Boxster/Cayman (981/987) [Hot!] Porsche Cayman GTS

[martinbo]

Many things count against Cayman actually needing AWD. First and foremost is packaging; with a Vee mid-engined car, it's relatively straightforward to route the front-axle driveshaft past the side of crankcase (R8 style) but with a horizontally opposed engine this is a much greater challenge. If you want mechanical AWD then you'd have to pass the driveshaft below the engine as the only recourse and in doing so you'd have to raise the engine and the car's CofG. In a car with such compact packaging as the Cayman, you have a better chance of seeing Taylor Swift in a hardcore porn movie.

There's always the electric motor at the front axle option but this would simply rob the Cayman of its vital essences: light weight, compactness, usable luggage volumes and low polar moment of inertia. Cayman is fantastic because of what it is, rather than what it ought to be, and so it should remain.

 

[Mr Robert]

Why on earth would you need AWD in a Cayman? Learn to drive instead.

Other than that, if they really must make it AWD, do it with an e-motor up front.

 

[Sayyaaf]

Why on earth would you need AWD in a Cayman? Learn to drive instead.

Other than that, if they really must make it AWD, do it with an e-motor up front.

e-motor needs batteries.

 

[Mr Robert]

e-motor needs batteries.

Yes, if the good people at Porsche intends to ruin the Cayman, they might as well make it a heavy hybrid.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

Many things count against Cayman actually needing AWD. First and foremost is packaging; with a Vee mid-engined car, it's relatively straightforward to route the front-axle driveshaft past the side of crankcase (R8 style) but with a horizontally opposed engine this is a much greater challenge. If you want mechanical AWD then you'd have to pass the driveshaft below the engine as the only recourse and in doing so you'd have to raise the engine and the car's CofG. In a car with such compact packaging as the Cayman, you have a better chance of seeing Taylor Swift in a hardcore porn movie.

There's always the electric motor at the front axle option but this would simply rob the Cayman of its vital essences: light weight, compactness, usable luggage volumes and low polar moment of inertia. Cayman is fantastic because of what it is, rather than what it ought to be, and so it should remain.

*slow dramatic clapping* Bravo, bravo.

 

[Rainer271]

 

[marley71]

Many things count against Cayman actually needing AWD. First and foremost is packaging; with a Vee mid-engined car, it's relatively straightforward to route the front-axle driveshaft past the side of crankcase (R8 style) but with a horizontally opposed engine this is a much greater challenge. If you want mechanical AWD then you'd have to pass the driveshaft below the engine as the only recourse and in doing so you'd have to raise the engine and the car's CofG. In a car with such compact packaging as the Cayman, you have a better chance of seeing Taylor Swift in a hardcore porn movie.

There's always the electric motor at the front axle option but this would simply rob the Cayman of its vital essences: light weight, compactness, usable luggage volumes and low polar moment of inertia. Cayman is fantastic because of what it is, rather than what it ought to be, and so it should remain.

It certainly isn't about "needing" AWD. It's about the performance potential that AWD allows. Look at the class of mid-engine AWD vehicles, funny because it's all VW group, Veyron, Lambos, and R8s. Responses like "learn to drive" are just shortsighted/narrow-minded . If you don't understand that AWD gives a performance advantage, then you haven't been paying attention in life.

I was looking for some cutaways to see the positioning of the engine in the Cayman vs the 911 but didn't find any. If it is an impossibility apart from e-motors then that is understandable, e-motors probably wouldn't be worth the expense in dollars and in weight. What's their excuse for not turbocharging it?

 

[Sunny]

AWD has some performance advantages, but it comes at a cost - increased weight, reduced efficiency, diminished steering feel. Yes, if you are purely interested in numbers, AWD is a good option, but if anything, Porsche has an interest in keeping the Cayman numbers low to protect the 911's marketing position above it. Add to that the Cayman chassis is so well balanced and is hardly at it's limit at the current power levels, AWD is even less warranted.

 

[martinbo]

It certainly isn't about "needing" AWD. It's about the performance potential that AWD allows. Look at the class of mid-engine AWD vehicles, funny because it's all VW group, Veyron, Lambos, and R8s. Responses like "learn to drive" are just shortsighted/narrow-minded . If you don't understand that AWD gives a performance advantage, then you haven't been paying attention in life.

I was looking for some cutaways to see the positioning of the engine in the Cayman vs the 911 but didn't find any. If it is an impossibility apart from e-motors then that is understandable, e-motors probably wouldn't be worth the expense in dollars and in weight. What's their excuse for not turbocharging it?

Ahem, tell you what, why don't you do a forum search on martinbo + AWD before you jump to conclusions about my appreciation of AWD.

AWD and performance advantage are not mutually inclusive.

 

[marley71]

Ahem, tell you what, why don't you do a forum search on martinbo + AWD before you jump to conclusions about my appreciation of AWD.

AWD and performance advantage are not mutually inclusive.

martinbo, you weren't the one who said "Learn to drive instead", I don't doubt your appreciation.

 

[Centurion]

An AWD Cayman would be like a tricycle with support wheels - totally unnecessary.

The car is so planted that a novice driver can toss the car around like a rag doll and not crash. It's stupendously easy to drive fast and violently.

 

[martinbo]

martinbo, you weren't the one who said "Learn to drive instead", I don't doubt your appreciation.

Oh, ok. When you said "you" I thought you were referring to the quoted - me. My misunderstanding.

Anyhow, AWD would be a fruitless exercise in a Cayman. It would detract from, rather than enhance, the driving experience. Cayman is all about accuracy and adjustability as opposed to outright lap times and limpet like grip.

 

[DocM]

With the cayman GTS, Porsche is now flirting with 911 turf (finally). A base 911 with the 3.4L no longer seems like a good proposition: performance wise: the 10 hp deficit in the cayman is offset by the fact that it weighs less than the Carrera. Loading them up similarly (and reasonably with must have options), the cayman's price won't exceed that of the base 911, though it can come close.
I like the GTS for what it is, and it makes justifying a 911 that much harder.

Completely agree with Martinbo, AWD wouldn't necessarily improve the 981 platform. At the track, you might gain grip but this would be at the expense of added weight. For winter driving, a good set of snow/winter tires will do fine ( I know from experience )

 

[Sayyaaf]

Porsche should deal with the cayman as complete different range of cars. Cayman/S 4/4S Turbo/S GT3/RS ... etc

its a 2 seater and 911 is 4 seater.

 

[Sunny]

Porsche actually claims faster acceleration times for Cayman GTS than the base 911 - I think that is a first, maybe a sign of things to come. Others do it, M135 is faster than base 3er, M3 or even 335i is faster than base 5er. Heck, M3 is faster than even a 550 and people still buy a 550. I know 911 is special, but it is time Porsche stopped coddling it so much. Make a hard core 380HP Cayman R, people will buy a softer 911 in larger numbers.

 

[Sayyaaf]

Cayman is a keeper & different experience for sure.

 

[Deckhook]

is there really a demand for an AWD Boxster/Cayman?

I'd love to see the ratio of AWD vs RWD 911s sold it would probably be a good gauge of whether there really was a demand for it but the Cayman/Boxster is such a forgiving and well balanced car that it has little or none of the shortfalls that most others have where AWD improves things, even with the 911 the improvements in wet track times is very slim.

I wouldn't be surprised if its been looked at by Porsche and found unnecessary.

 

[rollo]

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review...-drives/porsche-cayman-gts-first-drive-review

High praise.

 

[Zettinger]

That is one pretty car!

Some more pictures:
http://www.autobild.de/bilder/porsche-boxster-cayman-gts-fahrbericht-5102172.html#bild1

 

[C4L]

Does no one else think these new Cayman/Boxster GTS models are just crazy expensive? Sure they START at $75k but a few ticks of some options and in typical Porsche fashion you are pushing $90k very quickly. I just speced one out online and I came up with one at $91,055 the way I would want in a car like this.

For reference;
- F-Type S - $82k well-equipped
- RS5 - $75k well-equipped
- Camaro Z/28 - $75k well-equipped
- M4 - $72k well-equipped
- C63 Coupe - $72k well-equipped
- Corvette Z51 - $65k well-equipped
- M235i - $50k well-equipped

$90k+ for a Cayman just seems like a lot of money to me...