I am always debating this too..

Sell and buy cayman or supercharge...

hard decision...

@the_ging, here you go man. My thread that answers your question quite literally.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61019 :thumbsup:

Well, there you have it. If you want to supercharge your BRZ, buy a Cayman. Thread over.


That statement should be a sticky and there should be a rule that no one is allowed to discuss this again.

BUT MY BACKSEATS

If you keep complaining, you are getting a Z4 with a toyota badge on it :)

Getting my sprintex IC installed soon. Used twin plus mods for 20k is hard to beat... Only down side is relabilty is questionable after boost but yolo

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cayman s vs brz
 

I test drove a couple cayman S cars, i ended up buying a BRZ lol I liked the Cayman but it felt almost too planted but def was quicker in the straights but i liked the idea of being able to haul some stuff , tires etc. and also when i heard that if the IMS bearing goes bad its about 15 grand to fix......i was like ok the BRZ looks even more better lol

Gotta say even on pump a SC twin is damn fun. Can't wait to try E85. I would take a used Boosted twin any day over a Cayman. Quite a bit of money left over for Tires, Rims, Brakes and consumables.

Definitely a hard choice. Over the weekend I spent some time in the canyons with a friend's 986 Boxster S (3.2L, 258 hp) and it reminded me of all the things I loved about my old 987.2 Boxster S. NA flat 6 that sings to redline. Talkative steering rack. That Porsche way of squatting back on the rear wheels and pulling out of corner exits. Just a well rounded car overall.

But strangely when I got back in my FR-S, I was surprised to find things I liked better in it. The chassis feels lighter and more responsive. The handling balance is closer to neutral, whereas the Boxster understeered more on entry. The brakes felt less mushy. The seats are better. The gearshift is more precise. Not as much feedback from the steering rack, but less slack on-center and much quicker ratio. And while the Subaru flat 4 engine sound can't hold a candle to the flat 6 in the Porsche, the FR-S doesn't feel as dog-slow as I was expecting, especially from 4000 rpm to redline.

Now granted I'm on E85 (and have RCE T2 coilovers, track alignment, Wilwood BBK, and other mods) so it's not an apples-to-apples comparison. But if forced to make a decision right now, I think the FR-S is actually more fun on canyon runs. I'll know for sure after I do some back-to-back runs in the future, but I'm pretty surprised. Back when I sold my 987.2 Boxster S, I never thought I'd ever prefer an FR-S to a Boxster/Cayman, but it is really close right now with my FR-S in its current iteration.

Good perspective from someone with experience from both platforms, and yup I know what you mean. It's not an apples to apples comparison, but IMHO it doesn't always have to be 'apples to apples'. Most folks who buy the Cayman don't mod it much (because it's so good out of the box). Folks who buy 86's often mod them - and those who set it up right really see results from this car. For me, it's the fun to drive factor - meaning the FR-S, whether it is actually faster or not, is a bit more raw to drive. Partially because of the mods (I have T2's as well), partially because it's a cheap car with less sound deadening (and weight), partially because it's just a good formula. Cayman is a better engineered car from the ground up for sure - better motor, better geometry, more refined, etc. But better doesn't always equal more fun or more engaging.

You cannot drive a pool or hotel, what are you guys on about

86 has a higher fun factor than a Cayman IME. My experience was with a 987 Cayman S manual. If you like being in 2nd and 3rd for your life, get the Cayman. But if you enjoy redlines and shifting and a more lively chassis (as one poster noted above) I wouldn't hesitate to drop a SC into yours. Cayman is more capable, planted, quieter (it was too quiet / luxe for me), with a better engine no doubt, but it's certainly not 3x the car as prices would suggest and the fun factor left some to be desired.

You really gotta drive one to find out for yourself.

The tall gearing of the Cayman isn't ideal. Porsche can really eat a bag of ****s for that one. Would be considerably more fun if they were shorter. If the person in question plans to drive their car on a race track I would say the Cayman is more fun.

Cayman is definitely not more quiet inside than a BRZ though; I don't know how you came to that conclusion. With the engine directly behind you, the Cayman interior is noticeably louder when being driven aggressively. Decibel meters don't lie. Doesn't even need an engine noise tube for that :thumbsup:

I’ve extensively did a few autocross events with a friends Supercharged Brz and my own Gt4. I’ve also have some seat time in an Evora 400, m4, my old evo 9 and s2000 (best shifter til this day) While both was tons of fun to hammer down, the Porsche’s response and nature is in every way 1-2 notches up. Everything is crispy. When I hopped back into the Brz I definitely felt like there was a soft cushion between me and everything else’s in the car. The chassis was softer, steering less direct and precise, throttle less responsive, etc... but the fun factor was nearly the same.
As an enthusiast of all cars, just do what your wallet allows and enjoy it.