Porsche Cayman.

i was waiting for this ever since it was first rumored.

a factory hardtop Boxster. not a removable hardtop. but an actual legitimate hardtop Boxster. well... it's here... sort of.

http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000627033030/



the best part about the original rumor was that ... in theory... a hardtop Boxster would be cheaper than the conventional ragtop. as is the fact in all other ragtops... the coupe version of the car is almost always cheaper.

unfortunately... Porsche decided that adding a hardtop and hatch to the Boxster deserved a new nomenclature. so instead of a cheaper hardtop Boxster... we get a 'new model' called the Cayman... which is positioned between the Boxster ($42,000) and the Carrera ($90,000-ish)... so it actually costs more than a Boxster. rats.

it does have an upgraded higher horsepower engine vs. the Boxster. and it most likely could end up being a better drivers car than the $35,000 more Carrera. but i am pretty disappointed... even if it is a killer deal at the price. in my opinion.

though one thing is that... like the Cayenne... they introduced the "S" model first. meaning... like the Cayenne... there is the possibility for a "base" model to appear later on with a lesser engine (V6 vs. V8 in the case of the Cayenne) and a cheaper price. so here's hoping that a base model with the standard Boxster engine and a more Boxster like price will appear soon.

not that it matters... i wasn't planning on buying one new anyway. currently the plan is still "buy a dirt cheap used Boxster"... since they go for stupid cheap prices ($18k-$24k) on the used market.

actually ... along that line of thinking... the biggest competition for the Cayman may very well be the used Carrara market. you can get a used Carrera 4S (my personal favorite) for around Cayman prices. or close enough.

and... like i posted on the Autoblog entry... it is only a matter of time before a "G" in Porsche script appears on the market. actually... it doesn't even have to be a full "G"... just a little magnetic shaped bar of chrome that will turn the "C" into a "G". and then the hilarity will ensue. or something.

z.