There are three basic engines in the Cayman line-up, comprising M97.21 2.7- and 2.9-litre motors for the Cayman and the M97.20 3.4-litre unit for the S in various different power outputs. All have 24 valves and the S motor uses the VarioCam Plus variable valve timing cylinder heads from the 997 S 3.8-litre engine.
Fluid top-ups are extent of most DIY care
The biggest reliability issues with the Cayman centre around the first-gen engines built between 2005 and 2008. First problem is the intermediary shaft (IMS) bearing, which begins to fail and can be noticed by a rattle from the engine at idle. If this is left unattended, the bearing will fail and leave the engine a wreck, so check the history for evidence of a new or rebuilt engine or listen for on that has no rattles.
Second of the major issues to watch for is bore scoring on pre-2007 engines, though this has afflicted some later engines. Look for excessive smoke when the car is started from cold. Most Caymans emit a small puff of smoke when fired up, but anything more than a slight haze indicates trouble with the cylinder bores. A car that begins to use a lot of oil may also indicate the bores are scored and a Cayman should use only a small amount of oil every 1,000 miles, even with hard use.
Bore wear on early cars can result in smoke
A common fault of Porsches of this generation, not just the Cayman, is the rear main seal (RMS) that shows as a small leak under the engine. This isn't quite as worrying as the two problems mentioned above but will need addressing sooner rather than later. The second generation of Caymans have engines that don't have an RMS, instantly avoiding this problem.
The only other concerns to have with a Cayman's engines and transmissions are if the car has been used regularly on track. The first-gen cars' engines have only two oil pick-ups and the cylinder head can become starved of oil under during hard cornering. The second-gen cars have four oil pick-ups that resolve this problem.
Otherwise, the Cayman's engines and gearboxes are strong and reliable. The limited edition Cayman S Sport arrived late in first-gen production with 303hp, helped by a standard sports exhaust. For the Cayman R that arrived in 2011, Porsche fitted the Powerkit to raise power to 330hp over the contemporary S model's 320hp. The S Black Edition also sported 330PS. With the PDK transmission and Sport Chrono pack fitted, the 55kg lighter Cayman R was capable of 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds.
S Black Edition and R got upgrade to 330hp
For any Cayman owner considering an upgraded exhaust, there are plenty of aftermarket suppliers, but one name that crops up continually as the best bet is Gert Carnewal, who is based in Belgium. The Carnewal GT exhaust uses modified standard back boxes to remove two of the four catalytic convertors, giving a better noise while leaving emissions unaffected.
A major service at an Official Porsche Centre will set you back around £900, with a minor service about half that. Independent specialists for Porsche are easy to find and they will cut servicing bills by a considerable margin.
PHer's view:
"The sad thing with the Porsche is that most water-cooled flat-six engines (911 and Boxster also, except the GT2/3 and Turbo models that use the Mezger block) pre-2009 have inherent faults, (IMS/RMS/bore scoring). It doesn't mean that they're made of chocolate, but it does mean you have to be wary of them when it comes to buying."
Juansolo