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Base owner regrets?

13K views 53 replies 35 participants last post by  iiagdtr 
#1 ·
Has anyone purchased a base Cayman only to regret not purchasing an S???
 
#2 ·
I had base 987 Caymans for ten years. The amount of power was perfect for 98% of my driving. The only time I wanted more was on the track (which is not that frequent).

Now I have a 981 Cayman GTS and so certainly have plenty more power. But sometimes it seems like the power is just too easy. It was actually more "fun" wringing out the 245HP on my previous cars than managing the 340HP in the GTS.
 
#4 ·
My experience is EXACTLY the same... a 2007 base... drove it for 8 years. and I did move up to the GTS... but it was as much driven by (need) to get PDK, just couldn't heel-n-toe well anymore.
In that 8 years, I drove the car on the track two to 4 times a year and only then did I "wish" for the more power. Truth of the matter, for my skill, there isn't that much difference in "times", both cars yield tons of fun. And the base was able to keep up with a wide range of other cars to boot.

Call that regrets if you like, but I wouldn't loose any sleep over it!!
 
#3 ·
This line of reasoning and second guessing never ends. For the guys who stepped up to the S, why not get the GTS? Why not get the 911 Base, S, GTS, GT3, GT3RS?

Drive the cars. Get what you want and can afford. Don't second guess yourself. It's not healthy. Do your research and make the right choice for you.

A Base Cayman is awesome.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Perfect response!

I have only had base Porsches and no regrets what-so-ever. It's all the power you'd need for, like others have said, 95% of the time. I have a buddy who has a Boxster S and to me it sounds like you can get in to trouble speeds much quicker so he always feels like he's holding it back to stay legal. My 981 is a 6spd and that over the PDK makes is so much more fun IMO. The Base car is easy and fun to wring out and still stay comfortably with speeds. And I don't track any of my cars.
 
#5 ·
I guess whether you find a Base satisfying depends on your prior car experience and intended future usage. In my case, the 2007 Base Cayman I bought three years ago is by far the fastest and best handling car I've ever owned; I'd never notice the added performance of the S. I never have, or intend to, track the car - just fun drives including multi-day trips. I probably would have opted for the S when I bought mine but I could not handle the increased engine noise which I felt would become tiresome on extended trips. The Base is the perfect car for me. (Just got back from a 750 mi drive to southern IL, including some fun roads in the Shawnee Forest area. Had intended to take the SUV, but the weather was too nice to not take the Cayman.)
 
#6 ·
I am am sure there are a number. Also a number of people that spent the extra for the S and would have been happy with the base. Drive both, decide where your priorities lie and make your decision. As Subshooter pointed out, there is no end to speculation.
 
#7 · (Edited)
I drove the base and the S.... and I picked the base. Five years later and I still love the base car. Speed came too easy in the S, and I found myself having to shut it down too soon (90mph in a 35mph zone).

In the base I have to use my skills, time my shifts, work the clutch, and do the work myself to make the car fast. The base car is fast if you are a good driver. The S model is fast whether you are a good driver or not.

Life is strange when it comes to cars, I've had more fun in a 130hp MG MGB GT vs a Ferrari 458 or 430 scuderia with 500hp. The MG MGB GT took every ounce of my skill to keep it on the road/track. The Ferrari 458 and 430 took the same road/track at twice the speed with zero drama or effort. The more cars you drive, the more you start to realize that "fun factor" is not directly related to more HP and more money.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Touring car racing Motorsport
 
#9 ·
Life is strange when it comes to cars, I've had more fun in a 130hp MG MGB GT vs a Ferrari 458 or 430 scuderia with 500hp. The MG MGB GT took every ounce of my skill to keep it on the road/track. The Ferrari 458 and 430 took the same road/track at twice the speed with zero drama or effort. The more cars you drive, the more you start to realize that "fun factor" is not directly related to more HP and more money.

View attachment 141009
Its always more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. When I was a kid I had a Renault R5. I think I spent more time on three wheels than four.
Drive it hard into the corner and dump the throttle when it should be to late, it starts to turn in and lifts the inside rear wheel which results in instant rotation and you plant the throttle and drive it out before it spins. It wasn't much of a car but horsepower was so low and the dynamics so bad you could drive the crap out of it without ever being in real danger. That car taught me a lot. Reminds me of the F1 Driver who drove a Suzuki SUV on the road because it was the only vehicle that he found challenging without going insanely fast. Not that I am comparing skills...
 
#11 ·
I have had two "S" models and four base models (Boxster and Cayman). The "S" model is a heck of a lot of fun . . . but the base model isn't shabby. The base model has all the power that I need 95% of the time. My only regret right now is that I don't own a PDK.
 
#13 ·
They said you live in CA you don't need a 4-wheel drive SUV, I listened to the geniuses and bought a 2-wheel drive SUV, and I regretted ever since.

You wondered if you will regret buying a base, that means deep down you want an S, so get an S.
 
#14 · (Edited)
It was a matter of cost in 2008, choice was S model with no options or a base with nav, xenons, heated seats, Bose, dimmable mirrors, sport steering wheel, body-color console, etc. which suited me as I was using it as a daily driver. The salient characteristic of the base model 987 is that to extract performance, you have to keep the revs up. But that's much of the fun right there. The 5-speed was perfectly suited to the 2.7, and 4th gear was the best bet all the way to 60 mph. The S had more power down low, but neither was a torque monster. And both basically handled the same. The 2.7 was basically as reliable as the proverbial anvil despite all the hoopla about IMS, oil starvation, bore-scoring, etc.

Fast forward to today, I chose the 718 Boxster S over base mainly because I could feel the difference in performance (no Turbo lag) and sound (more refined at over 3000 rpm), though I'm sure I could have lived quite well with the base model thanks to its performance improvements. Key is always to drive both.
 
#15 ·
I owned an 08 CS, a Cayman R, a 2014 Base and now a 2016 Base. I had the power that many talk about in an S over Base. I have been so pleased with the way the 981 Base performs that when I ordered my 2016 I conciously chose Base again.....only changes from the 2014 was X73 suspension and different color.
 
#16 ·
I've had the 981B and 981BGTS and while I loved both, I was always wanting more power in the base. I think it was more torque than anything, and while the GTS doesn't have a huge amount more, it makes a noticeable difference. If you can afford the S, go for it otherwise you will always be questioning yourself.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
#17 ·
I love my base but have the 6 speed; with the PDK you might be disappointed. With the stick you can flog it in the lower gears and it roars for me. A side benefit is I just sent my last payment in today (paying it off very early) and I would not have been able to do that if I was down another $10k for the S. No regrets at all.
 
#18 ·
Although I have a 981BS, I've driven the base on several occasions and it provided me just as much enjoyment as my S. As a matter of fact the car that I enjoyed the most was my 1970 Triumph GT6 which had about 95 HP and a curb weight of around 2000 lbs. My daily commute was on hilly country roads, and I enjoyed every minute of the ride. I must have shifted a couple hundred times on every commute, since on most any hill I had to downshift to 3rd or even 2nd just to get up the hills. The base 981 is a rocket ship compared to that GT6 :)
 
#20 ·
I have a 2007 Honda S2K which is slower than a base 987. I also have a 2014 981 Cayman S. Of the two the Honda is much more fun to drive even though it is no where near as fast. Having said that I also drove a Boxster 981 base with PDK and thought it to be a slug. Back to back I drove a 981 base Cayman with a manual and I loved it. So bottom line if you get the base, get the manual! If you need the PDK then opt for the higher HP car. IMHO.
 
#25 ·
The thing that really clinched the base for me was the Porsche salesman. I asked him if I would regret not getting the S and he told me "no, the base is way enough for the street, trust me. I have sold a lot of them and have never heard a complaint about power". Since he had an incentive to sell me on the higher priced S, I took his word as being very credible and he has been right. I love every aspect of the car and it has been without a single flaw so far (I only have 12,000 miles on the odo though because I have other cars).
 
#24 ·
It is frustrating when my base 981 is only using 40% of its peak HP when I want to have fun before my car is impounded and my license suspended due to insanely illegal high speed. Yes I have driven the S but no regrets on the base at all. I guess I have graduated from the younger years of street racing. It actually sounds slightly better than the S, IMHO.
 
#26 ·
I had the same experience, my salesman said you want to pay 10k more for the slight boost it is up to you. If you track the car it might make sense, but i don't. He had both in stock, in fact he had more S versions than the base so I knew he was being on the level. I love mine and paid it off 10 grand quicker!!!! Both versions are extreme fun.
 
#27 ·
I have had my 2012 2.9 Cayman for 3 weeks now. I drove a 987.1 S, and could not tell the difference between the two as far as power goes. Having a manual, means I have to row the gears more to keep the car in the torque band, but that is why I purchased the car. It has more HP than my 2015 BMW 330i, but less torque. The BMW is faster off the line, but the Porsche can easily out perform in the bends.
I commute up a mountain range for work, and love how the base handles.
To finish, I live in Australia, the land of regulations (i.e. speed cameras) and taxes. I paid over $9k in taxes for the pleasure of buying a 5 year old car. An S version would be much more expensive, and therefore more taxes. I think I paid enough!
No regrets for the base 2.9!

Ken
 
#28 ·
I test drove a base Cayman and thought, wow this is cool. Then I test drove an S up a windy hill and thought, wow this is cooler. I went back and took that base Cayman to the same hill, and knew it'd have to be the S for me. The sound and extra torque/power was too intoxicating.

My advice, don't test drive the S if you are happy with the base.
 
#29 · (Edited)
My advice, don't test drive the S if you are happy with the base.
I test drove the S and bought the base, because I enjoy spending more time above 4,500 rpms. I know too many people that have a high HP car and shift gears at 4500 rpms. (because they don't want to explain to the cops why they were doing 90 mph in a 40 mph zone).

When I tried my normal driving style in an "S" I was too far over the legal speed limits for safe driving on public streets. So the choice I faced was buy the "S" and shift at 4,500 rpms or buy the base and enjoy getting into the 5k to 6k rpm range more often on my daily drive.

PS - I agree that mountains are one very good reason to buy the "S"... but I don't agree that the S beats the base in a blanket statement for those without mountains or a track habit.
 
#31 ·
This only seems to have become an issue with the introduction of a turbo flat 4 that is faster than the old flat 6. The older car is slower to high speeds but requires more effort and admittedly makes a nice noise while doing so. I for example have never seen Corvette (or VW GTI) buyers desire the new models to be slower than older models.
 
#36 ·
I wish I had an S but you have to draw the line somewhere. If money were no option, I'd be in a Turbo S.
 
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