I have a cayman S and a 330i (have also had a range of 3er's, a 5er, s4 etc)... The 997 is quieter and more comfy than a cayman, but for these purposes, so is the 5-series than the 3. I don't commute to work, but if I did, I'd be crazy to do it in the cayman, practically a go-cart... It's not suited to the long slog as much as the bmw, might be fun once in a while, but it is important to keep the experience special... Split the tools, I say. Or if you have to have one car, go with m3/s4.