I gave up trying to figure out Porsche pricing policies years ago. There is absolutely no reasoning behind it.
Why does a $ 90,000 Porsche look like you “‘cheaped out’” on your purchase unless you buy $ 20,000 worth of options to go with it.
The porsche boxster is commonly referred to as the “poor man’s porsche”. The boxster has a mid engine layout, while the cayman is set up like the 911, which is rear engine, and has more power.
It does seem a little odd, and is a departure from the normal Porsche pricing habits (where the convertible version costs more than the coupe).
When the Cayman was first introduced, it was the Cayman S (with the base version still being a year away), and it came in before the same updates were available with the Boxster S… as such the inintial Cayman S was a definite step up over the Boxster S in all performance areas, and justified the higher price. However, when the Boxster line was updated, thus matching the Cayman with the same engines and suspension packages, the pricing structure remained in place!
Why? Hard to say, though it seems Porsche has decided the Boxster is the entry level model. It’s also possible (though I don’t have any inside info to confirm this) that the chasis cost on the Caymen is more costly, though looking at the spec differences and the extra challenges a topless car presents, I would guess the overall costs are quite similar.
Porsche has positioned the Cayman as a step up in terms of performance, even though the engine, brakes, and suspension between the similar models is the same. But, while all those items, most trim, and basic vehicle layout is the same (both the Cayman and the Boxster are mid-engined), the Cayman is in fact a higher performance option!
While most coupe versions are higher performance than their enclosed counterparts, the Cayman in particular has one of the best chasis designs in use… being a little bit lighter than the Boxster, but more than 4 times as rigid! The Boxster is a great chasis, well balanced and very poised in transition… the Cayman is better.
This is the type of difference that usually doesn’t cost more, but given published sales figures and my own observations at PCA and track events, I would say Porsche correctly predicted the markets for each car, and was right on in the fact that most enthusiasts that would gravitate towards the Cayman would pay the premium for the coupe rather than the other way around. Ununsual and not normal based on other models and history, but some strong reasons why.
Yes the 2007 Porsche Cayman S, and 2007 Boxster S are equivelant in horsepower, and even share the same engine. They also have very close acceleration times.
This is a crazy pricing situation, but as Paul says, it looks like it’s working. Good for them. In the US atleast, savvy companies charge what the market will bare.
Another crazy example is the Porsche 911 turbo vs the Cayenne Turbo. Have you ever seen a comparison between the two? It is insane! You get so much more for your money, in terms of interior accessories, engine performance, etc, but for tens of thousands less! But, they are probably charging close to the ideal price for each, given their sales goals/production capacity, etc.
Make no mistake, Porsche is one of the (if not the) most profitable auto manufacturers in the world for a reason!
Between me and my husband we’ve owned more MP3 players over the years than I can count, including Sansas, iRivers, iPods (classic & touch), the Ibiza Rhapsody, etc. But, the last few years I’ve settled down to one line of players. Why? Because I was happy to discover how well-designed and fun to use the underappreciated (and widely mocked) Zunes are.
I’ll gear this review to 2 types of people: current Zune owners who are considering an upgrade, and people trying to decide between a Zune and an iPod. (There are other players worth considering out there, like the Sony Walkman X, but I hope this gives you enough info to make an informed decision of the Zune vs players other than the iPod line as well.)
This is getting a bit more subjective, but I much prefer the Zune Marketplace. The interface is colorful, has more flair, and some cool features like ‘Mixview’ that let you quickly see related albums, songs, or other users related to what you’re listening to. Clicking on one of those will center on that item, and another set of “neighbors” will come into view, allowing you to navigate around exploring by similar artists, songs, or users. Speaking of users, the Zune “Social” is also great fun, letting you find others with shared tastes and becoming friends with them. You then can listen to a playlist created based on an amalgamation of what all your friends are listening to, which is also enjoyable. Those concerned with privacy will be relieved to know you can prevent the public from seeing your personal listening habits if you so choose.
The Zune concentrates on being a Portable Media Player. Not a web browser. Not a game machine. Maybe in the future it’ll do even better in those areas, but for now it’s a fantastic way to organize and listen to your music and videos, and is without peer in that regard. The iPod’s strengths are its web browsing and apps. If those sound more compelling, perhaps it is your best choice.
Between me and my husband we’ve owned more MP3 players over the years than I can count, including Sansas, iRivers, iPods (classic & touch), the Ibiza Rhapsody, etc. But, the last few years I’ve settled down to one line of players. Why? Because I was happy to discover how well-designed and fun to use the underappreciated (and widely mocked) Zunes are.
Sorry for the huge review, but I’m really loving the new Zune, and hope this, as well as the excellent reviews some other people have written, will help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.
Between me and my husband we’ve owned more MP3 players over the years than I can count, including Sansas, iRivers, iPods (classic & touch), the Ibiza Rhapsody, etc. But, the last few years I’ve settled down to one line of players. Why? Because I was happy to discover how well-designed and fun to use the underappreciated (and widely mocked) Zunes are.
I gave up trying to figure out Porsche pricing policies years ago. There is absolutely no reasoning behind it.
Why does a $ 90,000 Porsche look like you “‘cheaped out’” on your purchase unless you buy $ 20,000 worth of options to go with it.
The porsche boxster is commonly referred to as the “poor man’s porsche”. The boxster has a mid engine layout, while the cayman is set up like the 911, which is rear engine, and has more power.
(I believe, more of a BMW guy myself…).
The Cayman is more powerful, handles much better, and has a much stiffer suspension.
They did not call it the Boxster Coupe because the performance differences are pretty big.
They decided to give it its own name because it is different enough.
The performance is in between the Boxster and the 911.
It does seem a little odd, and is a departure from the normal Porsche pricing habits (where the convertible version costs more than the coupe).
When the Cayman was first introduced, it was the Cayman S (with the base version still being a year away), and it came in before the same updates were available with the Boxster S… as such the inintial Cayman S was a definite step up over the Boxster S in all performance areas, and justified the higher price. However, when the Boxster line was updated, thus matching the Cayman with the same engines and suspension packages, the pricing structure remained in place!
Why? Hard to say, though it seems Porsche has decided the Boxster is the entry level model. It’s also possible (though I don’t have any inside info to confirm this) that the chasis cost on the Caymen is more costly, though looking at the spec differences and the extra challenges a topless car presents, I would guess the overall costs are quite similar.
Porsche has positioned the Cayman as a step up in terms of performance, even though the engine, brakes, and suspension between the similar models is the same. But, while all those items, most trim, and basic vehicle layout is the same (both the Cayman and the Boxster are mid-engined), the Cayman is in fact a higher performance option!
While most coupe versions are higher performance than their enclosed counterparts, the Cayman in particular has one of the best chasis designs in use… being a little bit lighter than the Boxster, but more than 4 times as rigid! The Boxster is a great chasis, well balanced and very poised in transition… the Cayman is better.
This is the type of difference that usually doesn’t cost more, but given published sales figures and my own observations at PCA and track events, I would say Porsche correctly predicted the markets for each car, and was right on in the fact that most enthusiasts that would gravitate towards the Cayman would pay the premium for the coupe rather than the other way around. Ununsual and not normal based on other models and history, but some strong reasons why.
handling & suspension
Yes the 2007 Porsche Cayman S, and 2007 Boxster S are equivelant in horsepower, and even share the same engine. They also have very close acceleration times.
This is a crazy pricing situation, but as Paul says, it looks like it’s working. Good for them. In the US atleast, savvy companies charge what the market will bare.
Another crazy example is the Porsche 911 turbo vs the Cayenne Turbo. Have you ever seen a comparison between the two? It is insane! You get so much more for your money, in terms of interior accessories, engine performance, etc, but for tens of thousands less! But, they are probably charging close to the ideal price for each, given their sales goals/production capacity, etc.
Make no mistake, Porsche is one of the (if not the) most profitable auto manufacturers in the world for a reason!
Between me and my husband we’ve owned more MP3 players over the years than I can count, including Sansas, iRivers, iPods (classic & touch), the Ibiza Rhapsody, etc. But, the last few years I’ve settled down to one line of players. Why? Because I was happy to discover how well-designed and fun to use the underappreciated (and widely mocked) Zunes are.
I’ll gear this review to 2 types of people: current Zune owners who are considering an upgrade, and people trying to decide between a Zune and an iPod. (There are other players worth considering out there, like the Sony Walkman X, but I hope this gives you enough info to make an informed decision of the Zune vs players other than the iPod line as well.)
This is getting a bit more subjective, but I much prefer the Zune Marketplace. The interface is colorful, has more flair, and some cool features like ‘Mixview’ that let you quickly see related albums, songs, or other users related to what you’re listening to. Clicking on one of those will center on that item, and another set of “neighbors” will come into view, allowing you to navigate around exploring by similar artists, songs, or users. Speaking of users, the Zune “Social” is also great fun, letting you find others with shared tastes and becoming friends with them. You then can listen to a playlist created based on an amalgamation of what all your friends are listening to, which is also enjoyable. Those concerned with privacy will be relieved to know you can prevent the public from seeing your personal listening habits if you so choose.
The Zune concentrates on being a Portable Media Player. Not a web browser. Not a game machine. Maybe in the future it’ll do even better in those areas, but for now it’s a fantastic way to organize and listen to your music and videos, and is without peer in that regard. The iPod’s strengths are its web browsing and apps. If those sound more compelling, perhaps it is your best choice.
Between me and my husband we’ve owned more MP3 players over the years than I can count, including Sansas, iRivers, iPods (classic & touch), the Ibiza Rhapsody, etc. But, the last few years I’ve settled down to one line of players. Why? Because I was happy to discover how well-designed and fun to use the underappreciated (and widely mocked) Zunes are.
Sorry for the huge review, but I’m really loving the new Zune, and hope this, as well as the excellent reviews some other people have written, will help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.
Between me and my husband we’ve owned more MP3 players over the years than I can count, including Sansas, iRivers, iPods (classic & touch), the Ibiza Rhapsody, etc. But, the last few years I’ve settled down to one line of players. Why? Because I was happy to discover how well-designed and fun to use the underappreciated (and widely mocked) Zunes are.