[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Hopefully not a repost.

[BMW F22]

Repost

[hans007]

its posted in the video / pics sub which is not one everyone goes too.

these are basically the cars i'd be choosing between next time around (or well since hte cayman is more like M2 money decently equipped, more like m235 + pile of cash vs cayman vs m2). cayman is gorgeous but i'm guessing in normal driving the lack of torque would be really irritating.

[mjposner]

No where in the same class. The Cayman is a small track car with no practicality and starts at 8k more than the 235i, which is far more useful on the street. A loaded 235i plus lsd would have beaten the 1 second advantage, and yet costs as much as a stripped Cayman. Add nav, leather, bose to match a 50k 235i and it s64k.

[Tuxedo]

Originally Posted by mjposner

No where in the same class. The Cayman is a small track car with no practicality and starts at 8k more than the 235i, which is far more useful on the street. A loaded 235i plus lsd would have beaten the 1 second advantage, and yet costs as much as a stripped Cayman. Add nav, leather, bose to match a 50k 235i and it s64k.

I'll +1 all practical BMW advantage and would like to add my pocket book is small enough and Peepee is big enough to drive the BMR.

[Falafel Combo]

Silly comparo. Cayman everyday. Cool track footage!

[ska///235i]

This again?

[bradleyland]

The Cayman and M235i seem like an odd comparison, but then you go out and talk to 2-series buyers, and they've always got their eye on the base Cayman.

Everyone has different priorities when car shopping, but I suspect the overlap in 2-series and Cayman shoppers comes from buyers who are looking for a performance-orieted, European car at a price point around $50k-$60k, but don't need to haul more than two passengers on a regular basis. The challenge with the Cayman are the options. A Cayman easily pushes the $60k budget envelope when you start adding any options at all.

What draws us to the Cayman is its purity. Porsche isn't afraid to put a real sports suspension in a road car. I remember the first time I drove a modern(ish) 911 (996 C2S). I was alarmed by the stiffness of the suspension over bumps. It literally startled me. I'd been in tuner cars with softer setups. It's that willingness to forego compromise that delivers ultimate purity. My M3 feels like a GT by comparison.

What I'm left wondering is how far BMW will push the M2? Will they go all out and build a car that delivers the purity of experience that you get with the Cayman, or will the retain the historical M3 formula of striking a balance?

[VeryBadman]

There is no comparison IMO. While the 2 series is surely a nice car all around but in term of pure driving experience, Porsche Cayman is in a different class. However, the experience come with the price to pay.