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wtsnet said:
So, being devil's advocate... if the Cayman outhandles the 997, and you're pricing cars based on performance, why not give the Cayman the power and suspension it needs, and price it equal to or even above the 997? In the end, is it just the image, and the two rear seats that make people perceive it to be 'above' the Cayman? They must have similar build costs...
The problem is: like it or not but the "regular" Porsche buyers dream car is still the 911. Porsche could install even a 400 HP engine into the Cayman S and it would still be a...Cayman. The Cayman is too new and has no tradition at all, this is a major problem of this fine car. Another problem is it's price tag compared to the Boxster S.
Some of you people are talking about getting LSD but believe me: most customers interested in the Cayman are usually customers who just wanted another toy, not necessarily the people Porsche had in mind like Audi TT, Mercedes SLK, etc. owners who want to climb the "ladder" up.
Don't fall for illusions and daydreams: Porsche will never allow the Cayman or any other car priced below, to "threaten" the 911. And this strategy is actually the ONLY one which in my opinion works 100% for Porsche because right now, a lot of BS is happening around Porsche with all those new models and the increased production numbers.
If you want to keep up a certain exclusivity level, you can't build too many cars or even "dilute" the model lines with new models and confusing specs.
I don't say that the Cayman was a mistake but Porsche placed it as a product nobody actually wanted or needed.
Roadster? Boxster. Sportscar? 911. SUV? Cayenne. So where would the Cayman fit in? Nowhere I'm afraid.
Priced too close to the 911 Carrera and too far away from the Boxster S, the Cayman S marketing has failed in my opinion. I also see mistakes made with the 911 Carrera which in my opinion should have been placed somewhere between the Boxster S and the Carrera S. And the difference between the Carrera and Carrera S isn't big enough, another mistake in my opinion.
Porsche has to realize that if they're trying to become the next BMW, their future may be still "bright" but not in the exclusive sportscar market anymore.
The Cayman doesn't make sense from many points of view. It is actually a car nobody has really asked for. It may change in a few years if the Cayman "survives" but right now, the Cayman is just another Porsche but not THE Porsche.
It is difficult to explain, especially since it really is a fine car and all the reviews seem to be great, without any doubt by merit). The question is: what does the Cayman S better than the Boxster S? And another question is: what does the Cayman S better than a 911 Carrera. Yes, it may be a tad quicker in turns but most people wouldn't really care about numbers.
I'm curious to see how the future of the Cayman evolves.
Priced at the same price tag as the Boxster S, I see chances for the future. As a "911 for poor people" like a few people put it here and there, the Cayman S doesn't stand a chance. Especially after the Carrera facelift, the Cayman S will be even less attractive. Unless Porsche deletes the Carrera completely and leaves only the Carrera S as a 911 "entry" model. But I doubt that this is ever going to happen.
Like I said: don't expect Porsche to put the 911 at risk by allowing the Cayman S to be a better performer in a way or another. This ain't going to happen. Unfortunately the rumors of a Cayman Turbo and Cayman RS(CS) have almost completely disappeared, I wonder why?! Of course it can't be excluded that Porsche takes the plunge and risk with a high power Cayman version, especially since the new GT3 and Turbo are introduced as high performance 911 models.
But I still have my doubts. My very small german dealer has three brandnew Cayman S in his showroom, another one was on the parking lot, newly arrived. From what I heard, nobody seems to be very happy with Cayman S sales over here. But maybe this is just a german thing, we Germans still tend to have erotic dreams about the 911 in our sleep.
, but it won't change the fact that you get a certain level of performance for a certain cost from every car makerand Porsche is the same in this regard. You can't expect to pay less money and get the faster car on paper, under cutting the flagship. No one else does it, what's the big deal with Porsche doing it 
