Drove a Lotus Europa for 17 years and would still have it if I had a 3rd garage stall. The Exige is a purpose built track car so it should not be asked to be a daily driver. The Porsche has been handicapped by its maker to prevent it taking away sales of the 911. I have a Cayman S as my daily car for the simple reason there is nothing else that comes close to the driving experience of a lotus that can also be a daily driver. Oh, did I mention you can also take it on a driving vacation and actually have real luggage?

Had an Elise on order until it came in and I couldn’t get in and out in a reasonable time.

If I had that extra garage space I’d definitely have an Exige for the weekend … but I have no plans to get rid of the Cayman – only add a LSD and up the power.

Realize this thread is a little old, but I have to say… You have to go with the Cayman S. It’s a work of art. The Exige looks like a cheap kit car, some bastardized version of a 1985 Pontiac Fiero.

I am having the same “problem” these days. Just test drove Cayman S (2007), 911 S (2005), Z06 (2006) and Exige S (2007). Porsche is on the bottom of my list. Cayman S is underpowered and overperformed by Lotus. Margin is so wide that I took Cayman S from my list. On the other side Z06 is so unrefined, brutal…. Porsche 911 S is very nice but very overpriced by performance it gives. You all have to remeber that Porsche sells image over anything else. Lotus is the right thing for me. So much performance so good handling and for small amount of money you can get ECU flush and car will go to 250HP. In fact it is ready for 250HP Lotus just did not want to do it. The car is amazing. I do have second car so Exige will be my “summer” car.

To answer original question: I would take Lotus Exige S over Porsche Cayman S by leaps and bounds!!!!

porsche ever only porsche.

the cayman s is the only car that i would like to have.

Just bought the 240 S. Pick it up wednesday
Definitely not a car to be used as a daily driver.. Most people probably looking for such a car already have something they use every day. I looked at the Porsche and M Coupe. Drove both. Owned a 06 exige. I do not exaggerate when I say owning the Lotus completely changes ones perspective on driving.. One of the few cars I simply enjoy standing back and looking at it. Another world driving it.

Just bought the 240 S. Pick it up wednesday
Definitely not a car to be used as a daily driver.. Most people probably looking for such a car already have something they use every day. I looked at the Porsche and M Coupe. Drove both. Owned a 06 exige. I do not exaggerate when I say owning the Lotus completely changes ones perspective on driving.. One of the few cars I simply enjoy standing back and looking at it. Another world driving it.

Frank points out yet another way in which a brilliant platform has been handicapped in order to protect the manufacturer’s icon. The Cayman is constantly compared to other cars, often favorably, sometimes not so favorably. To me, no comparison is valid until Porsche decides to pull out the stops and give the car even the basics, such as LSD, appropriate gearing, and the kind of horsepower Porsche knows only too well how to make.