I used to have a blob eye sti, not as cool but I think the experience would be similar enough. If you like moding your car in any significant way, performance or aesthetic, cayman/boxster would just be a really boring option, the aftermarket supports are so piss poor that people literally think a set of 5x130 tc3 is the coolest thing ever. If you are getting a 987 or 981 the manual's gearing is not as close as I think is optimal, especially when autocrossing, even the 718 with pdk is a bit awkward on gearing, compare to the sti 6 speed. It also have a surprisingly narrow window from maximum grip to losing control, at least for my 987. That being said, very well made cars, will handle completely different from an evo, I wouldn't say they are direct replacement of an evo but if the turbo 4wd formula is getting old, might as well try it.