Quote:
easy_rider911 said:
For the 911 Carrera, the -20mm set up is the most sporty factory fitted suspension available.
The GT3 set up is -30mm BUT it is not conventionally sprung like the -20mm. The GT3 set up is an improved PASM set up AFAIK.
Of course, I agree about the 'slow in/fast out' cornering technique used by 911 drivers. When only 38% of the weight is on the front axle, one has to adapt one's driving style to take account of the light front end. But, as you rightly said, the traction out of corners is a unique and exhilarating feeling.
Regarding engine position, it all boils down to whether you prefer a 'mid-engined' or '911 rear-engined' experience. Obviously, this is an individual choice and there are no right or wrong answers. All that matters is what gives a particular driver the thrill or buzz that he/she is seeking.
If I had to put forward an opposing view to the 'greater poise' argument you made, it would be as follows. With the Boxster 987S and Cayman S that I have test driven, I felt that the car made light work of the cornering challenge. These cars flattered my driving ability. With the 997, it is less easy to get a corner just right i.e where one feels that one went round the corner as quickly as possible on the limit with maximum control. As such, it is more of a challenge and therefore more satisfying when one does get it right. Ultimately, I would argue that it's a more rewarding drive because of this challenge. By contrast, a mid-engined car requires less concentration and less skill IMHO. I think a 997 offers a 'more rewarding experience' as a result without us having to debate endlessly about which is the 'better car' because then we are scuppered by the issue of 'better for WHOM'...
Regarding the article, I hear what you say and, yes, we'll have to agree to disagree on that issue.
Regarding rennteamers' perceived prejudice, I must say I am still adamant that it's grossly unfair to generalise about what people may have written in the past. You can either generalise about all of us or not. I myself have not knowingly been rude about the Cayman so I would certainly hope you wouldn't include me in your generalisation. But then we're all being tarred with the same brush.
997 more rewarding to drive than the Cayman S?
I'd say probably. The Cayman does flatter the driver (as does the modern 911 btw), but it's still very involving to drive; balancing the car on the throttle to carry extra speed through corners is a very rewarding process. The Cayman has something for the novice driver and for the experienced driver alike, before I purchased the Cayman I was concerned it would be to easy to driver and a bit dull, but it wasn't and enjoyed just cruising about or driving the wheels off the thing, I preferred it to the 911 layout overall. Sometimes I found it a bit tiresome to do the "911 weight transfer thing" when I couldn't be arsed thinking about it and just want to get from A-B quickly.
As you say it's down to personal tastes and both cars are quality pieces of kit and very quick on a charge. For the record I do exclude you from my generalisations after our chat, but it's not really a Perceived prejudice, it's an actually prejudice, not so long ago the bb was a baron waste land, with no Cayman owners posting and soon being ganged up on by various posters with Cayman Axe's to grind if their did post anything positive. Ever thread ended up with the same members posting the same comments time and time again. RC, himself has always been very negative about the Cayman and this helped to reduce the number new posts to maybe one a week, even now it's not exactly a hive of activity. Today there's no Cayman owners who regularly post on Rennteam, there all had an enough of constant bickering and cleeks, the majority of poster are 911 and Boxster owners, which tells you something.
DreamCar I don't know why I'm going to bother, but you imply the Cayman is just Boxster with a fixed roof and this doesn't offer any kind of benefit over the Boxster, it does make the car stiffer and it performs better for it.
I found this extra stiffness improved the ability to soak up bumps, improved cornering speeds and confidence on smooth and lumpy tarmac, provided more front and rear grip, improved the feel steering by a noticeable amount, with the front end being more tied in to the road, changed the whole feel of the car, gave it a harder edge than the Boxster, which feels a bit softer and isn't the drivers car that the Cayman is. You don't have to drive at the limit to notice the difference either.
Its sooooo easy.... 
But then they don't have delude themselves, do they? 
