Evora vs Cayman S

[anonymous-user]

American car magazine Road and Track (Sept 2010) has a side-by-side comparison of Evora with the cheaper Porsche Cayman S

You can read the complete article here on the link,

http://www.roadandtrack.com/tests/comparison/2010-...

[Redlake27]

I like the road and track style, nice mix of objective and subjective. They did one a couple of months ago on Evora, Cayman S and Vette GS.

It influenced me to choose a Cayman, even if my heart said stick with Lotus

[Redlake27]

After 4 days owning my Cayman S (after 2 years in a Europa S and 2 days testing an Evora on road and track), here's my feedback.


Cayman S advantages over Evora:

Interior build quality
Driving position perfect
Gearchange quality
Handling balance is similar, and pace very similar on road and track.
Characterful engine.

Cayman S improvement points

Road noise - rear tyres droning on motorway
Pounds the road, rather than floats like a Lotus

Evora advantages over Cayman S

You don't get looks of disgust (I had the 'small willy' gesture on day one of Porsche ownership whilst parked!)
Exclusivity
Incredible ride quality
Suppleness that suits B roads

Evora improvement points

A tad more power please
A better gearchange
A less offset driving position
Confidence inspiring build quality (the interior door handles and trim near the gearlever were loose)


I hope this helps as a brief comparison. I tend to agree with the Road and Track summary, but look forward to the Evora S.

[justin220]

Fair summary. Although the driving position is personal. Agree about the offset pedals in the Evora

[RobM77]

justin220 said:

Fair summary. Although the driving position is personal.

The poor driving position is one of the main things that put me off the Cayman S actually; it's simply not designed for people with long legs like me, because the wheel doesn't extend out far enough for me to unfold my legs into a tolerable position. Same with the 997. I've not driven an Evora, but I have sat in one, and the driving position was better from this point of view.

As far as comparing the two cars on the road, it's hard for me to say because although I've had two reasonably drives in Cayman Ss, I've only had a passenger ride in an Evora. To me the Cayman S felt a little faster than the Evora, and the cabin ambience and fit and finish of the Porsche was more cohesive; however I found the Cayman driving experience a bit anodyne and Audi-like, whereas the Evora's ride and handling was brimming with connectivity and suppleness that the Cayman S seemed to lack. Whilst the Evora's suspension was more subtle, remarkably so given the small amount of roll in the corners (the Cayman feels far stiffer despite feeling like it was rolling more!), the CofG in the Cayman is clearly lower and the front:rear balance better, which is a facet of that low mounted flat 6 engine of course. The boots front and rear are also more practical in the Cayman S due to this engine location. A major dissapointment for me with the Cayman S was also the non-linear steering, which I hated. The Lotus, of course, doesn't have such a gimmick.