lennyr

If your dad considering the Cayman, why not the Lotus Exige? Basically, the Exige is to the Elise as the Cayman is to the Boxster.

It will blow the doors off of a Cayman S (or an SLK55) in any department except a straight drag race. Of course, it's a bit lacking in the creature comforts, but more than makes up for that in fun. It's also a bit cheaper, and certainly more unique.

Of all the cars mentioned, I'd get the SLK55 (in fact, I did!) - I think it represents the best blend of performance, comfort, and stlye. Can't beat the hardtop convertible thing, and none of the cars mentioned in this thread (except the crazy TVRs) can touch the growl of the AMG V8 and the fun of all the torque it makes.

If your dad is concerned that an SLK55 may be too much to handle, thanks to your friend the dealer, then he should certainly stay away the Cayman (or Elise, Exige, TVRs ....). The SLK may have a lot more power, but it's also way more forgiving. If he wants a fun but tame little roadster, an MX-5, Solsitice, or Sky would be in order. If he wants something bigger and more luxe, but still fun and easy, how about a Cadillac XLR?

DiamondK

Caddy XLR: bleh.

I call it "the box the SL comes in".

Ynot

Agreed, that thing is hideous, no curve appeal at all, basically a box on wheels.

lennyr

I wasn't partial to them either, until a friend got one in matte black. The thing looks like a cross between an F117 and Darth Vader's TIE fighter.

elbimmer

Take a look at www.slantback.com >> the guy didnt like his new LOTUS ELISE and after a few months he sold it. I would get SLK 55 AMG, Cayman S is ugly....

DiamondK

What do you mean by matte black? Did he get some kind of special matte (non-glossy) paintjob? Or do you just mean non-metallic black?

lennyr

She got a special paint job. The thing is truly matte, beyond just being non-glossy - it absorbs light. On a dark night, if it didn't have its lights on you would just walk right into it. Very cool. If only it were a V series model.

cntlaw

Falco
A very important user experience you have had here.
Can you tell us more about how you rated SLK55 over Boxster, Cayman an
d 911? Since I have been thinking to go for my ultimate exotic car (2-seater I suppose) , and I am really struggling between a SLK55 and a CaymanS.
( I am not going to pay for any other cars for further more $ than these)

Here are some of my thinking points:
1. Less power engine on the CaymanS is not my issue.
2. CaymanS and SLK fully loaded price are close, but here locally, Porsche cars always holdm their value very well. (SLK55 loaded~$130K; CaymanS loaded~$140K). Pretty sure the SLK55 will lose on resale value here.
3. CaymanS is more sporty looking than the SLK and I tend to like bigger size (wider) sports car which happens to be the CaymanS not SLK.
4. Here locally, SLK55 is more a unique status than a Porsche as we have far too many Boxster, 911 everywhere; but we see mostly SLK200 and SLK350 here , not SLK55. So, CaymanS owner paying much more than a Boxster and slightly more than a SLK55 , do not always own that super status like 911 owners (unless you don't care).

So my initial conclusion is : Status uniqueness goes to SLK55 ( as it is more expensive in long run ); however, CaymanS seems to be a better buy in terms of value for money as it has a better resale value.

Hope I can have some opinions on this.

AMG_55

cayman s is a performance car
slk55 is a sporty convertible, with lots of power
the cayman is surprisingly fast though 1/4 mi. 13.5@about 105
and ur right it will hold its value better than a slk

SLK55AMG

The Cayman S will be very exclusive as well....... it will be a few years before they become a common sight on the road although some people will confuse them with the Boxster or 997. The Cayman S is a niche product for Porsche that will generally only appeal to people who want a very focused sportscar, some potential 911 buyers will go for the Cayman and save themselves some money but otherwise the Cayman will have a small customer base as most Boxster owners I know would rather have a Boxster S as it performs almost exactly as the Cayman does AND its a convertible but the big factor is that its cheaper than the hardtop Cayman

DiamondK

Cool. I've never seen a true matte paintjob in person. The latest Automobile Mag covers the new Z4 coupe which was painted in a matte finish, but it's hard to tell from photos how it really looks.

I can see your XLR-F117 comparison. That might look interesting with a stealth finish.

Does she have any problems with it getting scratched up?

Teufel

It seems you are very knowledgeable about Porsche. Here is what puzzles me and I can't find an answer. The Boxster has been around for about six years now. Surely it will be completely redesigned in the next two years. But what happens to the Cayman S? I mean they are both the same cars with different names!?! Are we going to have a brand new Boxster (convertible) and the old one (fixed hard top (Cayman S)) at the same time? For how long? Or they both going to be completely redesigned at pretty much the same time?

What is a good Porsche forum?

Evil Duffman

the boxster was just redsigned in 2005, i dont think they will get rid of it since it is one of their best selling vehicles. the cayman S is basically the coupe version of the boxster S that is slightly more powerful (295hp compared to 280hp in the boxster) i think they will appeal to different people. I dont think those cars will be replaced. I think porsche is testing the waters here for a more affordable performance vechile and pretty much believe its a winner in every catagory. i dont think it will replace the 911 base either since that appeals to a different group of buyers and is itself slightly faster and more powerful.

I see it as a progression of performance vehicles. if you look at their website you'll see what i mean.

Teufel

I am sorry! I meant completely redesigned! My mistake!

I don't think the Boxster was completely redesigned in 2005. Then again Porsche is different!

fredfromny

Rennlist is very good.
Cheers!

lennyr

Don't know, but I doubt it. She doesn't drive it much - she also has a 911 C4S and an Escalade (and a horse). I think she mainly got it for effect.

DiamondK

The reason I ask is because the article in the latest Automobile talks about the Z4 coupe showcar having a matte silver finish, which got rave reviews by the people who say it. But the BMW rep seemed very non-committal about the near-term possibility of it becoming a production-available paint finish, mainly due to its lack of resistance to scratching.

SLK55AMG

Good question! The rumour is that Porsche may drop the Boxster name in the future as their car line up now doesn't quite make sense...... the theory is that if you look at the 911 range you have an entry level hardtop (997) followed by its convertible sibling, then the hardtop Carrera S and its more expensive convertible version (also the Carrera 4S coupe and convertible)....... basically the hardtop is ALWAYS cheaper than the convertible which isn't how its working with the Boxster and Cayman at the moment because the Cayman S is more expensive than the Boxster S. When the basic Cayman is introduced in the future it would be very close to the Boxster S price which wouldn't be good for sales of the base Cayman when the Boxster S would be quicker and convertible! What may happen is that the Boxster name is retired, the lineup would then be Cayman, Cayman Conv, Cayman S and Cayman S Conv. The problem Porsche have is that the price for the convertible Cayman will be higher than the current Boxster assuming they don't drop the price point of the Cayman S...... also they would need to make the Cayman S conv more attractive by giving the current Boxster S the Cayman S engine.

This rumour may be complete rubbish!

Although the new 987 Boxster looks much the same as the original (986) it was totally redesigned for 2005 and uses 80% new parts.

JosephN

Same Problem For me...

Hey, I had the same problem when choosing my college car... After driving the Porsche Cayman, and then the SLK... there was really n o comparison.. I picked the SLK myself, the roof is just the coolest thing i've ever seen. I believe the comfort and stability is perfect for a cool time...

Porsche is not as smooth, and lets face it... Mercedes have always had the better reputation for comfort, style, cruising, turns-heads, and its just really really AMAZING..

Jo

LETO

If your dad il likely to stay away from the SLK55 for fear of injury, I dont think he should look at The elise, exige, TVR, or noble......these cars dont have ABS or traction control (while this is a characteristic that I appreciate), if you dont know what you are doing, these cars can be a handful. Besides they are all ridiculously uncomfortable and have some of the worst quality issues. Have your dad drive the Slk350 & then drive a SLK55......

The cayman S if anything like the Boxster S, has to be driven hard to shine. The torque will be available late and the car has to be let to rev high if you are going to get it to do what it does best.

Finally, I just cant understand why your dealer would nudge a potential 55er toward a 350.....they are completely different animals (despite the similarity in looks)

SLK55AMG

The Cayman S was on Top Gear last night and did a very quick lap round their test track...... the stig managed a 1:26.7 lap in the dry (the Boxster S previously did a 1:28.7 in the wet). To put the Cayman lap in perspective its faster than the 911 (996) GT3 lap and only a tiny bit slower than the Lambo Gallardo!!!!

cntlaw

Hi, I forgot I was on this thread thanks for reply. Agreed all your points.
Porsche residual value is the high factor of winning over SLK55. The disadvantage is also Cayman S significant less engine power than the 911 and Cayman S is not that 'cheap' as you said. I would only guess Porsche will boost up engine power on the 911's soon to set a bigger gap. And, likely Benz will plant its 6.3 litre engine on the SLK to fight back. So as BMW will launch the Z4 Coupe ( possibly 335i 's 3.5 litre 310hp twin turbo engine) or even a M version of Z4 Coupe later.

Seems the coupes wars are returning and I lwill keep my eyes opened

SLK55AMG

How and where did you manage to drive a Cayman S? The Porsche dealers don't even have demo cars yet

ClayJ

I'm considering adding a Cayman S to the stables. I think that it is definately more in the 'sports car' category. SLK55 (or 350 if he actually is worried about too much power...) would make a better GT, luxury sports car in my opinion. And who can argue with a folding hardtop (other than the resultant loss of trunk space)?

benggolf

The Cayman S is certainly a very nice 2-seater sports car. Am taking a good hard look at it now. My trigger finger is itchy.