Looking to purchase first Porsche

[djdante]

Hi all this is my first post so I'll try to keep it brief.

The company that I started with my partner has been going very well and the time has come that we can now afford to buy ourselves a nice car. Porsche comes at the top of that list for both myself and my partner, the big question we have right now is which one?

Money is of course an limiting factor, if that were limitless I would dive straight for a 911 Turbo no questions asked. Unfortunately, we can't justify spending that much money on a car quite yet.

What I'm really looking at is either a new(or near new) Cayman s (probably with PDK as my partner hasn't learned to drive manual yet), OR a second hand 997 911s (manual, and teach my partner 'stick). I know that there is a lot of debate and car-snobbery between the 911 and the Cayman, and personally I don't care too much about what image either car portrays. I love the way both cars look with a slight preference for the Cayman in that department, unless the 911s has a gt3 body kit which I think leaves it looking amazing.

My concerns with the Cayman s are:

1. Torque is a big deal for me, I come from motorbikes and big bore bikes leave a massive grin on my face every time.

2. Comfort of use for general every day driving. We live in the city, so we don't drive to work every day, nonetheless if the lady has to drive it, it can't be any worse as a daily drive than, say, a WRX sti.

3. Ground clearance, is this an issue for the Cayman S?

My concerns with the 911s are:

1. It's been used, how scared should I be of burned clutches on an '06 model?

2. Cost of ownership. How is it with modern Porsches?

3. Handling, I haven't yet driven a Porsche as we won't be buying until next month at least but everyone I know who has one swears by the driving experience. Are these going to be as blissful to drive as the mid engined Cayman S?

What would you guys suggest for a man in my shoes and my budget? The car will rarely if ever see a racetrack, so it won't be seeing the edge of its handling curve on perfect surfaces.

[MGS996TT]

You should drive both… then decide. Unfortunately the power becomes somewhat addictive. I was very happy with my 996 Tip/Cab….then the slippery slope started after I test drove a Turbo. I would not be concerned about clutch burn issues. But will you be driving it every day in heavy traffic? One concern I would have with the Cayman as a DD in Urban traffic is blind spots.

[D-banger]

I agree, you definitely need to take both for a drive.

I think the experience will answer some of your questions.