Was.between a Cayman or Quattroporte myself. Chose the QP5 just for the exotic measure and being less midlife crisis, being a "FourDoor". Reckon you'll love the Cayman, grab an S model if ya can.
A fellow owner of a 2009 987.2 cayman base and have to agree with a lot of the points here. Its more reasonable to maintain than youd expect for the age and being a german car and its a fun to drive going to work, the grocery store, and down a fun country road. Ive been impressed on how well documented and accessible doing work yourself on the cars are. Easy to find a good mechanic if you cant fix everything yourself. Highly recommend the .2 cayman Base or S as good entry level or just good porsche sport car. No regrets. (I also got the volvo XC60 from after watching re:driven previous good review )
Nice video mate, but your mechanic said all good doesn’t matter which model and pretty easy to maintain and then you finish off to say “no don’t buy one unless it’s an R”. I’ve had quite a few 987 models and they’re all great (i think base models are best bang for buck especially if driven on public roads). It reminds me also when quite a few years ago I was all in on 964s because I thought they were the sweet spot for 911s. So I owned a few and all the Porsche forums were “don’t bother with 964, get a 993 because it’s the best aircooled around”. I was in my 20’s and took it to heart even though I loved all my 911s. So I never got to appreciate how good they really were because I always felt some how inferior . Look at the 964 market now. These days I just buy what I like and enjoy them. The horror stories are amplified online and people really try too hard to buy “best example” Porsche. I think you should buy the one you can enjoy the most without worrying about scratches or adding kms on the clock. This video has inspired me to pull out my 987 Boxster (covered in dust) and enjoy the Aussie summer. Also, make sure you buy a manual and drawing pins help the headliner stay up 😂 I keep a box in the glove box.
I love how right after the mechanic explains that the potential issues are way overblown the host comes back and says, "don't buy one because of the risk." Listen to the mechanic, not the host. And never buy one in an automatic, I don't care if the PDK is faster, that's not what these cars are about. They are about involvement, and you miss way too much of that by letting the car shift for you.
987 and especially the 987.2 gen are truly most underrated mid engine porsche ever built. 987.2 with direct injection (no more IMS) changed the reliability while keeping the driving dynamics intact as before. Amazing and dare I say affordable Porsche!
West Coast Canada. It reminds me of early 718/550 Porsches, Ferrari/Dino 246GTS (so beautiful). I found my Guards Red 2011 987.2 Cayman S SportChrono+ in 2017 after three years of looking and it is staying. Uncanny handling in the twisties, gorgeous, fast and surprisingly good on fuel. So engaging, light and nimble. I love this body style, love the sound and easy DIY maintenance. Fluids, filters, belt and tires. Zero issues. Mine has the excellent PDK and the GT3 paddle shifter steering wheel like the R mentioned above. I did detail and paint intake plenum, throttle body and intake runner badges and put a clear engine cover on it which gives it a McLaren/Ferrari look through the rear glass - seriously it's spectacular!
Gday Adam,thanks for a thorough review of the Cayman R. I have a manual R and completely agree with your closing comments, it’s a BRILLIANT sports car. I have some experience with a GT4 and although faster, it really does not have the same nimbleness and steering feel of the R. There are many positive reviews on the net, with some describing it as the sports car of the decade. Porsches in general are built with great attention to detail and properly maintained are very reliable. It’s perhaps also worth noting that while all variations of the 987 series provide the same mid engined nimbleness and balance, the 987.2 was updated with a completely different engine to the 987.1 without any IMS or bore scoring issues. The base model 987.2 seems to be a particularly underrated and good value sports car.
In Australia. A Cayman R is double the price of an equivalent mileage 987.2 2.9L. Or roughly the same price as a 981 GTS. I have had two 987.2 2.9Ls. They were very solid cars. And super practical. But honestly. It would be hard to choose the Cayman R over a 981 GTS. I know its a rare car. Especially in Peridot Green. But its a bit much. But thats Porsche for you. The cable operated manual gearbox is also pretty average compared to an MX5 or S2000.
Owned the 987.2 Base for a few years as my daily driver, absolutely LOVED it. Had little to no major mechanical issues aside from ware, previous owner neglected it - front right coil over broke when parked (wild I know), had to have both replaced, £1.5K from porsche direct, the brake lines get rusty quite quickly & require replacing after 5 or so years, I had to do that. Aside from those no issues, Drove perfectly. A truly stunning car & I miss it to bits!! NOTHING for the price comes close. I ALWAYS recommend this over the 987.1 due to the major issues that car has, the cheaper price is not worth it down the line.
987/981's are just awesome. Even the 2.7 will let you rev the car out. 2016 on a trip to Melbourne I rented a then new FM Mustang, previous renter never returned it so they gave me the 981 Cayman instead. That was enough for me! I own 2 Porsches now. I have 100's of Porsche Die casts, books, wheels etc. I've driven so many Porsches it's just silly now. I was never a true believer...I'm out here looking for my third. Also you don't have to spend $100's of thousands to enjoy Porsche. Lastly, in Australia Porsche extends the warranty of their cars for 15 years (as long as u keep on top of things) there is literally no reason to own anything else!
I just bought a 2010 Porsche Cayman around a month ago, so far no issues and only 58k miles! Incredible car to drive although a big difference from my first car being a 1.2L Honda Jazz haha
Always liked the Cayman, would struggle to decide against Boxster though. Totally agree about the having a drivers car versus pure performance - 0-60 is a totally pointless selling feature, I mention this to EV owners when they mention this as a major electric benefit. Nothing like the sound track of an engine switching gears on twisty road trip 🙂
Could’ve done a little more research before slamming ALL 987.1’s as a potential buy. The 987.1 2.7 is the best value in mid-modern classic Porsche sports cars. IMS is basically not an issue at less than 1% failure rate. No bore scoring issue. 5-Speed transmission is solid and doesn’t have the snapped cable issues like the 6-Speed does. Plus, the 987.1 just looks better (IMHO). And they are a blast to drive. But go ahead and recommend the 987.2 R which is 3-4 more expensive and super hard to obtain…
Firstly congratulations guys on hitting 191k subscribers. It's definitely showing that your hard work is paying off 🎉👏🎉. To be honest while it'd be nice to own the 987 Cayman R for that sort of money I'd look at getting the Tobaru twins as double the fun for around the same price. Have to admit that the design for accessing the engine is more of a hassle than I expected to hear but at least there are many a video to help with it lol Brilliant job as always guys and look forward to next week's videos as per usual 👍.
Own the 987.2 base, came with 19” wheels and PDK , lowered it with H&R springs, Black in colour, upgraded the Japanese stereo, so far hasn’t missed a beat after 1 1/2 years love it !
The PCCM+ is only for the gen .1 not the gen .2. Also the doors are a really easy fix. And cheap parts. Lastly the foam heater issue is an easy fix that has tutorials online. Oh and they don’t leak oil. I’ve had several. One off them leaked. Ever.
Love your videos! Especially for all the research you do for every car you show. This channel promotes loving used cars and helps consumers choosing the best car for their need and budget.
59K miles on my '09 base Cayman. Fantastic car, daily-driven, purchased with 18k miles in 2018. Mechanical issues aside from required/suggested maintenance/replacement: Clutch pedal/ignition switch replaced at 27k miles. Broken shifter cable at 32k miles Driver's door handle:cable needed replacing in 2023 Water pump starting to leak, replaced at 58K I'm biased, but I think these cars will be future classics due to their shape alone. A pleasure to drive, esp. with some thoughtful upgrades to the suspension, and ECU tune, some intake mods. Nothing outlandish--just gets it heading towards "R" territory.
Love to see you guys tackle the early Panemera's. Been feeling like I'm about due for a major financial disaster in the shape of a Porsche flavoured family hauler; it would be nice to know how big a disaster I'm looking at.
1) They did one, and the car is an absolute disaster 2) It's an executive car not a family hauler. I don't think I'd buy one for that as the interiors just aren't made for it.
Your comments re power, straight line speed etc are spot on! I own an ‘05 Alfa 147 JTD with 200k on the clock - it has a remapped computer, suspension mods & produces a claimed 350Nm. It handles well & is an absolute delight at any speed plus loads of character. I haven’t found anything as much fun to replace it, but I did have a second car for a while.
I am blessed with this exact one- 2012 - black. Best 2 seater ever- even better than my previous 2011 911 gts. Added a rear cat bypass so now it sounds perfectly throaty to boot. In my opinion- now it’s perfect.
Stack of buttons in the centre console= people complain(including people who can’t even afford the car) Less or removal of buttons on the centre console= people still complaining(same people who can’t afford these vehicles) Manufacturers can’t win🤷🏿♂️might as well do whatever they want because their cars will sell regardless
Hey guys love you videos. Format and information content is on point. I need to call out the constant movement of the hand held camera. I started to get motion sick in the first 2min of this one.
Great review I really love the Cayman R but having now owned 981 with X73 it would be hard to give up. The X73 suspension option is more suited to track than open road and I love it for this. I believe it was developed off 987.2 spyder. Can be upgraded to 718 spec as I have done rear chassis braces etc. That door sill storage holds a Porsche umbrella good enough not to fly around when pressing on lol. According to the cars designer the Cayman is a complete new car different panels etc everything not just copied off the Boxster.
Going by your review I get the impression that Porsche's are not designed for our harsh summer climate. I just did a bit of research and what I found interesting is that a 987 Cayman is larger than a 1990 model 911. So you are right Adam in saying modern 911's etc are looking like SUV's and a Cayman other than it is mid engine is more of a classic Porsche than a modern 911. It might just be me but I did find it a bit annoying when you kept extending/closing your pointer so perhaps you could just keep it extended when using it in your videos.
💰Need finance for your next car? Get personalised deals and pre-approval in MINUTES! PLUS, get a $150 fuel voucher when you settle your loan 👉 bit.ly/3EX7yh7
I own a Gen 2 cayman, 140,000 miles and I do 25,000 a year in it. Not too bad to run, AOS failed and replaced, various suspension parts, brake leak but other than that it's golden.
Would be great if you would do a review on the 981s Boxster. Have had my MY14 Boxster for 2 years now (2nd owner). Only issue, other than regular maintenance, has been a replacement Coil Pack. 1 and 6 can be effected by heat apparently. 60k and regularly serviced by PGC. First Porsche was a 6sp 986 and my 981 is the PDK. The 6sp Manual is a fantastic gearbox but the PDK 7sp is it's equal. It's unlike any other auto box I have ever driven (it's that good) + slightly quicker and slightly more fuel efficient AND in the used car market the PDK is usually cheaper.
Re IMS and bore scoring: 987.1 has IMS (M97 engine) 987.2 does not (9A1 engine). Bore scoring is forged pistons (3.4) on 987.1 only. PCA TH-cam channel has excellent videos on both subjects.
Oh look! It's my mid-life/just retired crisis car! These things are awesome! By the time I hit retirement, they'll probably be about $200k and only able to drive on club reg, once a year on dinosaur day! Sigh! Great review guys, creepy pointer thing aside! 😂
mine has 102,000. miles just fine. no gum, or oil consumption. but I did do waterpump, and headliner. Other than that smooth sailing.oh one parking brake cable snapped. still fine
9x7 is the sweet-spot. Analogue enough, true drivers cars. Mid engine cars handle better, the Cayman Sport is also a great car, Boxster spyder also epic
I really enjoyed that video... Ok I know your going to lyfao I'd have my "stock" 2008 Nissan 350z any day... I've had its for 5 years trouble free motoring. It's my everyday car and love it... Cheers
I went with a 987.2 Cayman S (2009) four years ago. PDK with 72k miles, for $25k USD ($28k out the door from a dealer in California), limited spec with the good headlights and Bose speakers, an aftermarket exhaust, and 19" HRE wheels. I think it's worth about $32k-34k now at 81k miles. I do most of the maintenance myself thanks to TH-cam videos. Like the mechanic said, easy work, just tough to get to. I pay a 3rd party shop for the harder and more important not-to-get-wrong jobs. I've thought about upgrading to a 991 911, but it just never seems worth it. At a track day, I was out cornering those guys. The steering is just so good, it's such a joy to drive at any speed.
No. It definitely isn't worth more than you paid for it 4 years ago. It's a good car, but it's a 16 year old vehicle and 60% depreciation after 6-8 years is standard for Caymans. People have just gotten nutty over the pandemic. But that's long over. People just have woken up. Even Porsche has to come out at their last investors meetings and tell investors that the demand for the luxury sport category is exhausted.
@@s.gharavi1614 Autotrader, nationwide (US) there's six 987.2 Cayman S for sale. Only one is under $30k; it has 174,000 miles. The next cheapest is asking $38.5k, a '10 w/ similar miles and options. Perhaps they are asking a few grand too much, but $14k too much? Now a base model, yeah, mid 20s all day.
I bought a 987.1 last year and giggled when I saw you get inside and see the saggy headliner. I replaced that right away and it made the car feel so much better putting the windows down and not flapping on me. It's chewing through oil and has a little piston slap so I'm going to need to figure out what my options are there. I'm 25 so I probably need to put 30k towards a house instead of that car :(
I really wanted a 987.1 S a few years ago but ended up getting an E92 M3 instead. I kept that car and later also bought a 981 Cayman S. The 981 just didn't do it for me unfortunately. I didn't care for the steering feel and the car felt underpowered at the high elevation where I live. I traded that one for an OG M2. Lately a 987 has been appealing to me again with its hydraulic steering and option to put an LS engine in it later on 😁 either that or a 997.1 CS.
Another enjoyable drive on the Castle Cove race track, but traffic?? I don’t think so. I hope you took the Cayman down to the hilly and twisty bits down by the castle! An old favourite of fine. Nice review Adam. Lloyd
I have watched this many times. Trying to make a tough decision between a Cayman R (auto) or a 2016 Macan GTS. Same price, totally different experiences. The heart tells me the Cayman R. The head tells me the Macan GTS.
For less than half the money, I think you are a bit quick to dismiss the 987.1 Cayman S. Clearly not as "special" as a 987.2 R, but 90%+ of the way there.
For $40K US dollars, you could get a base Porsche certified Cayman from 2014 with 275 HP/217 FtLbs of torque, with a flat 6 engine, midship, and it only weights 2900 lbs. Compare to a GR86, for $33K with only 228 HP, 182 FtLbs of torque. I think it might be the better car for the price.
Oh yes one of these. Or the S1 Lotus without the K series engine unless it has been fixed with the correct headgasket. I think I would go for the Boxster.
Holy effing Christ. The biggest "What goes wrong" section I have ever seen on this channel. It was half the entire video. That's all you need to know for the older version.
It is extremely difficult to replace the 987 Cayman S with any other modern small manual sports car (mid-engine or not) at that price point. Actually, it's difficult to replace it with anything else at its price point. - Yes you've got the 2.4L BRZ/GT86 but that's front-engined, doesn't have as much power and doesnt sound anywhere near as good. - The Honda S2000 is a decent option but really lacks practicality and looks. Amazing handling and red line. - The Mazda MX5-RF is just too impractical with no storage and a bit slow. - Nissan 370Z - na, not in the same ballpark at all. Didnt do it for me and sold it after a month. - Perhaps a really late model SW20 turbo might be an option but they just dont feel anywhere near as refined to drive (have owned 3 of them now). - BMW have the Z4 M Coupe which is also a decent option, but that just doesnt have the same silky driving feel as a Cayman, its a bit more clunky and brutish, but does look and sound pretty good. - Audi TT RS is a solid option. Lacks a bit of feel and feedback and kind of girly looking - but is very fast, very nimble and very practical. Also sounds amazing. Have only driven one 6spd manual example and it might have had a worn out clutch as it just didnt feel right. - Have not driven a Mk4 Supra turbo manual as those are very expensive now and cant be had for the same money. Same with NSX, 1M Coupe, Alpine A110, Alfa 4C etc. After many many cars ive landed on owning these vehicles (all manual): - 2003 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA - 2007 Renault Clio RS - 2006 Porsche Cayman S - 2010 Audi R8 V10 Any other coupes built post-2000 (or near enough) worth thinking about?
I drove the Elise and loved it, it is more pure than the Cayman. It is hard to beat the smaller dimensions, light weight and direct steering. The Cayman's engine sounds much better to me. Exiges will probably match / beat the Cayman for sound and be much faster as well. You may be more stressed out on scraping the front lip in car parks / drive ways and speed bumps (rarely an issue on the Cayman) The Cayman is just unbeatable in terms of having 90% of the fun and insane practicality. I use mine all seasons, fits strollers, skis, snowboards, never an excuse not to drive it. I drove a 981 GT4 and I don't think it'd be a better everyday car, it actually feels more refined, it has a nicer interior (but I didn't care for that).. I think a 997 GT3 will be a very nice upgrade, but loses some practicality. I had an Integra Type R, which I also liked very much and is very engaging to drive. However, the Cayman sounds way better (even though VTEC sounds cool as well) and the Cayman is much more comfortable on the highway, while also being just as fun / more fun in the corners.
these definitely feel a bit over priced in the US. couldn't you just get a first or second gen 987 ( with low miles) and add a TPC turbo kit and other various upgrades? you're looking at 600+ horsepower and performance that rivals a GT3 for 60k or less...
Have you guys had a look at a T1 Volkswagen Touareg (2004 - 2007) or a T2 (2008 - 2010) ? I'm buying one soon if you would like to make a video with it
That stupid pointer will be scratching the cars. You should ditch it. If you think viewers are idiots then use post processing to highlight what you’re talking about.
You can replace the IMS bearing in a 987 Cayman. All 987.1 Caymans got the final big bearing, which requires the engine to be removed and the crank case split to get at the bearing. And bore scoring does not effect 'a very small number of very early models'. All 987.1 3.4 Cayman S are at high risk of bore scoring. The information here is not great.
Both the 987.1 and.2 base are far more reliable and neither suffers from bore scoring. The final "big bearing" only had a failure rate of 1% . The 987.2 3.4 has the first gen DFI pump and they were prone to failure which included injecting too much gas into the cylinders causing bore scoring while the reasons for that in a 987.1 3.4 are open to debate it's a very common issue. You'll need a lot of cash to buy an R here in the states and good luck financing a sports car that old now.
@@TexasRiverRat31254 The 3.4 in the 987.2 is not "prone to failure". In fact failures are very rare. Failures of the 2.9 in the 987.2 are rare too, but if you wanted to scare monger, you could say that the 2.9 has had piston ring problems and therefore that engine is "prone to failure". The reality is that very few 987.2 with either engine have suffered failures. The only engine in any 987 Cayman that's a really serious concern is the 3.4 in the 987.1. There's increasing misinformation emerging around the 9x7.2 / 9A1 engine. The number of failures is very low, but because of the track record of the M96/7 engine, a few failures are being conflated into major problem that doesn't actually exist, probably magnified by a couple of companies in the US with a tendency to push their services very, very hard.
10:35 so if I'm understanding you correctly: having a bender at The Golden Apple with two women, a spa and copious marching powder is unsustainable. It's better to have a relationship with true connection every day... But one that in the end takes half your money? Please provide explanations the average Eastern Suburbs Porsche owner will understand.
Great handling cars. Engine is underpowered but still fun. Look out for leaking fuel tank which no one is talking about. That'll cost you $8K at the dealer to swap for another one that will fail just as fast. Sigh. I love my Cayman, but I hate Porsche build quality. It's shit. Re the engine failures, if that happens, LS3 engine swap. Especially in Australia, you'll be laughing.
Love my 987.1 5spd base Cayman. After 3
years of ownership it is still a joy to drive daily. Best car I've ever owned.
I agree fully. Never had a vehicle with such an driving experience, steering, driving in curves, everething far beyond "standard".
Jesus, this is not the first time I've been looking for the exact car you're reviewing. Last time they all disappeared after your review
Was.between a Cayman or Quattroporte myself. Chose the QP5 just for the exotic measure and being less midlife crisis, being a "FourDoor". Reckon you'll love the Cayman, grab an S model if ya can.
This literally just happened to me
To be fair, finding the right Cayman R is difficult at the best of times.
One of the attractions of older cars these days is that it is much more fun to drive a slower car fast than a fast car slow
Older cars usually mean lighter weight too
I bought a 987 cayman with 80k miles, faultless so far and drives amazingly!
I have a 986 Boxster with over 150k, still going strong and loving it!
Hows it going now?
Hows it going now?
Bought one last week with 37k miles and in love with it!
A fellow owner of a 2009 987.2 cayman base and have to agree with a lot of the points here. Its more reasonable to maintain than youd expect for the age and being a german car and its a fun to drive going to work, the grocery store, and down a fun country road. Ive been impressed on how well documented and accessible doing work yourself on the cars are. Easy to find a good mechanic if you cant fix everything yourself.
Highly recommend the .2 cayman Base or S as good entry level or just good porsche sport car.
No regrets.
(I also got the volvo XC60 from after watching re:driven previous good review )
Nice video mate, but your mechanic said all good doesn’t matter which model and pretty easy to maintain and then you finish off to say “no don’t buy one unless it’s an R”. I’ve had quite a few 987 models and they’re all great (i think base models are best bang for buck especially if driven on public roads). It reminds me also when quite a few years ago I was all in on 964s because I thought they were the sweet spot for 911s. So I owned a few and all the Porsche forums were “don’t bother with 964, get a 993 because it’s the best aircooled around”. I was in my 20’s and took it to heart even though I loved all my 911s. So I never got to appreciate how good they really were because I always felt some how inferior . Look at the 964 market now. These days I just buy what I like and enjoy them. The horror stories are amplified online and people really try too hard to buy “best example” Porsche. I think you should buy the one you can enjoy the most without worrying about scratches or adding kms on the clock. This video has inspired me to pull out my 987 Boxster (covered in dust) and enjoy the Aussie summer. Also, make sure you buy a manual and drawing pins help the headliner stay up 😂 I keep a box in the glove box.
I love how right after the mechanic explains that the potential issues are way overblown the host comes back and says, "don't buy one because of the risk." Listen to the mechanic, not the host. And never buy one in an automatic, I don't care if the PDK is faster, that's not what these cars are about. They are about involvement, and you miss way too much of that by letting the car shift for you.
987 and especially the 987.2 gen are truly most underrated mid engine porsche ever built. 987.2 with direct injection (no more IMS) changed the reliability while keeping the driving dynamics intact as before. Amazing and dare I say affordable Porsche!
West Coast Canada. It reminds me of early 718/550 Porsches, Ferrari/Dino 246GTS (so beautiful). I found my Guards Red 2011 987.2 Cayman S SportChrono+ in 2017 after three years of looking and it is staying. Uncanny handling in the twisties, gorgeous, fast and surprisingly good on fuel. So engaging, light and nimble. I love this body style, love the sound and easy DIY maintenance. Fluids, filters, belt and tires. Zero issues. Mine has the excellent PDK and the GT3 paddle shifter steering wheel like the R mentioned above.
I did detail and paint intake plenum, throttle body and intake runner badges and put a clear engine cover on it which gives it a McLaren/Ferrari look through the rear glass - seriously it's spectacular!
Gday Adam,thanks for a thorough review of the Cayman R. I have a manual R and completely agree with your closing comments, it’s a BRILLIANT sports car. I have some experience with a GT4 and although faster, it really does not have the same nimbleness and steering feel of the R. There are many positive reviews on the net, with some describing it as the sports car of the decade. Porsches in general are built with great attention to detail and properly maintained are very reliable. It’s perhaps also worth noting that while all variations of the 987 series provide the same mid engined nimbleness and balance, the 987.2 was updated with a completely different engine to the 987.1 without any IMS or bore scoring issues. The base model 987.2 seems to be a particularly underrated and good value sports car.
In Australia. A Cayman R is double the price of an equivalent mileage 987.2 2.9L. Or roughly the same price as a 981 GTS. I have had two 987.2 2.9Ls. They were very solid cars. And super practical. But honestly. It would be hard to choose the Cayman R over a 981 GTS. I know its a rare car. Especially in Peridot Green. But its a bit much. But thats Porsche for you. The cable operated manual gearbox is also pretty average compared to an MX5 or S2000.
I had a 987 Boxster S modded to 300+ hp. I had $10k in mods. My 981 Spyder is limited edition and will never depreciate.
I love seeing cars that are engaging at legal speeds😊
What makes this 987 Cayman appealing is the rear spoiler. Without it the rear end of the car looks unfinished.
Owned the 987.2 Base for a few years as my daily driver, absolutely LOVED it. Had little to no major mechanical issues aside from ware, previous owner neglected it - front right coil over broke when parked (wild I know), had to have both replaced, £1.5K from porsche direct, the brake lines get rusty quite quickly & require replacing after 5 or so years, I had to do that. Aside from those no issues, Drove perfectly. A truly stunning car & I miss it to bits!! NOTHING for the price comes close. I ALWAYS recommend this over the 987.1 due to the major issues that car has, the cheaper price is not worth it down the line.
987/981's are just awesome. Even the 2.7 will let you rev the car out. 2016 on a trip to Melbourne I rented a then new FM Mustang, previous renter never returned it so they gave me the 981 Cayman instead. That was enough for me! I own 2 Porsches now. I have 100's of Porsche Die casts, books, wheels etc. I've driven so many Porsches it's just silly now. I was never a true believer...I'm out here looking for my third. Also you don't have to spend $100's of thousands to enjoy Porsche. Lastly, in Australia Porsche extends the warranty of their cars for 15 years (as long as u keep on top of things) there is literally no reason to own anything else!
Makes the 7 year Kia warranty look so poor.
I’ve had my 2009 987.2 for nearly 3 years and it’s been very reliable and I love it .proper sports car.
Almost 4 years for me. Apart from a battery and the rear power steering hoses (did those myself), the car has been perfect 👌
I just bought a 2010 Porsche Cayman around a month ago, so far no issues and only 58k miles! Incredible car to drive although a big difference from my first car being a 1.2L Honda Jazz haha
Always liked the Cayman, would struggle to decide against Boxster though. Totally agree about the having a drivers car versus pure performance - 0-60 is a totally pointless selling feature, I mention this to EV owners when they mention this as a major electric benefit. Nothing like the sound track of an engine switching gears on twisty road trip 🙂
if the engine sound is your main focal point and you`re undecided between a boxster and a cayman, then a boxster is definitely the way to go.
Top down is simply more fun on enthusiast drives. I'd probably have to take a boxster too
Could’ve done a little more research before slamming ALL 987.1’s as a potential buy. The 987.1 2.7 is the best value in mid-modern classic Porsche sports cars. IMS is basically not an issue at less than 1% failure rate. No bore scoring issue. 5-Speed transmission is solid and doesn’t have the snapped cable issues like the 6-Speed does. Plus, the 987.1 just looks better (IMHO). And they are a blast to drive.
But go ahead and recommend the 987.2 R which is 3-4 more expensive and super hard to obtain…
Firstly congratulations guys on hitting 191k subscribers. It's definitely showing that your hard work is paying off 🎉👏🎉.
To be honest while it'd be nice to own the 987 Cayman R for that sort of money I'd look at getting the Tobaru twins as double the fun for around the same price.
Have to admit that the design for accessing the engine is more of a hassle than I expected to hear but at least there are many a video to help with it lol
Brilliant job as always guys and look forward to next week's videos as per usual 👍.
Own the 987.2 base, came with 19” wheels and PDK , lowered it with H&R springs, Black in colour, upgraded the Japanese stereo, so far hasn’t missed a beat after 1 1/2 years love it !
The PCCM+ is only for the gen .1 not the gen .2. Also the doors are a really easy fix. And cheap parts. Lastly the foam heater issue is an easy fix that has tutorials online.
Oh and they don’t leak oil. I’ve had several. One off them leaked. Ever.
Love your videos! Especially for all the research you do for every car you show. This channel promotes loving used cars and helps consumers choosing the best car for their need and budget.
Love the video,all the points re maintenance, reliability spot on. Own a 987.1 S stick, fantastic driving car
59K miles on my '09 base Cayman. Fantastic car, daily-driven, purchased with 18k miles in 2018.
Mechanical issues aside from required/suggested maintenance/replacement:
Clutch pedal/ignition switch replaced at 27k miles.
Broken shifter cable at 32k miles
Driver's door handle:cable needed replacing in 2023
Water pump starting to leak, replaced at 58K
I'm biased, but I think these cars will be future classics due to their shape alone. A pleasure to drive, esp. with some thoughtful upgrades to the suspension, and ECU tune, some intake mods. Nothing outlandish--just gets it heading towards "R" territory.
Love to see you guys tackle the early Panemera's. Been feeling like I'm about due for a major financial disaster in the shape of a Porsche flavoured family hauler; it would be nice to know how big a disaster I'm looking at.
Think they may have done a while ago?
@@daweigo6851 Yeah, they did!
1) They did one, and the car is an absolute disaster 2) It's an executive car not a family hauler. I don't think I'd buy one for that as the interiors just aren't made for it.
Your comments re power, straight line speed etc are spot on!
I own an ‘05 Alfa 147 JTD with 200k on the clock - it has a remapped computer, suspension mods & produces a claimed 350Nm. It handles well & is an absolute delight at any speed plus loads of character.
I haven’t found anything as much fun to replace it, but I did have a second car for a while.
I am blessed with this exact one- 2012 - black. Best 2 seater ever- even better than my previous 2011 911 gts. Added a rear cat bypass so now it sounds perfectly throaty to boot. In my opinion- now it’s perfect.
Stack of buttons in the centre console= people complain(including people who can’t even afford the car)
Less or removal of buttons on the centre console= people still complaining(same people who can’t afford these vehicles)
Manufacturers can’t win🤷🏿♂️might as well do whatever they want because their cars will sell regardless
I'm so excited, it's very nearly AU Falcon review time!
200,000 subwoofers almost here.
Yorak Hunt will be supplying his car
@@robertceroli3512100% hahahah
Hey guys love you videos. Format and information content is on point. I need to call out the constant movement of the hand held camera. I started to get motion sick in the first 2min of this one.
Great review I really love the Cayman R but having now owned 981 with X73 it would be hard to give up. The X73 suspension option is more suited to track than open road and I love it for this. I believe it was developed off 987.2 spyder. Can be upgraded to 718 spec as I have done rear chassis braces etc. That door sill storage holds a Porsche umbrella good enough not to fly around when pressing on lol. According to the cars designer the Cayman is a complete new car different panels etc everything not just copied off the Boxster.
Hey mate I think it would be awesome if u were to review an xr6 turbo I’m surprised you have not reviewed one yet
The Cayman R doesn't have an IMS bearing. None of the 987.2 engines do.
Other than that....
Going by your review I get the impression that Porsche's are not designed for our harsh summer climate. I just did a bit of research and what I found interesting is that a 987 Cayman is larger than a 1990 model 911. So you are right Adam in saying modern 911's etc are looking like SUV's and a Cayman other than it is mid engine is more of a classic Porsche than a modern 911.
It might just be me but I did find it a bit annoying when you kept extending/closing your pointer so perhaps you could just keep it extended when using it in your videos.
Ehhh. The thing is that they aren't great in cold damp climates either. The issues with water leaking into the car are much worse in cold damp places.
💰Need finance for your next car? Get personalised deals and pre-approval in MINUTES! PLUS, get a $150 fuel voucher when you settle your loan 👉 bit.ly/3EX7yh7
I own a Gen 2 cayman, 140,000 miles and I do 25,000 a year in it. Not too bad to run, AOS failed and replaced, various suspension parts, brake leak but other than that it's golden.
Would be great if you would do a review on the 981s Boxster. Have had my MY14 Boxster for 2 years now (2nd owner). Only issue, other than regular maintenance, has been a replacement Coil Pack. 1 and 6 can be effected by heat apparently. 60k and regularly serviced by PGC. First Porsche was a 6sp 986 and my 981 is the PDK. The 6sp Manual is a fantastic gearbox but the PDK 7sp is it's equal. It's unlike any other auto box I have ever driven (it's that good) + slightly quicker and slightly more fuel efficient AND in the used car market the PDK is usually cheaper.
i had a 987.1 cayman..great car..drivers car, had a 981 and now 718 2.5...loved them all
Re IMS and bore scoring: 987.1 has IMS (M97 engine) 987.2 does not (9A1 engine). Bore scoring is forged pistons (3.4) on 987.1 only. PCA TH-cam channel has excellent videos on both subjects.
Oh look! It's my mid-life/just retired crisis car! These things are awesome! By the time I hit retirement, they'll probably be about $200k and only able to drive on club reg, once a year on dinosaur day! Sigh!
Great review guys, creepy pointer thing aside! 😂
My favourite sports car. Totally unnecessary for a family guy so I cannot justify one, but I can dream 😅😊.
Love the reviews straight to the point practical and interesting!
Love the bloopers …
Next up “Should you buy a used McLaren P1?.
😂😂😂😂😂😂
mine has 102,000. miles just fine. no gum, or oil consumption. but I did do waterpump, and headliner.
Other than that smooth sailing.oh one parking brake cable snapped. still fine
Love the review! These are timeless and seem to get better looking as the years add up. BTW... what watch are you wearing? It's very sharp.
9x7 is the sweet-spot. Analogue enough, true drivers cars. Mid engine cars handle better, the Cayman Sport is also a great car, Boxster spyder also epic
I really enjoyed that video... Ok I know your going to lyfao I'd have my "stock" 2008 Nissan 350z any day... I've had its for 5 years trouble free motoring. It's my everyday car and love it... Cheers
I went with a 987.2 Cayman S (2009) four years ago. PDK with 72k miles, for $25k USD ($28k out the door from a dealer in California), limited spec with the good headlights and Bose speakers, an aftermarket exhaust, and 19" HRE wheels. I think it's worth about $32k-34k now at 81k miles. I do most of the maintenance myself thanks to TH-cam videos. Like the mechanic said, easy work, just tough to get to. I pay a 3rd party shop for the harder and more important not-to-get-wrong jobs. I've thought about upgrading to a 991 911, but it just never seems worth it. At a track day, I was out cornering those guys. The steering is just so good, it's such a joy to drive at any speed.
No. It definitely isn't worth more than you paid for it 4 years ago. It's a good car, but it's a 16 year old vehicle and 60% depreciation after 6-8 years is standard for Caymans. People have just gotten nutty over the pandemic. But that's long over. People just have woken up. Even Porsche has to come out at their last investors meetings and tell investors that the demand for the luxury sport category is exhausted.
@@s.gharavi1614 Autotrader, nationwide (US) there's six 987.2 Cayman S for sale. Only one is under $30k; it has 174,000 miles. The next cheapest is asking $38.5k, a '10 w/ similar miles and options. Perhaps they are asking a few grand too much, but $14k too much?
Now a base model, yeah, mid 20s all day.
2007 Cayman S owner here. Best car ever.
I bought a 987.1 last year and giggled when I saw you get inside and see the saggy headliner. I replaced that right away and it made the car feel so much better putting the windows down and not flapping on me. It's chewing through oil and has a little piston slap so I'm going to need to figure out what my options are there. I'm 25 so I probably need to put 30k towards a house instead of that car :(
Just put in the new pccm as well and I'm loving having the apple car play
I own a 981 Cayman S and want a 987.2 down the line. Such a beautiful car.
Got a co-worker wanting to sell his 2008 Boxster S now. So tempting, but I had bad experience with old "cheap" German cars.
I really wanted a 987.1 S a few years ago but ended up getting an E92 M3 instead. I kept that car and later also bought a 981 Cayman S. The 981 just didn't do it for me unfortunately. I didn't care for the steering feel and the car felt underpowered at the high elevation where I live. I traded that one for an OG M2. Lately a 987 has been appealing to me again with its hydraulic steering and option to put an LS engine in it later on 😁 either that or a 997.1 CS.
Another enjoyable drive on the Castle Cove race track, but traffic?? I don’t think so. I hope you took the Cayman down to the hilly and twisty bits down by the castle! An old favourite of fine. Nice review Adam. Lloyd
yeah 2024: 987.1 cayman S 22-25k range. 987.2 cayman s 55k minimum.. is the 30k actually worth it?
All 987.1 will or have suffered from bore scoring, 987.2 less
I have a white 981s. Great car! Thank you for the great video!
I have watched this many times. Trying to make a tough decision between a Cayman R (auto) or a 2016 Macan GTS. Same price, totally different experiences. The heart tells me the Cayman R. The head tells me the Macan GTS.
For less than half the money, I think you are a bit quick to dismiss the 987.1 Cayman S. Clearly not as "special" as a 987.2 R, but 90%+ of the way there.
For $40K US dollars, you could get a base Porsche certified Cayman from 2014 with 275 HP/217 FtLbs of torque, with a flat 6 engine, midship, and it only weights 2900 lbs. Compare to a GR86, for $33K with only 228 HP, 182 FtLbs of torque. I think it might be the better car for the price.
Oh yes one of these. Or the S1 Lotus without the K series engine unless it has been fixed with the correct headgasket. I think I would go for the Boxster.
The Cayman will probably be the first Porsche I own ashame their used vales still hold really well!
Great viewing…can’t go wrong with a Cayman, however please find a Manual to test!
COTY Mx5; woohoo! What a great year; thanks guys. Looking forward to 2024. 🎉
If you can't afford it new, you can't afford it used.
Holy effing Christ. The biggest "What goes wrong" section I have ever seen on this channel. It was half the entire video. That's all you need to know for the older version.
It's more that people are hyper vigilant about some of the issues on this car. It's honestly the best value Porsche you can buy by a fair margin.
I have an M2 and looking for a Cayman now ;) Natural progression :D
It is extremely difficult to replace the 987 Cayman S with any other modern small manual sports car (mid-engine or not) at that price point. Actually, it's difficult to replace it with anything else at its price point.
- Yes you've got the 2.4L BRZ/GT86 but that's front-engined, doesn't have as much power and doesnt sound anywhere near as good.
- The Honda S2000 is a decent option but really lacks practicality and looks. Amazing handling and red line.
- The Mazda MX5-RF is just too impractical with no storage and a bit slow.
- Nissan 370Z - na, not in the same ballpark at all. Didnt do it for me and sold it after a month.
- Perhaps a really late model SW20 turbo might be an option but they just dont feel anywhere near as refined to drive (have owned 3 of them now).
- BMW have the Z4 M Coupe which is also a decent option, but that just doesnt have the same silky driving feel as a Cayman, its a bit more clunky and brutish, but does look and sound pretty good.
- Audi TT RS is a solid option. Lacks a bit of feel and feedback and kind of girly looking - but is very fast, very nimble and very practical. Also sounds amazing. Have only driven one 6spd manual example and it might have had a worn out clutch as it just didnt feel right.
- Have not driven a Mk4 Supra turbo manual as those are very expensive now and cant be had for the same money. Same with NSX, 1M Coupe, Alpine A110, Alfa 4C etc.
After many many cars ive landed on owning these vehicles (all manual):
- 2003 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
- 2007 Renault Clio RS
- 2006 Porsche Cayman S
- 2010 Audi R8 V10
Any other coupes built post-2000 (or near enough) worth thinking about?
I drove the Elise and loved it, it is more pure than the Cayman. It is hard to beat the smaller dimensions, light weight and direct steering.
The Cayman's engine sounds much better to me. Exiges will probably match / beat the Cayman for sound and be much faster as well. You may be more stressed out on scraping the front lip in car parks / drive ways and speed bumps (rarely an issue on the Cayman)
The Cayman is just unbeatable in terms of having 90% of the fun and insane practicality. I use mine all seasons, fits strollers, skis, snowboards, never an excuse not to drive it. I drove a 981 GT4 and I don't think it'd be a better everyday car, it actually feels more refined, it has a nicer interior (but I didn't care for that).. I think a 997 GT3 will be a very nice upgrade, but loses some practicality.
I had an Integra Type R, which I also liked very much and is very engaging to drive. However, the Cayman sounds way better (even though VTEC sounds cool as well) and the Cayman is much more comfortable on the highway, while also being just as fun / more fun in the corners.
Great review as always guys, please lose the silly pointer as it is a bit distracting.
Love the Cayman R. Love all of the 997 GT3 RS bits.
these definitely feel a bit over priced in the US. couldn't you just get a first or second gen 987 ( with low miles) and add a TPC turbo kit and other various upgrades? you're looking at 600+ horsepower and performance that rivals a GT3 for 60k or less...
opinion: used 987 vs new brz vs new ND miata?
Got any info on that SSS in the background during Jims video ? Never mind the 987 .. tell us about the sss …
Have you guys had a look at a T1 Volkswagen Touareg (2004 - 2007) or a T2 (2008 - 2010) ?
I'm buying one soon if you would like to make a video with it
That stupid pointer will be scratching the cars. You should ditch it. If you think viewers are idiots then use post processing to highlight what you’re talking about.
I chickened out on one of these and got a new 86.. maybe one day.
Please do a review on an Alfa Guilia Quadrifoglio, its on my short list for my next car. Thanks
You can replace the IMS bearing in a 987 Cayman. All 987.1 Caymans got the final big bearing, which requires the engine to be removed and the crank case split to get at the bearing. And bore scoring does not effect 'a very small number of very early models'. All 987.1 3.4 Cayman S are at high risk of bore scoring. The information here is not great.
Both the 987.1 and.2 base are far more reliable and neither suffers from bore scoring. The final "big bearing" only had a failure rate of 1% . The 987.2 3.4 has the first gen DFI pump and they were prone to failure which included injecting too much gas into the cylinders causing bore scoring while the reasons for that in a 987.1 3.4 are open to debate it's a very common issue. You'll need a lot of cash to buy an R here in the states and good luck financing a sports car that old now.
@@TexasRiverRat31254 The 3.4 in the 987.2 is not "prone to failure". In fact failures are very rare. Failures of the 2.9 in the 987.2 are rare too, but if you wanted to scare monger, you could say that the 2.9 has had piston ring problems and therefore that engine is "prone to failure". The reality is that very few 987.2 with either engine have suffered failures. The only engine in any 987 Cayman that's a really serious concern is the 3.4 in the 987.1. There's increasing misinformation emerging around the 9x7.2 / 9A1 engine. The number of failures is very low, but because of the track record of the M96/7 engine, a few failures are being conflated into major problem that doesn't actually exist, probably magnified by a couple of companies in the US with a tendency to push their services very, very hard.
That's a great looking car I would have one if I had the funds
10:35 so if I'm understanding you correctly: having a bender at The Golden Apple with two women, a spa and copious marching powder is unsustainable. It's better to have a relationship with true connection every day... But one that in the end takes half your money?
Please provide explanations the average Eastern Suburbs Porsche owner will understand.
Just sold my 987S Boxster. I kind of miss it.
Trunk clunk solved with a wedge of cardboard by the rear brake light 👍
I wouldn't mind one of these... but I'd get an Elise or Exige for the money.
Great handling cars. Engine is underpowered but still fun. Look out for leaking fuel tank which no one is talking about. That'll cost you $8K at the dealer to swap for another one that will fail just as fast. Sigh. I love my Cayman, but I hate Porsche build quality. It's shit.
Re the engine failures, if that happens, LS3 engine swap. Especially in Australia, you'll be laughing.
I purchased the cheapest 987.2 base PDK in Australia almost 4 years ago. I feel a video coming on😂😂😂.
I see a nissan sabre behind Jim, how about that, and with the moden 1s, try a c class
Great info. Thank you
A lot of minor servicing and parts replacement can be done by the enthusiast- there’s plenty of YT vids
So which Porsches you recommend that has least problems 😅
I reckon I’ll stick with the Kingswood thanks
I just glad wrapped the tow bar!
Not the Kingswood! I just prepared it for a ReDriven video!,,
@@davidarter6271 I’d love to do that!
Re-Drive the N14 SSS. PLEASE. Seriously
If you have 30k and want a pure drivers car, it's this or an S2000.
No thanks. I'll keep my Suzuki Cappuccino. The Honda s660 in your previous video is a far better car.
How dare you besmirch the name of the Ioniq 5 N! It's actually fun in the corners! 😁
.....buy the Audi RS2 Avant this thing is an absolute weapon if tuned, plus triple your mulla in 10yrs
Bro...the roof lining ...the f**king roof lining! 😂 C'mon...
No. 981 Cayman is peak Porsche
Nothing like an Italian tune-up to clear out the cobwebs.
Yeah but how many of the viewers will actually splurge 100k on a 15yrs old car? Would like to see more affordable options
Cayman still a little too much Porsche, but only by a roof. Love My Boxster!!!