AMG&AMG

I would still take the SLK 55 AMG ....

but the 6 speed was unbeatable though..

SLK55AMG

More details? Handling, brakes, steering feel, damping.......

novabenz

Saw and sat in, but did not drive, the new Cayman S over the weekend.
Some observations:
The car is loooww - it seems lower then our SLK.
The car is tight inside - there is not a lot of room and the seat are more restrictive then those in our SLK.
The trunk space is a joke - Porsche makes ridiculous claims about the trunk space. The front and rear areas are shaped in such way that nothing real can fit in there.
Without commenting on driving or hearing the car - I can say that it does absolutely nothing for me.
The Cayman looks very good, but I need at least some usuable/real storage space for stuff I may have with me when going somewhere.
The SLK does not have a huge trunk, but the shape of it at least provides some real world storage for things.
We won't even get into the fact that roof is solid (making the cabin feel really small), and that even a fixed sunroof is not available.

C43AMG

Important question : Can either hold a set of clubs ?

pcrracer

I test drove a Cayman last weekend.
Gear shift not as good as Honda S2000, but short shift option is supposed to improve that.

The chassis is superb, steering feel the best I have driven, handling very neutral, turn-in very sharp and precise. The car gives immediate confidence to corner quickly, and grip levels are huge.
Because the chassis is so good, it makes the car feel underpowered and undramatic, possibly even boring.
The interior is quite roomy (in comparison to S2000), and fit/finish seem better than the boxster.

Overall I liked it as a drivers car, although it got quite loud when working the engine hard, and as stated earlier it felt like it could do with another 50hp.

mick1

do you guys like the look of the Cayman S or the Z4-M coupe more ?

AMG&AMG

personally, I like the M coupe shape! unique shape...

AMG&AMG

The ceramic brakes , were like magic... better than the SLK 55 brakes..

i tried it from 5th gear also ... sharp feeling , as if you are stepping on the ground ... in this car you feel you are doing the work and the car is your tool...

The steering is direct ... and it gives feedbacks, its a bit harder than the one in the SLK 55... power wise, excuse me, but no match for the 55...

as for cornering speed, you can do the same thing even in the AMG, but the different is , that in the cayman s you feel confident with the PSM .. but ESP is annoying sometimes... and you might just sp

the sound is great inside the cabine... but who hears you from the outside , isnt as good as the AMG ...

I felt that the cayman s has a little bit sound as CGT , flooring it into 3rd... like a vacum sound going through a long tunnel..

last but not least , german engineering is great , Porsche , bmw and benz,, each has their own world of motoring and concepts...

if iam looking for a sport car , i'would go to Porsche , fun factor , great handling with comfy , bmw , The Benz , if I want all of this in one package

Marktini

The CaymanS will hold 2 sets, the SLK can only hold a small bag and its a squeeze.

AMG&AMG

next time I would probably get a 997 turbo ... and guess what?

the tiptronic is faster than the 6 speed

AMG_55

i sat in the cayman and it felt nice and roomy, i was more comfortable in it than my gf's slk 350 ( in which im border line on VERY ****ING UN****ING COMFORTABLE ) and with a little work i know i could get more comfortable in it than in my clk, it really felt that roomy

im seriously considering 1, with a lsd and some engine work(aiming at 350HP, shouldnt be that hard considering the engine is "capped" ) it should be perfect

AMG&AMG

the cayman s is roomier and better than SLK because of 1 thing, the way the electric seat works in the benz it will automatically adjust the seat in a way ...

the cayman s I drove was a manual seat , just the back rest is auto..

but overall , cayman s is great... but I wish it had more grunt , or even a turbo...

best of luck dude,,,, get one ,, if you can , the ceramic brakes is a must .. short shifter . 19'' , Michelin ps2 , chrono sport plus , nav is great and simple ... 6 speed is a must too

SLK55AMG

I'd agree on the spec apart from the ceramic brakes they are massively expensive as an option but cost twice as much ($15k) to replace if broken and Porsche will not replace under warranty. Road and track tested a standard Boxster S Vs one fitted with ceramics and although the ceramic brake resisted fade better than the standard steel discs they didn't stop the car any quicker...... the other benefit of the ceramics is reduced unsprung weight with resultant slightly better handling. If you will use the car on track (a lot) the ceramics may be worth while but otherwise they are overkill for the road.

SLK55AMG

LOL! I told you that I'm Wads over on S2ki. I considered the SLK55 when moving from the S2000 but ended up with the new Boxster S, the short shift gear option is much better than the standard shift on the Boxster and well worth the £380 it cost (actually one of Porsches cheaper options).

Interesting what you say about the fit and finish in the Cayman being better than the Box...... in theory they are identical and I can't find any differences when looking at my Cayman sales stuff?

Shinigami

I think they're also HORRIBLY expensive.

C43AMG

............... ..............

novabenz

Really???? I bet you a Million Dollars you won't get 2 sets of golf clubs in the front or rear storage areas of the CaymanS - those things are small and shaped strangely.
FYI - with the top up, the SLK has ALOT more real world usuable trunk space then the CaymenS.

SoCalCLK

Isn't the Cayman S basically a hard-top Boxster???

LETO

I found the option list on the cayman to be opressive. If i were going to let porsche take me, i would on something great like the 911S......which i think I am going to look at in a year for my SLK's replacement.

The cayman is a great drivers car but is just missing from having a whole part of the porsche pie. I cant live with the fact that this car's origin is based on flling a gap. That it has no heritage and a very lazy design (smack a hardtop on a boxster). It is kinda like Armani Exchange, sports the brand and the logo but just dosent feel as good or special as a Armani Collection piece. Just my opinion.....

mick1

Two things I like better in the Boxster than the Cayman:

1- the front end. I don't like the Cayman's small foglights. The Boxster front end looks much cleaner.

2- the side air ducts. the ones from the Boxster look much better.

SLK55AMG

And the sunroof is much better in the Boxster

v8rush

The Cayman S did not passed the decibel readings in Laguna Seca. This is on a stock exhaust. According to one of the owners, it read 95+db. I think this is loud enough especially when you hit the high lift cams and approaching the 7200RPM limit, where the sound becomes a mind bending metallic growl.

v8rush

It does look good.


http://205.158.128.81/IMG_0496.JPG

http://205.158.128.81/IMG_0590.JPG

SLK55AMG

Very nice but get those Conti tyres changed to Mitchelin Pilot Sports as soon as you can!....... you are almost certainly missing out on peak handling performance. A few of the UK Boxster guys who had Contis have changed to Pilot Sports and say the difference is huge!

Have a look here: http://www.boxa.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=20147

v8rush

Yes stock tyres suckkkkk. can't wait for the PS2s. too bad there's no Advan A048s that will fit. thanks.