[ANGST]

Other than cost and (minimally ) better milage , Can you think of any advantages the 2.0L has ?

 

[Cyclesafe]

The opportunity to have 18" tires for a different ride and less wheel damage. Less regret if/when Porsche introduces a 6 cylinder. A platform for a lower optioned non-track oriented fun car (if one gets the 2.5L, one may be tempted to justify additional performance options to "go with" the bigger engine). I'm conflicted too....

 

[jimmuller]

I bought a base (2.0l) Cayman off the dealer's lot and considered this question after the fact wondering if I'd done the right thing. My conclusion was that I had made the right choice. Here are some of my thoughts, some less important than others, some possibly just rationalizations:

The S model is marginally heavier though probably not enough to notice. Some of that will be from other hardware, I suspect. The S has other features that I really don't need, would rather not have. On the other hand, my car has the 20" wheels...

At the EPA mileage estimates (which I have found to be reasonably accurate in my usage), the difference in price is enough to pay for all the gas you will use through at least half and maybe even all the life of the car. The gas savings from the higher gas mileage contributes even more.

At the EPA mileage estimates, the 16gal tank on the S has a similar single-tank range as the 14gal tank on the base model.

In theory, in the smaller engine there should be lighter loads on the main, con rod, and wrist pin bearings, and therefore possibly longer life. Of course if Porsche engineers compensated by using smaller bearings, this point doesn't hold. You'd have to ask a mechanic about this, and I suspect the engines haven't been out long enough for any real data to exist.

In theory the smaller engine might be able to rev more easily. Of course that's just a traditional argument that may not apply at all in practice.

You (or at least I) would have a hard time telling the difference between the two engines in normal use. Personally I have almost no opportunity to exercise mine to its fullest "potential" and when I do it wouldn't matter doodleysquat whether I had the extra oomph or not. It gets going real fast real fast.

Other folks will have different opinions, of course. If I had bought the S model I would not be able to justify it. Some would say I can't justify having bought a 718 Cayman at all, but that's a different discussion!

 

[Muppet]

I’m more than happy with my 2.0 litre.

The savings on the fuel bill are definitely worth it.
Fuel in the U.K. is very expensive, so it’s not painful when it’s time to fill up.
I regularly get over 400 mile range out of my extended capacity fuel tank. Have even seen 500 mile range on long motorway journeys.
The 2.0 litre is all you need for street use.
You will only see the benefits of the 2.5 litre on the track.
I spent the money I saved by ordering the 2.0 litre, on specking the car exactly how I wanted it.
Also love the 18” Wheels give a really good ride, less prone to damage from pot holes and much less risk of kerbing the alloys.

Oh and don’t forget it will be cheaper to insure as well.

 

[JazzCatGab]

This time of year, with all the potholes, I love the 18" wheels/tires and I also love the wheel design. I do have the wheel and tire insurance, so I could have gotten the 19 or 20" wheels/tires. I bought the base model because I didn't intend to do much, if any, tracking, although there are aesthetic and performance things that would be nice but beyond my needs. I have more power and performance than I could possibly use for twisty back-roads. Mine is a toy and not a DD. My signature lists what I added and I believe I have the perfect sports car to do what I want.

 

[alf_17]

Cost, oval tailpipe and not getting the weird grey tachometer dial was my main motivations for ordering the base 2.0 over an S 2.5.


I also have the theory that getting the less powerful engine will be more fun for road use, as I will get to use a higher percentage of the power of the engine.
And if you compare the 2.0 and 2.5 based on specific power output, the 2.0 is clearly the better engine>
Which engine is the best for you will of course depend on how you will use the car.

 

[ANGST]

I bought a base (2.0l) Cayman off the dealer's lot and considered this question after the fact wondering if I'd done the right thing. My conclusion was that I had made the right choice. Here are some of my thoughts, some less important than others, some possibly just rationalizations:

The S model is marginally heavier though probably not enough to notice. Some of that will be from other hardware, I suspect. The S has other features that I really don't need, would rather not have. On the other hand, my car has the 20" wheels...

At the EPA mileage estimates (which I have found to be reasonably accurate in my usage), the difference in price is enough to pay for all the gas you will use through at least half and maybe even all the life of the car. The gas savings from the higher gas mileage contributes even more.

At the EPA mileage estimates, the 16gal tank on the S has a similar single-tank range as the 14gal tank on the base model.

In theory, in the smaller engine there should be lighter loads on the main, con rod, and wrist pin bearings, and therefore possibly longer life. Of course if Porsche engineers compensated by using smaller bearings, this point doesn't hold. You'd have to ask a mechanic about this, and I suspect the engines haven't been out long enough for any real data to exist.

In theory the smaller engine might be able to rev more easily. Of course that's just a traditional argument that may not apply at all in practice.

You (or at least I) would have a hard time telling the difference between the two engines in normal use. Personally I have almost no opportunity to exercise mine to its fullest "potential" and when I do it wouldn't matter doodleysquat whether I had the extra oomph or not. It gets going real fast real fast.

Other folks will have different opinions, of course. If I had bought the S model I would not be able to justify it. Some would say I can't justify having bought a 718 Cayman at all, but that's a different discussion!

This is good , I was more asking engine vs engine comparison and not a base vs S . I intend to take mine on the track , but more for fun than lap times . I wonder if the 2.0 stays cooler longer for 30 minute HPDE sessions ?

 

[Viffermike]

It's a shame @ZuffenHouseRules has recently jumped ship to a 99x; he is (er, was) the resident engine guru around here. His focus is the 2.5, but he knows enough about the shared architecture between the 2.0 and the 2.5 -- and the 991.2, for that matter; the 718 engine is essentially 2/3 of a current 911 engine -- to provide some insight.

I have a 2.0. It is stupid fast, particularly when the car is already in motion. IMHO, the 2.5's advantages in power and (only slightly) torque can only be exploited on a track by a very skilled driver. Unless you're going to track the car regularly, the 9k-plus premium for an S over the base model is better spent on:
- Sport Chrono (if you're getting a PDK)
- PASM
- PDLS+ headlights
- possibly PTV (this is debatable; I did without)
- Driving lessons
- Taking the S.O. who allowed you to buy your car out on dates regularly

>

 

[JoTR]

You have to make your car “your car”.

The 2.0 is more than enough and I suspect the C6MT 2.0T will be optimum away from a track.

Anything with a power to weight ratio around 9lb/hp is way too fast to exploit on the public road. I daily my wife’s Audi @ 10.9lb/hp and it’s so competent & over powered it’s boring, not helped by the DSG box.

718 numbers 2.0 C6MT reported to be 9.8 lb/HP, 2.5 CGTS 8.3 lb/HP.

BTW 991.2 Carrera T 8.6 lb/HP

Worth noting

MX5 14.5 lb/HP
Fiesta ST 15.8 lb/HP
VW UP GTI 21.12 lb/hp
Golf R 10.86

If you like wringing the revs out, working a gear box the 2.0 C6MT provides more than enough.

That said 991 GT2RS 6.63lb/HP.

And before anyone else rubs my nose in it, yes, I know the CGTS has better numbers that the 991.2 T.

 

[ANGST]

It's a shame @ZuffenHouseRules has recently jumped ship to a 99x; he is (er, was) the resident engine guru around here. His focus is the 2.5, but he knows enough about the shared architecture between the 2.0 and the 2.5 -- and the 991.2, for that matter; the 718 engine is essentially 2/3 of a current 911 engine -- to provide some insight.

I have a 2.0. It is stupid fast, particularly when the car is already in motion. IMHO, the 2.5's advantages in power and (only slightly) torque can only be exploited on a track by a very skilled driver. Unless you're going to track the car regularly, the 9k-plus premium for an S over the base model is better spent on:
- Sport Chrono (if you're getting a PDK)
- PASM
- PDLS+ headlights
- possibly PTV (this is debatable; I did without)
- Driving lessons
- Taking the S.O. who allowed you to buy your car out on dates regularly

>

Again , the Cayman T is starting to look more and more what I want

 

[cbarra]

My recommendation is to drive each vehicle back-to-back. That will tell you what you need to know!!!

 

[DriveInHouston]

The first Cayman I test-drove was a base. Half an hour in that car convinced me to walk away from the 911 Carrera 6 sp and into the Caymans.

I then found my car which was an S. CPO with 11k mi. and all the right options (rhodium silver, PDK, leather seats 14 way with memory package, PDLS Plus lights, Bose stereo and 20" Carrera wheels) selling for $63k (the sticker was $87k) and a very good price for my trade-in. It piqued my memory that I couldn't tell by driving it that it had the bigger engine, so I called the other dealership and confirmed that I had tested the base. I guess I am not fast enough to discern the difference.

Then I found out that the previous owner had half wrapped the car and had taken the wheel protection package and I was over the moon!

My opinion is that handling is what sets the car apart, the differences in the engine being minimal. Now having said that, I would not object if my Cayman was a GTS instead of an S (for the standard options including the Sport Chrono) but I would have gladly paid the same amount and purchased the base with the same options.

I don't plan to tune the car, so as not to lose the warranty, plus I wouldn't know what to do with all the horsepower... I've read though that with a tune and a downpipe you can get to 420-435 hp. The Cobb tuning does not make a compelling case for the S, but the Ehresmann Automotive does. I will be 71 by the time the car goes out of warranty, so I think I will pass... (but then... maybe... who knows... >).

 

[Graustark]

Cost, oval tailpipe and not getting the weird grey tachometer dial was my main motivations for ordering the base 2.0 over an S 2.5.


I also have the theory that getting the less powerful engine will be more fun for road use, as I will get to use a higher percentage of the power of the engine.
And if you compare the 2.0 and 2.5 based on specific power output, the 2.0 is clearly the better engine>
Which engine is the best for you will of course depend on how you will use the car.

Call me a weirdo, but that gray tach is really super-irksome to me. You can't even option in the black tach that both the base and GTS have! For all the customizability that Porsche offers, it is really a glaring oversight.

The GTS also adds black taillights, but then it just makes the red reflectors more conspicuous. I'd rather have 4 points of red on the back to make those red reflectors less blatant.

I also really like the 18" Cayman base wheels. All that together makes going for a base model feel not so bad at all.

I'd rather add PTV and PASM for a comfortable and sharp turning ride on an already very speedy "base" sports car. Straight line horsepower is for American marques. I want fun when I corner, because Johnny Law doesn't ticket for that.

 

[jimmuller]

This is good , I was more asking engine vs engine comparison and not a base vs S .

Glad to offer my experiences. Correct me if I"m wrong, but not counting the T which seems essentially a base model with some special stuff added so you don't have to order it, the only way to go from the 2.0L to the 2.5L is to go with an S (or GTS). Hence the base to S comparison.

 

[GregW]

When I bought my base Boxster here in Australia the difference in petrol economy was enough to put the car in a lower "luxury car" class and save me another $3500 in tax.

I didn't drive the S and the salesman said I'd be hard pressed to notice the difference off the track. I still haven't used full throttle except for "testing".0

 

[aeronca65tl]

I like the understated feeling of the base model. I wanted this version and specifically ordered it this way. I could have easily bought a GT3 if that's what I'd wanted.

It would be tough to unleash all 300 BHP on the suburban streets of New Jersey.....so more than that would seem silly. I own two dedicated race cars. My Cayman may see pace-car duty at one of our events, but that is about as far as I may go with track use.

I like the 18" wheels, with deeper, cushier sidewalls. Better for the type of streets that my car will see.

 

[JakiChan]

I drove them back to back. I felt like the 2.5 had less lag. I attributed this to the VTG turbine, but I could easily be wrong.

 

[717R]

I got the base Cayman for a few reasons:

1. The S is too cost prohibitive over here - easily usd30k more

2. For someone who intends to keep the ride for >10y, our annual road tax rises disproportionately to the engine capacity so 2.0 is just right

3. Not tracking it hence base and non-chrono is more than sufficient for DD and occasional street sprints - sports mode gives the boost when needed

4. No need for PASM and lowered stance - wish to keep the bottom scrape free

5. But sports exhaust enhances the sound when you need it

6. Always a believer of “base” models even for watches as I feel they preserve the basic essence of the technology, styling and looks

It’s a case of a nice neat package.

 

[lajoiedp]

I went with the base because I didn't feel the S provided enough every day usable enjoyment to justify the added cost. If the cost difference was $2-3k, maybe, but not $8-9k.

 

[nineball]

if i were going to keep the car for a few years i would have bought the base. i won't be selling my S anytime soon...