2006 Porsche Cayman S Review - Is The 987.1 Still A Good Buy? 

Hey Fenton, thanks for reviewing my car! I figured I'd pitch in some quick info for the comment section - I do most, if not all the work myself in the driveway without a lift or fancy tools. The one thing that a shop did was my exhaust, because it was too hot to work that weekend and the bolts for the over-axle pipe were rusted solidly onto the catted header. The only way to save money on maintenance (with ANY car, there is no such thing as cheap labour anymore, especially in CA) is to do the work yourself. I haven't had any significant clearance or access issues with the RMR platform and it's a pretty beginner-friendly car to work on if you invest the time doing research before you start a job. For those who are shopping for 987.1's, the key is a PPI from a reputable shop with a borescope inspection. This car came back with a clean bill of health and the cylinder walls were in good condition, prompting me to purchase the car. Do not let the IMS bearing turn you away. That is an issue for the 986 and 996 generation cars. If you keep up with the oil changes (I do Motul 300V 5w40 every 3000 miles) and do not defer maintenance, the car will treat you well. Shop for deals on big ticket items and use the hell out of FCPEuro's lifetime replacement guarantee. This is not a cheap car to own, but it is a joy to drive and it will take care of you as long as you take care of it. There is no such thing as a cheap Porsche, but there is no substitute.

Very nice car. Good to see first gen back on the channel you know the 987.1 is an awesome car to drive every time. With the manual of course. Seriously great value. Stunning looks as well.

There is something to be said for the aesthetics of the car as well, compared to lots of other choices the Cayman is stunningly beautiful when parked next to them.

987.2 is the answer , no worries about bore scoring and ims

This is exactly what I'm looking for in car reviews. Sub'd - liked and thank you for doing the one thing most people want do with this type of purchase.

Reliability is relative, i think the 987.1 is still way up there for a modern Porsche. Before i owned one i was blinded by 911 superiority complex and IMS bearings, but i think time has shown it's overblown plus there is an actual fix. Now you got new Subaru Toyotas blowing up for making right turns on the track 😂. I'd rather own a stock base 987 with dry sump, port injection, hydraulic steering, good brakes, more power, better genes /looks/sound. These days, everything is expensive to fix unless you do the work yourself. Ohlins for a non electronic 987 is only a little more than the s2k kit. I thought Cayman was difficult to work on until i watched videos of 911, the front and top access panels made it easy as mid engine can be given you have access to lift.

IMS is not a risk on any 987.1 Cayman. They all have the final big bearing, which is very reliable. But bore scoring on the 3.4 is a very real risk, and there's not that much you can do to prevent it.

987.1 received 3rd Gen IMS. It’s a larger diameter located inside the shaft. Porsche’s Do Not Touch. Bore scoring is imminent with time and milage. But can be prolonged with oil management.

I wanted to love this gen Boxster/Cayman with the hydraulic rack for better feedback. However when I drove an S manual I found out it’s not for me. I much prefer the 981 Cayman/Boxster S.

keep up the good videos, btw what happened to that spreadsheet with car/ ratings you had?

rode in a high mileage, mostly stock example of these on track with my instructor at thunderhill east and it felt great even as a passenger. but i think a key factor in the used price is the high maintenance cost--even if you mitigate the ims, bore scoring, and oil starvation issues, that's a chunk of change to install AOS/baffle/etc and the parts and other typical maintenance still have that porsche premium

Nice car but I’d never buy a used one. Nice to see your reviews for sure, keep them coming !!

Great video ... great automobile. Can you provide more details and product item that replaced the stock PCM allowing CarPlay to be installed & I'm assuming a rear view camera. Thank you.

Cayman sounds so much better than 911s on the inside. I drive both and it can't be understated. I genuinely wished back when 996 came out, Porsche should have just abandoned rear engine and made 911 mid engine

Love your videos. I figure you are at the mercy of the cars you have access to but would be interested in a C7 GS on a canyon impression. I have one but unfortunately I live in MS. I come to park city and Colorado to drive yearly but don’t think I would be able to make it al the ay to the coast.

Absolutely yes.

"I rarely see these fail" 😂. I was at the track day when yours failed.

I always like Porsche cars but never owned one. Maybe one day ill get one

I was letting go of my Corvette C7 Z51 AT and test drove a Cayman S 981 with the PDK, thinking that I was going to feel in love with the car but missed the strong V8 and the exhaust noise of the exhaust, instead went and got a 6th gen Camaro SS 6MT, I enjoyed more the strong V8 combined with the 6MT. No regrets.

Great video. Makes me want to take mine out for a spin. Shame it's got a fuel tank leak (common failure). Porsche build quality is shocking. I do love mine though. IF the engine munches itself, just throw in an LS3 and you'll never look back.

Thanks for this - starting to look what’s available in the $30-40k mark. Would be fun to get the mid-motor model to explore that handling compared to my old 996/7 platform. Yes 300hp in these lighter cars is great and it never complains.

Would be fun to have a comparo of Supra 2.0 vs GR86 from you!

Loce this generation Cayman S. To me the 2000s porsches where truly fantastic and from a company who wanted just about anyone to enjoy their cars. The new ones are meant for the elites and mot my cup of cake. Back then when you said i drive a porsche peoples first thought was you are a true driver who enjoys fun cars, todays cars peoples reaction is you're either a macaan owner or a rich guy.

What is the mileage like when you drive like that in low gears? 10-12mpg?

oooh 987.1 on GMR, nice

Hello! I want a roof rack for mine too! Any recommendations?

I've seen some with blown engines for about $10,000. They already make a adapter plate/swap kit for a LS😊. This is also a mid-engine so it won't affect performance and the LS3 is only 40 lb more

I'm a huge Porsche guy but a BRZ/86 is simply better for the money plus they'll warranty track lubrication issues.

Ski rack on the roof lovers the top speed and increases the fuel consumption by quite a bit... On my moms Diesel Polo it took 20km/h of the top speed and fuel consumption went from 0,44 liter per 10km to 0,5 - 0,6 liter per 10 km (a lot more fuel consumption at higher speeds).

The 2.9 base model is the best Porsche today. It has no DFi, which every new Cayman, Boxster and 911 has. Play it safe get a 2.9.

Some times a cheep price is more expensive in the long run. This car has earned its reputation, and I think that stands true with your 987.

I have 103k on mine and the engine always Porschez. Hard to describe but I'll give the geek out: like flying an X Wing Fighter and R2 is the engine right behind you. You and the car are so one that you're annoyed if you have a passenger.

Honestly I plan I picking up a 987.1 in about a year and driving it until I blow the motor up. Then I’m going to do the infamous LS swap for more power. 🤷‍♂️

I have owned my 3.4 Cayman S 2007 since 2017. It has 70,000 on the clock and is bulletproof. Beautiful car. Sorry... but I paid £16,000 for it back in the day. Worth more now.

The person who installed the roof bars, should be exiled to Antarctica.

IMS is not an issue for 987 both .1 and .2 borescoring however, is quite concerning for 987.1 S 3.2. But their base model (2.7) is bulletproof! borescoring issue for 987.2 S (3.4) is significantly reduced! cheers

How does it compare to a base Cayman or Boxster 987?

Man that's a lot of movement in the steering wheel for then turns

So how does it compare to the King - the 86, which can be had for similar money?

I dunno. These non GT pcars have me spooked. I did the ims/rms preventative maintenance. Then my AOS failed at the track. The. My second track day the water bottle failed on the way home. Then my third track day ran into oil starvation. I do oil changes before every track day. Get the baffled pan. The final nail was my last track day ran into gas starvation mid corner on a long sweeper. Had over 3/4 a tank. I was as quick as I wanted to be but didn’t want to throw more money into the car to make up for these issues. Saving for a GT car now

My guy, where do I get that Öhlins shirt?😂

Car looking like a hoot going downhill!

Need to learn to change gear more often

Do the electric racks turn easier an the hydraulic ones?

I personally hate floor mounted throttle pedals

Sounds great! The purchase price is tempting, but the maintenance and IMS bearing issues could be a nightmare and burn a hole through your pocket...

u didn't mention the BRZ at all in this vid...guess you forgot about the BRZBOIZ 😥

$30,000 for an 18 year old car is insane. I dont care what it is. It started at $59000 brand new.

a 987.1 for 30k? better be low mileage and extremely well cared for. I got my 987.2 S for 36k, 55k miles. it's a superior car in every way. buy the 987.2 if you can afford it.

You failed to mention one of the biggest weak points of the Cayman. That would be the ridiculously tall gearing. It is a great car. However, the gearing combined with painful cost of aaaaall maintenance and modifications, unfortunately cut into the ownership experience.

I'm getting a s2000 if I have 30k to spend on a sports car

Never can go wrong with a cayman unless it needs to be fixed

this is 9k in uk

Used to be $ 28 ~ 34 k ten years ago LMAO Great car but it didn't depreciate at all (Meaning that it's great car I guess)

In uk they start from 8000£ price , how is 30k $ waw, 3 mins in video watching and I can’t anymore , dude change the gears lol is not automatic

id have a z4m coupe over one of these after owning both

I have owned a 2008 Cayman S 987.1 for over 10 years now and put 50k miles on it. One of the best and most reliable cars I have ever owned. Just routine maintenance, brakes and tires. I change oil every 5k miles and send it in for oil analysis to keep an eye on the engine health. I don't track it much, but I do tear up the canyons quite often. It is a blast! Still can't justify the the $70k difference to upgrade to a new one. The fun to drive factor is still that high on it compared to the new ones. For those scared of IMS/Bore Scoring... it's over hyped. Name any other high performance car that is guaranteed for life and has zero issues.... they don't exist. Labor costs, even at honda/toyota, are approaching $200 an hour. Nothing is cheap to fix anymore.

The bore scoring issue seems more prevalent as the mileage increases on the Alusil M96/M97 engines. Buying used is a gamble... maybe get lucky and find one that has had all the right things done to minimize bore scoring...but if not, a rebuild could cost as much as what you paid for the car!

Spend a little more and get a 981.

This or a 996?

Maybe im just a fan boy.. But id say any Porsche anytime is the answer!👍

These cars drive a million times better on small wheels - the 17s from the base model. Yes, they will go on the 3.4. Wakes the car up no end. Much mnore steering and chassis feel, far more interactive on the smaller tyres. On 18s and 19s these cars are so dead behind the eyes.

Stay away from that year....