Opposer

Hi guys i'm from Moscow, Russia, name's Roma.
Diggin into caymans stuff, eventually decided to sell my frs and buy 987.1 cayman 2.7. Not the S one because of the bore scoring scary stories.

Here's the question. I'm planning to use car on track sometimes. Heard that the S has oil starvation issue when using sticky tires. Will the 2.7 suffer from oil shortage when using hi performance street tires like Hankook RS3 or Federal RSR? (not the semi-slicks like Toyo 888)
Will the brakes fade during the 10min session? Oil overheating? Water temp?

So. Can the stock 2.7 cayman 987.1 survive short track sessions without damage to car? I visit the local racetrack 1-2 times a month and do 2-3 sessions (they cost 60bucks each).

Or is it better to stay with the BRZ or buy Z4m?

extanker

you would be better off with a 987.2

Opposer

Why? It costs more than 30k $ in Russia, 987.1 costs 20.

Does 987.2 (2.9 and 3.4) suffer from bore scoring and oil starvation?

Bossing

In short, I would say yes even for a base 987.1 Cayman.... my friend tracks his bone stock 2006 Cayman S and the only mod he did was high-temp brake fluid.

He's been tracking it 3-4x per year for a few years now and maintains it at a local Porsche shop. No issues on cooling or oil starvation. Just consumables such as new tires, pads, etc...

olegd

I drive a 987.2 Cayman Base, and take it to the track regularly (at least I did when the weather was warm). It does not suffer from these issues. The .2 motors and the cars are much more reliable. The base 987.2 also has better brakes than base 987.1.
In fact it has excellent brakes. All this car need to be track ready is good tires and proper brake fluid.
Oh and one more thing, 987.2 Base is faster than 987.1 base!

white924s

No reason it can’t be used for the occasional track day. Just don’t go crazy with performance modifications (e.g., Hoosiers, suspension work, HP mods) without improving the engine’s oil system (lots of threads on those mods out there already). As with any other car, get the oil and brake fluid flushed before, make sure your brake pads have 50%+ wear left, and get a properly fitted helmet before you go.

Opposer

what about 986 S? Heard that it's true Porsche not the cost-reduced VW and it has decent lubrication and cooling system and doesn't suffer from oil shortage an bore scoring (didn't find any case of bore scoring on 986 in the internet). It's much cheaper as well. And in Russia they drive Boxsters 3 months a year only on weekends, its mileage will be pretty low

wizee

Personally, I’d go for a 987 Base. The 986 S would have slightly more torque, but otherwise he 987 is a more modern car. Reliability is quite good on both cars overall. People on forums are paranoid. Thousands have tracked their 986/987.1/996/997.1 cars with M96/M97 engines without issue.

I bought a 987.1 Base (Boxster) because I prefer the 987 styling and interior over the 986, and in used prices, the 987.1 is much better value for your money than the 987.2. 987.2 models are nearly double the cost compared to 987.1 in Canada, for largely the same car. Low production numbers due to the recession are likely playing a major role in the high value of 987.2 cars.

The 986 S and 987.1 Base have very similar engine designs with largely the same oiling systems. Oil starvation is possible under sustained high G cornering, but I wouldn’t worry about it too much. These cars were built for and tested on the track. Keep your engine oil level full and fresh, and perhaps avoid using ultra-sticky racing slicks for sustained aggressive cornering.

Be aware that 2002-2004 and some 2001 986 Boxsters will have the problematic single row IMS bearing. If you get a 986 S from those years, budget for replacing the IMS bearing if it hasn’t already been done. The 2006-2008 engines have a different IMS bearing that almost never fails, but people on the internet tend to worry unnecessarily just because it has an IMS bearing. Bore scoring is a real problem that does happen to some M97 engines, mainly the 987.1 S and the 997.1 from what I’ve seen. I haven’t heard many cases on the Base 2.7 litre engine as you’ve seen too.

jsun1818

I run an 987.1 S doing mild DE and Auto-X duty. It's been awesome so far, but definitely needed a few things to get it dialed in for track duty. It did lose an engine (rod bearings) due to oiling issues but it was a lot of track time (85%) of its life before it ultimately let go.

Here are the mods done to mine:

Racetech Racing Seats
Racetech 6-Point Harnesses
Heico Rollbar & Harness Bar
Rennline Pedals Extensions
Factory Short Throw Shifter
Sprint Booster
Quaife LSD
Bilstein B16 PSS9
RSS Lower Control Arms
Brembo Clubsport Big Brake Kit
Carbotech Track Brake Pads
Castrol SRF Brake Fluid
GT3 Master Cylinder
GT3 Brake Booster
OZ’s running R888R or RE71RS depending on DE or Auto-X
EVOMSit RS350 Software Upgrade
IPD Intake Plenum K&N Filter
Fabspeed Exhaust Catted Headers
SpeedART Cat-Back Exhaust
FVD Higher Capacity X51 Baffled Oil Pa
Motorsport AOS
Front & Rear Tow Hooks
Paint Protection Film on Hood and Bumper
ZumSport Bumper Mesh Screens

schell

Going to the track is a leaning experience, you will have a great time in most any well maintained car, make sure you have good pads new fluid and inspected car.