dvlnsyde

Good day Folks,

I am contemplating buying a 2006 Porsche Cayman S, 6-speed trans, with only 17k miles! Some of the options are Sports Chrono, Premium Package Plus, 19" Carrera S wheels, Bi-Xenon lights, Bose premium sound, . . .

Carfax shows 1 owner and is priced decently at $30k (b/c of the low mileage).

I am looking for any insight into the 06 (first year) flaws. The car was garaged and only used on short weekend drives to wine country or something like that. My concern is that the car has been so sheltered that any "real" driving may bring about issues. I am driving to see and test drive the car tomorrow.

Do any of you think this is a good deal? Is there anything I should be looking for besides the obvious?

FYI - I currently driving a 2015 MK7 Golf R which I will be selling to buy the 06 CS. Am I crazy to get rid of the R for an 11 year old CS?

Thanks for your help.

Spokayman

All '06 to '08 first gen Caymans (987.1) are the same mechanically. There are no particular flaws with the first year of production (2006), but some would argue that because this entire first generation still has an IMS bearing, there is a risk of catastrophic engine failure. Because I own an '06 I have followed the IMS issue on numerous internet forums for over six years now and I have concluded that IMS failures in any year Cayman are so rare as to be considered an aberration.
If you plan to track your car, the first generation can be prone to oil starvation, power steering pump/fluid failures, and rod bolt stretching engine failures. Street driven cars don't seem to suffer any of these maladies.
However if you want to be completely insulated from the possibility of IMS failure the '09 and later cars have eliminated this bearing and the risk.

For all generation of 987s some repair/replacement items to watch for are the AOS and the water pump.

With such low miles on the car you are considering you should make sure that maintenance has been completed on a time basis rather than mileage basis. So in addition to routine oil changes (once per year) and brake fluid flushing (once every two years) the things to look for on an '06 Cayman would be spark plugs changed, serpentine belt changed, and both the cabin and engine air filters changed. Most of this work would be considered necessary to meet the every-6-years maintenance requirement.

My '06 is also a low mileage car (about 27K) but it has had all of the required maintenance completed on a time (age) basis as noted above.

If some of this maintenance hasn't been done on the car you're looking at I don't think I would rule out the car, but I might use this as negotiating points.

As for selling the Golf to buy the Cayman, that's really up to you to decide. Personally I have always had a primary daily driver vehicle in addition to my Porsches, particularly since I cannot daily drive the Porsches in the winter.

dvlnsyde

-Spokayman
Thanks for all of the great info. The IMS bearing issue had me concerned, but I have been looking for thread regarding the 06 CS. I am sure there are some out there, but so seldom I agree they would be an aberration.

I will insist on maintenance records or negotiate accordingly. As many, I have dreamed of owning a Porsche, but hadn't really looked at older higher mileage Caymans (and some 911's) until recently. My research has shown that these cars are so solid (as long as they are "properly" maintained. I have about 10 years to retirement and I want to own & drive a Porsche before I lose physical ability to do so.

Thanks again.

STLPCA

FWIW, I bought my 1st CS new in 2006, put 42k miles daily driving it (including a bunch of track time in Advanced/Instructor groups and in the winter on winter tires), and sold it in 2013. Other than a couple of early issues covered under warranty, the car was "bullet proof." I made no track mods and ran on R compounds, but I also didn't beat it up. Up until my GT4 (my 5th Porsche) it was the best sports car I've owned.

Oh, in case you're wondering why I sold it, it was to buy a different 2006 CS with a turbo 3.8l X51 911S engine

It's time to fulfill your dream -

rsgl

Approaching 60k miles on my '06 Cayman S, and it is flawless; uses virtually no oil, strong and smooth, and beautiful. Highly recommended.

bjd8386

I was also in a similar situation - was choosing between a Golf R (2013 so not as fast as yours) and a 987.1s. I went with the Cayman, and definitely don't regret it.

2 years into ownership of a CPOed 2007, and so far it's been great. Had a water pump replaced under warranty. Burns no oil, and continually gets good reports from used oil analyses.

skl

Go for it. My son has a '06 Cayman S and while he has modded it quite a bit over the years, it has been very reliable, even with a few track days under it's belt.
It was his first Porsche, and I figure it will stay in his stable as long as I've had my '71 914...


(BTW, I had a gen 6 R and you're comparing apples and oranges!)

skuplist

I had a 2006 Cayman S. My first Porsche. Put 45,000 miles with no issues. Sold it to get a GT3. Still miss the Cayman S. It was a great car.

JSF101

sounds like a good deal

anyone looking for a Guards Red 06 Cayman S (tiptronic) with 13,500 miles check classifieds at longhornpca.org

no affiliation but know the owner
car is showroom new
priced at $29,950

so, your deal sounds fair
and like skup, I had an 07 Cayman S, no problems, put 60,000 miles on it before trading