How easy is it to ruin the clutch in a '07 Porsche Cayman S?

Question

Hubby won't let me learn to drive his stupid Porsche because I haven't driven a standard very much and hes afraid I will tear up the clutch. Says they are easy to break. He's getting rid of the car soon anyways so I don't see a problem, just wish he'd have a little faith in me. If they break so easily, then what's the point in owning one and just get a regular automatic?

I'm meaning to sound selfish yeochief2006. But you try being married to someone who won't let their own wife drive his precious car yet he lets his 16 and 17 year old nephew drive it and they've torn up every vehicle they've owned and totaled 3 brand new pickups. Then tell me how YOU feel.

Oh, nikipoo, I DO have my own Porsche too. Its an '08 Cayenne SUV. But I want to be able to enjoy his as much as he does, seeing that its a 2 seater and I've only gotten to ride in it one time since he bought it when we were able to get someone to watch the kids.

Answer 1

Many amusing answers here.

Porsches are generally well built and will take a fair bit of abuse. For instance, they work very well at the toughest race track in the world, the Nurburgring. It's not easy to break.

Now, if you are a very bad driver, you can toast the clutch on this car as on any manual - but then you would roast the clutch on any car you drive. Are you in the habit of killing clutches?

Your husband has probably read about the clutch life of a typical Hollywood-driven Ferrari with the F1 transmission - that is a totally different kettle of fish!

I'm sure your husband loves his car and is trying to protect it, but it is a quality product built to be driven very very hard. If you go to a Porsche trackday, you will see plenty of 90s 911s being driven very hard without problems. As will this Cayman be in a decade from now - probably on the same clutch. But perhaps with a slightly less risk adverse owner ;)

Answer 2

I've owned many Porsches over the last 15 years. I've driven easy gentle clutches like the 914 and stiff "upgraded" clutches such as a competition 911 clutch.

If you know how to drive a manual transmission, you'll adjust within a shift or two. Porsche builds racing cars for the street (plus that fugly SUV). A Cayman clutch is designed to take a little bit of abuse.

Sounds like the problem is not really the Cayman but underlying issues in your marriage.

Answer 3

The clutch on porsches tend to be rather stiff. If you dont have a decent amount of experiance on a stick youll either have to slip the hell out of the clutch or kill the engine a ton of times trying to get it right. They arent designed as learners cars.

if you want to learn to drive a stick that bad, go buy the cheapest running car you can find with a stick in it (80s camry/F150/volvo 240/ civic/whatever), and drive it for like 2 weeks. Then sell it or sell it to a junk yard. You shouldnt pay more than about 300 bucks for the car, and itll take you maybe a week to week and a half to get used to it. Overall a small investment in the big scheme of things.

and your hubby shoulda bought an 03 turbo for that kinda money. :P


and "porsche is a glorified VW." You realize VW has never owned porsche, correct? And outside of a few joint projects (914, 356, 912, cayenne), theyve never really shared anything (those cars just used VW engines, outside of the cayenne). And youve clearly never driven a porsche if you think that.


and you can get a clutch job on a cayman done for 1500 bucks or less. Much less than 3 grand.

Answer 4

VetteMan makes me laugh...we used to own a 427 Stingray Corvette(which was pumped out to over 500HP), and it still was a piece of scrap. I drove our neighbors early 70's 911, and "saw the light".

Does not sound right that hubby is letting some 17-18 year old trash his car, but not let you drive. But the fact that you don't have much experience behind the wheel of a manual car if reason enough to NOT let you drive.

I can take the best car in the world with a manual, and roach the clutch 5 minutes after buying it(and it will be VERY expensive).

Why not offer to replace or repair the clutch if you destroy it(called RESPONSIBILITY)?

Even if he's getting rid of it soon, if you on the buying end of it, would you want the same car that you just trashed? Think about it.

Answer 5

Marrages are ruined by trying to teach manual transmission shifting to some one so near and dear to as your wife. Better yet go out and rent a car with a standard gear box and teach your self take a girl friend and have some fun stalling and bogging down some little piece of junk rent car just bee sure your girl friend has credit card and insurance and knows how to shift a standard. Once you master the clutch and acceleration learn to be smooth and really impress hubby how smooth you can drive his cayman. The Cayman is probably the easiest car to drive with manual because it has power to release the clutch with out stalling out the engine. Learn on a low power rent car and it will make you so much better in the Porsche. Every one should have the opportunity to learn clutch. Then you can drive anything.

Answer 6

as far through fact the common fashions is worried the Porsche Cayman is swifter yet with some proper optaional extras a Porsche Cayman can attain interior of a 10th of a 2nd at the back of a Porsche 911 Carrera S notwithstanding if via then the Porsche Boxter is far at the back of inspite of its optaional severe overall performance extras yet to assist you in on a key's that a Porsche Cayman no count if it is changed corectly via a specialist or a porsche expert alongside with Techart or 9ff a Porsche Cayman will bypass swifter than a Porsche 911 rapid specialy with a constrained slip digital PTM differential around a music notwithstanding if it is going to probbely nonetheless lack at the back of in a drag strip. considering the fact which you're saying you're attempting to % between the Porsche Boxter and a Porsche Cayman you may besides decide for the fairly good, swifter, safer, relaxing to trip and gasoline effitient Cayman notwithstanding if while you're attempting to purchase a Porsche and a Cayman you ought to attempt to look at a Porsche 911 style insted that's especially case that the Porsche Cayman is interior the path of a unchanted fee terretory with putts it in a motor vehicle type of its very own. while you're attempting to bypass on a shoe string budget and nonetheless have a good Porsche, get the common Cayaman except while you're fairly argumented to roadsters which the Porsche Boxter is extremely the best and in case you ask a proper knowladgable expert in this field you will lower back and agian right here that the best automobile you ought to purchase presently is a Porsche in general case of the 911 style selection from the place you may slecet yours spot on considering the fact that there are maximum of variations to % from and so which you may look at 911 fashions first then if it don't extra healthful you, attempt the Porsche Cayman and purchase that one with proper overall performance aspects. In a cayman you ought to seek for PDK, the sport crono pacgae and its best aero kit in case you desire to truly bypass swifter.

Answer 7

sounds like he just don't trust u with all the power I don't think u could tear up a clutch in that new of a car even if u never drove a stick before or it could be he is afraid u won't let him have his car back. I wish I had a women with a Porsche That might be another problem he is worried about.

Answer 8

If you ever pay attention to the advertisments for those fast expensive cars..they allway say stuff like 0 to 60 in 5 or 6 seconds well the truth is if you did use the car to get up to speed that fast .you would only be able to do it a few times then you would have to replace the clutch and they are very expensive..a clutch kit for a Porche Cayman is around 3 thousand dollars for a cheap one and that's not including the labour to put it in..All those expensive import vehicles are poorly made but very expensive they look good and have high output engines but they are allways in the garage for repairs for one reason or another..it's the same thing with Harley Davidson motorcycles..like the old saying goes "in a Harley Pocker run the last bike is allways a Yamaha to pick up the parts that fall off the Harley's" well the same thing applies to Expensive Import Cars..So do yourself a favor if you want to learn how to drive a stick get a nice Mazda sports car and you'll be able to really abuse that clutch and it can take it..good luck..hope you get to learn

Answer 9

Maybe you could learn how to drive a clutch on an older beater then go for driving the Porsche. Driving a clutch is not that hard to learn. Be strong, it's all in your head. Good luck.

Answer 10

If one knows how to shift gears with a manual transmission, the clutch can last as long as the car. However, it isn't that difficult to ruin any clutch. The mistake most new manual transmission drivers make is slipping the clutch which heats it and can ruin it in short order. Gear clashing is the result of incomplete shifting usually caused by trying to change gears without the clutch. You can get a transmission out of a gear without the clutch, which breaks the power link between the engine and the transmission. Trying to put the transmission into another gear or back into the one you left without using the clutch results in the gear clashing.

Your attitude that we're going to trade so it doesn't matter if I mess it up is unbelievably selfish.

Manual transmissions are more economical to drive if driven properly.