Yes, I wouldn't consider SLK (too soft, dull to drive) or Z4 (this last gen is not great). I would look at a later Cayman or any Cayman S. Personally, I like the idea of CPO, as well. Even a standard Cayman with the five speed is a great driver, just a little slow.
What about the Cayman S I linked in post #48? Is it a bad idea to buy a used Porsche with 51k mi? I was looking for something with less than 40K...
Lotus Super 7 Seriously; for something different I'd check out the Lotus Elise as well. I'd have one except its built too small. Its not that I'm too big its the car is too small. Thats the ticket.
If it means anything, some friends have put that many miles on their Caymans without issue. If the two year warranty is important to you, then you'll have to go CPO. I like the sounds of this one, though, and if you do, just get it inspected, check the service records, blah, blah, blah. If it checks out, buy it, drive it, be happy and be prepared for the occasional repair expense. The Cayman S is a wonderful car.
I bought a 2012 Cayman 8 months ago, and my neighbor bought a 2012 Boxster 9 months ago. I can share a little of the research we did before we bought. Neither of us were interested in the 2013 new model (981) as we didn't like the big Audi R8 style side scoop in the door, or the bigger center console that makes the inside look more like a Panamera but seemed cramped for a small car like the Cayman/Boxster. The current out going model 987 is not cramped inside and feels roomy (I'm a bulky guy, so this was very important to me). Seats are important... a long test drive in the standard seat gave me a backache, so I got sports seats. My neighbor wanted the standard seat because you can get it with heat or AC ventilation which is not available for the sports seats. (I did get Alcantara inserts because I find full leather seats too hot and sweaty for Florida beach weekends). We tried BMW Z4, MB, and Vettes but nothing felt like a Go Cart like the Cayman. I felt that the Cayman was more fun to drive at speeds from 30-120mph... where-as a lot of the other cars didn't become fun until you got over 90mph. The Cayman's mid-engine design and handling make it fun even at slow city speeds. I felt the Gen1 (06-08) base car was not fast enough at 245hp. I liked the Gen1 "S" but it had two issues (IMS and RMS) so I waited for the Gen2 cars (09-12) where they got rid of the IMS and addressed the RMS (and also beefed-up a overheating problem in the power steering and oil starvation system that both only showed-up during heavy track use). I drove the 2nd Gen base car with 265hp and found it to be perfectly geared for the roads I drive (2nd gear hits 55mph and 3rd gear hits 95mph)... I also drove the Gen2 "S" with 320hp and felt it was too fast for my daily drive as I'd rather push a small engine than hold back on a bigger engine. Also the 2nd Gen base car didn't have the Direct Fuel Injection that was new on the Gen2 "S" and some folks where complaining about soot problems building up in the engines. GOOD NEWS... in the real world, there have been so few problems with any of the Caymans (06-12) that I wouldn't have a problem buying any of the cars (as long as you're not a track rat). But I tend to keep my cars for a long time, so that's why I did the extra research that seems overly picky now as I look back. You might also want to look into the Porsche Approved Certified Pre-Owned program (CPO) its another expenses, but might be worth it on a car with higher mileage. If you have any questions ask away.... PS- as you can see from the photo, I choose the 17 inch wheels to improve feel & fun, my neighbor chose the 19 inch wheels for style. We tease each other that he's a poser, and he teases me that I can't keep all 4 wheels on the ground the way I drive. LOL PSS- I think the Boxster is too hot in Florida for 8 months of the year. I only like riding in his car at night... and this winter we didn't have 2 months of cold weather in central Florida. PSSS- I'd love to lower my car and make it look more sexy, but its a daily driver. I've twice hit road debris... with zero damage to the car. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks for all of the info, Mark!! I'm really happy to hear that it's a good car. I think I'm going to head over to Porsche of Orlando sometime this week to test drive both cars. I think I'm going to stick with the Cayman or Cayman S. I'd love to find a CPO 2009 Cayman S. I graduated from college on Saturday, so I'm looking to spend some money and reward myself!!
Have fun... (My sister lives in Orlando, and went to college there too), someday I'll have to stop by and check out Porsche of Orlando). The best web site for learning everything about Caymans is http://www.planet-9.com/forums/ After you check Orlando, I'd also look at inventories at Porsche of Ocala, Revees Porsche in Tampa, Brumos Porsche in Jacksonville, Bert Smith in St Pete (sales- Mike O'Donnell)... and Porsche of Sarasota. (Plus 3 more dealers in Fort Laud/Miami area if you need to go that far... and the big dealer in Atlanta GA).
A 987 is a great dd'er. My '05 Boxster with '07 Cayman S 3.4 guts (eng, trans, susp, wheels, brakes, GT3RS seats, etc) has been my dd since 2010 with zero complaints. By far the most bang for the buck car I have ever had. The '05/'06 Boxster/Cayman 987.1 (1st year for Cayman '06) has the last of the "replaceable" ims bearing in the engine. The oe part can indeed fail but one can pre-emptively install the updated aftermarket unit. '07/'08 has the last generation of ims bearing, and I have not heard of a failure yet. On the negative side, the engine cases must be split to update the ims on an '07/'08. '09-onwards (987.2) no longer has an ims bearing and also has direct fuel injection. I agree the Cayman looks better. I must say though that the Boxster top works so slick and seals so well it makes for a tough decision. Any well driven 987 3.4 can humble a lot of much pricier cars. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The 2013 Cayman really fixed the lines towards the back of the car. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I personally don't like the big new glass window, I think it makes the rear look too much like the Nissan 370Z. They smoothed out the back, and got rid of a lot of the lines, and flattened the fender's curves, to make it ready for a sliding targa sunroof in a few years. I hope the new Cayman is a big hit with modern buyers, but I like the original because I like older 911's and thought the Cayman had that retro style, without the real world issues of driving a 70's or 80's 911 everyday. I also remember when Ferrari was talking about doing a new baby Ferrari, or a modern day Dino... they killed the project and did the Californian instead. When Porsche launched the Cayman in 2006 I thought it looked a lot like what Ferrari had been talking about for the new baby Dino (see photo-set at bottom of page). The current Cayman is retro, for those of us who loved Ferrari in the 70's and Porsche in the 80's... its a lot of fun. But progress marches on Here's a few side-by-side photo sets I collected over the buying process... enjoy! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I guess I'm a little biased since I was considering a 370z purchase. Thanks for all those angle shots though. There are a couple views where the new Cayman does look a little "interesting".
Good luck with your search... I also looked at the 370z, nice car. Looking forward to seeing the new Cayman in showrooms (I know the Boxster is due in June) anyone know when new Caymans will arrive?
Speculation is about this time next year. I will have a serious interest in it. I really enjoy my '07. Dave
Hard to judge based on spy shots, but I think I agree with you. The new Boxster is a grand slam, IMHO, so I'm looking forward to real pics of the new Cayman.
-- The new Boxster uses a titanium insert in the roof, cutting cabin noise in half. -- Electric steering feedback issues are even more pronounced in the 981 than the 991. -- Excellence summed it up this way after its first drive: ~"It's more capable but will it be more fun?" -- The upgrade kit that pushes the 3.4L from 981S power levels to 991 levels should be the best selling package of its kind -- ever. -- Interior materials and switchgear are finally world class. -- They did find the area around the manual shifter to be a bit crowded with knobs, buttons and the like (PDKville . . .) -- Interesting compliment by X: With the limited diff, the 981S should be as fast as any supercar on a fun backroad road. +++ Saw a CaymanS on Route 7 in CT in red over tan. It looked far more curvy and feminine than when I see it in the usual colors (silver, black, white.)
I went to Porsche of Orlando this weekend to test drive a Cayman. I wanted to make sure I actually liked it and it wasn't too cramped. I actually loved it. The one we took out was the 2012 Cayman b/c it was manual. There was a silver 2007 Cayman S there, but the sticker on it was $42k and had 35k miles, which from my research, is entirely too much. The guy later called and offered it to me for a much lower price, but it was still higher than what I've seen and it was an automatic. I received an e-mail from BMW this morning saying they want to look at my car and make me an offer because they're short on pre-owned inventory. I'm going to take it over there tomorrow night and have them look at it to get a quote. Who knows? Maybe they'll have Caymans in their system. I know there was a Boxster for sale. Fingers crossed. I have a positive feeling about everything. One way or another, sooner or later, I'll get my Cayman.
Glad you had fun. I took my used car over to CarMax to get a written estimate of what they'd buy it for... before I went to BMW. Then when the BMW dealer told me it was worth "X" I whipped-out my CarMax paper and said i've already been offered more than that at CarMax. One of my conditions to do a deal is they had to beat CarMax not just match it. After acting all insulted, they offered $500 dollars more. (Plus- CarMax had a 911 sitting around, so I test drove it for fun while waiting for their written estimate.)
I'm going to take my car to CarMax tonight to get a quote then. That way, I will have a better idea when I go to Fields BMW tomorrow. I really like this Cayman S, but do you think it's foolish to buy one with 51,500 miles on it? I'm thinking that if I can go through Fields, I'll have them do the deal for me, inspect the Cayman S, stay with BMW Financial (who have been AWESOME), and sell my car to them.
Best advice, don't rush 1st - Glad to hear you are going to CarMax. Its a great service they provide, my BMW dealer hates them 2nd - 50,000 miles "is" or "is not" a problem depending on who the driver was? The Porsche dealer can print out a data sheet that shows any over-revs on the engine, and how many times the engine was run in each RPM range. I'd get that report and then post here and on http://www.planet-9.com/forums/ (best Cayman specific website) to have a few people help you review what the numbers mean. 3rd - You have at least 5 other Porsche dealers with-in medium driving distance- Ocala, Jacksonville, Tampa, St Pete, Sarasota... (and 5 more that are just a little further away South Florida, and Georgia). Write one quick email telling them what you are looking for, and put them all to work for you. I walked into a dealer once that was trying to get rid of a 2007, and was ready to deal on price. You just never know when someone is trying to move something off the floor. 4th - make a short list of your top 5 options. (for me it was- sports seats, steering wheel with radio and phone controls, stick shift, 17 inch wheels, and memory seats for my wife). Porsche has a ton of options and you won't find everything you want, but you should have an idea of whats important to you.
Stephanie, You can join the Porsche Club of America's forum as a pending Porsche owner. Not only is there a ton of easily accessed expertise there, but a lot of diehard car nuts sell their babies through the site -- good group of people, too. I hope this helped.
If you can do it, test drive an 'S' and a non-'S' back to back and see what you think. I've seen people split on which they prefer. One group says non-S buyers will be back in a year to get the one with the bigger mill. The other says that the regular is great, and day-to-day you won't notice the difference. Don't know which group you'll fall into, but I think the back-to-back runs may help sort the important question: "to S or not to S"
On Caymans I just think you have to get the "S" in order to not have the butthole looking exhaust. That being said.. I went with a base Carrera on my 911 rather than ponying up for a Carrera S and I think that day-to-day it's just fine for me.
I think you may have just tipped the scales in favor of the 'S'.... Or at least made it impossible for many of us to look at a Cayman from the rear and NOT think "butthole exhaust". (Repressing the giggles won't be easy, either). = D
