So I have had a few days in the car on and off, as its essentially like an xmas gift I have had a play although weather has not permitted to much spirited driving. I feel the need to write a up a few thoughts I have had. So I will compare the cars in parts as im sure alot of gt86 owners consider where do I do next after the GT86 or if I feel like a change thoughts that plague a petrols heads mind. I will not write a review based on outright performance laptimes etc as these are two different leagues of cars in terms of price and power more on subjective matters and feel.
Part 1:
Cost
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Im sure most of us start here on sports cars so we don't extend ourselves or run something that ultimately empties our wallets.
Insurance - For me the average increase of a modified GT86 (N/A) to a cayman S is on average 120-200 this takes into account that the Cayman is 3 times the value of the GT86 so overall imo is perfectly acceptable and I dont intend on changing or modifying the Cayman thats a pretty good deal.
Brakes - This is where the Cayman can be expensive with disk and pads costing 800 for fronts along and rears similarly priced, however as part of my deal I received new disks and pads all round so all being well I will not have to replace these but checking them before purchase is a must.
Tyres - Again the Cayman and Porsche Warranty have an effect here in the fact you need N rated tyres and the difference in size. GT86 will cost you 450 fitted for a set of ps4's (17's) where as the Cayman with the 20 inch wheels will cost you 900 for ps4s all round. So double the cost. I was fortunate again to negotiate new tyres with the car and run Pirelli p-zero's all round.
Mpg - On a run around the Alps Pyrenees and Scotland the GT86 averaged 33mpg and the Caymans/boxsters where around 30-32 so on long runs the Cayman is very much comparable to the GT86. I think however in the uk on normal shorter runs it would be more like 25-30 for the Cayman and 28-33 in the GT86.
Servicing - The average cost of servicing for a GT86 from Toyota is around 200-400 with the 60k service being the big hit 600 this is done every year or 10k miles or 1 year. For the Cayman 600-900 is what you are looking at. The service was done on the Cayman as part of the initial deal and is done every 20k or 2 years. So overall the servicing cost is the same. A clutch on a Cayman done by an approved specialist in 800.
I will list any other costs as I go along or enounter.
Interior
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I always liked the GT86's basic structure of the interior everything was functional and served a purpose and all the reviews that said it was lacking where always cast aside as rubbish. The GT86 interior does exactly what you need it to (mini rant). Both cars have a nice air'y feel to them when you sat down with the GT86 having slightly more due to the additional seats. Everything is functional and aimed at the driver in both cars. The 987.2 which is the model previous to mine does suffer from being more slightly crampt which is why I went for the 981 as being 6ft 2 has its downsides in sports cars. There are additional useful toys in the cayman in comparison to the GT86, the PCM system being superior to Toyota's effort but again cost plays a factor in this so I will not dwell.
Seating position is something the GT86 excels at, once you have driven a GT86 no other seating position seems to fit quite right and that for me includes several driving experiences in 458's Gallardo's GTR's MX5'sCivic Type R's etc etc. I was always pleased to return to the GT86 and sit in it. Good news for me is that the Cayman does exactly the same as the GT86 which for me was a huge factor in the purchase. You have to feel right in the car and the GT86 and Cayman are both Perfect and I have lots of room in both for a helmet aswell
Exterior
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Both great looking cars and I like the look of them both equally, when people ask why I never considered a BMW140 or M2 etc Its because as a sports car you should want to look over your shoulder at your car when you've parked up and both of these cars do just that. Right ow for obvious reasons being my new toy I prefer the Cayman
Brakes
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The standard brakes on a GT86 are excellent on the road and provide great feed back but for me on track they faded so I bought APracing and so I will try and compare both experiences as I have done so far with the Cayman. So yes the Cayman brakes are better in terms of stopping power and provide excellent road feedback, initial feel of them under hard braking the 'feedback' is as good as the APracing/standard ones if not slightly better but thats my initial impression and I will need to hit the track to really have an idea. So for those worrying about loosing feel that is initially not the case.
Handling
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This is probably the toughest aspect of this for me to write or compare. The engine layouts of the car are different, tyre sizes are very different, power is very different however the connection between you and the car and road can always be quantified in how the car makes you feel when driving it. The GT86 is alive lightweight(ish) in your hands and the rear yaw of the car makes every switchback tight corner feel as though you are on the limit of grip when pushing along. Its an exciting drive designed for the back roads of the UK. The only ever real downside was the perceived lack of shove but this really only mattered in comparison with other cars in isolation anyone who drives or has driven a GT86 have loved it. I kept mine for 4.5years and I regret no day owning it and the joy it brought me was great but we all know this.
So the Cayman, the limits on the car are high so initial feel at lower speeds are not as good as the GT86, now this is not super high speed difference but for example 0-40 my Cayman suffers initially from being a heavier bigger wheeled car. Once beyond 40 and you find a country road (specifically my test road im sure we all have one) the Cayman becomes surprisingly agile the whole car becomes alive and everything goes next level to the GT86 in terms of brakes power grip but the feel of the car and how it makes me feel is comparable to the GT86, the smiles per hour remain the same through out. I have driven other cars before the Cayman M2's Type R's etc looking for a replacement but this has been the only car which made me grin as much through the handling as the GT86. Some aspects such as the turn of the Cayman are just unbelievable making a switchback so enjoyable.
I have not taken the Cayman to the edge of grip and I do not think ive come close but if you where worried as was I on the feedback from this car I can safely say dont be its as good as or better than the GT86 which indirectly tells you how good the GT86 is. I will say however that the steering on the GT86 has a slight edge on the Cayman but I believe that difference is wheel size, having not driven a GT86 on 18's or Cayman on 19's I think its basically just that difference at lower speeds that gives the 86 on 17's that additional feel.
Experience
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(This section might be biased by new purchase )
The GT86 Experience is based around is driving ability and smiles per hour but the one thing it did not have for me was noise and presence and that is where the Cayman has it completely beaten, going out to the car and seeing it on your driveway is just amazing and when the flat 6 fires up it awesome. The noise of the engine which is one of the downsides of the 86 makes this car seem very special and add's something to an experience which I have been missing for a while since the high rev'ing days of my RB26 at high revs. Everything feels special in the Cayman and next level in terms sports car hierarchy in comparison to the GT86 . This section here is why I believe the GT86 is a 4/5 car and the Cayman is a 5/5 car.
I hope to give more information as the experience with the Cayman continues (Track, Road trips),so if you where to want a new car you might have a a Cayman on your list as a possible hopefully I can give you a GT86 V Cayman comparison based on subjective matters as per my favourite review of the GT86 by Chris Harris which was also one of the reasons I wanted to try a Cayman
