911 (996) or Cayman?

So i'm about to sell my project cars and consolidate that money into something else. I basically just want a no compromises sports car for a weekend driver. 5 years ago I had a room mate who had a 07 Cayman and it was a great car, something I know I would enjoy. However some people have recommended me to check out 996 911s. 

I'm wondering which would be the better car to own? I'm sure I would enjoy either just looking for those details you guys are known for, lol. 

Intent as well would be doing autocross regularly with whatever car I pick. I would like to do another track day in whatever I buy as well. 

IMO, the Cayman is prettier, but the 996 is a 911, if that means anything to you. It does to a lot of people. Do you need/want a back seat? What about cost, for the cost of a decent 996, can you get a new enough Cayman to not have to worry about the IMS issue? 

911 simply because 911.

Although not 996...

In reply to Tom_Spangler :

Well one reason I just don't flat out pick Cayman S is I always wanted a 911. 

I can spend under $30k.

My old room mate I mentioned had an early Cayman (non-s) that had IMS failure so I would either be looking for a car that has that already taken care of or buying one from a year where that isn't an issue. I should be able to get a non-IMS car with room in my budget. 

Back seat, I mean it would be NICE to have but it really doesn't matter. This wouldn't be a DD. 

FuzzWuzzy said:

911 simply because 911.

Although not 996...

I wish I could afford that. Pretty much a dream car. 

It’s a tip car,   but it is also TT and could probably be had under budget.

https://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/d/lightly-modified-911-twin/6699807939.html

If you're willing to spend 20+ you can get a 996 with a lot of major work done to it and that might make you feel better about the mechanicals. However in my opinion Caymans are consistently more nice than 996s are based on materials and condition. A good 996 is almost as nice as a Cayman, but if you have no particular attachment to the 'its a 911' factor I'd probably recommend the Cayman overall. I think it'll be cheaper in the long run to actually use hard. 

A Cayman S is as fast as a 996 Carrera based on owning a 996 and having briefly driven a Cayman S one time in my life. 

In reply to Vigo :

This seems like a reasonable way for me to shop. If I can find a 996 with everything taken care of reasonably within budget I could go for that, otherwise go Cayman S. 

I'm disappointed in you people. No one has asked what project vehicles the OP is selling!

FuzzWuzzy said:

911 simply because 911.

Although not 996...

While that is the ultimate, I don't think it fits into to many peoples budget.

For me the answer is cayman S. More car for less money. Too much of a 911 tax on the 996.

I've been thinking about selling my 996 due to lack of use.

There's a 996tt in texas for 29k it's a tip though.

My suggestion the best 987.1 Cayman S you can find or 987.2 non-S 

Cayman is the better deal and maybe faster around an auto-x? 996 is pretty darn quick around a real track though.

I currently want a 996 more than I want a Cayman/Boxster.  But I think it depends on your uses.  Lots of argument back and forth over which is be the better car but in the end it comes down to which one you like more.  I personally like the side profile of a 996 coupe over a Cayman, but I prefer the Boxster top down lines over a 996.  However, I think a Boxster with the top up looks goofy, so there you have it.  

I think there is something about 911s that scratch the itch for some people, while other people could care less.  Some folks buy a Porsche just so they can have the badge and say they own a Porsche,  some people are true enthusiast and want to own their dream car, and some people hate Porsche just because it says Porsche.  For many many years Porsche 911 has been the car that all other cars were compared against. Look at how many road test compare a Porsche to another car, even when the cars are in entirely different categories or price ranges?  For a lot of car enthusiast (general not Porsche specific ones) they want to own a 911 variant just to see what the fuss is about.  

Also take all the above with a grain of salt from the guy who has an old 911 in the garage that gets dusted off the line by today's soccermom mobiles, and who daily drives a Ford Mustang gt  to avoid all the euro parts prices, and because he needs a backseat for toting around his kids...

EDIT:  One more thing, I think we are also going to start seeing an upswing in 996 prices as people realize they are, in some ways, a better car than the Boxsters ove the same vintage.  

Caymans are nice and I like the way they look.  You have to decide whether you want to own a Porsche or a 911.  I went with a 911 as I always wanted a 911 and I wanted a back seat so my son could ride in the car.

Several of my friends have had catastrophic engine failures on track with their cayman/boxster/996's, even with all the oil mods done, IMS replaced etc.  Simply put, I wouldn't put one of those on track unless I had the cash to replace the motor if it popped.

Otherwise look and spend the money on a 2009+ model that doesn't have the IMS or cylinder wall chunking issues that the early ones do.  Those sell for significantly more money tho.  At that point I decided I'd rather get exactly what I wanted and bought a 996 Turbo, no IMS in those either...

Most 996s have had their IMS bearings looked after by now.  Even the retrofits have a shelf life and may be ready to be redone.  The M96 is not a bulletproof engine...IMS failures were early on, but now you have timing chain guides, head-cracking, bore-scoring and d-chunking problems to worry about, and there is no magical bolt-on part that will address it. 

I'd go Cayman after doing the 996 experience, if you don't need the back seat.  The cars are newer, the buy-in is lower, and the interior is nicer.  

I own and daily a 996. I adore it, but I think, with your budget and needs, a Cayman is the way to go. It's classed more competitively for autocross, is a generation newer in nearly every way and I think it's just as likely to appreciate in the long term.

I've had an 03 996.2 C2 and after that, a 98 986. I liked the Boxster more. It was more fun, sounded better, handled better. I worried a lot about the IMS in the 996. It was a concern too for the Boxster but the price of admission was like 1/3 of the 996. 

The 996 was a 911 which was great. The way the weight transfers, rolling on and off the throttle, and how the steering reacts is very cool and you can't get that anywhere else. The 3.6L was the perfect amount of power for the ~3000lbs on the street. But I could wind out the 2.5L everywhere - and did. 

Both my cars were reliable and pretty DIY-friendly. I drove the Boxster cross-country twice. It was great. There were some fiddly old-car things on it but nothing scary. There is a huge support network for DIY instructions on these cars.

My choice - try to get an 09 Cayman. That'll have the new motor and be plenty fun. I think they are trading in the 26-30k range for a non-S. 

Go on Copart and search for either models. You may be able to find one that is running for cheap. May just need body work, etc.

I'm not too concerned about the title status since to me, it's gonna be a track-beater.

Good Luck!

Do a hard test drive in a 996 and see how you like it.  5 years ago did you really get a feel for your room mate's cayman.. like at the limit type stuff?

In reply to 8valve :

Not totally like that, I drove it a couple of times but hard driving I was only a passenger. I didn't want to be responsible for his car lol. 

He had a non-S and it felt fun. I think if I get a S I would have everything I need really. 

Cayman S do 0-60 in the 4's, 1/4 mile in the 13s, and have 'perfect' weight distribution of a sportingly low amount of weight. If you want better than that you are basically looking for a supercar.  If someone is looking for a sports car for sports cars' sake and not a collection of impressive numbers or a status symbol, the Cayman S has to be the best thing going at the price.

2009 Cayman 28k miles $28k (non-IMS)

docwyte said:

Simply put, I wouldn't put one of those on track unless I had the cash to replace the motor if it popped.

My plan if the engine blows in my Cayman is to buy a running Boxster - they're cheaper than the engine alone.