Cayman and Boxster ComparisonsThis 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.
I am a happy owner of an 06' Cayman S. I've had my fun for over a year, but I'm looking to trade it in for an 08 Viper SRT Coupe. I am not going to say its an "upgrade" because I know its Apples and Oranges. Its just time for a change, and the Viper seems to be the one. Anyone have any advice, or experience with an 08 Viper? My driving experience is limited to an average Joe who can operate a manual on the street (never track driven). I am not looking to race, or prove anything (although i will say it would be nice to smoke an M series, with one of those arrogant cocky drivers).
Am I out of my league? Will this car make me quake in my boots? Thanks for unbias info.
PS. I will be test driving on Saturday, but i would like to hear other opinions. Thanks
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I Live by the 4 P's..
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Am I out of my league? Will this car make me quake in my boots?
The fact that you are asking these questions makes the answers, probabally, and yes.
So tighten up that seat belt and be careful and have fun and tell us all about it.
I am a happy owner of an 06' Cayman S. I've had my fun for over a year, but I'm looking to trade it in for an 08 Viper SRT Coupe. I am not going to say its an "upgrade" because I know its Apples and Oranges. Its just time for a change, and the Viper seems to be the one. Anyone have any advice, or experience with an 08 Viper? My driving experience is limited to an average Joe who can operate a manual on the street (never track driven). I am not looking to race, or prove anything (although i will say it would be nice to smoke an M series, with one of those arrogant cocky drivers).
Am I out of my league? Will this car make me quake in my boots? Thanks for unbias info.
PS. I will be test driving on Saturday, but i would like to hear other opinions. Thanks
From my experience, this type of brute HP car will satisfy for a brief period of time.
I would imagine that once that "HP Honeymoon" passes, you'll long for the days of happy ownership of the Porsche Cayman S.
I understand your plight of tasting different automotive flavors; but as a person who has been there and done that with both HP and finesse cars, I thought I would give you my $.02.
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2006 Cayman S
Carrera White/Black
2007 Accord EX-L
Blk/Blk, Springs, Tint
2010 VW GTI
Red/Blk, Koni FSD,
Tint, Clearbra
The newest Viper is a very capable track car and blindingly fast.
Hot inside, hot footwells, quite large, yet all the guys in Jersey will love it!
__________________ Craig 425-765-1090, www.Rennstore.com --assistance & discussion for your pad selection welcomed PAGID brake pads - Daytona 24 hr winners in every podium position GiroDisc brake systems and pad spreaders NOW AVAILABLE! IPD Plenum distributor E-mail for any questions: Rennstore@Comcast.net
I am a happy owner of an 06' Cayman S. I've had my fun for over a year, but I'm looking to trade it in for an 08 Viper SRT Coupe. I am not going to say its an "upgrade" because I know its Apples and Oranges. Its just time for a change, and the Viper seems to be the one. Anyone have any advice, or experience with an 08 Viper? My driving experience is limited to an average Joe who can operate a manual on the street (never track driven). I am not looking to race, or prove anything (although i will say it would be nice to smoke an M series, with one of those arrogant cocky drivers).
Am I out of my league? Will this car make me quake in my boots? Thanks for unbias info.
PS. I will be test driving on Saturday, but i would like to hear other opinions. Thanks
My good natured input...
I have driven a Viper on a track. I have been driving Caymans on the track for a couple of years now. Still an intermediate driver.
Do yourself a favor and get some track time in your Cayman FIRST. That way you will appreciate just how incredible your car WAS. Then...you MUST get your Viper out on the track and deal with the spins and frustrations to get to the point where you are safe enough to not kill one of us out on the road.
Otherwise, I will lay $20 down. I bet that you will lose control on the street within the first six months of ownership. Whether you hit something or get hurt will be a matter of luck, but you will lose control. It will happen shortly after you become comfortable with the car. You will either "get a little sideways then over correct" or "lifted/ down shifted and swapped ends"...
No self respecting owner of a kitten-fed Pit Full would ever fail to spin the car within six months. To not do so would call into question your manhood. Plus, I could use the twenty bucks.
Do the track thing. Learn to tame the beast. Otherwise you are irresponsible in my opinion. There is no car completely like a Viper. It takes a lot of skill to wring out it's potential.
And post some pics!
By the way, I expect that you will walk away from a test drive totally shocked about just how un-scary the Viper feels. "Heck, I'd go to the grocery store in it." Be afraid...be very afraid... LOL
A Viper is a bit like one of my cars - a Porsche 930 that has 514HP & weighs 2650 lbs.....no way you can ever safely apply full throttle in 1st or 2nd gear.
If I didn't run track tires on the street, 3rd gear would be partially unusable too.
A power to weight ratio of almost 5 to 1, (a bit *lower* P/W than the Viper) assures you that, as a newbie, an attempt at trying to briefly tap the potential on a test drive will result in an accident.
If you ain't felt that much power, it is truly startling and uncontrollable.
__________________ Craig 425-765-1090, www.Rennstore.com --assistance & discussion for your pad selection welcomed PAGID brake pads - Daytona 24 hr winners in every podium position GiroDisc brake systems and pad spreaders NOW AVAILABLE! IPD Plenum distributor E-mail for any questions: Rennstore@Comcast.net
Everyone says "been there done that", well I actually have. I have owned many, many Corvettes along with both highly modified 94 and a 98 Vipers. Don't get me wrong, Vipers are a different breed and they are great cars, raw power with loads of torque. They are street legal race cars, like others have said you will eventually put the car sideways and mess your pants. While they are great to look at and have fantastic performance they can be a chore to handle, especially for the inexperienced driver. I now have a 2006 Cayman-S, yes in doing so I lost over 200 HP, but I gained one of the best handling sports cars that is fantastic to drive, and it's darn quick, and besides that the Caymans engineering is better, the fit and finish is better, & it handles the twisty roads better than any Viper. (Just my 2 cents)
I had a 480 hp '97 Supra Turbo. It was a fun car, and there wasn't much to criticize, but the power was overkill for public streets. It was a lot of fun, but I also lost the rear a couple of times where I feel my recovery was due as much to luck as skill.
The Supra had more power than handling.
The 2 S2000's I replaced it w/ had more handling than power.
The Cayman S seems to have a near perfect balance of handling and power - just about right.
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'08 E90 M3 (replaced '07 Guards Red Cayman S, which will be fondly remembered)
'08 Miata GT
'08 Honda Ridgeline RTL
'07 KTM Super Duke 990
'07 KTM 300 XC-W
I think it's safe to say that the Viper is a "supercar" maybe not in handling, but you get the idea... Anyways, the good man himself... Mr. Clarkson , always commented that supercars are made to kill the drivers (Not true, but you get the idea). I am thankful that Porsche has provided me with PSM otherwise, I could have been killed, like I'm sure many others in some instances. PSM will save your @ss if you have too much fun. Now to my understanding, with the Viper, it's just you and your prestine driver skills (or lack there of) to take control of the 600HP beast, there's no DSM (Dodge stability management ). If you start to spin out, it's your responsibility to take control again, nothing there to help you. Believe it or not, I actually considered for a fraction of a second about getting a used 05' viper instead of the CS. Once I heard about the lack of a stability managment system, I trashed the idea and went with the love of my life.
Just my 1 cent
PSM - Porsche Stability Management
While it can’t overcome the laws of physics, the revolutionary Porsche Stability Management (PSM) system does lend an added degree of balance and control to the Cayman’s mid-engine driving dynamics, inspiring surefooted confidence in corners and extreme situations.
A standard feature on the Cayman and Cayman S, PSM continuously monitors steering input, road speed, yaw velocity and lateral acceleration to calculate the actual direction of travel. If the car begins to steer off line, PSM instantly intervenes with precision brake inputs on individual wheels to help bring the car back onto the driver’s intended path.
If braking alone isn’t enough to correct the vehicle’s cornering line, PSM then calls on the Cayman’s engine management system, adjusting engine output as needed to help stabilize handling. PSM can also compensate in an instant for mid-corner changes in load resulting from deceleration or braking. When Sport mode is selected with the optional Sport Chrono Package, PSM’s threshold for intervention is raised, allowing for greater driver involvement. If you prefer driving without automatic PSM assistance, the system can be set to standby at any time. In this case, it will only intervene under heavy braking, where both front wheels exceed the ABS threshold.
For all of its technical ability, PSM goes virtually unnoticed in everyday driving situations, preserving the Cayman’s natural agility.
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-Chad-
2006 Black Cayman S, 997 European GT3 seats, European Clear Side Markers, Red Sport Taillights, Agency Power Exhaust + Tips, Escort 9500i.
During my track session this year, everyone was oozing about the Brand new viper that got totalled on the track. It still had the 60 day temp tags on it, poof!
If I were you I would give the new Z06 a try with its improved steering feel and gearbox. At least that car can handle a turn and should be just as fast. The Vette interior with the 4LT will beat anything found in the Viper and you will not get killed as much regarding resale value when compared to the Viper.
I have seen too many Vipers almost spin out in front of me because the driver wanted to show off his car to a CS driver, only to make a fool of themselves when slamming the throttle.
Two months ago I saw a brand new Viper that hit a metal telephone pole sideways and was completely cut in half. The thing is I have only seen two Vipers wrecked and they were both in two pieces.
I know I'm digging up an old thread, but a friend of mine sent me this video today. I do realize both the viper and corvette are extremely fast cars in their own right, but man am I glad my CS doesn't act like this when I drive it fast through the twisties. (~1:00 start of cornering efforts)
Last edited by Blitzkrieg; 10-08-2008 at 12:21 AM.
There are a few Viper comments above that are a bit misplaced. The SRT coupe is not only the best handling American car made, but one of the best, period. Equally driven, the ZO6 cannot keep up. I traded a C6 ZO6 for my Cayman S, have a lot of track miles with the ZO6, and have been on track a lot with the Vipers. It is a bit heavy, and frankly, not a car I would enjoy on the street, but it is a track star, beautifully neutral, and with the aero aids to keep it well planted at speed (of which there is a damn lot!). It's going to feel ponderous around town, especially compared to the Cayman. It just doesn't show it's qualities at legal speeds. You say it will be a street car, but I hope not a daily driver. A test drive in a car like this, for someone without a lot of track experience, is not really adequate. You need to spend more time in it, and with a high-hp experienced driver. I don't mean to discourage you, but I guess I am. Good luck, and enjoy the drive.
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Then...you MUST get your Viper out on the track and deal with the spins and frustrations to get to the point where you are safe enough to not kill one of us out on the road.
, always commented that supercars are made to kill the drivers (Not true, but you get the idea). I am thankful that Porsche has provided me with 
). If you start to spin out, it's your responsibility to take control again, nothing there to help you. Believe it or not, I actually considered for a fraction of a second about getting a used 05' viper instead of the CS. Once I heard about the lack of a stability managment system, I trashed the idea and went with the love of my life.
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