In this video i compare my 987 boxster s to a 981 boxster GTS. Did i buy the right car. With the cost of maintaining a 987 could i have bought a 981 that is more reliable and a better car? Follow me on instagram @willbehindthecamera
I've been fortunate enough to drive a 987 S and a 981 S both in manual. I actually preferred the 987. The power increase in the 981 was not much different. The 981 felt too insulated and civilised which many people probably prefer. Interesting observation about felling like a Volkswagen. That was my impression too. To me it felt the same as my Volkswagen Golf and not like a Porsche sports car. The more raw feel of the 987 appeals to me far more I guess. I've never driven an air cooled Porsche but I understand they are even more raw again so I would probably love them. Styling - there seems to be universal appeal to the 981 due to the extra "aggression" and anger. Again I prefer the curvier look of the 987. It evokes the 550 Spyder and looks far prettier - to me - than the 981. I have the money to buy any Porsche Boxster from the first to the latest 718's. I bought a 987. To me it was just a perfected and better 986. The 987 I believe is the car Porsche would've built if they weren't in dire financial straights which compromised the 986 some. The 987 was the last gen built entirely when Porsche was fully independent. 987 is 100% Porsche. I see lots of Volkswagen in Porsches after the 987.
thanks for your observations. I owned a volkswagen golf gti before upgrading to a 987 boxster s. initially, the gear shift was something of a shock after the almost butter-like shift of the gti. however after three years I wouldn`t trade the raw, sporty feel and the hydraulic steering for anything else. I was initially a bit downcast at not having the extra £8000 or so to pick up a comparable 981. after reading your comment however, I feel vindicated, so thanks for that...and yes, even the 987`s more timeless design will probably hold up better than the 981 in the long term, too.
"same as my Volkswagen Golf" I've owned 987.2 BS and 2010 GTI, currently own a 981 BS. My girlfriend ownes a 2014 Golf.........the 981 feels NOTHING like a base Golf or GTI. The 981 is the superior vehicle, LMAO🤣🤣🤣
Great vid, but I was expecting a more definitive answer I brought a 987 base cayman 4 years ago for £10k and still have it and my son drives it. I just recently brought a Boxster 981 base for 21k and just love it. I think it’s about your personal budget, 4 years ago I could not afford a 981 as I think they were £30k plus then. But if the difference is only say around £5k, then save up a little more and go for the 981, but if difference is more than £5k then go for the 987 and enjoy it as it will not depreciation that much and then up grade when your finances allow At the end of the day whatever 981 or 987 you will have one of the best cars to drive in that price range
The 981 is the sweet spot in the cayman range. No doubt. Have driven 987 R, 981 gts and gt4, 718 Spyder, gt4 and 4.0. If I could choose one as the universal tool I’d choose the 981 gts. Sublime built quality, maybe the best sounding Porsche, enough comfort for the city but also enough performance to have fun on the track and best looking generation. I’d also choose the x73 suspension and the PDK. Some may say PASM and manual transmission is more nice but I’ve driven both and even as a fan of manual cars the PDK makes the car significantly faster and it’s incredibly fast shifting. You can drive with both hands on the steering and it does exactly what you’d do if it was a manual transmission- only faster.
981 gts is such a good car for the money. Perfect as a road car, which is what I would use it for. And a great exhaust note. I love the manual in it as it has the auto blip on downshifts. The PDK is a great gearbox as you say.
Simply from a driving perspective, I think the 987 is the better car. And that's the winning ticket for me with a Boxster. From a looks perspective there are other cars that you could throw into the conversation, but nothing beats a 987 for perfect driving car.
Just got 987.2 Boxster S. All my friends told me to get 981, which is going for not that much more, but I prefer the older car, mainly the steering and raw feeling. The only thing with Boxters/Caymans is that they don't get much street cred, even though mine cost the same as 997.1 or 996, but hey, it drives like a dream and I'm enjoying it.
I love the 987.2 and might look to upgrade at some point. Back to back the steering in the 987 is much more engaging. Both great cars. Congratulaions on your purchase
I have both cars, 987.1 Boxster S & 981 Cayman GTS, both are manual, heavily optioned and have been modified. The 987 will always feel more analog because of the steering and its absolutely sublime. Though it doesn't make as much power, if you modify it correctly, it's more than fast enough to get most people into trouble. My car has full suspension, exhaust, tune, bigger TB, Recaro buckets ETC. The 981 feels like it has a more motorsports pedigree with a higher redline and more torque. It also really comes alive when you add headers like I did. On a twisty road I've timed both of my cars and the times are identical, however when the straightaway comes then the Cayman pulls ahead, by about a car length. For my purposes I used the Cayman when I drive with my hardcore GT3 friends who want to drive like hooligans all the time, and the Boxster I take on the twistiest roads I can find and I savor every minute of the tactility I receive from the wheel. There is no right or wrong answer, they are both tools for different purposes.
Thanks for watching. I've seen your videos your 981 sounds great. Love the 987 for that analog feel and hopefully will get some good mods on it too. :)
I have both of these cars. I've got a 987 S 3.2 liter and a 981 S 3.4 liter Boxster. The 987 with hydraulic stearing and a manual transmission is a better sprots car. The 981 S with electronic stearing and a PDK is a much better car. They are both great! ive spent much more on repairs on the 987 so you need to plan for that.
Great video, 981 S is definitely the sweet spot in the market and is a massive upgrade over the previous GEN, plus you get dual intakes and a great exhaust note along with all the features of the car and makes it a great daily driver. It will easily kick it up at notch when you want it to. Enjoy
Be it 981 S, base, 987.1, 987.2 or even a 911, regardless of which Porsche you buy the maintenance cost will catch up with you unless you are holding it for a very short period. It does cost a few coins to maintain these cars, added to the normal running costs, at certain mileage depending on use or age you will splurge out on: AOS, radiator cross pipes, suspension replacement, perished cv joint and other unusual events. Certain components are definitely bound to corrode or get worn out, once these are replaced you can enjoy years of trouble free driving. It doesn’t matter which one you buy these maintenance will happen at some point, it is just the Porsche journey so embrace it and enjoy the Porsche you can afford to buy.
Nonsense, I've owned 20+ Porsche sports cars and haven't had a significant problem with any of them other than a water pump that had to be replaced under warranty in a 991.2 GTS. The rest has been standard servicing and if used round track wear and tear items e.g. pads and brake rotors.
@@dw4525 All purchased from new and well maintained. The few cars that have problems tend be garage queens and some of the much, much older models did have some problems e.g. IMSB and bore scoring.
I've got a 986 S and thought about a 987 but the more I looked, the more I prefered the older look of the 986. I now find myself looking at 987 3.2s as the extra power would be nice... BUT, I've spent a bit of money on mine so know what's been done to it and fingers crossed, there shouldn't be any big surprises ahead. Buying another car, I could be back to sqare one and need to do a few jobs to it, Regards the 981, I think it's turned into more of a luxury interior and less sports car like in the cabin. Still a fantastic car though, and I wouldn's say no! 😁
Thanks for watching mate. The 986 is growing on me, they look like a proper modern classic. I get what you mean, I have looked into 981 maintanence and parts are more expensive than the 987. Propbably best to get my 987 sorted and enjoy it. I still cant help scrolling on Auto trader though :)
Interested to see more 981 content from this channel 👍 I’m in the market for a Boxster and I’m undecided as to which generation suits me best. I’m curious how the engine sounds and running costs compare thanks
Thanks for watching Chris. I've not driven a gen 2 but looking at them they have definatly uppded the quality and given a good boost in power on both the S and standard. Very cool cars :)
The 987.2 is still around 981 prices, it all depends on what you like, the 987.2 is the last of the not overly electronic but 981 looks better from behind. I prefer the rear lights on the 987.1 than the .2
I think that the 981 looks better from every viewpoint. It also has a chassis which has significantly greater torsional rigidity and a wider track. Downside - DFI rather than port injection.
I went 981, the interior is so much better and the reliability. Only thing worse is steering feel, but doing the GT3 calibration helps a lot. But I was close to getting a 987.2.. Both are great cars.
Thanks for watching. I did not know about a GT3 calibration on a 981 sounds like it would be a welcom upgrade. I'll be sticking with my 987 for now but hopefully a 981 will be a future car. :)
Personal perspective on this is, I waited till the 2nd gen 987 Cayman came out with the MA1/9A1 engine and bought the 2nd year of production, a 2010 Cayman S (3.4). The 2nd gen Cayman and Boxster engine is in the 981 with a couple of small changes (insignificant) for the new model. The 987 1st gen had the most improvements done to the engine (M97) before The replacement of it and the Mezger in the 911 GT3, Turbo and the GT2. So if you like the 987 styling, then you can look for a 2nd gen to get the new engine along with some other updates, or just enjoy what you have right now.
The 981 is the one to have IF you can afford it but some of them are expensive and both can cost big money when things go wrong. I have owned 2 986S and one987 base and would like a 981
you will be facing a 30-40 percent difference in purchase cost between a 987 and a comparable condition/mileage 981. therefore, your choice will essentially boil down to the financial means at your disposal. my personal impression is that, although the 981 has the more aggressive, exciting look, the older 981 will be regarded as the more "classic", timeless design twenty years from now.
Interesting comparision however each gen is going to be better than the previous gen my 987 .1 is totally different to the 986.1 i had neither being the s but both good units in their own right
Definatley doesn't give as much feel as the 987 but still a great car to drive. The 981 might be more refined but the steering of the 987 sets it apart.
The 981 is a much better car in terms of chassis etc. The 981 change from 987 was a bigger step than 997 to 991 which was very significant. The torsional rigidity is ~ 40,000 Nm/deg (981 Cayman) this is more than the 992 911 which is ~ 39,000 Nm/degree V 987 Cayman ~ 31,000 Nm/deg - as a reference point the Aventador is ~ 35,000 Nm/deg. This means the suspension works much better through the twisties - you have more grip and therefore more corner speed. The 981 was so good the 718 remained virtually unchanged. Add to that the much better engine and gear box .................
You should have got Cayman S 987. The large rear wheel wells stick out from side vents and give the rear hips. Especially when you look at the side mirror looking back to the honches. BTW, the only repair I’ve made is light bulb and a gas cap. No squeeks, no rattle. Solid as new. 987.2 and 981 are starting to get bore scoring. Cylinder liners were not ungraded until 991.2 or 718.
I have heard stories of the 998.2 and some 981 getting scoring intrested to see as these cars get older. I do like the look for the cayman but I love getting the roof down.
porsche club of america (in their technical video on the subject) states that the bore scoring problem had been 99.9 percent solved with upgraded cylinders by the time porsche came out with the 987.2. as for boxster versus caymen, someone who buys a boxster normally buys it for a reason...being that they are looking for a cabriolet. which is of course not to say they`re not both great cars.
@@willbehindthecamera porsche club of america have an excellent technical video on bore scoring in which they state that by the launch of the 987.2 in 2008, the bore scoring problem had been solved. I have yet to hear of a single case of bore scoring on a 981.
@@donkeyshot8472I’ve seen the PCA videos. I can’t recall it. Porsche Dealership did confirm it happens on 987.2 and even 981. Not until 991.2 came out.
Very good point. I still miss mine sometimes. I rented the new one on holiday recently and loved it. I should be able to finish the comparison video soon :)
Sold my 94 miata r during crazy prices, itching to get another sports car. Was automatically going Miata, , but even new ones do not make much power. Huge jump up in pricing to get into a porsche. Thinking of 2003-6 boxster s. S2000 doesn't do much for me visually.
