Intrigued by Base 718 Cayman as DD
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74 Posts
awesome car you got there!
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2,455 Posts
Welcome........we are a bunch of friendly, though, intensely devoted 718 owners...........
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1,887 Posts
Welcome to the forum, @michael!
Couple of questions for you:
- Did you DD your 981s or your Spyder?
- Where do you live?
I DD mine in North Texas, with some considerations. I don't drive it in temps under 35 degrees, for instance; I live close to my work, so I walk if it is that cold, and I plan ahead for groceries, etc. if I know it'll be chilly. I also have starting playing bass in a cover band (an off-and-on thing with me for many years), and I have a 750-watt rig that I put together to fit, along with two basses, in my former car: a BMW 2 Series. Most of it will fit in the 718, believe it or not -- but I'm having to revise it a little. Good thing is, it'll top 1,000 watts when I'm done.
I find the 718 to be fine for DD duty, as long as you don't have to haul large, bulky items. In those rare cases, I call a friend with an SUV or a pickup -- or I rent one.
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409 Posts
Welcome Michael! Great group of members here, full of information, and always willing to help. You can't go wrong to have a 718 as a daily, at least in my personal opinion... I'm not sure if you plan on trading that Spyder, but if you are, I'd be happy trying to facilitate you getting a proper value on that car while helping you get the 718 you want... Feel free to reach out if I may be of service...
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To Viffermike & Co.:
Thanks to you and the others for a warm welcome to the 718 Forum. I guess I am a refugee (aka SCMike) from the other P-forums, fleeing from all the whingeing about the 718.
Maybe "daily driving" is a bit of an exaggeration for me since I am racing into my mid-70s (and I don't mean "mph") and am no longer chained to a daily commute. I did "DD" (such as it may be) my 981s, but not the Spyder - it's too dear to my heart to be able to leave it out in public, unattended for any length of time. I did consider my 981s a bit too clinical (especially compared to the Spyder), so I replaced them with my current "DD" - a 2016 F-Type R Coupe. Compared to what the Jaguar puts out in sound value, I scoff at all other comments about what a car sounds like - the F-Type R is an absolute hooligan. I am attracted to the 718 as my next potential "DD" precisely for that turbo-4 engine. IMHO, the corn-cob character of the flat-4 is an antidote to the coolness (not in a good way) of the 981, so you get the best of both worlds - modern tech plus a distinct character, and finally some decent low-end torque. I imagine that I'm not the only P-geezer around who thinks the tut-tutting about the sound of the 718 to be a bit bizarre: some of us wasted hours watching the 356 Bathtubs in SCCA production racing, so this is a bit of a welcome home.
Your second question: I'm in South Carolina, where the biggest concerns are those blasted summer tires when the temperature drops below 30 degF, as it has done a lot this winter.
Thanks to you and the others for a warm welcome to the 718 Forum. I guess I am a refugee (aka SCMike) from the other P-forums, fleeing from all the whingeing about the 718.
Maybe "daily driving" is a bit of an exaggeration for me since I am racing into my mid-70s (and I don't mean "mph") and am no longer chained to a daily commute. I did "DD" (such as it may be) my 981s, but not the Spyder - it's too dear to my heart to be able to leave it out in public, unattended for any length of time. I did consider my 981s a bit too clinical (especially compared to the Spyder), so I replaced them with my current "DD" - a 2016 F-Type R Coupe. Compared to what the Jaguar puts out in sound value, I scoff at all other comments about what a car sounds like - the F-Type R is an absolute hooligan. I am attracted to the 718 as my next potential "DD" precisely for that turbo-4 engine. IMHO, the corn-cob character of the flat-4 is an antidote to the coolness (not in a good way) of the 981, so you get the best of both worlds - modern tech plus a distinct character, and finally some decent low-end torque. I imagine that I'm not the only P-geezer around who thinks the tut-tutting about the sound of the 718 to be a bit bizarre: some of us wasted hours watching the 356 Bathtubs in SCCA production racing, so this is a bit of a welcome home.
Your second question: I'm in South Carolina, where the biggest concerns are those blasted summer tires when the temperature drops below 30 degF, as it has done a lot this winter.
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108 Posts
Most of the time (unless it is freezing/snowing outside) I daily an 08 MX-5 Miata and I have owned a 987 Boxster 2.7 before that. I am pretty much doing the same as you in that I am doing a lot of lurking and reading before I start actually test driving. Like you, I am considering a base 718 Cayman to take the place of the MX-5 but I have promised my wife that I would not start seriously test driving anything until next year.
I will echo those that have said that this is a friendly and informative bunch of folks. I haven't been registered for very long but this has quickly become one of my favorite daily stops on the internet. We hope you enjoy your stay while you make your decision!
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720 Posts
That's what I did on early December.
I loved my NB Miata but am delighted with my base Cayman (Mine has just one option; I wanted the PDK gearbox so it would be easier for my wife to drive). We have snow on the ground right now, but I expect I'll drive my 718 about 9 or 10 months per year.
I'm not sure if I could give up a soft top for a hard top......but I already have some other roadsters plus a "Winter truck".
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10 Posts
Sounds like a lot of us have Miatas in our gene pool. Way back when, I bought a new NA-generation R-Package. It was my first new sports car after a long line of clapped out British sports cars. That was followed by a couple of NC generation cars. Ultimately, all roads led to Porsche. My biggest regret is that I didn't get into Porsches long ago, back when I still had some (self-delusional) driving skills......
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716 Posts
I daily drive my 718 CS in all weather. I currently have winter tires installed on it and have driven it in everything from 0 degrees (F) with snow on the roads to freezing rain, to just standard cold days. With the weather looking like it will be warming up in the coming weeks I may switch back to summer tires soon. It is an amazing car, and out handles my VW Tiguan in bad weather. And in the summer mont's it is even better.
So there's nothing to worry about - this car can be driven every day in all weather with no issues.
So there's nothing to worry about - this car can be driven every day in all weather with no issues.
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10 Posts
Russell,
If I may ask, what do you have for winter tires (brand and size), and are they on dedicated wheels (of what type)? Thanks!
Mike
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720 Posts
Haha....I have the 2018 Cayman AND the "clapped out British sports cars."
My garage is like the ridiculous to the sublime
Also, don't give up on performance driving yet!
You own a Porsche, which is a great tool to exercise your driving skills. Your local Porsche club probably has track days / DE days / autocross events. These can be great fun!
I'm in my late 60s and am signed up for at least 8 weekends of (vintage) racing with my old MG in 2018.
Plus probably some Porsche DE days with the Cayman.
At least half the guys I race with are older than me and one of the guys I have the most fun racing against is 80.
Roger Penske never calls any of us anymore, but we still have a great time.
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108 Posts
Your stable of cars is fantastic. Out of that group, I am guessing the 718 Cayman is the "luxury" sports car?Haha....I have the 2018 Cayman AND the "clapped out British sports cars."
My garage is like the ridiculous to the sublime
Also, don't give up an performance driving yet!
You own a Porsche, which is a great tool to exercise your driving skills. Your local Porsche club probably has track days / DE days / autocross events. These can be great fun!
I'm in my late 60s and am signed up for at least 8 weekends of (vintage) racing with my old MG in 2018.
Plus probably some Porsche DE days with the Cayman.
At least half the guys I race with are older than me and one of the guys I have the most fun racing against is 80.
Roger Penske never calls any of us anymore, but we still have a great time.
I didn’t want to spring for snow tires, after I learned that the standard tires on the Cayman aren’t supposed to be driven below 32 degrees. It stays parked about half the time this winter and also when it is really rainy. Otherwise, it is my go-to vehicle, probably 80% of the rest of the year. It has been great!
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716 Posts
I have Continental ContiWinterContact TS830 P tires on 19" wheels. I forget the exact size, but I think it is the same as the 19" summer tires which came with the car. I know the size is whatever the Porsche manual suggests.
I have dedicated winter wheels as well. They are 19" Starke wheels. Here are some pictures: http://www.718forum.com/forum/59634-post132.html
I switch the wheels myself, which I find much more convenient and cost effective that having someone else do it for me.
I believe the cost of the wheels and tires was about $2300 from TireRack.
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