centurion
Well-Known Member
OK it's almost ready to rock. I give it about 500 km more and it's done. I post this for anybody considering to buy a Cayman, I'm not going to put driving experiences here because better wordsmiths than me already write poems about that car.
Nothing to do so long post.
In the time I've owned it, I've had utterly no issues even though I have ultra sensitive ears to the behaviour of the engine and mechanicals. This is a big change from the other german cars I've had which the first 3 months were spent shuttling to and from the dealer to get things fixed, one even had its entire wiring harness replaced.
After 3 weeks of ownership, I have no regrets whatsoever. But the gearbox is not operable by a non-petrolhead. I am sure of it. It is such a tough gearbox, way tougher than the Aisin sourced 997 gearbox, and about as tough as the gearboxes installed on the 964 (can't remember the code). The clutch action is very very mechanical, hides nothing from you... and I really can't launch properly without heart pain for the clutch. I am too mechanically sympathetic.
Actually one can use this gearbox easily if you don't mind lots of clutch slipping, the `slip and bite at 2000 rpm style'. But it definitely cannot suit the `slip and bite at 1200rpm' style if you don't clutch with great precision.
Heeltoe is moderately easy, not DAMN easy but easy enough for me who's not exactly a great expert.
But the great thing about this transmission is how easy it is to rev match - you can KNOW exactly whether a rev match is perfect or imperfect. Anything short of perfection, you jerk. LOL...
Trim and build quality - totally no issues so far. Not even a complaint which is too minor to go to the dealer.
Engine is sufficient, at least for now. And I'm just scratching 4.2K rpm only. Any more than that not yet explored. So... i don't regret not getting the 3.4 at this time.
Shifter needs to be modded to the short shifter kit after so much talk that it is the greatest thing on earth. Part number: 997.424.983.00 before and after shots here:
I am actually missing shifts esp to 5 because the shift is a little long. The SS gives 30% less shift travel, and as long as we're not in a snow country we're OK, cold country people almost cannot shift into 1 sometimes with the SS kit.
Brakes - no squealing to date, good feel. Perhaps might benefit from a steel braided cable upgrade which I'll do about 10K km ... the feel is great, but I like it to feel like a rigid board to modulate even better. Problem is after I do the steel braided, I may have to twist the accelerator pedal to do heel-toe properly since brake pedal travel WILL be reduced.
THe only drawback is that the front and rear boots are a constant 35C can't put vegetables inside for a long time. cooler box gets hot quick. Simple reason: rear got engine, front got radiators. Ice cream quickly become cream, coleman box become hotman liquid blue bricks. Balloons put into the boot burst after a while.
Do I miss not having HID? Uhhh... not at all. Do you get too much attention: White color, nobody looks at me, unless I do stupid things like have to get outta the car to help my wife close the boot on front and back. Do STI etc. wanna take me on? REAL STI, no. Fake STI, yes.Simply because the real STI guy probably know that he'll eat me for breakfast, or he thought that I was a tiptronic guy so I will eat him. But the manual can't launch properly without heart pain, both STI and Cayman, so ... no fighting. Even taxi uncle eat me at the lights now... until I can pull to 7.2k rpm that is.
Do I miss the 18"? NO. Because even with PASM, Shenton way area is killing me now so bumpy with all the digging! But the conti CSC2 tyres are pure crap, waiting to change to PS2. Once reach 2K rpm, will drift until the rear tyres botak, then change. Only then it's worth.
Never upgrade to leather seat and dash - utterly don't miss it. The alcantara seat is so damn nice and holds on to your shirt and pants too well for me to wanna spec leather. It will feel different with leather, in a negative way.
GPS - only the Nuvi will fit. Nothing else. the screen area is too small for a bigger unit.
Recommended car? YEAH for sure. I'm happy enough with it and wish no other car until the R8 test drive proves great. Until then, pottering away!
Nothing to do so long post.
In the time I've owned it, I've had utterly no issues even though I have ultra sensitive ears to the behaviour of the engine and mechanicals. This is a big change from the other german cars I've had which the first 3 months were spent shuttling to and from the dealer to get things fixed, one even had its entire wiring harness replaced.
After 3 weeks of ownership, I have no regrets whatsoever. But the gearbox is not operable by a non-petrolhead. I am sure of it. It is such a tough gearbox, way tougher than the Aisin sourced 997 gearbox, and about as tough as the gearboxes installed on the 964 (can't remember the code). The clutch action is very very mechanical, hides nothing from you... and I really can't launch properly without heart pain for the clutch. I am too mechanically sympathetic.
Actually one can use this gearbox easily if you don't mind lots of clutch slipping, the `slip and bite at 2000 rpm style'. But it definitely cannot suit the `slip and bite at 1200rpm' style if you don't clutch with great precision.
Heeltoe is moderately easy, not DAMN easy but easy enough for me who's not exactly a great expert.
But the great thing about this transmission is how easy it is to rev match - you can KNOW exactly whether a rev match is perfect or imperfect. Anything short of perfection, you jerk. LOL...
Trim and build quality - totally no issues so far. Not even a complaint which is too minor to go to the dealer.
Engine is sufficient, at least for now. And I'm just scratching 4.2K rpm only. Any more than that not yet explored. So... i don't regret not getting the 3.4 at this time.
Shifter needs to be modded to the short shifter kit after so much talk that it is the greatest thing on earth. Part number: 997.424.983.00 before and after shots here:
- Short shifter
I am actually missing shifts esp to 5 because the shift is a little long. The SS gives 30% less shift travel, and as long as we're not in a snow country we're OK, cold country people almost cannot shift into 1 sometimes with the SS kit.
Brakes - no squealing to date, good feel. Perhaps might benefit from a steel braided cable upgrade which I'll do about 10K km ... the feel is great, but I like it to feel like a rigid board to modulate even better. Problem is after I do the steel braided, I may have to twist the accelerator pedal to do heel-toe properly since brake pedal travel WILL be reduced.
THe only drawback is that the front and rear boots are a constant 35C can't put vegetables inside for a long time. cooler box gets hot quick. Simple reason: rear got engine, front got radiators. Ice cream quickly become cream, coleman box become hotman liquid blue bricks. Balloons put into the boot burst after a while.
Do I miss not having HID? Uhhh... not at all. Do you get too much attention: White color, nobody looks at me, unless I do stupid things like have to get outta the car to help my wife close the boot on front and back. Do STI etc. wanna take me on? REAL STI, no. Fake STI, yes.Simply because the real STI guy probably know that he'll eat me for breakfast, or he thought that I was a tiptronic guy so I will eat him. But the manual can't launch properly without heart pain, both STI and Cayman, so ... no fighting. Even taxi uncle eat me at the lights now... until I can pull to 7.2k rpm that is.
Do I miss the 18"? NO. Because even with PASM, Shenton way area is killing me now so bumpy with all the digging! But the conti CSC2 tyres are pure crap, waiting to change to PS2. Once reach 2K rpm, will drift until the rear tyres botak, then change. Only then it's worth.
Never upgrade to leather seat and dash - utterly don't miss it. The alcantara seat is so damn nice and holds on to your shirt and pants too well for me to wanna spec leather. It will feel different with leather, in a negative way.
GPS - only the Nuvi will fit. Nothing else. the screen area is too small for a bigger unit.
Recommended car? YEAH for sure. I'm happy enough with it and wish no other car until the R8 test drive proves great. Until then, pottering away!
