2014 BRZ Limited VS 2007 Cayman (type 987.1)

Today I decided to pin these cars against each other. Not in performance figures because we all know which one wins that, but as a driver’s car.

On the straight on the way to the back roads I was testing these cars in the Cayman was obviously faster. Instant power from the time the pedal was mashed to the floor until the 7000rpm redline. First gear goes up to 40mph and second to almost 70. The sensation of speed doesn’t even hit you until you’re already in at least third gear flat out.

The BRZ on the other hand, doesn’t have any power until around 5000rpm. This also explains why while first gear goes almost to that same 40mph as the Cayman, in order to get to 70 you have to be in third. These shortened gear ratios are needed to keep the car in the power. The sensation of speed is also almost always there.

When I got to to the turns is when things got surprising. I was going roughly 5mph faster in every turn in the BRZ, granted the tires were squealing about to break loose, but they were also almost entirely bald. The Cayman in the same situation had a lot more understeer and I believe the all-season tires are to blame. The BRZ also felt more comfortable on the edge while the Cayman felt a bit dangerous.

Heading through hairpins among other turns also revealed something I like better about the BRZ than the Cayman. The shifter and gearing. The long gears in the Porsche allowed me to just stay in second going through almost all the turns. In the BRZ I had to alternate between second and third to keep it in the power. This made it a whole lot more entertaining. There is something very enjoyable about rev-matching and downshifting twice really quick to keep it in the power. Not only that, but the shifter in the BRZ felt more solid. I could feel where I needed to shift like it was on a rail or track, while in the Cayman with it’s also longer throws it felt a bit like being in a large empty parking lot, unsure where I’m supposed to park.

The pedals were also a interesting comparison. In the Cayman the gas pedal is so much lower than the brake pedal. How they imagine rev-matching would be done is beyond me. In the BRZ the pedal proximity was still not great, but not as big of a gap as the Cayman. The clutch felt a whole lot better on Cayman than the BRZ, I got a much better feel of what was going on than the easy-to-stall light-clutched BRZ. Braking performance was obviously better in the Porsche, and the brake pedal feel indicated that right away, firmer than the Subaru. The Subaru’s was not bad in the slightest though.

The steering was heavier in the Cayman and was very precise, the BRZ while electric and a lighter weight matched the precision. Both were fantastic, but I prefer the Cayman’s.

Overall I have to say. The BRZ really compares to the first-gen Cayman. It is hard to say which one makes a better driver’s car, but:

For me it is the BRZ.

While the Subaru is lacking the performance of the Cayman, it is much more involving to drive with traction control off (or the pedal dance), and because of the “fatal flaw” of the torque dip and lack of power, it requires you as the driver to work extra hard to get the performance out of it. While the entirety of the internet sees this as a drawback, I see it as a plus.

I will say if the Cayman had a short-shift kit and shorter gearing. It would beat the BRZ hands down in every way, but you can’t go wrong with either car.

I am curious how these two fantastic cars match up to the 981 Cayman, and the ND Miata, but that is for a future time when I have access to those cars.