Why is this 2009 Porsche TWICE the price of a 2008? 

Hey guys, sorry for the re-upload, I needed to fix a weird audio issue in the export previously!

Great video. Next, you should compare a 987.1 manual vs 987.2 manual. Because the PDK is so far superior to the tip tronic, this makes it an unfair comparison. Besides, regardless of any of the generations, these cars should have a proper manual gear box.

Very cool, I owned the 987.1S and now 987.2S, both manual. I can be buried in it. 997.2S would be good too, but Cayman is just the right feel of everything. Looks great, enough power, the right mass distribution, and sounds proper. 11/10.

As someone else mentioned, ims is not a problem in the 987.1 after 2006, it's more bore scoring of the piston sleeves. This is down to poor maintenance and people ragging them before they have warmed up the engine. For the 20k difference, I would have the 987.1... I have one, a manual and it's a great car for the money and handles better than the rear engined 911's.

I was recently looking for a 987. What an coincidence I came up to this video. Really helpful!! Thank you

I happen to own a 981, but appreciate all the Caymans. This is a well thought-out analysis.

Superb overview and comparison You covered all the bases. Well done.

It took me a stroke of luck to find my 987.2, but I absolutely love it!

I absolutely love my 987S Boxster. It punches far above its price tag and is the best handling car I’ve ever driven. Compared to a 911 it’s substantially more balanced. Just enough power to have fun with and not have to worry about going to jail. Highly recommended!

When the PDK clutches require changing and you’re faced with a stiff bill, don’t forget to remember the split second difference in gear changing compared with a Tiptronic. The Tiptronic is a fine gearbox and very reliable, the PDK is not reliable at all, I’m an ex-Porsche technician

Wow Luke what a great video! Now I want a 987.1 as I’m a college student. I’m not broke yet so that’s why I want the cheaper one 😂 Please keep uploading on this channel!

Excellent video. Not many on RU-vid that have explored the 987.1 and .2 as you have. Great truths spoken here about the tiptronic and the pdk. Both perfectly fine.

IMS issues in a 987.1 are essentially a non-issue. Don’t let that hold you back. The sport wheel (round, not triangle) in the 987.1 looks much more at home in that cockpit than the 987.2 wheel (IMHO). You can put an aftermarket Apple CarPlay head unit in the .1 or .2 and it will be substantially better than stock. You can also add a back-up camera to that configuration. All of that makes the 987 a decade newer while still keeping it analog. I just put 5200 miles on my 2007 987.1 2.7 5-speed Cayman and it was flawless. 30+ mpg and zero oil burned. Bonus points if you can find one of these with the sport seat option. Super comfortable and they really hold you in place.

I love the new channel Luke I’m not much of a car guy but I love your videos & content and between u & MKBHD u both have great insight & knowledge in cars so keep the videos coming I personally would take your car it sounds & looks much better then the other one thank u again 😎🤙🏻

Loving the new channel. The 987.2 is the way.

First time watching something on your channel. @13:03 Turn right and you're basically at my house! Subscribed

Awesome review. You gained a subscriber!

Hey Luke, cool to see you exploring beyond Apple! Love the vid! Ignorance is bliss, and so is a Porsche! If you don’t drive a 987.2, then you won’t know what you’re missing, and you will still enjoy the driving experience of the 987.1. I have a 2011 PDK BS (2nd owner 50K miles) and a 2007 Tiptronic CS (original owner 158K miles) and though there is a distinct difference in a direct comparison, I enjoy both cars for different reasons. The Cayman is a relaxed drive when I am traveling from A to B, whereas the Boxster is more of a leisure drive going from A to B via the longest route possible. I wouldn’t part with either of them.

The 987.2 "S" even at twice the price is a bargain. It took me almost 2 years to find my gently used 2011 987.2 S "6-speed" ... the "S" 6-speeds are GHOST, almost impossible to find. Without a doubt it has the secret sauce and will only get more expensive once the world catches on to this super RARE little super star.

I love the wrap of the orange Cayman. That car is stunning.

Great comparison. I’m in the $20k category but have loved it. Just want to let you know that IMS for 987.1 received the 3rd gen. It’s larger diameter means it’s located inside the shaft so it’s untouchable. Failure rate is very very small I don’t even think about it. However the Bore Score is more prevalent especially in the S version. I’d thought 987.2 would not suffer from bore scoring but dealers are reporting it does happen to Gen 2. As the milage on these newer models get up there and mother time. Bore scoring didn’t stop 987.2. It continues to early 981 S. Porsche did not resleeve the cylinders until 991.2. BTW the sports steering wheel is an option in all 987.1 cause I have one.

Love the content. Nice to see Ft McNair and DC area. I have a 997.1 in TIP, and being a DC area driver, I appreciate not killing my left knee/calf in traffic. Beautiful Cayman you have there…hope to see you at Katies C&C sometime..

I love my .1 3.4 S! I looked for a .2 for over a year but because of low production i couldn’t find one with the options I was looking for. Hence the .1

Hey, thank You for the video showing and comparing these two cars. Honestly, the first thought I had got after your question:"What do You think?" was I would love to own Porsche 2009 (the second version). The main reason is its sound since in my humble and personal opinion its "highs" do sound way more emotional so it would add some enjoy in the sense of feelings while some driving. One day I'll own some Cayman. Once again - thank You - and hope to see some new videos by You! Bye!

I currently own 3 Porsche’s (997TT , 993 and a 987.1 all manual.) I was a little concerned with the 2008 Cayman S and the IMS issue but i purchased a 1 owner from a Porsche dealership and they offered a 2 year certified warranty. The key to minimizing the IMS is to have full documentation of the oil being changed on a route basis. When you get an oil change, send a sample to Blackstone laboratories or Speed diagnostics. The results will tell you the condition of the engine for premature wear. The main issue for bore score is people pushing the car before the oil in warm and old oil. Caymans do not have an oil temp gauge like 911’s so the general rule of thumb for me is 10 min of light driving before I push it. My oil is clean so I’m a very happy 987.1 owner.

That "Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe" was surprisingly good :D

This fall I enjoyed a lap on the Nürburgring in the passenger seat of a 987.1 boxster s. I was very surprised how capable this car felt and how fast we could go through corners. Before that I had never been on a racetrack though…

I looked at 987.1s for a long while as I was saving up for my first Cayman, but with the 987.2's rebuilt engine, making engine problems extremely low, it really put my mind at ease,. I know that when the Cayman came out, the IMS problem really wasn't that much of a concern anymore, but I just felt knowing my luck, i'd be one of the unlucky ones and I ain't risking that So I bought a 2012 base 987.2 Cayman and it's by far the best car i've ever had. Though I live in the UK, and a base 987.2 is around £20k whilst S models are around £25k and up. So the 987.2 was alot more achievable here and across Europe than the US, which really sucks. But hey, there are specialists that can do engine rebuilds for ISM bearing era Porsches, so you could seek out one of those if you could only get a 987.1 and you're still worried about the IMS.

I own the 04 and find your video very informative

nice review. definitely planning on getting the .2 as my next car. out of curiosity what head mount are you using for your POV shots?

Porshes are one of my dream cars, I'll probably realistically never be able to own one so I'm gonna live through you for a bit 😍

I used to own a 2007 987.1 .. was a great car. My certified Porsche mechanic told me that Porsche updated the bearings in the IMS and not to worry, just keep the oil changed, i never had an issue. I bought it used at 20k miles drove it for 4 years and tagged on another 45k .. was a good car, i miss it sometimes. Sold it for a different toy.

Got a base cayman 987.1 and that’s more than enough power for me on the uk roads and it only cost £10k. I find it hard to justify the extra £10k leap for every iteration of the cayman but would say buy the newest one you can within in your budget but ensure it’s a good example

Not many comparisons online so it’s nice to see you do it. The Cayman 987.1 received the 3rd gen of IMS. It’s a larger sealed bearing and cannot be modified(Do Not Touch) unless you do an engine rebuild. The failure rate is about as good as winning a lottery. So I wouldn’t bother losing any sleep over it, however Bore Scoring is more prominent. To address it, buyers should get a bore scope as part of a PDI. ECU read out for over raving history. Check for signs like excessive blue smoke and a ticking/knocking sound during idle. I’m not sure if 987.2, given it has to do with same 3.4 l flat 6 would suffer from Bore Scoring. If so, then the inherited problems are the same between both 987.1 and 987.2. Evens out the advantages/disadvantages.

I sold my 987.1 two years ago and missed it ever since. Just bought a 981 last week and have been zipping around NoVA loving it. Maybe we will run into each other!

Great vid. I chose the Cayman series 2, 2.9. Mostly because I saw one in red and fell in love with the looks. Drove some S’s, manual and automatic and decided that the low spec was quick enough for my driving style (think ‘vicar’, but a sexy one 😂). The peace of mind of zero ims fear is worth the difference if you can find the money imo. The higher specs are great if you want to shave fractions of a second off your circuits round a track - and if that’s your thing - go with god. But I use mine as a daily, and 2.9 feels, looks, and sounds lovely enough for me. As a not insignificant sidebar, it benefits from the fact that, to most people, all Porsches look broadly alike: I’ve had some nice cars, but never one that attracted so many positive comments. Kids point at it too - a bonus, although I doubt you’d get that in a wealthier area.

If you had compared 6 speed manuals, then I think your assessment would have been much different. It was for me at least. Good luck finding a nice condition 2008 MANUAL transmission Cayman S for less than $30k. Throw in an ecu upgrade and 320 hp is available as well on the 987.1. I have a 987.1 2008 Cayman S MT 6speed with ECU tune. 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 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.

I totally love my .2. I only wish it t had the full-fat 3.8 litre like the 911 S. it really needs another 25-30 HP because it’s handling is perfectly balanced it can feel a little unexciting at times. But I wouldn’t swap it for anything else in the same price range nor a 911

Yea....But I wanted a manual, a drivers car. I bought a 987.1 Cayman base model, fantastic car, what the Miata always wanted to be. Keep the 2009, I got mine in great condition for 18K.

Good video. Just finding it. Great to see the GW Parkway, a great drive in VA, on video. I’ve wanted .2 for a long time, but settled for a 2022 718 S - which is not settling at all…

Answer: because the 09-12 is the most flawless sports car ever created

Excellent comparison ❤

No bore score mentioned on the .1, that’s a bigger issue than the ims

My opinion on these is get a 987.1 and if the engine goes there is a company that will bore your engine out to a 4L for around $20k and having a brand new 4L motor in a cayman for the same price as a 987.2

Ive got a 987.1, i love the hell out of the car

Exactly!! I drive a , 2006 boxster s, auto, not enough road to get fast, especially in Hawaii, top down 24 7,365. enjoying the views!! cruising around, rainbows and sunsets!! Peace and Aloha!!!

the mileage difference is the major factor between these two cars. although, the .2's will normally command about a 50% price increase with comparable mileage.

Great video! Thank you! Do you reccomand Apple car play or just bluetooth intregration for audio is enought? Thanks mate

i owe a 2009 base cayman with a pdk. no bore scoring issues, no ims, no oil shortage in tight turns - just fun and reliability

I am looking at buying an 07 with the manual transmission. Rather have the manual over the PDK. Not worried about the IMS that is very rare. As rare as finding an affordable 09 or just an 09 period....lol

Okay...this video blew me away...I got on here and saw you and said-- "Wat a minute...THAT's Luke the Mac guy....I'm confused." Then I got into it-- you have a Porsche channel too! 2008 Cayman S (manual) owner here with only 44K miles on it. I'm going to guess (before watching) that the key advantage of the 2009 is that it is Direct Fuel Injection (DFI)...and does not have the built in potential for an IMS bearing failure...off to watch the video!

I have a 987.1 absolutely love it and paid 27k. My first Porsche but probably not my last

Note, on the $40k price tag: that one has Sport+ package, a wrap, and Apple Car play. I have a fairly minimum '09 Cayman S w/ PDK and 79k miles (Tubi exhaust, nice headlights), worth about $34k now.

The dot one has a bore score problem, avoid the risk and buy the dot two

Great video! I'm in Northern Virginia and just got a Cayman 987.2 last week for my fun track car. You ever go to Cars and Coffee and Katie's coffee house in Great Falls?

I have a manual 987.1 S manual with a borla exhaust. It is a super fun car. It’s 300hp. It is what it is. If you change the oil a lot I don’t think you’ll have any problems. It’s what you should be doing anyway if you want your engines to last a long time. It’s 300hp flat six that sounds great. It isn’t a turbo S manual. I have one of those as well. I also have a pana turbo 970 sports chrono pdk. I love them all. Cheers boys

So weird watching this guy take the Caymans on GW parkway given the fact that I like to take my 718 on it for fun. Wish there were better roads to have enthusiastic drives in the DMV area

I am amazed by how quick the down shift is at the .1 pre version. That is one decent auto transmission🎉 tbh

The IMS was not the only reliability issue with the 987.1 The steering rack/pump, AOS, and poor oil distribution were three notorious issues on this car.

No question 987.2 unless it’s the base Cayman. It’s not the IMS I’m worried about it’s the Bore Scoring. And to back that up, we recently bought a 987.2 Boxster S for exactly that reason.

The .1 also doesn’t have the valve fouling issues associated with direct injection .2 engines

I drove the 2009 PDK in 2009 and was quite impressed. At the time I had a supercharged 2008 Mustang GT so Porsche let me test drive. Some dealers can be snooty at times. It was very nimble at the time and due to the light weight, sort of quick. Wound up sticking with the Mustang. I'm on the hunt for a 2013-14 Mustang Shelby GT500 in grabber blue 🔵 currently.

Just bought a 987.2 with 40K mikes. Ouch! But what a car!

the simple fact that that the im987.2 gives you the peace of mind that the possibility of engine fail has been fixed..

I just love that we have same interests in Macs and P-cars… although I drive a 911 🤗🏎️💨

I'm AMAZED in that 20k price for a Porsche! I love my 2018 Subaru BRZ but if I had known that could be found at that price I would have hunted one of those instead! My Subaru is fun and go cart like but that inline 6 would most likely give me the extra umph that the boxer 4 is missing. Adding a turbo charger would help but I've decided by the time I do that upgrade I could just pay for the upgrade to a second gen BRZ for only a little more. But now that I know I can get one of these in the same price point... As Ludacris says, "scheme scheme plot plot!"

Awesome content 👍

you know what's better go cart car, 2005 ep3 or ep2 civic, I own both 987.1 boxster and ep2 civic and must say, boxster feels heavy. On the other hand when I throw civic into sharper corner it just goes and it puts a big smile on my face.

the 987.2 is relatively rare but there are three within walking distance of my house, including my own. birds of a feather.

Damn Washington maryland roads be looking alot like NY/NJ/ roads

987.2 PDK is great for more urban environments. Engines: The 2.9L PFI is slower but doesn’t have the inlet valve buildup issue that the 3.4L DFI has (which I understand starts showing up in higher mileage vehicles). PDK is the best of both worlds and, if you notice, it’s proven technology that has survived with few modifications from 2009 to 2023.

Hi, nice comparison. That carplay in the unit of your car is perfect. Does it exist for the 987.1 pcm as well? Thanks.

I have the .1 and I love it. No major issues at all. Fantastic cars. Prices i (In Australia) are climbing on both. Mine is a manual and I chose it because of the more analog feel over the .2. If (and it's a big if) the einge ever suffers from bore scoring, I'll have her bored out to a 3.8 and add a twin turbo kit.

IMS bearings were not an issue for 987s. Was very reliable then. 986 was a different story.

Thnx for making the 987.2 that much harder to find 🙄

Bore scoring concerned me more than the IMS, so I found a .2 S. I always preferred manuals, but the PDK rewrote the rules. They are so quick and unbelievably good. It's not just the lightning-fast shifts--the software is remarkable in its ability to anticipate what you want. In the video you mentioned waiting to downshift. I really have to disagree there. If you really put your foot in the throttle, it is smart enough to immediately downshift multiple gears, and off you go, especially in Sport/Sport Plus. All that said, the shift buttons on the wheel ARE flat-out clumsy. But I just upgraded to the true paddle shift factory wheel. It's plug-and-play, and now I've got the best of both automatic and manual.

I have a 2010 987.2 6-speed, manual, base Boxster. I chose it over a 987.1 for the reasons you stated. IMS bearing issue effects only about 10% of .1s. For peace of mind, you can replace the IMS for about $2,500. You should also check for bore scoring. I'd love to see your comparison between both manuals (either base or S models).

12:10 😅Ah yes. The cold rev. Classy.

You pronounce „Doppelkupplungsgetriebe“ pretty good. Approved by a german.

Interesting there is no mention of bore score on the 987.1. If that sets in, it's 15k dollar rebuild - so you have to buy very carefully in that market. A 3.2 Boxster (which is the reason I bought one) doesn't suffer with this, and a 2006 Boxster has larger IMS bearing as well, so definitely the 'sweet spot' of the 987.1 S range. Cayman is arguably a better looking car but I can live with that to not have to spend huge amounts of cash on it. Boxster S manual I picked up for 13k British pounds, (about 15k USD) with 80k miles

I hope those revs weren't on cold engines... but besides that, the 987.1 definitely sounds better. Saying this as a 981 owner, which shares the engine with the 987.2

My Cayman is pretty weird. it's a 2008 but it's an S Sport, so a few were also made in 09, but even the 09s are 987.1. It's the first Cayman with over 300 hp factory, alcantara interior, various GT3 bits, Orange 8C6 or Signal Green color, only 700 made with a plaque of what number each is on the glovebox. They’re pretty few and far between like the .2 is. As such the values of the S sport stay pretty similarly in line with the 987.2 S. Any time one comes up for sale it's always between 35-60k depending on mileage and condition. (lowest I've ever seen one go for was 26k, but it had 240k miles and was track driven).

Haha Luke - found your car channel. You can run but you can't hide.

I had the 987.1 before, and boy, the maintenance cost is far more than 20000 , but its a nice and fun car to drive :)

I guess it's all about the updated engine in 09. Loved my '05 though.

Wait, you're Luke! Oh wow. Didn't know you had this channel! Nice!

Humorously Entertaining ~ PDK

There’s about 15 987.1’s for sale around me on car gurus and only 1 987.2 for sale. Very interesting tbh never knew the 987.1 had those issues and I always wondered why they were so cheap. I remember seeing some alright d $16k but now they’re around $20-$25k

Got to say for the price my 987 has been a great machine a super Porsche for anyone wanting to jump into the German car world.

Per your question, I would go for the 987.2. First of all, half the mileage means much longer anticipated lifetime - you cannot compare a 30 years old man to a 60 years old man and think they have the same life and performance expectancy. Second, you do get much more subtle upgrades, not just in performance, efficiency, better interior but also in the gearbox, which alone makes a significant difference. Lastly, the engine risks (bore scoring & IMS) mean a $ 15,000 bill (at least) just in repair if you go for the 1st Gen. Yes, the risk is small but when it happens now you spent all the money (you tried to save) and still have an older car without the improvements that Porsche made in the GEN 2. For anyone that seeks to keep a Cayman 987 for the long term, the 2 GEN will be a much better car and it is absolutely worthy to spend the additional money for something that is newer, has better engineering, better power, better efficiency and is more modern and more reliable. Think alone of all the worries you will save by not wondering about bore scoring and IMS.

Please compare the base models too, I see they also had the chrono pack. 2.7 and 2.9ltr engines

I really like your hosting style. Personable but not in your face or annoying at all. Not quite what you asked but even if cost weren't a factor I'd probably go with a 2008 with a manual transmission over the 2009 with the PDK just for the fact that it's a manual.

One anecdote: I tracked my '09 Cayman S (987.2) w/ PDK a few months ago with some other Porsche owners. I was faster than all of them in the corners (except for the '18 GT3). But, a 987.1 S manual blew it's engine (oil starvation on one side) where mine was fine. I don't know if that was luck or if my oil pan has more baffles or something.

Until the MR2 gets released, these make the most sense for mid engine rear drive fun.

What do I think? I think it’s not the smartest thing to rev on a cold start.

In the video, the presenter mentioned switching out the stereo on his other channel. Does anyone know what the other channel is?

George Washington Parkway is soooo great for spirited drives, even if you’re stuck at the speed limit. 👍🏻

Life after the Super Store, Noah has no drama

You should have a comparison between a manual and auto shift versions

Can you review the 987.2 2.9 litre manual and pdk?