NEW! Buy the Porsche Cayman Retro Pink Two Tone Shirt here: www.redbubble.com/people/mech... Debunking a few myths about the Porsche Cayman that are out there.
It really hacks me off when people like you refer to a Boxster as a "poor mans 911". It is no such thing. I own a Boxster and could well afford a 911 at the time I bought it. The reason I prefer it is that it is MID ENGINED . The handling as a result is better than any 911. Top speed is a load of nonsense as here in the UK 70 mph is h fastest one can go anywhere in the country if you want to keep your licence. It also offers top down driving which I much prefer.
+1 Alan maxted@ .. When my '98 Carrera C2S (993) was a few years old it was the keys of my wife's '00 Boxster I'd often reach for. .. The mid-engine chassis is the bomb! .. While the '00 Boxster S has been longgg gone. .. It's a '16 Cayman GTS that will be [has] joining the 993 C2S in the garage. .. Can't get enough of that mid-engine chassis balance goodness .. Just don't talk smack about the 993 C2S coupe. .. Its a big dog in its own evolutionary right. .. Cheer's .. Vail, Colorado
People like who? The guy in the video never said that the Boxster “was a poor mans 911”, he said that this is what the perception was, which is 100% true. And let’s face it, the big wigs at Porsche knew full well that this car would never appeal to the so-called real “Porsche people”. The Boxster was meant to appeal to an entirely different group of people than their usual customers. And yes, we all know that a mid-engine layout is better than a rear engine layout but most of us simply cannot afford to fork out nearly a million dollars for a 918 Spyder (my personal favorite). As for the Boxster I personally just never quite liked the looks of it. Which is weird since I absolutely love the looks of the Cayman, a car which is based on the exact same platform as the Boxster.
Nice video, and thanks for the info. I’m a Audi tech at a European dealer. I have asked our Porsche Techs about the IMS issues. Just to add on that comment about the IMS. The IMS usually fails from insufficient lubrication. The engine (since it’s a Porsche) was designed to be driven. In other words rev out the gears a little. The bearing is splash oil lubricated and higher revs of the engine create a better supply of oil to the bearing. I’m not saying red line every gear and beat it down. But usually from about 4,000 rpm or a little higher is good for it. The reason that they fail, especially on Boxsters is that when driven, they are driven by people who don’t understand that concept. They casually drive the car like a Chevy or anything like it (usually the older generation) and don’t drive they car like it was designed to be driven. So overtime driving like a grandpa can actually hurt to the engine and cause premature failure in the IMS bearing.
The IMS bearing is sealed not splash lubricated. The failure comes from wear and tear and a bad design (single row ball bearings sealed ). Aftermarket upgrades replacements are roller bearing with oil feed line that splash lubricates. $2000 parts and labor to fix the IMS issue. Later 2009+ models have 9A1 engine instead of the M96 engines that did away with the intermediate shaft so no more bearing to fail.
Ahh nice :) Sooo when the police and people yell at me for going at 4000rpm in the city I tell them that it is to not ruin the car... I actually had that same problem with my road legal dirtbike WR450 as you had to drive it up in the revs 6000+ or else it would loose more and more power as the engine filled up with whatever crap it accumulated. I told the police that when they claimied I was speeding, I was just keeping the revs up in low gear driving in the city, and they reluctantly accepted that explanation and let me go without giving me a fine as I was not actually speeding, it just sounded like it.
IMS was improved post 2006 models and the Cayman was mostly 2007 you can find the odd 2006 that might have the issue but the IMS is greatly improved in all Cayman models since it came out following the IMS issues on the early boxters and 996 911s
I believe depending on person, yearly cost can be much lower. If you do most of the simple maintenance on the car yourself, cost could easily be reduced.
Boxster alternator replacement quotes range from $600 to $1,600 at the dealer. Bosch replacement is $190, and if you can read and watch RU-vid videos and turn a wrench, you can do it in an hour.
As the spoiled bastard in the comments who owns both I must disagree you about the 986 Boxster is as far "down market" from the 996 911 in terms of performance. They are very different cars built for very different driving preferences. While the weight over the rear wheels and extra ~40 (at this age it's less certain) horses on the 911 makes the RWD recover/accelerate like it's an AWD, the Boxster is perfectly balanced and handles corners better than it has any business doing due to it's mid engine config allowing for a 50/50 weight distro. In short the Boxster is lighter and barely needs to break going into the same corners the 911 is so great at slingshot-ing out of They are both great. Otherwise i'd have sold the other like I've promised my wife every spring since 2010 lol.
Porsche 987 Caymans in my opinion is one of the most elegant Porsches ever designed after the 356. Having a Cayman S gives you more power and can hold its own on a base 997 on the track
Mechonomist: "...or at least gain a little bit more knowledge about it, because, who doesn't want to know something new?" Tai Lopez: "Did someone say KNOWLEDGE?!"
I've had mine about the same amount of time. I once heard that the Cayman is a momentum driving experience and that really rung true with me. If you let the 2.7 really go it's more than enough to get you in trouble and really economical when you settle down.
Nice thing about the base Cayman is bore scoring is very rare. They used different pistons than the Cayman S which is subject to bore scoring like the 996 and 997 model year 911's. The IMS bearing was updated in June 2005 for the model years 2006 through 2008 for the 911's, Boxster's and Caymans. The IMS bearing should not be a concern if your car was built after June 2005. less than a 1 percent failure rate. Bore scoring is the fatal flaw for these engines other than the base Cayman or base Boxster.
I have a friend with a 2011 Cayman 2.7, manual, and he daily drives it all year round. We live in the northeast, and he has snow tires and will drive through any weather.
I’m not sure this is correct. For a start the 986 and 996 shared everything back to the doors and the suspension. Even the engine was just a lower capacity version of the 996, but in a better place. Now Cayman’s are a cheaper Boxster and both handle better than the 911, which is positioned at the upper end, faster and IMO, less good value.
All 996 engines in NA cars are bored out 2.5 litre engines, the 2.7, 3.2 and 3.4 etc are all bored out 2.5 engines. Obviously the more bored out they are the more ‘delicate’ they become! ⚙️💣💥💵💰🧰🛠😪⚰️
good video I'm a subscriber so I will keep watching!! thx... I own a stock 1st gen mx5 and have never gotten below 28 mpg. used on highway , city and auto crossing it and combine any of these or all three any way you like. when you said your Cayman had gotten better mpg than your Miata I was a bit confused how that was? thx
Tom Heald The boxster is a cayman convertible, take your pick they are both 987s , same running gear same engines seats exhaust, weights are about the same , same doors bonnet , basically everything , yes you will get a bit more rigidity , it basically boils down to do you want a coupe or a drop top , and as with most boxster cayman 911s you are getting 80% of a 911 anyway Porsche use so many parts that are the same on boxsters/ caymans and 911s to keep production costs down brilliant, if you buy a AUDI tt its completely different to a R8 ... if you pick up a nice 987.2 3.4 in fact it’s faster than 996 911s c4s tip and 997 3.6 tip convertibles the 4x4 slows them down and you will give a 997.1 3.8s a good run for its money in pdk ....the 987.2 3.4 dfi engine is the same as in the base 991 3.4 just in a restricted form with a few mods and remapping you have a car just as fast for under half the price ... bang for buck caymans and boxsters are a bargain secondhand go get one you can afford it ...
10 bhp more than the boxster and different feel.. Yes that added strength makes a massive difference once you change shocks and springs to R spec which is what I have done. Plus Cayman looks better!
Royce 5’9 is the goat When you get to the French Riviera down the route napoleon there’s nothing like pressing that roof down button blue sky’s shades on tunes on through your bose shades on flat 6 howling away , you made it just for a moment you feel like you won the lottery.... trust me on the sun screen :-)
Great review mechonimist. I own a base model 07 Cayman and love it. Few things different for me though. Thankfully my maintenance costs are much lower on average though that might be due to fact that I try and do a bit of the easier stuff myself (oil, brake changes). Also insurance is much cheaper but that's down to being older than you! Hey there has to be some fringe benefits with age!
As the Caymans engine goes (M97) the bearings that are used are good and even if you replace or upgrade them the engine has the same problem... OIL starvation. It is well known that if you track a car at certain Gs and higher oil temperatures the bearings are not getting lubricated enough. So if you really want to drive the heck out of the car and go all the way to the red line you should buy aftermarket extended oil pan so you can put 10L of oil in to the engine and high quality sintetic oil 5W40 as recomended in some forums. Otherwise well maintained Porsche should last you a really long time. I hope I helped someone (I did a lot of reserch before i decided cayman has actually preaty good engine)
Unfortunately, you got it wrong. Of course the Cayman is only a Boxster with a roof, because they have the same model code - Jesus Christ! And the Cayman is not more expensive because it sits between the Boxster and the 911, it is a marketing decision and nothing else. With the 981, again, the cars are identical, but the Cayman was more expensive. It also didn't sell well in the US, because traditional wisdom has it that you should pay extra for a soft top. And now, with the 982, they have reversed that, now the Boxster is more expensive, in line with expectations.
They are actually a little different when it comes to power. For example, the 981 Cayman S has a 3.4L with 325HP while the Boxster S has a 3.4L with 315HP. Not a big deal, but true.
ADVICE NEEDED - I’ve found a cayman to buy. 2011 model and has 20k km’s on the clock. (Hardly driven). The car hasn’t been driven or started for 2 years. What do I need to do to get the car back on the road and running again? Can I just charge the battery and start it? Any help or assistance appreciated. I haven’t owned a porsche before
Admiral I would change the engine oil filters and check coolant before starting up...if you have a good brand battery do not hesitate to give it an overnight charge at a slow rate, you might be surprised but you could get another two years out of that battery...oh and add a bottle of octane boost to a full tank of gas..
Admiral my wife owns a boxster, she hardly drives it, I can remember not starting in over two years, I changed the fuel pump only because I felt more comfortable because my teenage son was going to drive the car to school..you can do a physical check of the air and pollen filter, if they are clean then I would leave for the next service...there is a filter in the fuel tank attached to the pump assembly so if the pump needs changing then the filter will be included...incidentally, the fuel pump cost is more than thousand dollars so would be nice if it’s ok.....if the fuel is smelling funky then I would certainly recommend that you change the pump and flush the fuel system including cleaning injectors...if the fuel is ok then make sure the tank is full, add the octane booster and you are good to go... Please do not attempt to remove the retainer ring for the pump located on top of the fuel tank, you will need to change the gasket if you do...
@@billmischnick7741 I ended up buying a 2009 base with 42,000 km, so yes a proud owner. Based on current pricing. I am up about $10,000 as well. Sound investment!
Congrats! Here comes the cheesy suggestion- go find a long stretch of highway, turn the radio off, cruise at 65-70, and then listen to the engine behind you. It will actually sing. I can’t hear it playing around taking off around town and that sort. Has to be a nice quiet long stretch where the engine settles into a rhythm. :)
Rodger Quinn if you search cayman forums you'll find that IMS issues are extremely rare. I've yet to see one that was verified as a build issue and not an abuse/negligence issue. Still, the rumors flooded over from the 986/996 era Porsches, so it's likely had an impact on the price.
If it's not a problem, why doesn't Porsche issue an extended warranty on it? After all, if there's no problem, there should be no claims anyway ... right? Ignore the issue at your own risk. After all, it's only $15,000 for a new engine if it happens to you.
John Simion the cars affected were manufactured between 98-2005 and PCA did eventually issue extend coverage for cars produced during that period. The issue was largely resolved in the M97 generation of engines in the 997/987 cars. Read up on it a bit more...
There are many cases of people blowing up 2006 Cayman online, especially S models. Mind you when I say 'many' it means dozens of people in forums, which is probably a small percentage of all CaymanS sold. But it is more than a non-issue, which IS the reason used prices are small. A small percentage of buyers will get stung with a 20k engine replacement bill. Perhaps it is blow out of proportion but not everybody wants to take that risk, hence the low used prices.
The Cayman engine options and engine capacity were determined by the engineers who wanted to avoid upsetting the 911 owners. They didn’t have to “reverse course”, because they avoided going down that path in the first place. -> So the “myth” is technically true.
Purchased a Cayman GTS PDK (2018) with under 6,000 miles on the clock last week!! Owned nearly every car under the sun but this is my first Porsche!! Many Thanks, Peace From London. 🙏🙏
Good video, but to clarify, the Cayman IS a Boxster with a hardtop. When Porsche made the decision to price is slightly higher, it had nothing to do with manufacturing cost. The Boxster costs more to manufacture, with the convertible top and mechanism. I'm going to buy the Cayman-look hardtop for my 987 Boxster if I ever decide to drive it in the winter. I love the overall look of the car.
Well, we'll have to agree to disagree on that one. You'd have to back up your view with a credible source, everything I have ever read does not mention any mechanical differences between the 2. The Cayman obviously is stiffer because of the added structure of the roof, so some think the handling is better. Bottom line, the price difference has always been marginal, with the Boxster now more expensive than the Cayman with the 718. When the video suggests that the 2 cars are in different price segments, that is simply not true.
@@EvelcyclopS Quote from Wiki page for Boxster/Cayman, "The suspension design is fundamentally the same as that of the Boxster with revised settings due to the stiffer chassis with the car's fixed roof."
@@EvelcyclopS I think we're loosing sight of the original statement in the video, and why it is incorrect. He suggested that the Cayman is "in between the Boxster and the 911". I don't remember the exact figures, and my memory is in Canadian dollars, but if the Boxster was $60,000, the Cayman was $61,000, and the 911 is $100,000, how is $61,000 in the middle "between" 60 and 100??
You are on point on most everything you discussed, especially about attracting men and people not knowing what it is.. l own a 2011 and was going to buy a 911 but, l love the Cayman too much to trade!
You don’t know what you’re talking about. The Cayman has always been, and still is, a Boxster with a roof, with a little more horsepower. The roof does add a significant amount of rigidity. I used to own a 986. To say that Boxsters are quite a bit worse is any performance measure other than power than a 996 is nonsense. The 718 Boxsters cost more now because a convertible of a car is worth more in the car market than a hardtop version. Neither the Boxster nor the Cayman had a lsd by the way, (as an option for the non-limited cars anyways), until the 718 generation. Appreciate cars according to your senses, not others perceptions.
I had an '08 )base 2.7 model) for almost 9 years. Fabulous car, just occasional scattered issues over the years, completely reliable, and handled like a well-appointed go-kart. The steering was far more precise than more modern Porsches.
I bought a 2010 cayman 987. gen 2 as it is Raw compared to the later 981 models as these are more refined. Which ever angle viewed at it looks stunning with a sense of uniqueness which is being lost with newer generations as they are refined
Hey @mechonomist, i just want to start off by saying keep up the entertaining videos, you do a great job. I was hoping you could help me out, I am in high school and looking for a used car and much like you live in southeast Michigan and want a manual transmission. I really want to get a Miata however my father talks me out of it everyday bec he says I would never make it in the snow. I tell him about your video you made about it but he still thinks it’s a bad idea. Do you have any advice on how to convince him that yeah it’s prob not the best car but that it’ll probably be the most fun I’d have with a car?
City Moto the biggest thing is going to be tires. Put proper winter tires on the MX5 and it will do pretty well in the snow. Yes it’s a rear wheel drive car, so you might need to put some weight in the trunk, but good winter tires are a necessity. Then get some driver training. Not high school driver’s ed, but training on a track/skid pad that will teach you the skills to be a good driver in slick conditions.
If you have lots of snow where you live a convertible might not be such a good idea from a comfort pov. Snow could wear the soft top out if you park on the street and it would just feel colder. Perhaps a hard top would help. I own an s2k myself but we don't get snow where I live (New Zealand).
The Cayman holds in own in any class and is a better drive than a similar priced 911.. There is an huge amount of snobbery that surrounds the 911...give me a gen 2 Cayman any day over an crusty same price 911...
I bought a 911 because I needed rear seats more than anything. Plus I've wanted one since about 1986. If I'd bought a Cayman I could have had a much newer car for the same money.
My insurance on my 911 996 is $251.00 a year for better coverage. Feel free to leave us a note if you feel like you are paying too much and your car is not your primary driver.
Myth #1 was really a poor argument. Looking at all the engine configurations and the two types available upon when the cayman/boxter 987 were released. The main difference between the two, were a different bumper and convertible vs hard top. I can only imagine as to why Chris Harris didn't do a similar comparison. But everybody knows a hardtop is going to be lighter and offer a more rigid platform to go around the track. Convertibles are made to cruise and enjoy the open air.
@@thefreedomguyuk very true. It is the same reason why it is heavier. Still an excellent car the boxter and my 1st choice between that and the cayman. Just the open air changes everything. Still no denying it. If it's uncompromising track ability you want, the cayman does it better.
The IMS issue on the 987’s is almost nonexistent. The 996/997 early 911’s are more threatened. Caymans can have bore scoring issues. But typically occurs within lower mileages. The engine serial numbers can tell you a lot, the earlier the number, the more of a threat.
"If you wan't to attract men, buy a Cayman. You wan't to attract women, buy a dog" Word's of wisdom. That goes for buying a motorcycle or hitting the gym.
freedom i'm planning on buying one as a daily driver but i don't want to buy one over 90k miles , that's about 144k km, but most likely i'm gonna end up with a 60k miles one or less.
I own a Cayman S Limited Edition #252. Has the Crono Sport Package. Magnificent Car. My son has a Audi R8 (V8 Manual) which I drive occasionally. Not too bad but I still prefer the Cayman. I don't understand the snobbery regarding the 911. Its a highly (over-engineered) car which is not surprising, having been around for decades. Magnificent car nevertheless. Also do not forget that it is NOT the Porsche Engineers that determine Marketing Policy. Never forget that. If the Engineers had their ways...... If I want to impress people I would never show up in a car. For that I use my Augusta 109 Grande. It's also midengined , has two turbines pushing a few thousand horsepower's and a little fan right at the back. My Grandmother had a Inn at the little village where Ferdinand Porsche started to build the 356 after the war. He was a frequent patron together with his son Ferdi. So there is even a direct connection to the Porsche Empire.
Ferdinand made the beetle in Germany during the war. He was up to his neck involved with the Nazis. His Beetle factory during the war made tanks which were not very successful. That was the reason he had to move his sports car manufacturing to a little village in Austria as the Allies did not allow it in Germany. The very first 356 was build in Gmund. I was told by my grandmother that I even took a few rides in it. I was too little to remember myself.
8:17 The data actually say 7 liter per 100 km / 33mpg on high way speeds, that is same as my MB 190 2.0 liter, and the city driving is also same. People that own the S models has also reported 7 liter on the highway. Mixed driving fuel consumption I NEVER look at because that varies wildly on where and how you drive. I Only look at how much a car uses at highway speeds.
Fully agree with your thoughts. However from my point of view, Cayman is the right car to start on the Porsche Family, specially if you don´t like convertibles. I bought mine because I do not feel confident enough to start driving a 911 from zero, I preffer to go step by step and the Cayman it´s the best choice. I do not need to attrack women as I already have found my other half before I got the Cayman. A dog?? no way!! not in my name!! hahahahaha.
$300-$1000 in upkeep. Sound like my 1993 Ford Probe. At least they still make parts for the Cayman. I guess if I can afford to keep my Probe running I can afford a Cayman. Lol
The Cayman down to the chassis is just a Boxster with a hard top, anyone who’s worked on these cars know this, seems this whole thing is trying to justify saying a cayman is better than a Boxster and somehow bridging the gap between a Boxster and 911, when the reality the difference is as much as between a 911 coupe and cabriolet, same chassis just one is for top down motoring and the other swaps that for rigidity
9:52 - He's right. So if someone (a woman specifically) asks you what kind of car do you drive? JUST SAY A PORSCHE. 99% of the time she won't ask what kind of Porsche. If she does, she might ask if it's the SUV or the car.
One does not need a GT4 or even a GTS to be faster than a 911. The 2006 987.1 Cayman S was faster around the Nurburgring than a 997.1 Carrera, according to official Porsche testing. Mine has Sport Chrono Plus, PASM and PCCB ceramic brakes, and is superior to any 911 of the same vintage, excluding the 911 GT cars of course.
Zach Langan Agreed, Porsche knows this platform could easily outperform the 911 of they put all the time and design in the cayman like they did the 911s.
1000 for insurance? buy minimal insurance. for a 21000 car you don't need collision. depending on your age and driving record it shouldn't cost more than a couple of hundred a year.
You cannot drive the Cayman in deep snow because the body is so low that the car will be suspended in snow that is higher than the ground clearance (5 inches?).
I disagree with your snow statement assuming it’s harder then the rain. I’ve hydroplaned with my 981 from rain ALONE. RWD is NOT suitable for all elements. Get front or all wheel.
Michael M Tesla’s are not drivers cars. Tesla’s have no feedback and require no input to maximize performance. Side note: 0-60 time in a straight line is very impressive but there’s much more to a real drivers car than just 0-60.
Myth 1. Absolutely true. Its just a hardtop boxster.....same motor just different ecu tunes. They are both 987's. No different than a carrera vs a carrera cabriolet
Research IMS failure. PCA video series has best info I found. Do not fear it or ignore it. Learn what to check and enjoy you car. IMS impact 911, boxster and cayman
you can easily buy and have installed a set of tires for less than 400 (closer to 300 actually). this guy either lazy or allowing himself to get ripped off. maybe he's calling the local porsche dealership and have them do the whole thing without taking the time or trouble to look for tires himself. IDK.
