street tires (LSS), I was only 3 seconds (okay - 3.01 seconds ) out of the TTOD Top 10 at the last AX, and during practice, James G-W took the "Spec Boxster" (2.5L, LP) around in 1:16 and change, which would have gotten into the Top 10. (He didn't drive it in timed laps.)

I suspect a Cayman with a good driver, good setup and moderately sticky tires could shake up the "old guard" - in "S" if not in "SS", and without many alterations.

ttweed wrote:

Tim Comeau wrote:Delete the dash board stop watch and a few other foo-foo items and I could really fall for this new Porsche...

If they made a lightweight "Sport" model and put a GT3 engine in it, they'd get my attention. Otherwise, it's just another good-looking luxo-barge.

TT

I'm with you Tom.

There is an interesting post on rennlist about the Cayman S. It was on the show TopGear and smoked the GT3, the Carrera S and the Corrvette

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=88355&stc=1

http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/powerlaps/

http://www.topgear.com/content/tgonbbc2/laptimes/thestig/

It looks like Porsche created a monster

But it has a wet sump engine, I'm sure the same plastic snap-together interior as my 986, and if you race it Porsche will back away from the warranty faster than you can say "WTF?" It is a nice car, sure, but it wouldn't do me any good to own one at this point.

Kim Crosser wrote:In my "showroom stock" 2.7L Boxster on street tires (LSS), I was only 3 seconds (okay - 3.01 seconds ) out of the TTOD Top 10 at the last AX

Looks like you had a very good run that day, Kim, but 3 seconds is an eternity in an autox, and you were 13 places out of the top ten.

... during practice, James G-W took the "Spec Boxster" (2.5L, LP) around in 1:16 and change, which would have gotten into the Top 10. (He didn't drive it in timed laps.)

This is supposed to support your argument that a SS Cayman could get into the top 10? An LP car should be faster than the KP cars which are regularly in the top 10, since it is a higher class. And JGW is such a good driver that he could embarrass most of us if he brought out his econobox Honda Civic Si to one of our events!

I suspect a Cayman with a good driver, good setup and moderately sticky tires could shake up the "old guard" - in "S" if not in "SS", and without many alterations.

Nice backpeddle, Kim! I think that's exactly what I said in my first response. I don't see any car with SS tires having a chance at the top-10 in our events, there are just too many fast drivers on R-compounds and slicks these days. I do agree that with some good tires and mild prep (given that all the new cars from Porsche seem to be set up to understeer horribly for safety/liability reasons), an S-class Cayman might very well be able to do it (especially if JGW was driving it!)

TT