Planet 9

I have had my Cayman for only two weeks and I am rather stunned by the unkind comments I have been receiving. I was not prepared for the snarky & backhanded comments some people feel compelled to say.

My male friends think it is great and encouraged me to get it, but most of the women I know have said things like ‘what was wrong with your old car’, ‘why did you buy that’ and ‘you must have too much money’. One woman I work with who has been using my first name for years now says ‘Mr.’, it’s really weird. I bought the Cayman because it is beautiful and well made, not for status or to ‘get the babes’.

Is this common? Did it happen to you when you went from an ordinary car to a really nice one?

It happened to all of us.

1) My boss bought a Maserati Quattroporte - he was going about 10 MPH over the limit and a cop towing a boat (some sort of department of interior) pulled him over - asked him 'what do you do to earn this kind of car'. The cop tried to get a 'regular cop' to come - they refused so my boss was let off with a warning.

2) The secretaries were joking about the staff 'needing to compensate for something' after we went through a lot of people buying nice cars (Z06, S8, Cayman, etc).

3) Men (usually young guys) taking pictures of the car with their cell phones.

4) Notes being left on the car (Nice Car!)

5) The looks at stoplights.

6) The old lady in the parking lot wagging her finger at me because my car sounds like it's too fast!

7) Most people have no idea about Porsche models or their relative cost. They can't tell the difference between a $70k Cayman and a $400k Carrera GT.

It's real. It's there. Get used to it.

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Completed: Softronic ECU; Quaife LSD; TPC Swaybars; Bilstein PSS9s; Das Schild; Aluminum Gas Cap; Softronic Plenum; RemoteKEY; Capristo Exhaust;

In Process: Clear Engine Cover; Bumper Plugs Painted Bits for the Inside

Ah. . . no. Most of my friends gave me a big thumbs up. At least I think it was a thumb. Maybe I need to get my glasses checked.

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Porsche Cayman 2.7
Mercedes E320 Bluetec Diesel
Ducati Paul Smart LE
BMW R1200GS

Well, I have a box-standard Cayman, and it cost me a good deal less than many of the SUVs and luxo-sedans sitting in my office's parking lot. Still, there is a perception people will have if you own a Porsche, and you just have to get used to it.

Like it or not, a Porsche is a "statement car", much more so than Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Lexus, Infiniti, etc. Those manufacturers make great cars, but even if those cars cost more [much more in some cases] than our Cayman, people will generally look at our cars more like they look at Ferraris, Maseratis, and Lamborghinis. I'm not trying to be elitist or anything, I just think that's the way we're perceived. As a side note, I wonder if the Elise owners get similar reactions…

Anyway, I don't own a Cayman to make a statement, and I'm sure most of the folks on this forum would say the same. But like it or not, our cars do make a statement. It makes me a little... uncomfortable... but I love this car, so I'll put up with the reactions -- positive and negative -- that I get from owning it!

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Just answer the questions honestly:

What was wrong with your old car?: Nothing.
Why did you buy that?: 'Cause I wanted it.
You must have too much money: Yes

Really, most women (not all) just don't get the car thing. Their view on a car is usually concentrated on if it can get them form one mall to the next, how many cupholders for bottled water does it have, and how large is the "makeup" mirror. Engine sound, road feel, handling, etc. are all a mute point.

I agree this is a major problem, sometimes makes me reconsider my Cayman S.

I agree with the first 2, but too much money? Not me! My problem is that the second ruled the brain at the time. I wanted it BAD!!!

Even having an RX-8, less than a year old, didn't make me say "No, you don't need that!!!" Now I have both and the RX-8 is pouting.

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1 '09 Cayman S
1 '07 RX-8 (Traded in on '09 above...)
1 '06 Cayman S (Traded in on '09 above...)
1 '06 Ford Explorer (I'm in Colorado!!!)
2 '98 Harley Road Glides

Yea, there's some of that - and some unsaid that may be worse, but I'm good with it. I tell em I've worked my *** off for a long time and deserve it !!

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DANIEL

i find it to be that way across the board, actually. i have offered friends rides in the car, and they do not even care for a spin around the block, let alone to hear my spiel of adoration. my Mum and Sisters are way more excited about the car than most of my male friends. let's not generalize.

sometimes i get the gas-station inquisition - "How fast does this car go?" or, "That must have cost your husband a pretty penny." - but mostly it is "D4mn! That is one hot car!"

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I've had mostly great comments about the car. The most backhanded was from a couple of SCCA racer-snobs at the KC divisional last year (makes me embarrassed to be a member) - pure bush-league jealousy

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996 GT3 lower control arms at all corners
997 GT3 front sway bar
Quaife TBD
DMC harness bar/G-force harness
Hawk HP Plus pads

Is my sarcasm detector broken? "Major problem"? Really?

I've gotten a few odd comments here and there, but I have an easy out: I don't have kids. My response to "How can you afford that car" is "Well, how much do your kids cost you in a given year?" That usually ends the Q&A.

Most comments from guys, friends and random people on the street were positive and 'excited'. Though my neighbors have been vocal that I'm an idiot for trying not to exceed the speed limit in it on the street.

I think every single woman who has been in my car first asks why is it so loud (My car is completely stock), then - there really isn't much rooom in here is there. Yesterday I got a - I'm not even sure if I'll fit in there (she was 5-6, 115 pounds).

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2006 Arctic Silver CS with SRP and LSD

+1 on that, it makes me soooo uncomfortable, sometimes I wish I could have my own race track to drive her on and then go about my errands in another (less catchy) car.

Still, I do admit that the few people who give thumbs up instead of those ugly looks make me happy

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"Sir! We're surrounded!" - "Excellent! We can shoot in any direction!"

A good car will get you from point A to point B. A great car... will just get you into trouble!

This is a phenomenon that I’ve observed since my first Porsche purchase in 1965. When the long knives come out it sometimes helps for the new owner to do a little self introspection to make sure that his/her behavior has not changed in subtle ways that seem natural to the new owner but are viewed as grandstanding by others. For instance are you;
1. Now parking in a special place
2. Have Porsche cups, hats, calendars all over your workplace
3. Drive through the parking lot in a gear designed to raise the volume of the engine
4. Mention your new purchase a few times a day
5. Altered your driving style to a more aggressive one
6. Are constantly looking to see who is checking you out when you drive?

And there are dozens more. I’m not saying that is the case here but I have observed this sort of behavior (especially with first time owners) many times and even as a long time Porsche owner it can even aggravate me at times. Like the guy in town who has a new Carrera that seemingly must be driven in first gear at 4000 rpms all through town.

I said something similar to this... to my boss This is a man who knows my annual salary, and sets my bonus amount, but wondered out loud how I can afford the CS and my Infiniti (he drives a Honda S200). My answer was that the Infiniti is old and payed off, I had a really good 4 year run on my stock investments, and I don't spend my money on a wife and kids (he is of course married with a newborn). He does have a wry sense of humor so I didn't get sacked, and he use to drive a 996 before the wife and kid came along.

Everyone else in my department (and colleagues at rival companies) asks how much I get payed to afford a Porsche. Answer: see above; I'm one of the few single/childless men at my pay grade.

The other reaction is that everyone assumes they're entitled to a ride in my CS.

I mistakingly parked my car in view of the office windows the first time I drove it to work. The end spot is larger than the others, which is why I chose it. It was a conversation piece the entire day. I hid in my cube and then never parked anywhere near there again. I rarely drive to work, so most people will take a long time to figure out who it belongs to.

It is SO strange to me that people think they are so expensive and elitist. It has less luxury than any Lexus, and costs less than some american made pick-ups or SUVs. On top of that, my wife and I share it as our only car.

A $45,000 toyota sienna is not an indulgence, but a $45,000 Porsche is. I don't know why. Luckily in the Bay Area, the cars are a dime a dozen. The other day I took it out shopping in SF, and sure enough there was a Lambo parked a block from me. I can only imagine the attention they draw in other parts of the country. It's about the only downside to the car.

One question. Does a Boxster get the same attention?

Although I wouldnt know about a Cayman, but I think the Boxster gets even more attention because of the soft top, and more even if the top is down One cant really enjoy the car without having people shoot him with their looks , sometimes even from people who drive more expensive cars (but obviously, dont know that they do)

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"Sir! We're surrounded!" - "Excellent! We can shoot in any direction!"

A good car will get you from point A to point B. A great car... will just get you into trouble!

OMG! A $45,000 Sienna?!! They are great minivans, but the only way I'm spending $45K on one is if it has $20K in cash in the glove box.

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996 GT3 lower control arms at all corners
997 GT3 front sway bar
Quaife TBD
DMC harness bar/G-force harness
Hawk HP Plus pads

Kor - sarcastic?! . . . never!

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Andrew My Blogs My Garage My Articles
2006 Cayman S Tiptronic (Year-round Daily Driver & Part-time Track Toy)
Mods: SRP, DREAM-1, VentureShield, Xpel Headlamp shields, 35% Tint, MotorDrive Front Mesh Grills, Bumperplugs..
Track Prep: Pagid Yellows, Champion RS98s/R-S3s, Deka ETX14 Battery, CG-Lock, Extinguisher, Rennline towhook, BBI Harness/Rollbar

Although I have not taken possession of my Cayman yet, I have experienced this when I bought my BMW M5 a couple years ago.

I'm 32, have hair many have likened to Edward Scissor hands, and work on hydraulics all day so I am usually wearing double knee Dickies pants and old work shirts. To see me getting out of what people think is an 80 thousand dollar car, I have gotten A LOT of weird looks. I'm sure many of them think I am fixing the car and just "taking" it home for the night.

The best encounter I had while getting gas. A very polite 18 year old meekly came up to me. "is this your car?" he said.
"yup", I told him.
"Wow, do you mind if i ask you a few questions about it?. It's just that I have always loved this car and all the other owners I have approached were always rich older people that were really rude and obviously didn't want to talk to me. You seem cooler."

I moved my car to the side of the station and we sat and chatted for 20 minutes about the it.

I don't usually have to explain the car to anyone. My good friends know that I have been a car nut since I was a kid. They think I'm crazy for wanting cool cars in lieu of a big house. And right now I am single, no girlfriend, no kids, live in a very comfortable small apartment I like, and work 80 hours a week. I may as well enjoy the ride to and from work.

I'm sure the Porsche is going to be a lot more noticeable than the BMW though. Should be interesting.