| 987 Cayman and Boxster Comparisons This sub forum is for messages specifically about comparing the Cayman or Boxster to other cars. For example how the Cayman compares to the 350Z or the Boxster to the S2000 or SLK, etc. |  | 
01-05-2007, 08:36 PM
|  | Admin & Founder | | Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kansas
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Country:  | | | Ferrari F355 vs. Porsche Cayman S
So which one do you like best?
Which one do you think makes the better track car?
Let's get some answers to those first...  |
01-05-2007, 09:45 PM
|  | Porsche Enthusiast | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Indiana
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Country: | | Are we allowed to factor in servicing costs? 
I wanted an F355 a few years ago when they were starting to get reasonable (5 figures), but bought an NSX instead once I talked to the service department at Lake Forest Sports Cars. If it's going get some miles put on, big $$$ to own even if it doesn't break. I could not believe it.
Great motor sounds though!
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01-05-2007, 10:07 PM
|  | Porsche Prophet | | Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: California
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Country: | | | +1 for the ferrari
im sorry i just love them
i got an 82 308 gts it hits corrners like no other (im not saying my porsche sucks, i love it, but a ferrari is a ferrari)
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01-05-2007, 10:13 PM
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Country: | | | My first Ferrari was a Blue Chiaro 355 Spider that I bought in 2001. I'm not a garage queen and I drive AND track my cars. I took the 355 to the Glen and did it in 2:20 nothing to brag about but it was my first track experience. I just got my Cayman S and I intend on tracking that car as soon as I hit the 1,000 mile mark.
To me both car are equally trackable. The Cayman S will definitley have the edge over the 355. However the 355 is a lot more raw and you can feel the rear end sliding a bit. If you want to be really really fast then you would go and buy yourself a Radical or some crazy track only car. The Cayman S and the Ferrari provides you with an "experience".
As for maintenance cost, yes the Ferrari is a bit more. However whenever you track a car and as you get better and more aggressive, things will break and it will cost you money to fix. If maintenance cost if a concern, do yourself a favor, don't track your car.
I had my 355 for almost 3 years before a valet totalled it (different story), but on average my annual maintenance & repair cost was about $3,500 - which is the MOST amongst all the Ferrari's I had. To put in perspective:
My '01 550 - cost me about $300 for a cold air fan and nothing else.
My '06 Maserati - cost me nothing (warranty covers it and nothing broke)
My 430 - cost me nothing (warranty covers it...but nothing broke) |
01-05-2007, 10:26 PM
| | Porsche Enthusiast | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Lake County, Illinois
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Originally Posted by pchop  I had my 355 for almost 3 years before a valet totalled it (different story), | Makes me cringe... I always wondered what happened if the valet breaks your car... do they have to pay? |
01-06-2007, 08:03 AM
|  | Site Donor  500 post club | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Colorado
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Country: | | | Ken, DON'T DO IT!!!! As the official Cayman Ambassador and all around Porsche Dude you can't just trade the Cayman for a Ferrari! It would be like Bill Gates going to work for Apple. So put down that checkbook and force yourself to think about something else. Concentrate on the Chiefs beating the Colts. And keep repeating to yourself "my Cayman is better than a Ferrari, my Cayman is better than a Ferrari....."
But the sound....oh, the sound of that car........
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01-06-2007, 08:12 AM
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Originally Posted by jonnydeep Makes me cringe... I always wondered what happened if the valet breaks your car... do they have to pay? | Yes the garage paid in FULL and then some. However the Valet got fired the next day and had the audacity to sue me b/c he claimed that the brake failed. Fortunately that someone above was looking out for me: the day that accident took place my car just passed New York State Inspection. I informed Allstate (my insurance) that I will be providing my own attorney in addition to theirs. We went to trial about 2 month ago and it was ruled in favor of moi. Yeah! Now my gloves are coming off, I'm gonna drag that son of bitch through NYState Small Claims court then off to NYCounty Civil Court, when I'm done with him, he will be so in debt if not file for Bankruptcy and have tons of Legal bills to pay for the rest of his life! |
01-06-2007, 08:14 AM
| | Porsche Prophet | | Join Date: Dec 2006
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Country:  | | If you want another good sounding vehicle, buy a Road King Harley  |
01-06-2007, 08:16 AM
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Originally Posted by P-nut Ken, DON'T DO IT!!!! As the official Cayman Ambassador and all around Porsche Dude you can't just trade the Cayman for a Ferrari! It would be like Bill Gates going to work for Apple. So put down that checkbook and force yourself to think about something else. Concentrate on the Chiefs beating the Colts. And keep repeating to yourself "my Cayman is better than a Ferrari, my Cayman is better than a Ferrari....."
But the sound....oh, the sound of that car........ | As the official Ferrari Ambassador (self appointed) and almost all Ferrari, I think the Cayman S is a better car in performance. But I believe in art, it's like Bill Gates buying an Apple b/c he realise it's a work of art. So take out that checkbook and open your mind andthink about that high pitch V8 Scuderia Ferrari motor screaming down the road with a Tubi exhaust. And keep repeating to yourself "Cayman is nice...but Ferrari is ARt". |
01-06-2007, 08:17 AM
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Originally Posted by JBIM If you want another good sounding vehicle, buy a Road King Harley | Did you know that HD has a copyright on the sound their bikes make? |
01-06-2007, 08:42 AM
| | Admin & Founder | | Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kansas
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Country: | | Ok the reason I asked this question was because I had a chance this week to drive a 355 at the track and wanted to put out some thoughts on it vs. the Cayman (and no I'm not getting out my checkbook)
First, for those of you clammoring for more horsepower the 355 has 375 and weighs within a few pounds of the Cayman S so it has a better power to weight ratio. That was evident but not in the ways you would expect. At times the 355 had problems spinning the tires and getting that hp to the pavement. NOT what you want for your best track times. The 355 was a more "raw" experience in that it sounds louder and feels rougher on the track than the Cayman S. If you stripped out a Cayman's interior you might get a similar feel with PASM on and 20" wheels. Handling was good in the 355 but not as precise as the Cayman, there were several times that I had to correct more than I thought I would or would accidentally over-correct. Obviously with more seat time I would learn its nuances, but it wasn't as intuitive as the Cayman TO ME. The biggest difference was the brakes. I almost felt like I didn't have any at times in the 355, or that they didn't scrub speed nearly as fast as the Cayman's so I had to get into the brakes earlier and harder than I ever would with the Cayman. Having more HP meant I was reaching some pretty good speeds on the straights (north of 140 I believe) so hauling back down from that speed took longer than I expected. Certainly a fun car to drive with a great sound but I was left feeling that the whole "package" wasn't there as it is with the Cayman. That's not a slight to the 355, compared to most any other car it would be vastly superior but it was rather eye opening to see just how good the Cayman is in comparison. Now if pchop wants to open his checkbook and buy me one as a track toy, sure I'll take it...  |  |  |  | | PASM - Porsche Active Suspension Management |  | This active damping system offers continuous adjustment of individual damping forces based on current road conditions and driving style.
The driver can choose from two setup modes, ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’, using a separate ‘damper’ button on the center console. ‘Normal’ mode is designed for general road driving and circuits with uneven tarmac. ‘Sport’ mode is intended for smoother track surfaces, where the harder settings help eliminate pitch and roll.
In either mode, PASM continuously evaluates the current conditions while automatically selecting the corresponding damper rates from the respective set of mapped values.
A range of sensors are used to monitor the movement of the body under acceleration, braking and cornering maneuvers, as well as on poor road surfaces. The PASM control unit then evaluates this data and modifies the damping force on each individual wheel in accordance with the selected mode. The result is a significant reduction in body movement as well as a better grip on the road.
For example: if ‘Sport’ mode is selected, the suspension is automatically set to a harder damper rating. If the quality of the track surface falls below a certain threshold, the system immediately changes to a softer rating within the ‘Sport’ setup range. When the quality of the tarmac improves once more, PASM automatically returns to the original, harder rating.
Need more information about PASM? Click this link: FAQ for PASM | |  |  |  |  | |
01-06-2007, 08:48 AM
|  | PCA Member  1,000 post club | | Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Austin, TX
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Originally Posted by pchop Did you know that HD has a copyright on the sound their bikes make? | I remember that they tried sometime ago, but I didn't think they were successful. Have you heard otherwise?
Most big vtwin cruisers sound pretty similar to me, mainly differentiated by mufflers (if any). |
01-06-2007, 10:27 AM
|  | Porsche Enthusiast | | Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: California
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Country: | | | I think it's worth noting that while the Ferrari 355 and Cayman are similar in price today, the 355 was first released in 1994, and the Cayman's underpinnings are essentially a 2005 987 Boxster. Granted, both cars are evolutions of older models, but the first year model 355 is 11 years older than the Cayman. As good as Ferrari design and engineering are, a lot can happen in 11 years.
I owned a 1979 Ferrari 308 GT4 that eventually became my first track day car. It was a blast to drive, pretty stiff suspension, glorious sounds and made me feel like Mario Andretti. However, with no power steering or power brakes, and a somewhat dated suspension, the Miata that replaced it was much better a track car for me (but the Boxster S is the best!).
Cheers.
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01-06-2007, 11:15 AM
|  | NE Track Junkie | | Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NY
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Country: | | | pchop how does the 430 compare to the cayman? If i had the money I would buy that car in a second. |
01-06-2007, 03:41 PM
|  | Site Donor | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: CT
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Country: | | | A buddy bought a 355 convertible this spring and when I got my CS we went out to play together on some back roads.
The Ferrari sure sounds A LOT better, and it seemed quicker too, but that might just have been because it sounded so much faster. It felt a little old and creaky though. It didn't hande or shift as smoothly either.
I'd take the Cayman S (maybe with a Tubi exhaust) over the 355 every day of the week. And my buddy has not had a trouble free experience with his 355 either, from what I've seen I'd say they can be expensively and annoyingly unreliable cars. |
01-06-2007, 04:05 PM
|  | Porsche Idealist 500 post club | | Join Date: Dec 2005
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Originally Posted by NewPorscheGuy I'd take the Cayman S (maybe with a Tubi exhaust) over the 355 every day of the week. | Good to know, thats exactly what I got .... A German "Ferrari" no kidding
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01-06-2007, 05:06 PM
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Originally Posted by white k-man +1 for the ferrari
im sorry i just love them
i got an 82 308 gts it hits corrners like no other (im not saying my porsche sucks, i love it, but a ferrari is a ferrari) | That old and it stills handles better than a Cayman?
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