don't want to throw water on the party but... how does insurance compare between these two?

No clue, but I woudlnt be surprised if the FRS was pretty costly. Seems like a high risk car given the demographic it appeals too

If my memory serves me correctly, I don't think it's that big of a difference at all (When I had my Z and G35, I believe it wasn't too much difference from my friend's 911. Don't quote me though. Haven't looked into a new car for a couple years now). But I guess if you're financially able to afford these types of cars, you shouldn't be flinching at an extra dollar or two per day..

FR-S insurance cost more than my E36 M3 and that's with full discount/roadstar blahblahblah

I owned a 996 GT3 for 4 years and the only issue I ever had with it was a blown coolant line (common problem on all GT3s, due to lines being glued vs welded). Pcars are built for track usage, so when you drive them on the street, they are extremely durable. On a side note, pcars also depreciate less than most other cars after the first 4-5yrs. You will rarely see any aged well maintained pcar below $20K.

I'm not sure if you just have limited budget or if you have a good amount of money and you're just trying to save as much money as possible, but I would say Cayman.
My friend drives his dads Cayman a lot and loves it. Nothing on it (knock on wood) has broken down, only maintenance and wear and tear parts.
When he was getting his first car and went to look at the FRS (couldn't test drive because it required a deposit), he didn't like the interior nor did he like the lack of power / torque for the price.
I would choose a Cayman over a 2001 Carrera any day; it's much newer and probably has the same trickled down / further developed techonology. ( correct me if i'm wrong).

Do you like the interior of the FRS? At the end of the day, the interior is what you're going to be looking at when you're driving. It's not the biggest factor, but if you don't like the interior, you're going to like it even less seeing it everyday.

Good luck

Cayman, if you can afford it. I took that generation Cayman you are considering out for a brief test drive and I still vividly remember how very impressed I was afterwards.

The feel of it is just amazing and so far, it is the most responsive and best handling car I've ever driven.

Ehh... The BRZ/FRS twins do handle extremely well, but i suppose i am partially saying that because they have no power, but they also do handle quite well... In interest of being fair, i'd say i have less than two hours behind the wheel of an FRS, (0 time on a Cayman) and i wasn't all that impressed... Seemed like the interior was cheap, it was extremely slow, but i did love now tail happy it was, and i felt it cornered quite well.

Also keep in mind you're comparing a $60,000 vehicle to a $26,000 one. The build quality and materials used will reflect the price difference. Every modern Porsche I've been in and drove has a very solid feel to it, regardless of if was a Boxster or 911. Everything you look at and touch tends to be top notch. The FRS, on the other hand, reflects it's asking price. It's still a good car, but you'll notice the variation right away. The Cayman also feels much more balanced when you're driving it hard.

Everyone says the FRS is so gutless, it has a mere 65hp less then the Cayman, no(Never driven either, but I assume the 6 cylinder Porsche has a lot more usable power)? There is no doubt the Porsche is a much better product. If your not at the limit of your money, I know what i'd do.

My cousin traded his pristine 30,000km Cayman S for a mere 30g's last year. I'd say go all or nothing ;)

You make a very good point. I guess the interior of the BRZ/FRS isn't going to be amazing for $26,000, but i still feel like it's way cheaper than other cars in that price range...

Pcars always seem to punch above their weight when it comes to HP Vs 0-60 times. Power to weight, drivetrain losses, and how they can launch out of the hole are better than most other performance cars.

I have an E60 M5 that has tons of power, but not so much traction.....

Do you need 4 seats? If you really can afford the maintenance of the porsche, the only way you should pick the FR-S is if you need the seats. Z3guy also brought up a great point about depreciation. Porsches just basically don't, unless its something in the lineup that didn't age well ie. first gen boxster, base model 996, etc. Caymans are quite highly regarded. Buy the best one you can afford and it will pay off when you come to sell it.

yeah, and fit two midgets in the back.. LOL

I was looking between a used bmw 1 series or a brand new gt/brz... I went with the BMW. Has more room in the back too...

Take a look at the 135i, I think it outperforms the cayman in a few departments.

^ I hope you did some suspension work on your 135i, otherwise all you get is understeer....

I only need my back seats for my dog, so it doesn't even need two midget room, but it still needs to exist. Good call on looking at the 135. There is a very nice 2008 135 on the island with some choice mods and 400whp/400tq, for 26k. That would be a party and a half.

Have yet to track my car, but I have never had this problem. I don't have the stock base suspension, but parts are fairly easy to obtain and I'm not too worried for dd atm. BTW I personally went for the 128i. I just couldn't justify paying the extra 6k at this point of my life. I love my decision though and I'm completely content. The 135i is more comparable to a cayman S tho

I wasn't too impressed when I test drove the BRZ. It was okay, but I was expecting more.

Haven't driven a Cayman, but love the look of them and have enjoyed the other Porsches I've driven.

Don't mean to hi-jack this thread with the E82 but this is a video you may find interesting! Good luck in your decision :)

Fifth Gear: 135i vs. Cayman Pt. 1 - YouTube

(Watch both parts, some of it is kinda stupid)

If one had the money, I'm sure most would jump on the Porsche easily if they were to choose between these two cars.

As an 86 owner myself, cost to ownership is relatively cheap. I'd say, cost a bit more than my previous car (Civic), nothing substantial. It is low to the ground and everything is cheap-ed out which makes the car so damn light and great for handling LOL! It handles amazing through twists and turns. Of course, the power isn't it's greatest strength. More power would mean more weight from aftermarket parts, which will affect its light handling. Pros/Cons to each end. As many have mentioned, you get what you pay for.

^ I personally really like the 135i.....awesome car up to 8/10s and then all it does is understeer. Some susp tweaks and a LSD transforms the car.

I would like to believe that engine displacement helps.

I think a lot of people who have test drove it shared the same sentiment!

I drove one briefly, and I enjoyed it mainly because it was RWD and yes, tail happy because I could steer with the go pedal! :)

FRS+turbo?

yeah, a good tire setup and some suspension tweaks takes care of that :)