I have been considering purchasing my first Porsche, a Cayman.
However, in talking to a couple of Porsche owners, an issue has arisen that concerns me a bit----excessive tire wear.
Are these cars really so hard on expensive tires? I have heard that a set of tires may not last 10K miles, and are very expensive to replace.
I would like a nice car, but not a headache. Would appreciate any comments.
I have not owned a Cayman, but did have a Boxster S and did not experience unusual tire wear. I have a friend who has a relatively new Cayman, so I will forward your message and get his feedback for you.
Thanks very much, Guru
really depends on how hard you push the automobile. we've had the same set of Conti's on a 911-996 for near 5 years now and they may or may not make it through the '09 summer season.
Roughly how many miles would this equate to?
"HLS" wrote
A headache is an NSX whose rear tires lasted barely 6K miles.
IIRC, the OEM tires on our Boxster we bought used lasted around 20K miles. You can always back off and buy an all-season or non-max- performance tire. If you look at tirerack.com, an OEM set for a 2008 Cayman S with 18" wheels costs around $210 front/$275 rear. Michelin PS/2's are more. 19" wheels pushes them up by $60-$70 each.
Considering that the 15K services for these cars cost around $600 or more (at the dealer or specialty shops), the cost of tires is the least of your worries.
FloydR
I have a 2007 Cayman S with a little over 16000 miles and I was checking the tires this past weekend and they still look fine, they have wear but they still look great to me. It has been on two long trips (Houston to DC back to Houston and Houston, to DC to Columbus Ohio and back to Houston). I ride my motorcycle to work most days so I only end up putting about a thousand miles a month on the car (including the trips).
The Cayman is a joy to drive. The Porsche dealers in my area are real easy about letting you test drive the cars, spend some time in the car and then go test drive the competition. It is a real nice way to find out what you like. I was never able to test drive the Corvette (I am unsure why the Chevy dealers will not allow test drives). The Cayman was the most expensive of all of the cars I tested but it was well worth the difference in price to me.
If you drive your car on the track then I doubt that the tires will last very long. I have not had my car on the track.
Puffer
With reasonable driving, the rear tires should last at least 16-20K. Fronts probably 20-25. Assuming the alignment is within spec.
: > really depends on how hard you push the automobile. we've had the same : > set : > of Conti's on a 911-996 for near 5 years now and they may or may not make : > it : > through the '09 summer season. : : Roughly how many miles would this equate to?
maybe 4k/year on the summer tires and half that on the winter tires.
What kind of treadwear rating do the OEM tires have on a Cayman? I've found that with cars that handle this well, you don't need super high performance tires for on the street. I generally go with a treadwear rating of 300 or more. The tires last a good amount of time and I actually get to play with my car at the limits of tire adhesion which by the way, is where all the fun is.
Chris non-Porsche but super handling track / street Miata, principles are the same folks
With reasonable driving, the rear tires should last at least 16-20K. Fronts probably 20-25. Assuming the alignment is within spec.
"Chris D'Agnolo" wrote
I disagree with your statement. We currently have Goodyear Pilot Sport A/S tires on our Boxster, rather than the OEM performance Bridgestones (that's about the difference you're talking about.) My wife - it's her car - immediately noticed the lower performance and complained. However, we left them on because we need a rain tire up here in Seattle. When they wear out (which will take around 30K miles it looks like), we're going back; after all she's only putting 7-8K per year on it.
FloydR
I change my tires about once a year, maybe 10k-15k. A full replacement costs arond $1000. This is the price for what you get in handling with those kinds of tires on that kind of car. If you're considering a Cayman in the first place, then you are seeking excellent handling and super tire grip. If you reconcile yourself to this you'll look forward to a tire change because then your handling jumps up considerable with the new tread.
Well, handling means different things to different people. I want GT handling, not gokart. So the Cayman is probably not for me.
A Cayman does not handle like a go-cart; however, it is a little tighter than a similar year 911.
Drive a Cayman, then try a Nissan 350/370 or the Infiniti G-35/37 coupe. That should give you a good idea of the difference in steering and ride comfort. See Feb or March Road & Track for a comparison of the Cayman and the Nissan Z-370. (Maybe even on their website)
>: See Feb or March Road & Track for a comparison of the Cayman and : the Nissan Z-370. (Maybe even on their website)
It is pretty stiff. I dont know how one would feel if he hopped into it and drove a thousand miles.
You say you are considing a Cayman, and want GT handling.
What is 'GT handling'?
GT, Grand Touring, is a little bit of a nebulous term.. It normally means a car that has very good road feel, is extremely comfortable during long trips. It is not really intended to be a track car.
I dont want to zip around town, impressing all the kids. I want to be able to get in the car and drive 500-1000 miles with due acceleration, good handling, low wind and road noise. Autobahn speeds should be possible.
I want to be able to step out of the car and still feel like going to the pool or to the casino.
No hot rods, no gokarts.
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