The £10k Porsche Cayman | Spotted
15 years after the Cayman was launched, city car money buys what looks like a good 'un
It's been hard to avoid talk of flat-six Porsche Caymans these past few weeks, given the announcement and then launch of the 718 4.0 GTS. And a GT4 group test. So, er, here we are, talking some more about flat-six Caymans. Direct all PorschetonHeads mail to the usual address...
But there's good reason for the excitement. The Cayman - through both 987 and 981 generations - was the small coupe of choice for years; the combination of peachy powertrain, finely honed handling and pert good looks ensuring it remained formidable opposition for any prospective rival. Alternatives could beat it in certain areas - a 350Z was probably better looking than an early Cayman, a Monaro obviously had more power, a Z4 the hooligan charm - but as an all-round package it was pretty hard to find fault with. That was the case throughout the lifespan of the 987 and the 981 which followed - despite some concerns about electric steering, it was still the best small coupe out there. Then came the 718, which is probably a discussion for another time.
Point being we've had 15 years of the Cayman (usually) trouncing its opposition, which means a glut of cars available secondhand. Now, this has certainly been covered on PH before, from pretty much every angle, but we've reached a new milestone: a 987 Cayman with a '10' at the start of its price; more than that, a £10k Cayman that you might actually want.
High mileage cars have been around for ages, of course. But here we have a Cayman on less than 80,000 miles, in a sensible spec and with a manual gearbox for £10k. Alright, so it's a 2.7-litre standard car rather than an S, and it's £10,995 in truth, but the fact remains that this is a presentable Cayman for the price of a small Hyundai.
And what a joy that might be. A small, light, mid-engined Porsche coupe, with six cylinders and five manual gears to maximise the fun. Should you wish, the past decade and a half has yielded a wealth of tuning parts for the 987, with everything from track optimisation to full-on race car specification possible depending on imagination (and budget).
It isn't perfect, naturally. There's an oil leak on this particular car that's shown up on the MOT history as an advisory in a recent test, and failures for worn tyres don't exactly imply the most conscientious ownership. That's before considering the general cost of keeping a Porsche on the road - never a cheap endeavour. But then buying a cheap version of any car was never without its pitfalls, leave alone a cheap Cayman. And while there are myriad Boxsters on offer for less money, the other £10k Porsches aren't enormously desirable: the 996 Carrera has long departed this price range, leaving 944s and 924s alongside a few Cayennes available. No contest, really, is there?
'Interesting' is typically a euphemistic term for a used sports car purchase, in that every mishap will be 'interesting' for the internet to read about. And while there's plenty that could afflict a Cayman in the years to follow, there's a lot that should be tremendously enjoyable about the experience as well. Moreover, it would be surprising if the 987s depreciated a great deal further - though, as always, there are no guarantees about that. But don't forget there are plans for the Boxster and Cayman to be electric-only not long after the Macan does. Having one of the earliest six-cylinder cars, even just a 2.7, might look like a canny purchase come that time.
SPECIFICATION - PORSCHE CAYMAN (987)
Engine: 2,681cc, flat six
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 245@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 202@N/Arpm
MPG: 30
CO2: 222g/km
First registered: 2006
Recorded mileage: 79,000
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £10,995
It is rather big and really thin. Not one of those super thick and small wheels that are rounded off at the bottom (and top!) of todays sports car.
It gives the car a, dare I say it, classic car feeling!!
Obviously this is going to be more of an 'experience' to drive and own, but nonetheless it'd be an interesting comparison.
Obviously this is going to be more of an 'experience' to drive and own, but nonetheless it'd be an interesting comparison.
Obviously this is going to be more of an 'experience' to drive and own, but nonetheless it'd be an interesting comparison.
Regarding the long gearing comment... at least it's not automatic, unlike most cheap Caymans, 996s, 997s, Boxsters, etc.
There. I said it.
Obviously this is going to be more of an 'experience' to drive and own, but nonetheless it'd be an interesting comparison.
Cayman 2.7 manual: 245PS@6'500rpm; 273NM@4'600-6'000rpm; 1'375kg; 6.1s 0-62; 258 km/h
Fiesta ST 1.5 manual: 200PS@6'000rpm; 290NM@1'600-4'000rpm; 1'188kg; 6.5s 0-62; 232 km/h
Polo GTI 2.0 DSG: 200PS@ 4'400-6'000rpm; 320NM@1'500-4'350rpm; 1'355kg; 6.7s 0-62; 238 km/h
In the real world, I'd say the Polo will be the fastest on the road with average drivers in both.
I have a F56 Mini Cooper S (automatic!) and a manual 997.1 C2 and it always astonishes me how fast the Mini is.
Unless you really concentrate and are really on your toes, the Mini is faster in real day traffic.
Of course the Porsche (Cayman and/or 997) is the faster a) on the Autobahn b) on the track c) in the hands of a good driver on the right road.
In short always when silly speeds are involved.
The pickup of speed from 5-40 mph on these turbo'd small cars is incredible. Just look at the torque curve.
Also these electronic front differentials those FWD hot hatches have these days, are really incredible.
Coupled together to a modern auto or better DSG/PDK, you have so easily accessible performance.
Not sure on engine size, but it was the most boring 'sports car' I have ever driven. I would absolutely buy an Audi TT or something over that, it would be no less fun, faster, cheaper to maintain and arguably looks better.
I own a 2.7 Cayman, lovely thing, not fast but interesting to drive.
2.7 engine isn't known to score and IMS bearing was the later design (which isn't serviceable) that isn't a failure risk like the earlier ones. It's about as safe a Porsche you can put your money into from this era.
It's 3/4s the same car as the 997 911 which gives you some idea of the bills they can throw up. Mines has been ok to date, no major expenditure but I bought at top money from a specialist.
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