A little history : My first car was a 1966 Chevy II 327/350 hp street rocket(yea I am that old)..at 2700# it was a Vette/Chevelle 396 killer..but strictly a straight line car...joined the Navy to escape WVa and married my HS sweet heart and there went the Chevy II..During my 23 yrs as a USN Submariner I was stationed in Spain and bought a used 1968 Mini and fell in love..bouncing along those one lane roads on 10 inch wheels..wow ! fast fwd after a second career of 20 yrs decided it was time to quit working..Kids/ grands ok decided to buy a car for my second childhood...internet search was on...after about a year the Porsche Cayman S was my selection. Found a used 2011/33Kmiles with all the options for $49,000 high but immaculate condition...the Porsche forum talked me into the PDK (auto) because it was .5 second faster to 60 (4.4) After two years I sold it......why ?
1. Although a truly high quality vehicle it was geared for the autobahn, the 7 speed shifted out of second at 82 mph! I found myself having to go 110 plus to "enjoy" the car , one eye on the road the other on the radar detector
2. Yes the PDK is a wonder of mechanical engineering and will out shift any human.....It just aint "FUN" !
3. I have had more "FUN" "rowing my own" gears under sixty on a "on Ramp" than in the Porsche running 120..


In reality the "sensation" of speed is where the thrill is not the "quanity" opf speed...ask any Hobie sailor how it feels to go 15 knts on one pontoon compared to 50 knts in a speed boat


Sorry , didn't mean to ramble on so much for my first post

 

kinda the same reason my 135i stays parked an awful lot now, only been driving it once a month lately

 

I have an 06/R53 that I'm willing to trade for your CAYMAN

 

MINI is more fun.

 

My wife has a Boxster, which is a lot of fun to drive, but I prefer my Mini.

 

Better get tested for early onset Alzheimer's. Whatever floats your boat, but I don't get it. Enjoy your downgrade.

 

Take a look at my signature and you can see I have had several different type sports cars. For me, the best was the Honda S2000 but i got too old, darn how age catches to you, and between my height and my hip, could not take more than 45 minutes in the car. Got a 135i, then two Vettes, all great cars. The 135i vert was a beast but weighed well over 3,500 lbs., the last Vette, the LS3, was even a bigger beast than the 135i, but ok so you go from 0-60 in close to 4 seconds something. What then????

The Mini is lightweight, handles well, and with a LSD your torque steer is minimized. At 6-3 I can also get out without feeling like I need a chair lift and I can drive hours without my hip killing me.

I no longer care about the oohs and ahs from others about my car, I am into the oohs and ahs that I get from my JCW.

 

once you own a fast car you'll understand

 

Well these forums usually have one....good to know right up front

 

My my kids bought me a session at the Porche Experience at the Porsche Atlanta headquarters.

Drove the Porsche 718 with the PDK and had a blast. Audilbly you would have thought I was rowing the gears. It anticipated every up and down with the requisite blip of throttle.

It was a very fun 1 1/2 hours.

 

yes,,,the PDK does shine on the track...the 718 is a real beast !! bet you had a blast...Great kids too...must have done something right

 

I can relate to whippa. My 1967 327 Camaro was my first car.

Went from this:



To this:





Haven't missed the Jag for a minute, and it was a magnificent car -- but not as fun as my Clubby!

You're either qualified or you're not.

 

You got it !!! Just a different thrill

 

Yessir. And, for the record, my 1967 327 Camaro was basically your Chevy II under it's skin. Right down to the rear leaf springs.

I must admit I still have an 80's-era Jag V-12 seeping in my garage. Can't quite give it all up.

But our MINI is our daily go-to car.

 

Delete

 

Cayman S to a MINI?
Cayman S is one car I must own soon (preferably before I turn 30)

I miss my 135i, should have never sold it. But I get what you mean, I ran that thing hard and I had to for it to be fun, favorite part was my road trips in the summer, windows down 90-95mph and could still hold a conversation with my passenger at normal talking volume.

 

I think some of it depends where you are driving. In the city its way more fun with a mini. I have owned 600+ HP Z cars and 800+ hp trucks which were all fun in different ways. I think once I relocate I will add a 3rd car likely a vette. Although I was thinking new mini at some point to replace the cheap used one I got there will be absolutely no dealers for hundreds of miles where im going to move soon so I think I will just keep this one. I think once the pure raw power thing got out of my system I started looking at cars differently.

 

I thought you were gonna say something about having more affordable parts... XD

 

lol . . . reading your statement makes we feel like a Cayman S is definitely a car you should own way after you turn 30...

 

I think you need more track time with your Cayman :-)

 

There are many people on this forum that have owned both MINIs and Caymans. Both great cars.

 

As a former 911 owner I really get it. As a wise man once said: "It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow".

 

Don't believe I've heard that before... saving it for future use, :p

 

True...It is made for the track....trouble is I dont have the Track...life style..

Life rule : get the (Car,house,boat,wife) for the lifestyle you have not the one you imagine you have (:

 

When I was in my 30's I drove past a car wash and saw a brand new 1988 Jaguar XJS convertible and actually had a physical sensation of lust for that car. Shortly thereafter I visited a Jag dealer and got a brochure. I cut out a picture of the XJS from the brochure, put it on my desk, and made a list of goals. A few years later, when I checked off the last goal, I went out and bought my XJS convertible which sits in my garage to this day.

Having owned/leased a series of really fine, fast, and fun cars since then, I fully understand it all. I also understand what it's like to sit stuck in traffic, watching the temp gauge rise on my V-12, knowing it could cruise all day at over 120MPH and knowing that the best I'll ever do now is about 50 down Pacific Coast Highway with the top down, worrying that my dermatologist is gonna give me a ration for sun over-exposure.

There is a season for everything. And this is coming from an aging yuppie who learned to drive a stick shift on his daddy's Porsche.

So for those who haven't owned a car as beautiful and magnificent as whippa's Cayman S (and it is a stunning car, no matter how you slice it), I suggest you make your list of goals, achieve them, get your dream car and, while you're waiting for that day, appreciate just what magical cars these MINIs are. Certainly an entertaining way to pass the time while waiting for your dream car, and even more entertaining after you've done the dream car thing a time or two.

When I was younger, I knew everything. Now, while not as smart as I thought I was, I am learning that with age comes wisdom.