Friday 2nd June 2017

Porsche Cayman S Sport: Spotted

A limited edition (and very good) Porsche that doesn't cost the earth - surely not?

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A lot of Porsches are expensive. In other news, Donald Trump is President of the United States and smoking is bad for you. These things you know already, however depressing the reality.

Need more proof? This 968 Club Sport is for sale at £32,000 with 120,000 miles, there's a 928 up at £95K and the seller of this 993 Turbo wants £180,000. Yikes.

However, if you look hard enough, there are pockets of the Porsche range where positive news for prospective purchasers can be found. Take a look at the Cayman S Sport, for example.

Now the Sport is not a forgotten GT4, or anything close. What it is, however, is a lightly tickled and very rare version of the original Cayman S, which is a very good place to start for a great car. It's not dissimilar in mindset to the Cayman R - a little more power, lower suspension - albeit probably not as hardcore.

Launched in 2008, the S Sport was a run-out special for the first 987 generation of Cayman. Power was up slightly to 303hp, PASM that dropped the car by 10mm was standard and a range of GT3 RS style liveries were available. Just 700 were produced with a numbered plaque - but of course - to identify yours.

This Cayman S Sport is the only one for sale on PH at the moment, believed to be one of just 69 in the UK. Think how costly other Porsches of which so few were produced might be, particularly the models you might actually want. And it's an original Cayman too, the ones that people crow on about now because they have hydraulic steering and naturally aspirated engines, rather than being sullied by EPAS and turbos.

Caymans can be had for very little money nowadays, with this £22K S Sport at the top of 987.1 values. That money can get you into a 987 facelift car with similar miles to the S Sport, or a regular Cayman S with fewer miles, so you certainly won't want for Cayman choice. Or another colour, for that matter.

No story on this era of Cayman would be complete without discussing the IMS and bore scoring issues - more detail in the PH Buying Guide - and so that's something you need to be aware of. While issues with later cars are believed to be less common (this Cayman is from 2009), is is known to affect all first-gen Caymans. The rear main seal issue that can cause an oil leak is common to all first-gen Caymans, but it's less serious than the other two problems. It should be noted that the facelifted 987s do avoid that problem altogether.

So should you buy it? Well, while it is top money for a Cayman - and certainly not in the GT3 strata of special Porsches - a limited edition should always be in demand. That it represents the fastest and most focused of those original Caymans shouldn't go unnoticed either. Orange may be a bit much for some, but there's no doubting the inherent quality of the smallest Porsche sports car in any form - time to try it before the world wakes up!

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PORSCHE CAYMAN S SPORT
Engine: 3,392cc, flat-six
Transmission: six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 303@6,250rpm
Torque (lb ft): 251@4,400rpm
MPG:
CO2: 254g/km
Recorded mileage: 79,000 miles
Year registered: 2009
Price new: N/A
Price now: £22,490

See the original advert here

 

[JackReacher]

I thought bore scoring affected all gen 1 cars, not just pre 2007? Lovely colour, but gen 2 S cars are only a little more money.

[Matt Bird]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Hello!

Apologies, I was going off the Buying Guide info. Will make some changes now.


Matt

[C7 JFW]

Anything Porsche with an 'S' badge or any whiff of rarity seems to draw mega numbers in appreciation terms, I'm sure this will appreciate quickly.

[DPSFleet]

Very nice car, love the colour such a refreshing change from boring silver and black. Not in the market just now but otherwise I would snap it up.

[WCZ]

this and £5k change or a gt86?

[Mogsmex]

Been for sale for a month or so, I keep looking at it lol, rare option with the seats and aero kit, nice car but can't help thinking the cash would be better in a 996 c4s

[405dogvan]

Chap I work with bought a 987.1 (2007) Cayman S last year - local Porsche specialist looked-it-over and declared it in great nick - they also said that the IMS/RMS issues "are much less common in the 3.4" and "something we've seen little-to-no issue with in these cars anyway"

His is a low-mileage/2 owner car - we've already replaced the exhaust (original and well-siezed-on) and failed to replace the suspension (original and unshiftable - we're coming back with coilovers!!) so we've spent plenty of time under it and the oil is definately staying in the engine with no drips/drops which is always nice.

For the £15-odd large he paid it's a HUGE amount of car - it's properly fast, feels like an actual sportscar (not a regular car with sports bits on it), has no rattles (tho we did have to hack the interior trim to bits to get to the rear suspension mounts - it's still not rattling!!), has a decent boot AND some space behind your head if you really need it - what's not to like?

I reckon Caymans of any sort are the hidden gem of the proper sportscar market - those lamenting the death of things like Celicas and RX8s can afford an early Cayman instead and it's in another SPORT from those cars...

Not sure the £8K premium for orangeness is a good deal - maybe? - maybe not...

[405dogvan]

C7 JFW said:

Anything Porsche with an 'S' badge or any whiff of rarity seems to draw mega numbers in appreciation terms, I'm sure this will appreciate quickly.

There's zero sign that Boxsters or Caymans are gaining value - GT4 and rare specials aside...

Maybe that will change but I think the Cayman is the "poor mans Porsche" and that's going to have to change before they accrue value - maybe rarity will help but I'm really not sure - my money would not go on that risk.

[Mac Sinclair]

It's weird, I sold my mint 07 Boxster S with 46k miles on the clock for £12k last year having bought it from a Porsche dealer for £20,200 when it was 4 years old more than 4 years earlier. Points being, it was cheap and fast, no one with a brain pays the sticker price, the market is very fickle as the Boxster is a good car, better objectively than a 911 in many ways. So real drivers, get out there and bag a bargain. BUT beware of the cost cutting on all Porsche cars that give many the perils of the IMS bearing failure lottery and piston issues that simply should not exist and detract from an otherwise joyful experience. Finally the myth of Porsches appreciating in value. Maybe right now, but the bubble will inevitably go pop as all the Porsche sports cars of old are fun but pretty basic.

[SD and P]

The matching orange brake discs are a nice touch. I nearly bought a Cayman Sport before settling on an early gen 2 S instead, for the reassurance of fewer bore scoring issues. But as a second/weekend car, with the bucket seats and the sports exhaust, this would feel quite special.

[colgy]

I've got an orange Sport too - albeit it with 29k miles on the clock - and was having a look at gen 2's also when I bought it 4 years ago. Aside from the colour, think of it with as a nicely spec'd S with a few a tasty bits (PASM, wheels, sports chrono, sport seats, loud exhaust, short shift etc) but the gloss black and alcantara interior made it seem a much nicer than some 'poverty spec' gen 2 Caymans at the same price....

All comes down to spec with these cars, IMHO; sure I'd take an R over mine (but i'm not sure I'd want to pay a £20k premium!) but I wouldn't swap it for a regular DFI-engined 'S' unless it had similar spec and a nice colour.

Well aware of the reported issues with most of the Porsche engines - and I'd still consider buying an older 911 too - although a specialist I spoke to reckoned that whole bore scoring thing was a bit overblown on internet forums.......regardless, I plan on getting a bore inspection done before advertising my car for sale!

How the hell did they only manage to get 8bhp out of an exhaust and remap though? I thought it felt a little more after driving a few other cars, but then again the butt-dyno tells me it gains at least 10 bhp after it's washed....

[MDMA .]

Mogsmex said:

Been for sale for a month or so, I keep looking at it lol, rare option with the seats and aero kit, nice car but can't help thinking the cash would be better in a 996 c4s

It's near me. I'd say don't bother

[FN2TypeR]

gimme gimme gimme

[GranCab]

80,000 miles .... it'll be more worn out than Kerry Katatonia ...

[MPWR360BHP]

I went to see the car before this article, may think, was told it was sold, but then kept seeing it advertised ?? odd.

[Paul-5aiwv]

So happy, I bought this car last week, from the chap who purchased from Phantom. He is now working overseas and the car is not being used so needed a new home and I was happy to oblige.
I had it checked by the local Porsche main dealer and all is looking good for an official Porsche warranty once the battery is changed.
Now with 82K on the clock, it is not a show queen and could do with some orange touch-up paint but is a beauty and ticks all the boxes I required for a mid life crisis
Off for Main Dealer service this week and then some road trips are planned.
Subtle it is not, but a 450 mile drive home on collecting the Cayman a friend and I loved every minute of it and wow the sports exhaust if a pleasure.

Yesterday was a very enjoyable 5 hour car cleaning, snow foam session to revitalise the paintwork.

Cheers