I am thinking about getting a track car since I retired my NSX from the track. I came down with two choices, Cayman R or Exige. I’ve driven the Exige. It is definitely not a daily driver but the feedback is phenomenal. It is tight and hard to get in and out. The worst is that my helmet keeps rubbing the ceiling. My other choice is the Cayman R. I’ve read so many good reviews on the Cayman but the new Cayman is coming out, never driven one on the road or track. This is going to be the last year for the current model. At the moment, I am leaning towards the Cayman. Well if you have a chance, give me you 2 cents.
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Cayman R or Lotus Exige for track
- Thread starter Taj
- Start date
The Cayman R is a nice car, but I would not call it a true track car (the term only applies to GT3/GT3RS/GT2/GT2RS in P-car land) It still needs quite a few changes if you are going to be pushing it hard.
At a minimum GT3 Lower Control Arms (F/R) ($1800-$2000 for parts + labor) so that you can get more negative camber (you can also achieve that using camber plates but then it limits the range), a Rear Bump Steer kit to prevent dramatic rear toe geometry changes under suspension compression ($350.00-$450.00 + labor).
The McPherson suspension on the Cayman is kind of primitive relative to the double wishbone suspension on the NSX, it gains less negative camber as it compresses compared to a double wishbone suspension. That being said for 8/10's driving the stock Cayman R suspension is pretty good, for 9/10 or 10/10's driving the spring rates are too low, so it get's a bit floaty during high speed transitions. For serious track work a good set of coilovers ($3500.00-$7000.00 + 6-8 hours of labor) is probably a must along with swaybars and droplinks ($700-$1800), but then you end up compromising streetability of the car.
Another downside is the stock LSD, it's a bit weak, as soon as you go with R-comps more than likely it's going to be toast (just noticed that after 3 track days running NT-01's on my car I already have a Guard Clubsport LSD that will be going into the car in the future ($2500.00)).
If you are going for the 6 speed you will also have to add the 3rd radiator on the car to reduce coolant temps during hot days with long track sessions ($350.00 + $300-$400 labor). If you are going with the PDK a tranny oil cooler is probably needed to keep temps in check as well.
Upside's:
The DFI engines have proven to be near bullet proof for track work as shown by the use of the Cayman's with DFI engines in the Porsche Driving School as well as the various race series: Cayman Interseries by Napleton/NASA ITC series for the past 3 1/2 years.
The base brakes are pretty good, just adding some GT3 front brake ducts ($29.00) makes a difference in front rotor temps. Going with track pads as well as braided brake lines and high temp fluid addresses the rest. For tracks that are really hard on the brakes (Laguna Seca) adding a set of cooling ducts/deflectors for the rear brakes is a good idea as well.
The DFI engine has quite a bit of torque, so portions of the track that the NSX might need to go down to 2nd gear (on a 6speed) the Cayman can usually get away by taking it in 3rd.
With a tune and exhaust you can usually get about 350HP (crank) out of the stock 3.4 DFI engine (I'm keeping mine stock since the CR is rated at 330HP and I am beating the hell out of the engine by tracking and don't want to worry about warranty issues in the future).
Some folks have done 3.8L DFI engine swaps on their cars, going from 320-330HP to 405HP NA. Some folks opt to install a TPC turbo that can get close to 450WHP on their cars.
Lot's of room for wider front tires, I'm running 245/275 with no issues, if you install a coilover and run enough negative camber you can run up to 255/295 without rubbing (only makes sense with 3.8L or with a Turbo)
Another upside is that the car does not seem to suffer from snap oversteer unlike the NSX. Maybe some of that is related to Porsche Stability Management not being 100% off, it's always lurking in the background even if it is disabled, it's good and bad, good because there is a safety net, bad because you can't disable it 100% unless you start messing around with the Yaw Sensor.
Then you start talking about harness bar ($450-$500), harnesses ($800.00), Hans ($750.00), roll bar/half cage ($2395). Swap the stock seats for some Sparco/Recaro bucket seats without airbags ($2400 for the set including rails).
At the end of the day it will still be a slippery slope just like any other car.
The benefit of the Cayman is that it is a MR car, so it will handle pretty comparable to the NSX and it should be civil enough to be driven on the streets as a daily driver unlike an Exige. Once you modify the suspension that daily driver aspect might go out the door, the upside is that you will always have more room in the Cayman relative to the Exige.
BTW: Don't bother looking at a 2006-2008 Cayman if you are planning to track the car, look for 2009 and upwards.
IIRC there is a Porsche Road show supposed to be taking place over the summer, maybe you can sign up for a nearby event by visiting a local Porsche Dealer and expressing interest. (Last year they allowed 2 auto-x laps) The other option would be to attend a track event and get a ride as a passenger, or go to Exotics Racing in Las Vegas and rent a Cayman R to be driven on the track for $300 for 5 laps.
A buddy of mine has a Cayman S he uses for street and track. Only mods are suspension and exhaust. AFAIK he was good about maintenance. During one recent track day, with about 70K miles on the clock, the engine blew. He's looking at $20K repair bill now.
P-car engines aren't known to blow unless you miss a shift.
Apparently this wasn't the case, or at least he did not admit to it. The way it happened was similar to this:
http://forum.pcasdr.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1466
FWIW: the first generation (2006-2008) 3.4L Cayman engines do suffer from a multitude of problems:
http://www.planet-9.com/cayman-boxster-problems-complaints/68428-cayman-engine-issues-poll.html
http://www.planet-9.com/cayman-boxster-problems-complaints/68428-cayman-engine-issues-poll.html
Thank you for all your replies. That's a lot of info on the Cayman. It is a tough call between the two cars. It seems like there a lot of work to bring the Cayman to track worthy. Exige is more tracks oriented out of the box. Unless I pick up a pre-owned, I am not going to mess with the car until the warranty is over.
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If you're serious about a track car - no question it's the Exige.
-J
-J
I'd take the Lotus,
BTW you could even swap in a Honda engine if you want some more bang for your buck,
BTW you could even swap in a Honda engine if you want some more bang for your buck,
If you just using it on the track the Exige is the way to go if you can fit.
Cayman R is an all round better car and you can drive it on the street without getting hammered in the kidney every time you hit a pebble/crack in the road.
They are a blast to drive. I have a Boxter S we just got in with the special order 6 speed and the thing is very nice to drive. Smooth very nimble and stable in the turns when pushed. The Cayman R even more so.
But for a strictly track car, the Exige is the way to go. After all thats what they were built for.
Cayman R is an all round better car and you can drive it on the street without getting hammered in the kidney every time you hit a pebble/crack in the road.
They are a blast to drive. I have a Boxter S we just got in with the special order 6 speed and the thing is very nice to drive. Smooth very nimble and stable in the turns when pushed. The Cayman R even more so.
But for a strictly track car, the Exige is the way to go. After all thats what they were built for.
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