Considering getting a 981 Cayman S

[Lavatoad]

Indeed, I've seen many owners comment about their hesitancy to track the car for that reason.

As for the 996, they are nothing but problems. The IMS is but one. There is bore scoring, cracked cylinders...The s54 can be problematic, but the m96 is a disaster.

And it is so ugly and a pain to work on.

I believe the bore scoring also affects the 986 and 987.1 S models. I've gone through similar on-and-off interest in the P cars, but the bore scoring was enough to keep me away. Especially the 996.

[simon_c]

Had another thought. Regarding the interior of the 981 being nicer, most people just truly hate the radio/nav unit in the 987. I'll admit, it's not the best looking thing. But like with the E46, there are replacement options. So fixable.

The HVAC vents in the 981 with their multiple fins on top that "cut into the dashboard" to me look less than ideal. I prefer the simplicity of the 987. I'm not sure the 981 will age as well.

Go find a 987 and sit in it. Drive it if you can. They are nicer places to conduct the business of driving than I would have expected.

I never gave the 987 too much thought but sounds like I need to do some digging here. A part of me just didn't want another 20 year old german car as well. That being said, I started looking at manual 718 cayman S models, which I know purists hate on, and all the reviews say the drive is quite good and a tune puts it at 430hp/400ftlb so gobs of torque. Exhaust sound is the biggest pitfall but add an aftermarket exhaust and it doesn't sound too bad. Unsure about maintenance and but it feels likes prices are continuing to drop since not as many people want a 4 banger Porsche. What am I missing here?

[Casa de Mesa]

I believe the bore scoring also affects the 986 and 987.1 S models. I've gone through similar on-and-off interest in the P cars, but the bore scoring was enough to keep me away. Especially the 996.

2009 and beyond P cars (Cayman, Boxster and 911s) switched to a 9A1 motor. Oiling, IMS and bore scoring were basically eliminated with the new engine architecture. The M96 was developed when Porsche was cash strapped but forced to change to water cooled due to emissions regs. The 9A1 was developed post-Cayenne and the injection of cash it and the Boxster provided the company with.

That said, bore scoring can be mitigated in 987.1/M96 by changing oil every 6 mo and keeping the oil level at the minimum mark. IMS was a bit overblown, IMHO, but a threat nevertheless. Get a well cared for 987.1 (as evidenced by a PPI) and I wouldn't be scared of it.

The 9A1 did bump HP and useable power/torque by a healthy margin tho. So there's that!

I'm not a purist, but a turbo 4 banger Porsche just ain't for me. I like NA motors.

[usdmej]

Unsure about maintenance and but it feels likes prices are continuing to drop since not as many people want a 4 banger Porsche. What am I missing here?

speculation about future collectability is driving prices down

[repoman89]

It is really funny that people think that ICE sports cars are the right “investment” to buy when you can get risk free 5.5-6% government bonds and buy into the stock market while interest rates are high. Cars are for driving and IMO the real inflation adjusted value of them will mostly decrease from here.

I would love to own and enjoy an air cooled Porsche but the speculators are really messing up valuations. There is no way a 3.2 Carrera is an $80-100k experience.

[simon_c]

I'm not a purist, but a turbo 4 banger Porsche just ain't for me. I like NA motors.

Is it the sound or the power delivery? The way I see it my E46M gives me the NA experience so maybe the 4 banger turbo gives me something different. That being said, I get it. I really want to drive one to see how it feels. Either way, I feel like a cayman of some degree is in the cards.

[Casa de Mesa]

Is it the sound or the power delivery?

Both honestly.

[nahvkolaj]

I never gave the 987 too much thought but sounds like I need to do some digging here. A part of me just didn't want another 20 year old german car as well and little newer. That being said, I started looking at manual 718 cayman S models, which I know purists hate on, and all the reviews say the drive is quite good and a tune puts it at 430hp/400ftlb so gobs of torque. Exhaust sound is the biggest pitfall but add an aftermarket exhaust and it doesn't sound too bad. Unsure about maintenance and but it feels likes prices are continuing to drop since not as many people want a 4 banger Porsche. What am I missing here?

I drove a coworker's 718 S PDK loaner when his 981 was was in for service. Overall it's a very good car. The position is great, brakes are great, feel is great, EPS is the best I've ever felt (compared to E85 Z4, Camaro, Mustang, and M2C).

The engine was torquey but loud and not pleasant. Personally, 6 is the right number of cylinders whether they're in a straight line or horizontally opposed.

[simon_c]

I drove a coworker's 718 S PDK loaner when his 981 was was in for service. Overall it's a very good car. The position is great, brakes are great, feel is great, EPS is the best I've ever felt (compared to E85 Z4, Camaro, Mustang, and M2C).

The engine was torquey but loud and not pleasant. Personally, 6 is the right number of cylinders whether they're in a straight line or horizontally opposed.

If you could fix the sound would you reconsider? Some of the aftermarket exhausts like fabspeed, soul, etc sound a lot better but prob will never have the glorious sound of the flat 6. Could say the same thing about the stock E46M sound. I hated the exhaust note until I installed my Supersprint Sport and now I love it.

[01SG]

OP, you said your budget was around 60k. Can a 997.2 not be had for that money? You said it wasn't an option, but a manual with decent mileage seems obtainable for that amount. They largely fixed the reliability of the engine, and it is the last of the great 911s in my eyes.

[gaiakai]

OP, you said your budget was around 60k. Can a 997.2 not be had for that money? You said it wasn't an option, but a manual with decent mileage seems obtainable for that amount. They largely fixed the reliability of the engine, and it is the last of the great 911s in my eyes.

I'm constantly watching the market for a 997.2, and while there are a few outliers, unfortunately coupes with manual 997.2s are largely in the 65k - 70k range. Most of the 997.2s out there under 60k are going to be PDK.

I'm still kicking myself for getting a Civic Type R back in 2021 when these 997s could be had for 45k.

[jvit27]

981 has a better chassis, E46 has a better engine. Porsche's in general are more precise when it comes to handling but BMW's have more hoon/oversteer which often times make them more fun.

If I were to get a Cayman though, it would be a 718S. I was (still am on some days) shopping them for awhile to replace my E36 and a friend who had owned both 981/982 said the 4banger was a better car - and after one test drive I actually agree. The 718 is punchier down low and just feels much more playful. The sound isn't a flat-6 but it actually wasn't as WRX-y as I was expecting, and even makes some cool sounds once you put some load on it. 9A1 motors are good but don't have much fizz. The S54 feels FAR more special by comparison.

987 is a phenomal car to drive, and with some mods can be every bit a poor man's GT3. Very intuitive, light, and mechanical feeling. But I can't bring myself to give the E46 up for any of them just yet...

[Casa de Mesa]

987 is a phenomal car to drive, and with some mods can be every bit a poor man's GT3. Very intuitive, light, and mechanical feeling. But I can't bring myself to give the E46 up for any of them just yet...

Totally agree with this. The 9A1 with exhaust, cold air intake, GT3 throttle body and a tune is an absolute riot on my car. It's pretty fizzy. Not as fast as the E46 with all of the go-fast parts, but it has a lot of soul.

I'm a bit biased towards 987s, but it's hard to go wrong with a Cayman. If you're after a different experience as I was, it serves it up on a plate.

[simon_c]

OP, you said your budget was around 60k. Can a 997.2 not be had for that money? You said it wasn't an option, but a manual with decent mileage seems obtainable for that amount. They largely fixed the reliability of the engine, and it is the last of the great 911s in my eyes.

I love the 997.2 GTS but clean ones are way out of reach for me. I’ll prob get a lot of heat for this but a base / S model 997.2 doesn’t feel drastically different than my E46M. And as another member mentioned, even those are out of the price range when it comes to a clean manual example.

Don’t get me wrong, I still think they are great cars but not really what I’m looking for right now.