Although this sounds like a silly question at first, it actually turns out to be pretty reasonable after giving it some thought. I mean, how can you really compare — apples-to-apples — a 993 versus a Cayman?
Well, if you have a buyer looking for a toy you can consider them in the same league. Of course they're both looking to satiate a petrolhead's appetite for satisfaction but they each take slightly alternative routes to meet the need.
The 993 911 is, of course, the last of the air-cooled Porsches. That, in itself, is a reason to want one. Aside from the less inhibited steering, classic look and Spartan interior. This is a car built to drive and not to send out an image. Oh, and it will hold its value well — just look at how much a 1998 911 Carrera 2 S goes for these days, it's amazing.
While the Cayman is arguably the best production Porsche on the street right now, it does suffer from the ills of the contemporary sports car. The steering is OK but its feedback is not like a 993. It's more fuel efficient but isn't as loud and soulful. Oh, and it will cost you a pretty penny all new and it will likely not retain its value as well as, say, the 993.
That said it all boils down to one final question, in this case: If YOU were shopping for a weekend warrior, what would you get? An all-new Cayman or the last of the air-cooleds, the 993?
...Well, the Cayman is probably going to be the best new car I drive this year, and I do want one.
But.
Especially if you’re considering a weekend toy, you could instead have a genuine air-cooled 911. It’s slower, it’s noisier, it’s not as safe, and it’s much less efficient. It’s also cheaper – this one is about two-thirds the cost of the Cayman plus-or-minus a medium-length jail term – and they don’t depreciate.
A nice safe conclusion then: the usable classic is better than synthesized modernity. Not quite. If you had just one parking spot, no pair of diesel cargo-haulers to handle day-to-day duties – Rob has an ML and a Golf Wagon – you’d be far better off with the Cayman as a weekday warrior and not worrying about preserving a 993. It’s not a car for forever, but it is a car for right now, wherever and whenever right now might be.
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