And a 991 911 S, and a Boxster S, and a 1M - yes, all in the same day.
The Cayman S, for me, was miles ahead of all of them. I have never experienced the overall feeling that I got from this car today. All the others I tried were good in their own rights, but nothing felt AS good as the Cayman. It was simply awesome. The 911 felt much larger in comparison, and not as responsive. The Boxster was good fun, but didn't feel as solid. And the 1M was definitely fun and I love the N54, but it was more in a "I really am tall enough to ride this roller coaster, I swear!" way...this Porsche dealer also had an M4, but I have driven that 3 times now, so I didn't even bother.
The M2, for me now anyway, has become a value proposition only. In other words, I will only consider it if I cannot swing a Cayman S price tag, which is admittedly much higher. But I think I understand why now - I have a much better idea of where the brand smugness originates from - it is much lighter than my 235 (or the 1M I drove today - the Cayman really doesn't have body roll at all), it has a superior engine position, the suspension was very responsive and firm, and the brakes...my god were the standard brakes good, and the instantaneous throttle response was very refreshing.
I have been even more annoyed with my 235 since getting my new Ducati - but the Cayman felt much more analogous to the bike when I test drove it (twice) today. It felt like it truly did whatever I wanted it to do - the grip was just phenomenal, the steering was nicely weighted and precise, and it felt fast. Very fast.
As I left, this was my main thought - BMWs are nice, but a Porsche is special.
I am sold. The only way I don't get one is if I can't make the finances work, which I know will be a challenge. It is definitely an expensive car. I am going to do my best to procure the necessary funds, and if it takes me a while to do so, so be it.
