Another 987 vs 981 thread...
Discussion
I bought my first Porsche just over a month ago, an immaculate high spec low mileage 987 gen 2 Cayman S.
My intention was to keep it for a year then buy a nearly new 981 Cayman S, however a few things have happened and I now find myself being able to afford said 981.
The thought of selling my 987 has been made quite sad as I’ve really gelled with it, nevertheless I’ve read and watched all the latest road tests and I have generally been buzzing with excitement.
So I get given a 981 S demonstrator car for 2 days, 20” wheels, PDK, Sport Chrono Plus, PCM etc.
I took some time off work just to drive the car as much as I could, racking up almost 200 miles in just a few hours. Unfortunately for Porsche, all it has made me realise is how good my 987 is and has positively put me off ‘upgrading’ for a sometime, so much so I returned the car the same day.
Believe me when I say I hate to sound like our resident MrDemon and a few of the other users who have been accused of being luddites but I now agree that the 987 is the more fun car and the drivers choice.
The 981 is a fabulous and technically more competent and I will own one someday but only when my 987 is worn out.
The steering and brake feel are a bit VW Golf, PDK is just plain boring, and while cornering speeds are higher I found the chassis just didn’t talk to me through my arse cheeks as much. Amongst all of that what most disappointed me was the engine note, it sounds very fake/artificial indeed.
I suppose you can’t blame Porsche, they’ve made the car easier to drive and more usable for more people so they’ll sell more and make more money but for people like me they’ve drove me in the wrong direction, unfortunately people like me are outnumbered.
For now I’m going to relish my positively analogue Cayman and maybe I’ll swap it for an analogue 997.2 S next year. Which is ironic really as when I first started looking at Caymans I thought they were a bit hardcore for a daily driver but bought one anyway, and now I think everything else is soft and wallowy.
My intention was to keep it for a year then buy a nearly new 981 Cayman S, however a few things have happened and I now find myself being able to afford said 981.
The thought of selling my 987 has been made quite sad as I’ve really gelled with it, nevertheless I’ve read and watched all the latest road tests and I have generally been buzzing with excitement.
So I get given a 981 S demonstrator car for 2 days, 20” wheels, PDK, Sport Chrono Plus, PCM etc.
I took some time off work just to drive the car as much as I could, racking up almost 200 miles in just a few hours. Unfortunately for Porsche, all it has made me realise is how good my 987 is and has positively put me off ‘upgrading’ for a sometime, so much so I returned the car the same day.
Believe me when I say I hate to sound like our resident MrDemon and a few of the other users who have been accused of being luddites but I now agree that the 987 is the more fun car and the drivers choice.
The 981 is a fabulous and technically more competent and I will own one someday but only when my 987 is worn out.
The steering and brake feel are a bit VW Golf, PDK is just plain boring, and while cornering speeds are higher I found the chassis just didn’t talk to me through my arse cheeks as much. Amongst all of that what most disappointed me was the engine note, it sounds very fake/artificial indeed.
I suppose you can’t blame Porsche, they’ve made the car easier to drive and more usable for more people so they’ll sell more and make more money but for people like me they’ve drove me in the wrong direction, unfortunately people like me are outnumbered.
For now I’m going to relish my positively analogue Cayman and maybe I’ll swap it for an analogue 997.2 S next year. Which is ironic really as when I first started looking at Caymans I thought they were a bit hardcore for a daily driver but bought one anyway, and now I think everything else is soft and wallowy.
Edited by SkinnyP on Sunday 31st August 18:50
mrdemon said:
Risky post lol
Cannot have people agreeing with me, people will just say you only like the car you own lol.
Lol I thought the same, no offence intended by the way.Cannot have people agreeing with me, people will just say you only like the car you own lol.
FarQue said:
As an aside, the 981 was fitted with Pirelli tyres. I found them quite uninspiring in damp/wet driving conditions.
I found the Pirelli tyres ok to be honest, better traction or at least no axle tramp compared to my Cayman on PS2s although active engine mounts may be accountable for that. I did lock up under braking on a couple of occassions, smearing those 20" tyres all over the road! itsybitsy said:
I am in the 987.2 camp not just on the driving feel but also the looks of the 981 leaves me cold!
I think the 981 is a great looking car, but my 987 gets more attention/head turns because its instantly recognisable as a Porsche. I’ll save my observations of PDK for another thread other than no thanks!
The 981 is a great overall package as is the 987, but as someone who actually owns my car the £15/20k to change is extremely questionable. I think the ‘move sideways’ analogy was very good indeed.
The more I think about it the more I look forward to buying a late 997.2 C2S manual next year.
The 981 is a great overall package as is the 987, but as someone who actually owns my car the £15/20k to change is extremely questionable. I think the ‘move sideways’ analogy was very good indeed.
The more I think about it the more I look forward to buying a late 997.2 C2S manual next year.
rob.kellock said:
ORD said:
If I were in the market to spend more money and "upgrade", I wouldn't be able to look beyond a 997.2 GTS. Better steering than a 981, more power, much better resistance to depreciation, etc.
But if you are going down the used route, you are not comparing apples with apples. The cheapest (already 3 1/2 year old) GTS on the Porsche approved used car locator site is £59k with 33k miles. A 2200 mile 981 Cayman S is advertised on the same site for some £13k less than that. Whilst in percentage terms I accept that that the GTS will hold its value better, in cash terms in the medium term, I'm not so sure.Whilst looks are completely subjective, the 981 Cayman is a more modern design, whilst the 997 GTS will just look like a 2004 Carrera S to most people. The 981 has second generation PDK, 2 boot practicality, will be miles better on fuel, is to all intents and purposes just as fast at least 99% of the time, has the engine in the right place, great handling, far more modern interior and at that lower price point offer better value for money and it won't be due a major service in a few months either...
After 6k miles in my 981 Cayman S, the steering comment is a non issue in the real world, there's really nothing wrong it. I accept that there's more feel in a 987.2 (I came from the sublime Spyder) but it's still a good sports car. I'm happy with mine anyway.
The 981 is technically better than both the 987 and 997 but as we've discussed before, driving enjoyment. Either it bothers you or it doesn't.
For me, the 981 is going to be around for a while to come so there is no rush to jump on the bandwagon and buy one. Were as the longer I leave it the more the analogue 997 dates, so its probably best to buy one sooner rather than later.
The variable steering took a bit of time to get use firmilar with I found, its ok now though. Out of the box the 981 steering is easier to 'learn', quicker and more precise I think, it just lacks the buzz of the 987 and its more noticable in the wet. Not a deal breaker, but its not exactly Porsche either.
Can anyone confirm what (if any) changes there are to the 3.4 in the 981 to the 987? Its slightly more economical on the EU test but that may just be stop start, and its 0.2 seconds quicker to 62, maybe thats down to the chassis and putting the power down on a hard launch? 0-99 also down 0.6 seconds. Quite an improvement for an extra 5PS and a little less weight.
Can anyone confirm what (if any) changes there are to the 3.4 in the 981 to the 987? Its slightly more economical on the EU test but that may just be stop start, and its 0.2 seconds quicker to 62, maybe thats down to the chassis and putting the power down on a hard launch? 0-99 also down 0.6 seconds. Quite an improvement for an extra 5PS and a little less weight.
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