porsche perseveration
 

Stopped by this morning... Drove a 09 Cayman S. More different than I expected, smoother ride, better/smoother engine. Quieter when cruising, just as loud (with a bit less edge) when moving, car was new so didn't really open it up, but it seems just as light, no reduction in sportiness, but with a good bit of improvement in daily drivability... Perfectly optioned (minus the LSD, but not sure if I drive hard enough often enough to need it, and apparently, if you really use them, they don't last)....

The deal would be very good as well, given that it's an 09. Biggest downer is going from rare atlas gray to common arctic silver. Silver is nice, but I'd like an offsetting interior then. Haven't nego'ed finally yet as I'm not sure that I'll do it.

Also an 10' Carrera S atlas gray on the showroom, perfectly optioned (but very pricey, msrp ~109) and for around the same price a used 09 turbo that is truly something (cream white on cocoa!). The last m64 in a cool colour is enticing, but it seems to have no tread on rears after 8k miles, looks like somewhat hard driving previous owner.

Ruminating...

I have (deliberately) not driven a new one, so I don't know how big the difference really is. I have a hard time imagining that it would be worth the hit, and silver is a color that should permanently be banned on Porsches, but if the new one is that good and the deal makes sense...

Stuka, would a 'reasonable' owner eat the rear tires of a turbo in about 7.9k miles? As in the inner tread block and groove were completely flush. I find that surprising for an awd car, even with the 911 weight distribution. The fronts seemed to have decent life left.

The more I think about it, the less the turbo makes sense for me. Minuses: weight, awd, sound and possibly light clutch (per stuka)..

Don't tell me you might sell my car!!! Oh man.. Don't make me have to make that decision quite yet. ;)

is the 09 a DI engine?

Yes, the new 3.4 has a similar torque curve feel, but quite a different sound compared to the old 3.4. Seemed much quieter for cruising. It was loud as usual when on it, but the sound was different. Just a little less throaty, a little less induction/timing chain whine... My 5 mile test drive was probably not enough to get a full sense for this.

109 for a cayman:ack:

still pisses me off that porsche charges more for the cayman then the boxster:mad2:

go turbo, something different. Or better yet, how about a used GT3?

No, guess I wasn't clear.

109 is the sticker of a very generously optioned new '10 997S. Likely selling price in the 90's.

It is also the ballpark price of the 09 used turbo I mentioned, that one stickered for 144k! I've since talked myself out of this.

The likely selling price of the 09 Cayman S would be 60k-ish (or below, haven't pushed them hard yet). I think it's more improved from the previous car than I'd expected with minimal character loss. Whether I'd want to trade mine in at 24k miles and around half the price of the 09, is another question. Hesitating on this, as you've really stated the biggest reason against. It really is not a "new experience".

Where I live, in NNJ/NYC, we just don't have the room/roads/conditions to really enjoy cars of the supercar cadre. It would be more of a hassle than a plus. I think m3/cayman S/997S is about where joy tops out around here.

Indeed... even when you do get a little bit out of the megalopolis and on to some twisty highways (e.g. Taconic, Saw Mill River, etc.), there's a freaking cop hidden in the median every other mile just waiting to take away the fun that traffic and potholes didn't.