GTP Cool Wall: 2005-2012 Porsche Cayman (987)

[Turbo]

In my opinion, creating a car that is smaller and cheaper than the 911, but still having good performance, was a smart move by Porsche. Customers who didn't want a convertible like the Boxster, but maybe couldn't afford a 911 were the kind of people who bought these Caymans.

Visually, it's a shrunken 997. Proportions could be better, and therefore, it wasn't one of the best looking Porsches of the 2000s. Fortunately, Cayman was mid engined, powerful, and handled well, which was expected of a Porsche car.

 

[TenEightyOne]

It's cool despite its main handicap being all the things it isn't rather than all the things it is. Still, there's one good thing that it isn't... a Boxster.

 

[Skython]

I really liked the Cayman when it first came out, but as the new shapes have come in, this shape has become dull.

 

[Skygrasper550]

Intentionally made to be not as good as it should be, it's why it's nicknamed "the poor man's 911". Would give it Uncool but it gets a Meh by the fact that it's mid-engined.

 

[Danoff]

Intentionally made to be not as good as it should be, it's why it's nicknamed "the poor man's 911". Would give it Uncool but it gets a Meh by the fact that it's mid-engined.

All cars are intentionally made to be not as good as they could be. Even race cars.

 

[Pupik]

Deliberately gimping the performance in fear of treading on the 911's toes is uncool.

Isn't that 99% of the entire fleet of most vehicles? That's the way things are for the past 30+ years. Want more power, then you step up to the more expensive model if you aren't into engine swaps.

You're rarely going to see a factory option for the most powerful engines, let alone the medium-powered lump, in the least-expensive vehicles. The only way that happens is if the flagship model is totally underpowered or the marque has only two models.

 

[FT-1]

I don't get why the Boxster/Cayman get so much more flak than any other car for being nerfed so it doesn't step on the toes of its bigger brother. The Cayman has an entirely different engine configuration to the 911 and is more evenly balanced.

Plus the Cayman is fortunate enough to be seen as the benchmark of its segment, it doesn't need more power anyway.

 

[Skygrasper550]

All cars are intentionally made to be not as good as they could be. Even race cars.

yeah but some are held back more deliberately than others. The result is that you get this half-hearted feeling towards it.

 

[axletramp]

The list price of these in 10 or 20 years will tell you just how cool these are. And I can tell you now, 911s will be considerably more expensive. Great balance and drive though, but as for 'coolness', they ain't no 911. Will be excellent value track day buys in the future. Solid cool, no more.