The new thing the Porsche Cayman S and 2014 Scion FR-S have in common

The 2014 Porsche Cayman S and the 2014 Scion FR-S have a lot in common. Both are not the fastest car for your dollar. However, they might just be the best driver’s car for the dollar. Both use horizontally opposed, normally aspirated, boxer engines. That is a unique thing they share. Both are rear wheel drive, and can come with a wonderful 6-speed manual transmission, something now on the endangered list. All of these things they share are not new though. What is new is that both are Automobile Magazine All-Stars this year.

The 2014 Porsche Cayman S has a price of around $68,000. The one thing it is really best at is back-roads bombing. The car is sublime and a driver will always feel like a hero driving this car. Regardless of one’s skill level the Cayman S will deliver perma-grin. Interestingly the 2014 Scion FR-S delivers exactly that same feeling, and has exactly that same mission, but it sells for $28,000.

Here is what Automobile said about the 2014 Cayman S. “The … Cayman coupe encourage(s) you to drive quickly, make(s) you into a better driver, and reassure(s) you that an error won’t cascade into a disaster. The accelerator pedal is as smooth and progressive as the volume knob on a McIntosh amplifier. The steering is so precise that you feel as if you’re turning the car with your eyes. And in an era of engine conformity, the unique sound of the Porsche boxer engine mounted behind your ears is a standout experience.” Sounds like a great weekend car.

Here is what Automobile said about the Scion FR-S. “Is 200 hp enough for a sports car? Yes, provided that sports car is light and has a perfectly balanced, rear-wheel-drive chassis. Oh, and don’t forget to include perfectly placed controls and communicative steering. Because of all this, the virtually identical Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ offer a pure driving experience for a new generation of enthusiasts and are among the few modern cars you can enjoy driving at the limit without losing your license.”

The Porsche and the Scion are also easy cars to adapt to track-day stars. One advantage the Scion might have over the Porsche is that the Scion FR-S can store a set of track tires in the back. Of course the Porsche has the advantage of costing $40,000 more. Right?

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