Cayman S high miles or Base w/half the miles?
01-28-2018, 11:19 PM
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Cayman S high miles or Base w/half the miles?
There are two of these in my area, the 2011 S has 95k miles and the 2010 base has 48k with sport plus, pdk with real paddle shifters. They cost the same... which would you get? Thanks!
01-28-2018, 11:54 PM
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I’d start by looking at the actual condition of each including the maintenance history. The higher mile car could have fresher plugs, brakes, clutch, etc. than the lower mile car.....or not.
If you plan to drive more than 5-8K miles per year I think the higher mile car might be more attractive. Neither has low miles now, but you’d be hurting the value of the high mile car less by adding miles than adding them to the low mile car.
Also depends on your use of the car. For tracking, DE, or such, the S matters. For fun driving around town and on the local twisty roads, either car is great.
The PDK wrings more performance out of the engine than the manual and they are two different driving experiences. I have one of each type trans and I enjoy them both for different reasons. It may take a test drive of each one to determine which one you like best.
The most positive aspects of these cars is not the horsepower, it’s the sublime handling, mid-engine layout, shape of the car, and relative rarity.
The S will likely hold it’s value better in the long run. I could see the S with, say 150,000 miles, being worth more than the base with 100,000 miles.
If you plan to drive more than 5-8K miles per year I think the higher mile car might be more attractive. Neither has low miles now, but you’d be hurting the value of the high mile car less by adding miles than adding them to the low mile car.
Also depends on your use of the car. For tracking, DE, or such, the S matters. For fun driving around town and on the local twisty roads, either car is great.
The PDK wrings more performance out of the engine than the manual and they are two different driving experiences. I have one of each type trans and I enjoy them both for different reasons. It may take a test drive of each one to determine which one you like best.
The most positive aspects of these cars is not the horsepower, it’s the sublime handling, mid-engine layout, shape of the car, and relative rarity.
The S will likely hold it’s value better in the long run. I could see the S with, say 150,000 miles, being worth more than the base with 100,000 miles.
01-28-2018, 11:54 PM
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I just returned from a, uh, ahem, spirited drive in my base 981 and HOT DAMN THE THING IS A RACE CAR.
Personally, I don't need it to be any faster. Maybe a touch -- a smidge -- more torque and/or "sweet spot" power, but I'm already topping 80 mph in third gear (where that's legal, of course) and loving every second of it.
The other thing of course with higher mileage cars like that is the possibility of significant wear and/or abuse history. Have you already driven the cars, without any wiggle, rattle, or whine? CARFAX (or similar) and DME'd each? Is there a color or option set you like better?
My sense is that you'll instinctively be drawn to one or the other -- or neither, and keep looking.
Best of luck and please post pics when you purchase!
01-29-2018, 12:00 AM
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01-29-2018, 02:06 AM
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Thanks. This would be my first sports car (although I have been to Exotics Racing and driven Porsches, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis), and would be for weekends on the Angeles Crest Highway in L.A. Hopefully that gives more context.
I haven’t driven either car yet, the higher mileage S is actually several hours away so it would be easier to go with the lower mileage base, and I could probably rationalize it since it has some nice performance-related options.
I haven’t driven either car yet, the higher mileage S is actually several hours away so it would be easier to go with the lower mileage base, and I could probably rationalize it since it has some nice performance-related options.
01-29-2018, 11:22 AM
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Do as much homework as you can re service records and any repairs. I would purchase CARFAX reports for both, just to see what they might reveal. If one car had a wealth of service records and history and the other one didn't, that might tell you something about how they were maintained. I was looking at a higher mileage '11 Cayman S that was $18K less than the CPO '12 Cayman S I ended up purchasing. The current owner of the '11 Cayman S -- who lived across the country -- offered to have a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) done at his expense. The dealership that did the PPI recommended almost $14K in maintenance or replacement parts; the car clearly had not been maintained well even though it looked great. Most maintenance appeared to be performed by the quick oil change places. The '12 Cayman S I bought had just had its 40K service performed as part of the dealer preparations for selling it, in addition to the PPI they performed -- and new tires as well. (Yet it only had 34K miles on it at the time.) Just about all of its maintenance was performed at the three Porsche dealerships here in the Denver area. I decided the '12 Cayman S was a much better car that not only offered a supreme driving experience but also peace of mind with a 2-year warranty from Porsche. (And its purchase price was pretty much the same as the private sellers I had looked at.)
01-29-2018, 06:55 PM
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Thanks guys. Just in case I expand my search to include earlier IMS years, why have I read that the 08’s are especially unlikely to have IMS issues? What changed (if anything) from 06-07?
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01-29-2018, 07:02 PM
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My mind is already getting hazy from the intoxicating experience of driving my 981 (sorry, just got it, have to say it), but IIRC there is no IMS difference from 06-08. 05 had a smaller, more prone to failure bearing, present on the first MY 997.1 (and possibly 987.1 Boxster?). Cayman as you know debuted in 2006. The '09 went to the DFI engine with no IMS whatsoever, and no bore scorings reported as far as I know.