Some thoughts on my FD and 981 Cayman S
 

Hi all, haven’t been on this forum much lately as I’ve been distracted by a new member of the family, a 2014 Porsche Cayman S. At the 20th anniversary of purchasing my FD I ordered a 981 Cayman S last June and took delivery in September. Since the Cayman was introduced in 2006 I had often said it was the only car I’d trade my FD for. Well, in the end I couldn’t part with the FD and traded a perfectly spectacular 2013 Audi S4 instead. The S4 was a great car but I decided what I really wanted to drive more was a sports car and at the age of 20 my FD was really not suited to 10-12K miles per year. Well, more likely 20 years later I was not suited to driving it that much each year!

Of course, once the Cayman was delivered it was all I wanted to drive. By mid-November I had put 2,200 miles on it, easy to do with a 70+ mile roundtrip commute to my office. The FD pretty much sat in the garage, feeling neglected I’m sure.

My plan was to use the Cayman in the winter when the roads were clear. This was one of the motivators to getting a new sports car as the FD really doesn’t like cold weather - I just don’t enjoy driving it in those conditions. However, clear roads never happened in the Northeast this past winter, so it sat in the garage and the FD spent 3 ½ months in a storage unit.

Spring finally arrived and both cars came out of hibernation. Again, the Cayman was the choice to take out on every nice day. It really is a spectacular car. Mine is lightly optioned ($5K in options on a Porsche is light!) with a 6 spd manual. With discount the car was about $65K and I think it’s an absolute bargain at that price. The build quality, interior materials and design are outstanding. But more importantly, the sound (oh the sound!) and handling are incredible. The power is strong but not overwhelming, feels very similar in acceleration to my FD. The 6 spd is the best I’ve ever experienced, with perfect action and an audible “snick-snick” as it moves from gear to gear. The mid-engine layout provides a corning attitude that’s unique in my experience, as the car rotates around a bend completely neutrally – it’s really a different kind of sensation.

So why all this Porsche chatter on an RX-7 forum? Well, in the last couple of weeks I’ve had the FD out a few times, including 2 days this past week. And you know what, I still love this car! How does it compare to the Cayman? The first thought that comes to mind is fragile – not in a way that I think it’ll break, but it’s a car designed 23 or so years ago and it just doesn’t have the rigidity of the Porsche, which feels like a solid piece of granite in comparison. Obviously things like the interior quality, features and technology are miles better in the Cayman. The Cayman also is much more practical, with trunks in the front and rear that are actually useable.

But driving the RX-7 is still a special experience. Although the Cayman is very light by modern standards at ~3,000 lbs, the RX-7 feels 500 lbs lighter when in reality it’s more like 200. The light steering, low cowl and quick reflexes of the FD give it a feel that’s quite different than the Cayman. I put Michelin Pilot Super Sports on the FD last Spring and they are spectacular. Turn-in is sharp, grip is outstanding and they are quiet and ride well to boot. Definitely will upgrade to these from the Pirelli P Zeros on the Cayman when the time comes. So the RX-7 is still a blast to drive after all these years. Do I want to drive it every day, good weather and bad, anymore? No. But on a nice Spring day and on the right road it’s still a dream.

Lastly, the RX-7 makes people happy. Five minutes from home the other day I already had 2 guys driving toward me the other way give me thumbs-up and waves. Honestly, that doesn’t happen much in the Cayman even though it’s a brand new model. Just another Porsche in this neck of the woods, I guess, whereas the RX-7 still looks great and makes people smile.

There’ll be more Porsche’s in my future, god and finances willing. They’re truly awesome cars. But they’ll be sharing space in the garage with my FD – the only car I’ve ever owned that I can’t imagine selling.

-Randy

Nice cayman s buy. Any pics? I'm actually in the same boat as you. Been thinking of getting rid of the fd because I'm so busy I don't really have time to fix and tinker and mod anymore.

Been thinking of a good all around car that doesn't need much and will just need a mod here and there. There's only a few cars I'd consider to be as worthy as the fd. I've always had a soft spot for a e46 m3. Last car would be a porsche. I'd get a air cooled model before a new one. Only 964 and 993.

I don't think any of these cars will give the same driving experience as the fd. But their close. The fd is a great car and I don't think I can sell it

I think that's one of the fun parts of owning a FD, going out and seeing people get excited is pretty fun. My FD is fairly stock and I get people giving me thumbs up, these cars are pretty rare to see on the road and the curves on the car never get dated. Glad to hear you're getting to enjoy them both, nice purchase btw.

The sound coming through the speakers or from the exhaust?

Great write up Randy! I have driven old and new Cayman S and they are certainly good cars but I wouldn't even think about selling my FD to buy a Cayman. The FD is truly something special. I have never driven any car like it and I hope I'm not the only one that looks at it resting in the driveway after a joyful ride. Keep them both and enjoy them in good health.

Nice story. The Cayman S is on the short list of cars I've thought for a retirement present to myself.

Good to hear. How do the gearboxes compare?

David

couple pix, and yeah, not the same driving experience. Different but good!

my dad has a boxster, and one of the things i like about it, is that it sounds good, it smells good, it feels good, its a really nice sensory experience. i didn't taste it yet

hmm, good question! Actually there's some disagreement about whether or not the exhaust sound on the 981's is piped-in - some say it is and some say not. Apparently it is on the 991. What I can tell you is, with the driver-side door open and the intake sitting a foot or so behind you, when you start the car you're not hearing it through the speakers! And when driving with the engine about a foot behind my ears I tend to think it's real, but frankly, doesn't matter either way to me. My S4 had piped-in sound and I was fine with it, but I know it bothers some

Appreciate the thoughts, thanks

Nice write up. I had '08 cayman S (987 previous gen) and while it was objectively the best overall car i've ever owned, I never really warmed to it. I also had an s2000 at the time, and although clearly an inferior car in almost every objective measure, I liked the s2k more. Ended up trading the cayman on a GTI of all things. Never have missed the cayman. One thing i did not like was the cayman community of owners. I hate to apply blanket labels to a group of people, but if I had to choose 2 words to describe the caymen owners on the boards it would be "prissy" and "snobbish".
Anyway, If you are looking for a P-car I strongly encourage anyone to drive one. My buddy had a 997s which I drove it on street and track and I thought the cayman had the better chassis.

Any better pics of your garage floor?

Are those the interlocking rubber tiles?

I test drove an '07 Cayman S and then the face-lifted '09. The '09 was a big improvement in refinement as far as ride quality and a step forward in interior quality. The 981 in a leap forward in both areas. One of the impressive things about this car is how well it rides given the handling. I'm on the stock '19's with the standard suspension and think it's about perfect.

As far as the owner community, interesting you had such a bad experience. I'm on Planet9 and find that group to be as nice as any I've been involved with. Generally a very supportive group that doesn't tolerate bashing and flaming - really never happens. Haven't really experienced much snobbery either, just a good group of enthusiasts.

As far as the 911, yeah I agree the Cayman is the better platform. When you look at a base 911 and the Cayman S, at a $20k discount the Cayman is a no-brainer to me. But then, it was never a life-long goal of mine to own a Porsche, which of course meant the 911. I buy and drive whatever I like, not attached to one marque or another. This one just struck a cord!

Thanks for the comments -Randy

Have you upgraded any of the suspension componants, besides the tires? After 20 yrs the shocks, springs, and probably bushings all need replacement.

My DD is 335 M-sport. The thing is far supierior technically to the FD, but lacks any soul.

Unfortunately, i think that's the direction of most cars these days (technically perfect, but no soul)

yeah, I've upgraded just about everything on my FD. As far as suspension I'm running PFS comfort-sport springs on '95 OEM shocks. Sway bar bushings, pillowballs, control arms, etc have all been changed out when worn, along with some other stuff I'm not recalling off the top of my head. So it's not a matter of worn components, but more a function of advacements in structural materials, engineering, etc over 23 years. Plus I think there's some general wear and tear to the stucture that takes a toll over the miles, and I'm at 129K on the chassis. -Randy

well, from new my FD always was notchy going from 1st to 2nd and time cetainly hasn't improved it. My mechanic (Dave at KDR/Speed1) once explained to me the complexity of the RX-7 trans (double syncros I believe?) when I was considering a rebuild. He basically said my trans shifted as good or better than 99% on those he'd driven, and given the RX-7 design, opening it up and replacing the syncros may not help much, so I never had that done.

The Cayman shifts beautifully. Throws are about the same in terms of length, but the action is very smooth with just a little resistance and a nice "snick" into gear, The box has a pleasingly mechanical feel to it. Best I’ve driven.

thanks. Yeah, over the years the love for the 3rd gen has grown and grown. It always attracted attention but it's changed the last few years to a deeper admiration and sheer joy for others (and me!). As with most, I can tell many stories of people's reactions.

Just one - last Spring I pulled over in a school parking lot to take a business call. The school was closed so no one else in the lot but me and a car that stopped a few feet from me. My call lasted a good ten minutes and when I got done the guy in the other car walked over to compliment my car and have a chat. Turns out he used to own one years ago and was so happy to see one still in good shape, he waited all that time to discuss.

It's just that kind of car!

Good to hear. If I were to buy a newer sports car a Cayman would be a top choice for me. They also look great.

I can confirm that replacing expensive parts within an FD transmission will not make the 1-2 shift a whole lot better. IME the FD shifts 1-2 very well when you shift quickly or very slowly, but at street pace it's notchy at best.

David

thanks for confirming. Yeah, for me it requires a pause before slotting into 2nd.

As for the Cayman, I highly recommend. Drove it to work and back today - damn it's good! No matter what anyone's experience has been with Porsche or even the earlier gen Caymans, I'd certainly suggest a test drive if in the market for a modern affordable sports car. Frankly can't imagine anyone not being impressed, but just my opinion. Nice to have choices like these and I feel quite fortunate to have both in the garage

Interesting read, thanks.

Cayman is high on my list of possible FD replacements, so it's nice to hear that it delivers on the handling/feel front.

The previous owner of my FD got a Porsche Cayman – he's a race instructor and he took me around the track in both our cars. The Cayman is fantastic on the track – very solid and excellent if straight-line speed is not your only priority. Also, it's a great platform that you can modify as far as you want.

i race my fd a lot, and a guy in the local club has a cayan, i have riden with him and it is a very fast car. it handles really well. Besides a fd my other soft spot is for porsche. My next sports car will be a 1970 911

*drool* that garage....so...tidy...so...clean...

Right? Man, his garage makes me want to have 3 separate garages doors rather than a 2 car garage door.. Though i would have a rotary lift somewhere in my garage :P