2.7 or 3.4 (both with PDK option)

[The G Man]

May have a bit of dosh coming my way and, I've got an itch!

 

This one is of the Porsche variety. Been doing a bit of research and have submitted a spec with a request for a test drive on the new Caymen. Wifey has said "I like that, and the colour is gorgeous", (Amaranth red) and, to me, this is a go signal!

 

A lot of the motoring press have said that the 2.7 is the better option as compared with the S.

 

My must haves on spec is, PDK box, PCM Nav with Bose, Sports exhaust, leather (two tone) and the new Boxter wheels (19") along with the aforementioned colour.

 

The biggest hurdle may be the storage, we like our two or three weeks in the south of France most years and wifey's packing habits are deplorable.

 

Question is, well, for anyone in the know to answer, 2.7 or 3.4, what's the best?

 

Help and considered opinion would be useful, cheers

Edited May 7, 2013 by The G Man

[marconorth]

I had a 2006 Gen1 Cayman S (3.4) before i changed to my 370 around a year ago. Since mine didn't have the PDK box, i'm probaby not best positioned to comment.

[Dblock]

3.4. Even the 3.4 feels like it could do with more power. Not because its slow but because the chassis is so so good.

[jell36]

I drove the boxster S for a couple of weeks which I think is the same 3.4l engine. It was nippy. responsive and the storage was impressive so I would expect even more storage space in the Cayman. Just make sure you get all of the options you need and be careful as I was bored of the boxstaer after about a week and half. The PDK gearbox was fantastic but a little slow at changing at times (i.e. when cruising normally and then suddenly putting your foot to the floor). My fuel economy was worse then the z but then I was giving it a bit quite often. Overallit was a fantastic car with great features like a realy good sat nav but I was annoyed by missing cruise control and climate control (the car took literally 30 mins to warm up before I could feel any heat coming out of the vents).

[Ekona]

I've yet to drive the 981 Cayman, but I've driven the same Boxster plenty in both guises and with manual and PDK 'box. For me, there's no right or wrong answer.

 

They're both very wringable engines, so using all the revs isn't a chore. You'll have less opportunities to do that in the S unless you don't care about your licence, if that's a consideration at all. The S has a better spec as standard and the biggest one that cannot be (cheaply) fixed is the brakes: The red calipers signify the bigger and better brakes on the S. During normal road driving I found little to choose between them, but if you were seriously working them (Alpine switchbacks as well as the obvious trackwork) then you'd want the bigger ones.

 

The optional PASM includes a 10mm drop which makes a massive difference visually, especially if you're going for anything other than the 20" wheels. FWIW I would also choose the 19" Boxster S wheels, best out of a bad bunch by far. The PASM is no longer seen as a must-have with the larger wheels either, even on the bigger wheels the ride is fine. That said, you may wish to wait a couple of months until the Sport Chassis option is on the configurator, as this will give you a firmer springs, dampers and ARBs with a 20mm drop, and it's only £688. I'd consider that a must-have if it were me, especially if you're not going for PASM.

 

If you're having a PDK car, then Sport Chrono is an absolute must-have. No two ways about it, it transforms the PDK 'box and you will want this! Try the regular stereo before getting the Bose, it's more than adequate and you can put that money elsewhere.

 

 

Everything is very much down to personal choice. Personally I would choose a well-specced non-S car over a poverty spec S, but neither would be a bad choice. Who is your local OPC? Give them a call and speak to them to sort your test drive out, don't rely on the configurator to send stuff over to them. I know my local one is running both a manual non-S and a PDK S Cayman as demo cars, so you could (and should) try both before committing.

[The G Man]

Thanks Dan, some very useful and informative stuff there. My local Porsche centre called yesterday but I was out and my wife took the call. Fully agree with a well spec'd 2.7 rather than a poverty spec'd S. And the comment on the brakes is spot on, performance starts with stopping IMO.

 

I'll be arranging a test drive in the very near future and will try both.

[Jay]

Mate if its Porsche Glasgow. Ask for Dominic bell and tell him bob clark ( my old boy) sent you. They will look after you as dad sends alot of business his way. Do you have a preference on colour lol?

[The G Man]

Thanks Jay, anything but Black mate

[Ekona]

Just looking at the 981 S sat outside my office at the moment (courtesy car for my brother while his Cayman R is in for a service), you can ignore that bit about Sport Chrono being a must have on PDK cars. I forgot that all 9x1s now come with a Sport button anyway, and whilst that mode isn't quite as racetrack awesome as the Sport Plus mode, it's certainly enough and I wouldn't be speccing SC as a must-have any more.

 

[geek hat on]

The PDK modes between normal, Sport and Sport Plus vary far more than I first thought. I was looking through the tech document on the 'box for the 9x7 cars the other day, and apparently the amount of additional torque applied to the drive shaft between gear changes varies depending on which mode you're in. I believe that in normal maximum torque is applied and Sport Plus no extra torque applied with Sport sitting in the middle, which is why the Sport Plus changes feel so much more abrupt and mental than the other two. The shift speed is also increased although we are talking milliseconds here, but it's the torque application that makes the real difference.

[The G Man]

Thanks again for the update, torque is what it's all about for me with a car now (please no diesel comments), especially with Europe in mind. Lots of considerations still to mull over, wife and money (to a degree) are now not one of them.

 

Pretty sure there is an option for the BBK on the 2.7, will have to have a look again at the spec list.

[Ekona]

Only the PCCB, which is the ceramic brakes. £5K option IIRC, but the discs are a good few grand each to replace should you need to, and don't believe the whole 'lasts a lifetime' crap either, they're very easy to damage in both normal use and when changing wheels. Unless you have very deep pockets for servicing, then I personally wouldn't bother as you'd be better off putting the money towards the S.

 

When I said torque on the PDK 'box, I didn't mean you get any more than on a manual car, it's just that the ECU will open the engine up a smidge to apply a bit more torque than you would normally get during a gear change. My poor explaining, sorry.