RE: PH Fleet: Porsche Cayman S

[406dogvan]

I 8 a 4RE said:

These now represent fantastic value, I am thinking of getting one as a trackday toy.

Any thoughts on the sweetspot in the range for this? Manual, S, LSD, ... what else?
Then upgrade brakes, suspension and cooling after market?

You need an S - late as you can afford - stock brakes are fine (use racier pads for trackdays perhaps) - stock cooling also fine (just remember to clean-out the rads as they love collecting leaves etc.)

As per my other comment - my boss's 2006 S went from stock (slightly tired) suspension to GAZ coilovers and it revolutionized the handling (which isn't terrible to start with) but it also ruined the road ride/noise to a level he didn't want to use it anymore - so choose carefully when you go that route

If you're ONLY doing trackdays - maybe get a Boxster as they're generally cheaper and you can throw the roof into the bin to save weight (who does trackdays in the rain anyway?)

[frayz]

I had a similar journey to Cayman ownership.
Sold my Mini GP to fund the 911 dream, all be it a cheap 996 that i would be able to afford. This crept to a 997.1 Carrera S of which was a lovely car but after the GP just wasnt special enough, it was a beautiful sports car but just the same as any other 911 to me. Then the budget creep crept in and i was looking at 997.2 Carrera S's due to the scaremongering of bore score and IMS bearing issues.

I also looked at the likes of an RPM Technik CSR with an idea that all the above issues had been adressed and arguably it would be more special than a basic 911. Howver the worry of dropping that much money on a £15k 911 with £25k of mods just wasnt in my depreciation budget.

Thats when i found my dream car that ticked all the Porsche boxes for me. A Peridot green, Manual Cayman R.
Little, light, NA, manual and very special to drive.

Ive driven it back to back with a number of GT3s in both 996 and 997 flavour and never once been disapointed when getting back into the R. Absolutely love it.

As you can tell i think the 987 Cayman is a very underated tool for pure driving bliss

[Jeronh]

I 8 a 4RE said:

These now represent fantastic value, I am thinking of getting one as a trackday toy.

Any thoughts on the sweetspot in the range for this? Manual, S, LSD, ... what else?
Then upgrade brakes, suspension and cooling after market?

You'll be dumping a lot of money into the oiling system if you're planning to track a 987.1. One bloke has done 3 engines just at goodwood.

They get pretty severe oil starvation if you're running sticky tyres on track. Better off going for a 987.2 and going from there if you have any intention of tracking unless you want to make some uneconomical decisions as far as modifications go.

[Ultrafunkula]

I have a 2010 Cayman S (manual, no options) and it's the most enjoyable car I've ever driven. If you can live with the lack of practicality then it's a no brainer, get one while we can still drive them properly!
I had a Remus exhaust fitted and now it sings, sounds epic with the windows down on a sunny day...

[frayz]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Yep, loads of room. Takes all the kit and caboodle needed for huge Euro trips, snowboard fits too.
Its only shown its limitations lately since my newborn daughter arrived. Other than that its a perfect sportscar.

[Krikkit]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

High praise indeed.

I've always liked the Cayman, and a 2.7 sounds like a great prospect for a car you can really exercise without getting too insane.

Shame there's so many in fking boring colour schemes! Black, grey or silver on black is by far the most popular combo.

[languagetimothy]

I bought a 2006 Cayman S in 2010 from a good independent. Silver, black leather, NAV, steering wheel controls, large cup alloys. FPSH. Luckily no probs, and was, to me, stunning just to look at.
After seeing a few, this one stood out so chatted on the phone and put a deposit down. First time I saw it in the metal was the day I picked it up. This was also the first time I'd driven one,coming from a 944s2 it was staggering.
My grinning never went away owning that... well until a flatbed truck slowly reversed into it out side my house and I had to have a complete from "bumper" replaced. Luckily on their insurance. Those were the days.

[humphra]

Krikkit said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Shame there's so many in fking boring colour schemes! Black, grey or silver on black is by far the most popular combo.

^^^ this; I went looking for a Boxster last year and got frustrated at the bland majority of colour combos. In the end, I found a 2.7 in a nice bright blue, test drove it and then realized my turbo'd MX5 felt quicker. So I kept that instead! However, having driven that Boxster, I can see why people rave about them. It did feel good and I imagine the Cayman to feel at least the same.

[Dusty964]

I picked up my 06 s a couple of weeks ago.
Tiptronic, so let the lambasting commence, but suits me with dodgy back and nerve damage in my left leg.
112k km, paid just over 7 grand for it.
Absolutely love it.

[Lexington59]

Great cars, just a shame they dropped the ball with the one that came afterwards, the 981 steering is truly awful.

[LordGrover]

Lexington59 said:

Great cars, just a shame they dropped the ball with the one that came afterwards, the 981 steering is truly awful.

...only it's not, is it?

It's different and may lack some feel, maybe not quite as direct - but it isn't awful.
May make a perceptible difference on track, but for day-to-day use it's pretty good actually when compared to 90% of other cars out there.

[Helios1234]

Sounds a bit like my story. I was initially looking at E46 M3s and ended up with a 987.2 Cayman S for double my budget from Ashgood as well.

[Dale487]

Dusty964 said:

I picked up my 06 s a couple of weeks ago.
Tiptronic, so let the lambasting commence, but suits me with dodgy back and nerve damage in my left leg.
112k km, paid just over 7 grand for it.
Absolutely love it.

It £7k & meeting your needs, I ain’t going to argue with you buying a Tiptronic. And that is a good colour too.

[jhayward1980]

A similar thing happened to me. Man maths is a dangerous thing, I wish I'd never learnt it. I, however, started with the thought "I'd quite like a Z4 again"...

[beanoir]

Magnum 475 said:

3.4 (gen 1) - bore score is generally considered to be a question of 'when' not 'if'.

I don't agree, it happens but not to that degree. It's a serious consideration on the 3.4, but to suggest that all 3.4 engines will suffer at some point is unfounded.

This is how internet scaremongering starts.

[anonymous-user]

beanoir said:

I don't agree, it happens but not to that degree. It's a serious consideration on the 3.4, but to suggest that all 3.4 engines will suffer at some point is unfounded.

This is how internet scaremongering starts.

But it’s basically a huge risk that could leave you with a 10K bill. Any other manufacturer would have been roasted, people moan about Rover and the K series but in a modern engine bore scoring is ridiculous. I was warned off of ‘any’ 3.4 due to the issue.
Do Porsche have any kind of warranty, like BMW for example (when the actuators failed on the M3) to give peace of mind? I’ve always liked Caymans but the smaller engines cars are lacking and the 3.4 is a risk.

[Ultrafunkula]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I completely agree, the front boot (or 'frunk' as the yanks call it) is big enough to install seats into if you needed a 4 seater! Realistically though I think it's the only 2 seater I would daily.

[beanoir]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Thanks Jeremy, but this isn't about my opinion as I haven't offered one.

I'm questioning somebody else's opinion, that suggests that all 3.4 engines will be affected. No evidence has been presented over the years that would suggest this is true, and so I disagree with the statement.

It's my job to ensure that readers get the facts about these cars and not be misinformed by other's opinions.

[Onehp]

Ultrafunkula said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I completely agree, the front boot (or 'frunk' as the yanks call it) is big enough to install seats into if you needed a 4 seater! Realistically though I think it's the only 2 seater I would daily.

I would have loved a Cayman. Was close to getting a 2.9 when I realising I do want a rear bench for a daily. Ended up with a (NA tuned) GT86, which is more practical than a 996 (yes I did use that aspect often) and especially with a little work, more involving.

Didn't realize the 2.7 has the big IMS bearing, imo the 2.7 sounds among the very best of all the flat sixes, not in the least because you get many realistic opportunities to actually enjoy it near the redline!

[richthebike]

Onehp said:

I would have loved a Cayman. Was close to getting a 2.9 when I realising I do want a rear bench for a daily. Ended up with a (NA tuned) GT86, which is more practical than a 996 (yes I did use that aspect often) and especially with a little work, more involving.

Didn't realize the 2.7 has the big IMS bearing, imo the 2.7 sounds among the very best of all the flat sixes, not in the least because you get many realistic opportunities to actually enjoy it near the redline!

I can't let "GT86 is more involving than 996" pass by! I can't imagine how you've made this conclusion, so would be interested to hear how you got there.