2009 Porsche Cayman S (987.2 vs. 987.1) - POV Driving Impressions

Still have my 987.1 2.7 Cayman 245 HP from 2.2008 over 200.000 km now 15 years one of the best Porsches I ever owned no issues whatsoever and it’s definitely the best design Porsche has ever made never will sell this one !

İm in live with porsche since 6 years old

987.1 received 3rd Gen IMS. It’s a large diameter which is located inside the shaft. So it’s a do not touch by Porsche. Bore scoring is common for 987.1 and 987.2 still suffers it too. Fuel injection does not correct gravity on flat six. It just takes time ie. over 100,000kms.

If reliability is what you after, 987.1 only get the base model 2.7. You won't have bore scoring issue.

If you really want the S model you have to get the 987.2 as bore scoring issues are almost zero

It's DOT 2 😊

Not come across your video’s before, great video

As for the difference in price from the .1 to .2, spend $10k more up front. You won't be dreading "is this the day I get a $15,000 motor rebuild?", and you'll get all that $10k premium back (probably more) if you sell the car some day. And in the meantime you get to enjoy 10% more power and some other niceties too.

It’s a shame u complete forgot the most common issue with the 987.1 which is the bore scoring issue. Seems u didn’t do enough research on your car😂😂😂

If you do an IMS for 987.1. You’ll need to rebuild engine. It’s the 3rd gen IMS and because of its larger diameter, you cannot access it. It’s inside the shaft. Basically Porsche has corrected the IMS issues and put a “Do Not Touch” label.

I have owned a 987.1 2008 Cayman S MT 6speed with ECU tune for over 10 years.. I was about to purchase a 2011 987.2 Boxster Spyder MT 6 speed with 320 hp. Honestly, I walked away because I could not feel any difference in power, in fact, the Spyder did not have sport mode and actually felt sluggish in the lower rpm's compared to my 2008 CS with sport mode. I know sport mode would have made a nice difference on the Spyder, but I was still not impressed and did not feel it was worth double the price. Bragging rights... sure, but smiles per miles... no way. The 987.1 IMS bearing/bore scoring argument is tired and just not as common as the internets fear mongering portrays. We are talking 1 percent. If you are going to talk about the 987.1 engines issues, then please be fair and discuss the 987.2 engine and transmission issues. 987.2 pdk's are beginning to have lots of failures that can cost up to $18k to fix. 987.2 Engines have High pressure fuel pump failures, High pressure fuel injector failures, 997.2 Bore scoring in cold climates, PDK failures and software issues, Long term effects of Direct fuel injection and high pressure fuel spray against cylinder walls and valves, Carbon build up on valves from DFI system. Just seems strange that car reviewers want to focus on one cars issue over another. I am a huge Porsche Enthusiast and owner and I have driven over 400,000 miles in various Porsches with no problems or issues mechanically. Stop worrying so much about the internet fear mongering, get yourself a nice condition, used Porsche, and get out and drive. Owning a Porsche is like taking the RED PILL of the car world. You will never look at other cars the same way again.

987.1 base for me and love it. Easy to work on.

Wow, now I'm stuck xD
I've been looking for a new car for the past 12 months, I'd replace my first car, a 2012 Mercedes-Benz B Class, and I can't choose between a 2010 Porsche Cayman S Manual and a 2017 Mercedes-AMG CLA45. I guess it will come down to trying out both and feeling which one I like more.

Hard agree with you. 987 Cayman is the best looking, the newer versions got more robust and lost the curves that made the og iconic. Hoping I can get one of these one day.

The 987 is beautifully analog. There is no other way to put it. I’ve driven Ferraris, 911 turbos, but they don’t take the place of the cayman. That’s what makes it a great car. It will get more collectible in years to come due to their straightforwardness, finesse, and simplicity…compared to some very chintzy spec 911s.

I picked up my 987.2 2.9 in 6MT recently, best decision of my life! Thanks for posting the video, had a little comparison to my own car :).

987.1 Cayman is a blast to drive and to own. The steering is simply the best there is. Also the original hips are the most attractive. I am totally unconcerned with IMS and if bore scoring were to happen I will simply deal with it and continue enjoying it. Of course the 987.2 is highly desirable too especially the R which has its own suspension setup I’d love to test drive someday. So yeah I prefer the Caymans to the 911 as well. Lightweight and solid. Mine has been very reliable for the 4 years I’ve had her. I enjoy driving it as much as my 718 GTS so considering the price point of the 987.1 I would expect them to hold their value indefinitely.

Love this car ! I agree ! I have a 2011 S with a manual 45k miles. Black with black Spyder wheels , the sport design package and the locking diff

Im with him on liking the cayman more than the 911. This is a proper sports car. Just has the proper amount of everything. Handles like a dream. Enough useable power. It looks fantastic. Its fairly rare vehicle especially the .2 version. I was contemplating switching to a 911 but having driven both cars back to back 987.2 hands down won my heart

The 987.2's also cost more because of PDK, and the number of units in manual is much lower. In fact the total number of 987.2 units is much less than 987.1, so that also helps to drive the price up. There just aren't enough to go around. And when they really heat up in the next few years, all bets are off. I've had a Lotus Elise as well as many other similar cars and the 987.2 S is the BEST compromise for a raw feeling city/canyon car that wont beat you up on the road. It just has the best balance of everything. Plus, great storage for a 2 seat sports car (frunk and hatch), with excellent reliability from the new engine, coupled to a slick shifting transmission. You really cant go wrong with these!

isnt it a bad decision to buy an old car like this because of the high maintenance cost and relieablity issues? dont get me wrong i agree this is peak cayman and i fkn love it personally!

Love the design of the 987.2, so subtle but makes such a big difference especially in the right spec! I currently have a 987.2 Boxster S Black Edition but would love a Peridot Green Cayman R ;))

I agree that the older machines often have a bit better "feel". While modern models often have have better grip, power, braking, etc, they often are more isolated from the road.

Oh, and you can't "do the IMS" on a 987.1 Cayman. They all have the big bearing which means to remove the bearing, you have to remove the engine and split the crank case. Not that you'd want to because the final big bearing is very reliable and hardly ever fails.

IMS is NOT the problem with a 987.1 Cayman. They all have the final big bearing which rarely fails. The problem with the .1 is bore scoring on the 3.4, which is running at epidemic levels.

I went with a new GR86 instead of a preowned Cayman. Cost would have been sort of-ish the same, but the daunting reality of having to repair something (or several things given time/luck) on a 14+ year old Porsche was prohibitive. For me anyway.

You have a head mounted camera or a chest mounted camer .... I think a lot of people love a camera setup video..❤

Too bad you gotta go up to GTS to get Flat-6 for 718. That's too close to 911 pricing. If I want a 6-cylinder Porsche, what would you recommend? 718 GTS or 992 Carerra?

I prefer the Cayman platform over the 911 platform also. I like the size and proportions more.

The inside joke among 987.2 owners is that their cars are also known as the 988. The number of upgrades it received over the 987.1 justified a new model number.

We need a 987.2 vs 981 comparison!

Great video, I've wondered about many of the things that you've answered in this video. I'm going to go drive my 987.1 now.

I live not too far from Peoria if you ever need a base 981 pdk to review!

You and Every Day Driver have me thinking about a Cayman after my BRZ. I’ll be on autotempest for the next two hours lol.

I agree on Cayman vs 911. I had a 987.1 base Boxster, traded it in on a 991.2 cab. Way faster but the Boxster was more fun and sounded better. Now I want to get a 987 Cayman to complement the 911!

Conclusion is if you can afford the .2, get the .2.

That was a great review, well done!

Is the 987 reliable? Any service headaches compared to average cars?

Wow just looked these up, prices really shot up in the past 6 months. Bummer.

Nice

Topher reading my mind. I've been on the fence on getting a 987 these past few weeks.

Another major difference (even bigger than IMS, imo) is the 987.2 does not appear to suffer from the known bore scoring issues of the 987.1.

Hopefully we can get you guys one of our K24 Turbo swapped Cayman's to review next year ;)

How much is the insurance for your 987.1?

Porsches are really growing on me, they just sound amazing and just look like so much fun.

987.2 is a goat

Car looks cool