MerlinRS

Hi

I'll purchase my first Porsche next spring and it's most likely going to be a 987 Cayman S, unless y'all recommend a base?

What are the must have options in your opinion? I believe sports exhaust is important, I'm not sure on the wheel size though, many seem to prefer the 18' despite them being the serial equipment.


Looking forward to hearing your replies!

terbiumactivated

If it's going to be PDK sport plus is an option (it's part of a package that has the lap timer too I just don't remember the name of the overall package) anyhow someone else here will know. I hardly ever drive in any other mode but sport plus.

Dave in Chicago

Here's what I did...

Familiarize oneself with the options list for the year.
Think about the use and users of the car.
Form a must-have, nice-to-have, and don't-want list. This can include color combos.
Then, start searching. One can be patient, cars are out there. That said, it's an existing population, so one should be prepared to consider potential compromises, if need be.

For my '05 Boxster S, i wanted that specific year for a variety of reasons, 6MT, straight up street car (no mods thanks, I have a track beast already), then color (silvers only), then interior (3 choices I liked), then options, ranked by must/nice/not, as above.

We do a fair amount of car-sharing, the spouse and I... memory seats became a must for us (6ft vs 5ft). As did Preferred Plus (Bose, heated seats, self-dimming mirrors, Bi-Xenon headlights, rain-sensing wipers, etc. IIRC), did not want the PCM Plus with the phone pad built into it (just didn't like the look of it).

I'm really pleased with all of the choices. Memory rocks. Bi-Xenon are the best headlights I've used (I'm a geek for good headlights)... I will likely never buy a car without rain-sensing wipers again. Who knew they were soooo convenient.

Just my 2 cents. Take your time and find the right match for you.

Dave in Chicago
'05 Boxster S, Arctic Silver over Sea Blue
'92 968 Midnight Blue Metallic over SP3
'88 944 NA Stone Grey Metallic over Light Gray (gone, but not forgotten)

TommyV

I'll add that when I picked up my 2010 Cayman Base it had a lot of options but I'm really glad it has the PASM. The ride is very supple and I love it around town, hit the sport button and it stiffens up nicely for some corner carving. I would not like it if it was similar to sport mode at all times.

My car also has preferred plus and all the features Dave mentioned are nice.

Regarding Base vs S, I bought my base having never driven one and was pleasantly surprised at how quick it is. I would not be surprised if it is a little underrated HP wise. The 2.9 loves to rev and sounds great (some say better than the 3.4).

matthew_brady

OP is unclear as to which gen 987 he wants, but to add my $0.02:

I test drove 4 cars (987.1) before deciding what options I couldn't live without and settling on the car I eventually bought. These options were: sport seats, sport steering wheel, sport chrono, black interior, Bose sound, Bi-Xenon (fantastic lights, as Dave said, above), and PASM (especially if the car had 19" wheels, which the one I bought does). I was also pretty specific as to what color exteriors I definitely didn't want. An option I could take or leave was the short shifter. The one I bought ended up having one and I'm thankful it did, but it wasn't a must-have, especially since it's so easy to swap in later, if desired.

As others have said, drive a few cars with various options. See what you like, what you don't. Like anything else, the more options, the higher the seller's premium, generally. I spent >6 months looking for the one I eventually bought, so depending on how picky you are and what options you can't live without, don't expect to find something in a couple weeks...

BlueNorther

I had an 06 Cayman S. My main option was MT. I also wanted 18" wheels because 19" without PASM was too firm. I didn't have SE but the engine noise was fabulous and very present. Had Bose but given engine noise in the cabin I wouldn't have missed it. I really wanted seat heating because I live in the far north and drove it all year (w snow tires). I had sports chrono but don't think it added much in the MT.

The 987 is a great car, you really can't go too wrong. It's tough to find the perfect option mix/color etc on a used car, be ready to compromise. Would be nice to find a 2009+ to avoid IMS issue, but that will really decrease the number of cars you'll be looking at, and risk is low. Get a PPI.

Kevin Rohrer

Options: Definitely "S" over a Base model.

Xenon headlights, Bose sound, leather interior, 18" wheels as a compromise between comfort, cost, and handling.

Jack-Porsche

Weird... I thought I had already replied but I do not see my response here. Options are very subject to the individual, and for me my desire was very basic.
I wanted 17 inch wheels because I like a little bit of meat on the sidewall. I wanted a manual transmission, and I wanted guards red because it represented the color that I most saw and had on my wall (in posters) as a kid .
that was for my first Porsche. Subsequent purchases , I'm sure would have a different set of criteria. My car has the upgraded sound, but I couldn't care less about that as I almost never even turn it on.
For a car that was being purchased as a toy (only driven for fun), I wanted something very basic and primitive feeling .
Good luck to you

Lapis

I had a 987 Cayman base in Speed Yellow with manual trans and not much else (yellow belts and dials, maybe a couple other token items).

Not it much power, but sure was great to drive. Handled like a go cart and got lots of good reactions from folks.

Most important thing, whether a base of S is to get manual transmission. Cayman is about the purest drivers car Porsche makes, and manual transmission is what it’s all about.

Aside from that, the base radio is worse that you’d get in a 1980s Toyota Corolla. So if you like to listen to tunes (or even talk radio...), get Bose option that was available on 987 Cayman.

Otherwise, get a color and wheel combo you like, but you can always change the wheels; even authentic OEM ones are easy to find on eBay.

Don’t get one that’s been modified.

Jack-Porsche

bingo...we think a lot alike when it comes to the Cayman. Basic "stripper" is the way to go. Turn the radio off, put the windows down, keep the RPM's up, and drive the car. That's why you buy one of these.

MerlinRS

Thank you very much guys! I'll keep my eyes open on the new listings over here in Switzerland and go test drive a bunch in April / May. There seems to be a debate between the wheel size: Some recommend the smallest / lightest (17"), others like the sweet medium of 18" and some love the 19". Personally, I am only going to use the car for pleasure and the stiffer it is the better. The only Porsches I was invited to codrive so far were a 993 Carrera RS, 996 GT3, 991 GT3 RS and a Boxster Spyder. Although all are great, I liked the GT cars most regarding stiffness and suspension. The 996 GT3 setup was very stiff and when the tank started to empty + tyre pressure wasn't optimal it started to get a little bouncy. Once we filled the tank and adjusted tyre pressure, it was fabulous. Stiff and sharp. Should I go for the 19" in combination with a PASM then?

Are there other differences such as tyre types / widhts I should keep in mind?

Thank you for your help

Jack-Porsche

Dave in Chicago

My '05 987S came with 18's, that I later wrapped in winter tires. I added factory 19's with nice summer tires. The car is used year round.

When I first mounted the 19's, I recall saying "oh, I like this a LOT". But I'm a fan of hard tires and very direct inputs through the lovely steering of these cars. Racer perspective perhaps.

I have driven the 19's on many long road trips. For me, comfort is sufficient with either of those wheel options. I believe the 19's create a tad more "rake" as the rears in that tire seem a bit taller.

Tire width, in either option, is identical (per factory specs). People compliment the 19's a lot. They are sport design model. The are a pain to clean though (many spokes).

Good luck!

Dave
'05 987S
'92 968 SP3
'88 944 NA (gone)

Marine Blue

I have had my 987 spyder for 7 years now and I have never found the 19” wheel to be too stiff. I have driven a 996 GT3 and the overall steering feel and suspension is very similar to the Spyder. After changing my tires to the lighter Michelin’s (previously Bridgestone) and installing a lightweight battery I also found the suspension doesn’t compress as much when the tank is less than half full. It’s not bouncy though and it just floats over the road undulations so you feel every single change but the tire never feels like its leaving the road.

Dave in Chicago

Yeah, I forgot to add that I kinda prefer the feel of the car with more fuel load. Kinda counter intuitive, given the value of lowering weight. Must be a balance thing.