Why I Swapped My BMW M4 For A 981 Cayman
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ก.ค. 2019
- After owning the M4 for a couple of years, I decided I wanted something quite different. The 981 Porsche Cayman seemed to fit the bill perfectly so here we are.
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Instagram: @ChrisDrift_IG
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I have owned my 981 Cayman S for nearly seven years now and the thrill is undiminished. I have owned six 911,s three BMWs, three Mercs and an Aston Martin but without question, this car is simply fantastic, and great fun. Couldn't agree with you more
Have you tried the 718 2.5 or 4.0?
I think if Porsche could have a “do over” they would not make the Cayman because they have actually created the BEST sports car, but at an expectant price point far under the 911. Since I owned my first one in 2007, I have said hands down, the best - and I have had Ferraris, BMW Ms, Audi RS, 911s; while you feel like you’re going faster at 60-80, you can definitely to 100-120mph and not feel at all out of control.
I’ve just recently sold my E92 M3 and bought a cayman 981 S and hands down it’s absolutely miles better….it’s my first Porsche and first mid engine proper sports car and I literally can’t get enough of driving it!!!.
It’s got the Sports chrono and PASM which I believe just blows the M3 out the water regarding handling and performance…and I’m not talking about straight line performance although it’ll without a doubt beat the M3 to 0-60 but more like through the twisty roads performance…I live in Aberdeenshire and my Cayman is utterly suited to the twisty sweeping roads up here
Love it!!
Are the 2.7 base 981s still worth it or too slow?
@@Swolecat17 absolutely go for it….it’s the handling which makes this car and don’t forget how stunning they look…2.7 is a fantastic flat six engine and is more than enough for the roads…try and get as many buttons as possible…sports chrono and PASM with sports plus seats and front & rear parking sensors are the options which I think complete these cars as a excellent driver experience….
The feeling of speed is far more important than actual speed, wish manufacturers would get this!
That's what Mazda chose and they made Miata!
this vid reminds me of the good old dedication blog days.
The good old days!! Miss those blogs.
yes, missed these...
Completely agree! I did the same thing, sold my M4 and got a base 981 Boxster instead because the M4 was just too fast to have fun with
Ignore m4 fanboys mate, you're car your choice, i'm a bimmer die hard but can't hate on that cayman. Totaly agree on that front bumper too, looks ways better without the round fogs.
Hey, I have the round fog on my 981. LOL. So hard to identify the type of Porsche these days since they all have that horizontal light.
@@BatDimen got them on my Cayman S too... I do prefer the Boxster/GTS front bumper, did look into it but cost to change doesnt make it worth it
I don't think you mentioned that your rear bumper is also the GTS version. Very nice and very fortunate to find one with upgraded bumpers. The car looks and sounds great!
Spot on about the feeling of fast. Getting the 981 to 100mph (end of third gear on PDK) feels scary. In my Audi, I can do 100mph without feeling a thing.
Feels scary? Rubbish, I own a 981 Boxster S, I've been to 200km/h, felt great. Audi fanboy?
@@odinikita4821I own both. I think I meant the 981 is more theatrical and the Audi is more smooth and emotionless when getting up in speed.
Great vid, I had exactly confusion on buying M4 or 981 for same money. This convinced me well!
Chris, I bought a 2016 manual base 981 back in May and your video describes pretty well word for word all the reasons as to why I picked this car and totally agree with everything you've said. It baffles me why any car enthusiast would ever opt for an automatic. My only gripe with this car is the lag at low revs and I will be interested to see if a turbo doesn't resolve this. Also considering peppering up the exhaust with a carnewal which is well rated.
"S" model makes a huge difference in power/torque that makes it even more fun to drive.
The higher the price, the better it gets.
Love the point about revving the engine out, one of the reasons I love the W204 C63. I adore the new C63S, it's insanely fast, but the W204 C63 had most of it's torque higher up in the rev range, so you could really thrash it. Nothing more fun than seeing an open straight ahead and revving the engine all the way 👍
Yeah exactly. The newer mercs and audis etc all have so much torque in the mid range
Love the comparisons with the m4, very very insightful, thank you 😊
Better to drive a slow car fast. Than a fast cars slow. 🙃
Incorrect. Fast cars are always the superior and the Alphas
Funny i didnt like the little round lights either. You got a GTS bumper. Nice.
Chris, question regarding the exhaust, was that brief snippet of exhaust video in standard form ? Does the vehicle have Porsche’s optional sports exhaust or is that just run of the mill standard cayman factory exhaust ?
Did you try the M2 and feel the same? I only what you're saying about that sports car feeling. Really they're just executive saloons / coupes with some performance and visual mods and I guess that's what they feel like. I got a lot of the same feelings you're talking about from the humble MX-5 ND plus reasonable gearing and a looser tail. I think the overly long gearing on the 981 just encourages me to break the speed limit by a lot. Sounds like your wished you'd got the 'S' model although you're quite conflicted about whether whether you want fun at sensible speeds or more power. Maybe the base just isn't quite enough for you at sensible speeds? Do you think the S might be the sweet spot? If you want a turbo you could just get a 718. Did you manage to make your Boxster less grippy?
Just moved from an M4 to a 718s and I get you. But that’s is my daily where as classics are my weekend delight. Lovely video
What’s going on with the rear bulkhead, carpets been removed ?
Beautiful Porsche , what is the song that you sampled for your intro??
Totally agree man, power isn't everything. My GT86 is running at about 215bhp after a map and a few other mods and yes, it still gets shat on by most turbo hot hatches BUT it's still unbelievable amounts of fun to drive because you have to properly work the car to get it's true potential.
I genuinely think there's far to few cars like this being made these day's, most are basically 300bhp+ auto slush boxes that push you back in your seat (as you say) to put a smile on your face. So yeah man, good call on your new motor! Hope you enjoy it!
yeah for driving on your own round fun country roads, I'd take an NA GT86 over any of the modern turbo hot hatches any day
Good choice I say, I was all about M cars but sadly that stopped when I drove the M4!
I swapped a white 981 s 6mt for a 911 991.2 7mt. Also have driven an M4 DCT, the 981 is a solid choice and practical for a 2 seater. I had a TPC racing 365hp tune on my 981 and it was worth it, no more 3k-4k rpm dip in power. The cayman got a lot more looks from people than the 911, I think it's the huge vents on the sides that do it.
Looks like you got some GTS package, I got the GTS 981 and my bumper and rear diffusor look the same like yours do.
And you have no flap exaust? You should consider getting the porsche one at least, it's just more emotion to the car, love the crackles and pops.
How was ride quality on m4 as well as any interior rattling??
Was it the S 3.4L or non s 2.7L? Also, didn't the extremely long gears start to bother you? You talk about having to 'work for it' but if u can do 70+ miles an hour in 2nd gear, there isn't much 'working' to do as u can just stay in second gear for everything and ever.
love your channel all the things I'm about with none of the judgment pure driving 🚗👌
I know I'm late to the party, but I have to say that I can't imagine turbocharging one of these masterpieces and ruining the throttle response. Far better to just put the money into a 3.4 to begin with and change out the final drive so you get to shift more.
Traded my F13 M6 for a 981 manual over a year ago now, not regretted it one bit. My thinking being a motorcyclist was you get a lot more satisfaction riding a 600cc sports bike than a 1 ltr superbike on UK roads, and it must be one of the best handling cars out there. only criticism is the tall gearing in 1st and 2nd. Lost a ton of money in depreciation on the BM but Cayman 981 values have actually gone up slightly over the last 12 months 👍🏼
Yeah the gears being so tall definitely takes away some of the enjoyment of rowing through the gears as it takes so long to get to the point where you need to change lol I did a track day yesterday and only used 2nd and 3rd gear. Other than that though like you say, its much more rewarding and involving than modern bmws
@@ChrisDrift Do you think the 718 solves this problem of tall gearing?
I’m in America and I can’t find any cayman S for sale with the GTS front bumper because I hate the way those fog lights look as well. Neither can I find any aftermarket bumpers - the only aftermarket bumpers are the GT4 ones - which in my opinion is just too much for a cayman S. I was surprised to hear yours just came with it. Do you know any additional info on this?
I’m so glad I found this video, I have my Lexus NX 2020 and looking for a fun car and I have one Cayman 2006 and another 2010 in the top of my list now, but I started doubting if that car would be really enough because I had another Lexus with 330hp before! But yes in fact it feels more like cruising and you don’t feel so much the speed. I mean I loved the launching don’t get me wrong for me it was good even with just 330hp, but for a Porsche you think that you definitely should get more… Anyway I’m in an age where I’m more mature and I don’t want to have more troubles with my driver license 😅 so maybe those 300hp in these Cayman S should be enough…
If you still read comments, do you know if you can modify these Porsche to put twin turbo? 😅
Editing: ok I made it to the part where you said it is possible to turbo this models 😋 but that basically is a pain in the 4ss! Question: is it possible to do this in any kind of car workshops or does need to be one in the suburbs? 😏 and how much can that cost in Europe? 🤔
You should have gone with a Lotus Exige 380 or 430 mate, way more fun and more driver engagement.
Get an aftermarket exhaust and change the headers it will sound awesome.
Hey Chris, in your opinion, what is the best car I could get (driver focused) for 16k (roughly). Cheers mate!
987 cayman easy
Great video Chrsi. Very informative.
You're not the only one who switched. I had the e92. It was a great experience owning it. Replaced the rod bearings and had no major issues except for the plastic coolant reservoir but my Boxster S just handles much better.
Which year model did you get?
I sold my manual E92 M3 for a 987.1 manual Cayman S, and have never looked back. I share a lot of the same opinions on it, the M3 just didn’t have as much fun factor, whereas the Cayman is perfect in every driving situation. I made the decision to do this after driving a base Cayman on backroads for about two hours with a buddy of mine (who is a good driver) following me in my E92 M3, and I was blown away at the fact that he in the M3 could not keep up. He would almost catch me in the straights and I would just lose him again in the next corner. I’ve owned it for about 2 years and can confidently say my Cayman is my favorite car I have ever owned.
How would you compare the performance of the 2, and have you had any issues with bore scoring on your 987.1
Pretty much making the same argument regarding my F87. To be honest I hated it at first until I changed out the crappy standard suspension for MP adjustable coilovers and CL pads. However although it’s better and has a tad more steering feel with a few geo changes, as an ex fast Caterham racer I miss the interaction with a proper sports car. I recently bought an older Jag XF barge for daily use so the M2 is now my dedicated fun car, I’m lucky to live by some relatively abandoned roads.
I’ve been looking at 987/2 and 981. Gravitating toward 987S/2 slightly less grip and hydraulic rack.
Why are you driving without your rear engine cover behind the seats. I own a cayman too my cayman is a 987.1 with mods like exhausted upgrade and suspension changes too. I love it!!
Very True, the ideal daily, most practical yes underpowered but not lacking and certainly enough to keep up with confidence. This is one example where less is more when driving hard daily, and no more or less on the streets when driving with the higher models of the Cayman. On the track or when pushing it agree it is a little lacking but everything else is completely there 👍
New followers here. Totally agree w your take. I bought a base 991.1 carrera last summer and I wind the shit out of it all the time. Coilovers and exhaust and now track it. Loads of fun.
The round fogs look way better. The led ones look just like every other Cayman.
Casual swearing spot on!
Changing a Bimmer for a Porsche never needs any explaining in my book.
I've got to a point in my 197 runaround that I can't not rev match when changing down now I've done it so much over the last couple of years. Changing down and bringing the clutch up gently like 'normal' feels very wrong to me now. And yeah I may sound a right penis when rev matching at 30mph on a normal road, but I love it.
yeah now that I'm so used to rev matching, I'm like how does everyone not do this? What do you mean you just slip the clutch loads every time you change down a gear?? Madness haha
I can see the title already in 3 weeks time 'I V10 Swapped and Turbo'd my 981'
FINALLY A GUY WHO GETS IT! My car path is similar to yours.. e92m3, '17ss, '18zl1, 981... It takes a few cars to figure it out, and its a fun journey, but the end game for an enthusiast is FUN, and car manufacturers are doing their very best to engineer all of the fun out of modern cars. I hope the youth of today have an opportunity to experience this fun before they all are forced to go electric. meh.
Re the performance, you have a manual base 2.7.. the slowest possible, very long geared. Glad your having fun with it.
However, get yourself into a 981 S (Boxster or Cayman) , with 3.4 PDK Chrono and you'll find every iteration of that is faster than an M4 of the same year.
All the American tests (we don't ever seem to test these cars in the UK) put those at 4.2 0-60 even back in 2012!!
The latest Boxster/Cayman S's will hit 60 in 3.5 seconds in US magazine tests.
The 5 second figures constantly printed in the UK press are for base manual cars, which are the slowest.
Did you give the cayman s a go before going with this one? I had a 2016 exige s before and recently test drove the standard 718 as I want something a bit more comfortable. Found the 718 a bit too slow.
Hey Chris, I'm agreeing with you on almost every point. Except the 270 bhp being the bare minimum required to have fun (around 6:20). The GT86 weighs another 150 kg less than a 981 2.7 and comes with an LSD. Great fun on windy German mountain roads. Cheers
Maybe the tires you are running are too grippy because my 981 base Cayman slips and slides lovely when the roads are wet! Slips as it's gripping when it's dry but never loses full grip,. Super fun but definitely more grip than slip
doesnt 981 have auto rev matching?
I was literally high, just passed my driving test, kinda interested in cars and I stumble on your small community of drifters, this is so cool keep this up xD
gratz on the car
i found your channel again and remember the dedication blog. damn time flies.
How does the handling compare to GT86?
I’ve never driven a Cayman but I think they might be quite similar. And in a way misunderstood. They are about the driver working for the performance. I’m thinking a faster version of a GT86
@John S of course 86 can't win a race against cayman or any car really. I was more interested in the handling.
Both cars handle great. The cayman just has so much grip, the 86 has less grip so it can be more fun if you’re looking to slide around.
Spot on ...couldnt agree more ...0 - 120 mph 10 sec cars useless in this time and age. I own a Cayman 981 2.7 pdk though ....concerning the exhaust I bought the Carnewal exhaust love it to bits for 500 quid ....Did you find the k&n filters improve performance noticeable ...
On your Carnewal; How much did it improve the cabin sound and is there any droning? Did you do it by exchange or did you drive over to Belgium?
@@russelllutwyche5736 Cabin sound is better ...quite deeper flat 6 growl ....almost no droning only in 7 th. around 110 km/h very light droning but totally acceptable ...I am located in Holland did the exhaust on exchange base.
Thanks for coming back to me so quickly, that sounds really good and backs up what I'd heard about this exhaust mod. Living in Holland I am surprised you didn't pay him a visit directly and get the full while you wait experience.
But which engine does it have? There is a big difference between the standard vans the 'S'.
This must be the standard car as he quoted 270 BHP
It It the 2.7 or 3.4 you have?
Smart man!! Totally makes since! I was about to buy the amazing Shelby gt350 however 2nd gear will have u put in jail! So I am getting a base 981 cayman..
The “718” is a tribute to old-time Porsche sports cars from the 50’s and 60’s. It’s still the 982 internal Porsche designation. Aside from that, you’re entirely correct - the M4 is boring compared to even a base cayman. Brilliant choice to swap up. I’ll go so far to say that while the 911 is an incredible car, the Cayman is as much fun to drive. I’ve had a 991.1 C2S and currently have a 981 Cayman S. I enjoy the Cayman so much more. Cheers PS: journalists know very little.
God I miss videos like these 😍
Great review man. I'm considering trading my M2 for a 918 or 718, and your perspective speaks to me.
TailHappyTV i think you mean 981 lol
@@smotheredhusky oops, yes I did!
TailHappyTV ive traded a m2 for a gt4 ;) ask some questions!
@@NoName-qp1op I'm 6' 5", will I fit? Also I can only have one car now, so it would be my daily.
TailHappyTV walter röhrl is 196 cm so you will not have any problems ;)
Great car. No Cayman S with manual box nearby?
Nope I could only find either these 2.7 litre ones or the GTS models that were crazy expensive
@@ChrisDrift I guess that shows which way the market is heading. I recently opted for a type R over a dsg golf R. So glad that I did. Apart from city commuting, which I dont do in that car, and launching like a nutter (and how often can you really do that) I cant see any reason to go for a doppulkaplunk over a manual great choice 👍
It’s interesting hearing you go from an m4 to a 981 cayman and the perspective you have. I went from an ND Miata to a 981 Cayman S, and I felt it was a slightly less pure driving experience. However, I love driving it, the sound of the engine and reaching for that last few RPM, and the mid-engine balance. I would like the 1-3 gears to be shorter, but that’s my only gripe, and it’s pretty minor. Yours looks almost exactly like mine, too. White with the same wheels. Beautiful car, great buy
I would be curious if anyone has gone for a M5 F10 to a 981. I am selling my M5 for a 981 and I have not even sat in a 981 never mind driven one! Just waiting for lockdown for Covid19 to blow over.
I’ve been thinking of an upgrade path for my ND but seeing your message makes me doubt selling it for anything. I live driving my Miata. Every drive is a joy.
The only thing lacking is that flat 6 engine note.
Would you keep your nd if you had to do it again?
Maybe if you wanted an exciting smaller car with a turbo you should look at m2 manual , doesn’t really sound like you know what you want
Does anyone know where the front bumper came from?
The bumper is from a gts
It’s the factory sports design Aerokit
greenboy1976 do you know how much those cost?
Rashard Dennis looked it up a little while ago. Suncoast Porsche parts has it for about $3500.
greenboy1976 thanks bro
Had to decide between new M2C or used Porsche 981S. Went for the 981 :-)
Spot on mate , and thats coming from m3 owner too . Lotus Exige is another great alternative ...
Mantazini : Circuit_Devotees I agree. I have an M4 but looking for an exige some time over the next year. The dream would be to have both as there is a time and place for both types of car
Yeah I was seriously considering an Exige instead of this Cayman. Was basically between those two and also the BMW M2 Comp, but I obviously ended up going with the Cayman. Should point out I didn't actually drive the other two, so doesn't mean I tried them all and decided the Cayman was better lol
FYI, latest gen 2017-2020, 718 is the actual name, it's code designation is 982
Chris i'm watching your Cayman 981 vid' do you still like it? do you miss the M4? do you miss the R8?
Is the S much faster? Would the S be the sweet spot?
great review! Why not get the S for a little more money ? May solve that lack of power..
100% agree on the front bumper being ugly on a stock cayman. The boxster has a better front end, but the GTS front bumper cover like what you have is FIRE. That's exactly what I would do if I bought a 981 Cayman.
I understand what you mean about the M3 chassis not feeling that fast but its wildly fast. I own a F80 M3 with over 600 WHP and its ridiculously fast but it delivers its power so smooth and is so refined that other than looking at the speedo one wouldn't even feel like you're ripping along. My e46 M3 had half the power but "felt" faster somehow. Still the M3 is the ultimate daily especially with its tuneability.
I believe the numbers on Porsche's are due to how design it took to come up with the final concept/version
I agree with this guy, still got my m4, had 911,Gtr and weekend toy as a performante. M4 great daily and convertible can’t beat. NA cars are amazing on country roads but you will miss the speed and you will be wanting a faster car soon. Always happens
Not a big fan off porsche but started watching vids from micha and well they must be good because every other car on the ring is a porsche, hope to c vid off you there sometime, 👍
Sound like the Cayman is a bit like driving my tsport corolla. It's not stupid fast but with the lack of torque and high revs it's good fun to drive because it feels like ur pushing the car to its limit.
yeah exactly that
I think there ment to be thrashed...right?
"A private wet roundabout" 😂😂😂😂
One is a car, the other a Porsche. Simple as that… Good choice! 👌
Good video 🤙🏼
The porsche is a sports car. The M4 is a german muscle car. Of course they drive differently.
You’ve just got the modification bug now Chris! Surprised u haven’t modified the range rover yet 😂
2014 981 or 2018 M4?
Build some Headers with 200cpsi Catalytic converter for the Car and you will free up good Power.
Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪
Yeah I am tempted to make some headers for it, but I dunno... making them on the 350Z was a huge pain in the ass haha
@@ChrisDrift aftermarket or custom headers caused lots of issue?
How does the cayman perform in our wet conditions?
Poor in standing water without lots of tread and a full tank up front. Easy to control once it goes tho
Did you ever drive a manual m4?
While manual might be fun it is slower on track at least 1 second on a 2 minute track.
fit LSD?
Shorter gearing FTW! 🙂
Can you powerslide this car easily ?
Turbo! Wide body! Remake the BBI hill climb car ! Or or, just track it as is to keep it reliable
Or or rotary swap!
haha that BBI hill climb car did inspire me a lot
Would you been as willing to swap had the M4 been a manual?
manual would definitely have helped, but I think the M4 would still suffer from the problem of having to do over 100 mph to feel like you're going even remotely fast. So I dunno
nice vid!
Why didn’t you get the GTS trim instead?
You should get a manual Porsche Cayman GT4. That car is quite the reference
Exactly right about the BMW feeling boring. I have just sold my '15 Z4 35is for the same reason. I mistakenly test drove a 981 Boxster S and my Z4 felt jittery and pedestrian in every way on the way home. Week later, I am waiting collection on a 981 GTS. Why not, eh? Lots of car for the money as they say "Its the poor man's 911". I will stay quiet in my smugness - I have had a Carerra S - The Boxster/Cayman are to some people better driver's cars. I also don't like the new 4 pot 718s.
I lost $10k on a dct m4 in 5 weeks. Hated the dct. Have my f80 manual for 4 years now
haha damn, I couldn't stomach that loss to end up with the same car again. But sounds like you made the right decision
Yea I know what u mean almost didn't do it. But like the manual much better. Also like the 4 doors and a better color. Finally finished the car 4yrs later. Put the m3cs map in it and some suspension mods. Car much better. Also took the cats out sounds much better
I just got rid of my Audi S3 for one of these. Modern performance cars are great and all but I found my S3 really boring to drive tbh - fancied a manual for a change and went for one of these.
Very nice! I'm surprised you didn't mention more the ol' 86 - that's a similar (but a little less grippy!) band of not very fast but great fun to even go to the shops in so long as there's a scenic route with a few corners. I've often seen a Cayman suggested as a worthy upgrade on the 86 forums.
Looking forward to the track day video for this, will surely be some Dedication Blog nostalgia :D
I think maybe because I didn't have the 86 in stock form for very long. I got the turbo and various other mods done on it within just a few weeks of owning it lol so I can't really remember too much of how it was stock
Just change the gearing if you want to make it quicker.
I was looking at changing the final drive ratio yeah, but I haven't been able to find many options and the one I did find is real expensive after market product that doesn't even say it fits my car (only mentions the GTS and GT4 models). Will do some more digging though
wish Cayman S Manuals were available here.