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Any Cayman R's in the Northeast? Also looking for general Cayman R input...
I have been all over the place trying to figure out what to replace my current F80 M3 with once the lease runs out in June. To make a long story short, my overall plan is to go from one Swiss Army Knife type vehicle to two more specialized vehicles--"horses for courses" if you will. I also want to get out of the game where I get a new car every 2-3 years through leasing and essentially pay big bucks in depreciation every month. The plan has already begun this winter as I bought a rather nice 955 Cayenne Turbo to use for my work commute and the winter slog as well as any towing/hauling needs I might have, or trips to the city where I am forced to valet it. I can be a bit **** retentive so having something on hand that is not too precious is very nice.
That then leads me to the impractical fun car I'd like to pair it with. I have begun to narrow it down somewhat and am really keen on the 987 Boxster Spyder as well as the 981 Cayman GTS. For some reason, I never really considered the Cayman R until this past weekend but I think it has risen to the top of the list. The things that stand out to me about it are the rarity, "rawness", ability to get carbon buckets, and better track compatibility than the Spyder. Also, although I prefer the looks of the Spyder, I intend to really use the car and I think the top might wear on me after a while. It adds character but a hardtop is more simple, period. It helps too that the values on the Spyders seems to be creeping up and I rarely see one for sale in a spec I want (buckets, no grey/black, manual).
If you are still with me, here are my questions:
--Does anyone in the Northeast have a Cayman R I could look at? Even a ride-along would be much appreciated and I would make it worth your while. I am not sure if I have seen one in the flesh in years. In pictures they look great but I am not sure if they have the emotional "gotta have it" pull for me.
-If anyone has one for sale or is thinking of selling, PM me. Ideally I want buckets, manual, and no grey. I'll do black if it has a contrasting interior. Pretty flexible on everything else. I have sat in some GT4's with the buckets and they really elevate the whole experience for me, plus I happen to fit which is convenient, lol.
-I am aware of the few that are for sale currently on the common websites (autotrader, etc) and have alerts set up for when new ones become available. If you have any information on those cars just PM me.
-I know that the 987 R is awesome for all of the reasons I have already described but I still kinda prefer the 981 GTS for looks as well as it just being newer. When not blasting back roads or at the track I think it would probably be a nicer place to be. Any input on the tradeoff here if there even is one?
My use case for this is about 5-10 track days per year plus lots of road trips and general hooning around. I intend to really drive and use the thing to the tune of 8-10k miles/year. Depreciation is not of huge concern but is a nice added benefit. In my estimation none of the three options will kill me and the BS and R have some potential for increased value--I really think they are high water marks for the platform. I am not in a huge rush to make a move but ready to strike if the right opportunity comes along. I am hoping to drive a 981 Cayman GTS this week as well as a 718 base Cayman (had to try it) so I'm looking forward to the process of figuring out what direction I end up going.
I welcome any input, concerns, or questions. I am usually the person my friends go to for car advice but when it comes to my own car search I am all over the place this time around.
Personally any of the three cars your considering will be a huge step up from the M3 and I think you’ll find each to have a unique personality.
There are pros and cons to going 987 vs 981 and it really comes down to what you want from the car. The 987 will have a more old school feel with a more granular steering feel. The interior is also less luxurious and spartan in comparison to the 981. The 981 also has an aluminum chassis which is stiffer and allows the suspension to work better which can be an advantage at the track. That said, if you ball it up the cost to repair is also considerably higher and more difficult.
If you can test drive both that would be ideal, hopefully someone in NE will help out.
Personally any of the three cars your considering will be a huge step up from the M3 and I think you’ll find each to have a unique personality.
There are pros and cons to going 987 vs 981 and it really comes down to what you want from the car. The 987 will have a more old school feel with a more granular steering feel. The interior is also less luxurious and spartan in comparison to the 981. The 981 also has an aluminum chassis which is stiffer and allows the suspension to work better which can be an advantage at the track. That said, if you ball it up the cost to repair is also considerably higher and more difficult.
If you can test drive both that would be ideal, hopefully someone in NE will help out.
Thanks. I do have seat time in a few different 987/981 but none in any of the three trims I desire. Its hard to get a test drive in a Spyder/R hence me asking for rennlister help.
Strangely enough, my most recent experiences with the platform came in the form of a base, manual 987 Boxster and a stripper, base, manual, 981 Cayman (literally, it only had sport seats). Both were divine in their own way, even though both were dog slow compared to my M3. My only concern is that I think I might like the "idea" of the ultra-rare Spyder/R and in practice might grow tired of it. I'm no dash stroker but IMO the 981 interior is about perfect as far as a balance between luxury and sport. All that being said, and I don't know if this sounds crazy, but the carbon buckets would trump the niceties of the 981. I have always idolized the GTx cars so the Spyder/R with buckets feels to me like the perfect entry point to that type of car.
I live in the seattle area and I have a Cayman R .....sorry it is not for sale. Mine is Peridot Metallic, carbon sport seats and PDK. I have had it 3 years now but in order to find the options I wanted I purchased the car from a dealer in Nashville and went there to get it. When I bought it it had 12K miles and was in perfect condition and had a pre-approved extended warrantee. That being said the car has been bullet proof. I would strongly suggest the PDK as you have several transmission programing tuning options that you don't have with the manual and it is very bit as fun to drive given either in the automatic mode or with the paddle shifters. If you are interested in checking out the various factory combinations I would suggest you take a look at the Cayman R Registry accessed through this site. I would wait for the color and options you want and not settle for second best. As you stated this is a fairly rare car that has held it's value through the years and as many of them get chopped up and turned into race only cars there will be even fewer to choose from that are still in relatively intact condition.
Good luck on your search!
DE day at the Ridge in Shelton, Wa.
OP, I've had a Cayman R, '11 Spyder, and 981 Cayman S (plus currently have a 981 Boxster Spyder). The "12 R and '11/'12 Spyder only came equipped with the X73 suspension option which is far better than PASM especially if you track occasionally. X73 was a more expensive option than PASM as well, and lowered the car 10 more mm. So if you look for a 981 try to find with X73 which won't be easy. But I'd take the R over a normal 981 S. It would be a tougher call versus the GTS especially if it's well equipped as most R's are not. My 6-speed R was loaded with ceramic brakes, buckets, nav, Bose, LSD, short shifter, and sat radio. Very rare R.
I've got a Cayman R that I found in just the spec I wanted. Buckets, 6sp, peridot green. Sold a 981 Cayman GTS to get it that I bought new in 2015. The interior in the GTS was much more finished and luxurious, true. But I like the simpler 987 interior especially the position of the shifter which is a bit lower in the console. Both cars are about the same fast in feel, I don't know about stopwatch, maybe the GTS would be a hair faster but it's nothing that stands out.
As another poster pointed out the steering feel in the Cayman R, and pretty much all 987s is better. It is pretty perfect IMO, not a whole lot worse than my old Lotus Elise. The 981 is nicely weighed but compared to the R it just doesn't give you the same feedback.
The Cayman R just feels more mechanical, probably because it is more mechanical. You can hear the induction noise better, you can hear the chains, and the exhaust doesn't overpower the sound from the engine.
Don't get me wrong, the Cayman GTS is a fantastic car and if I had the $$ and space I'd keep both It's a fantastic cruiser and a perfectly good track car. The interior feels a bit larger mostly because the rear hatch has more glass that lets more light into the car. Build quality seems the same to me, that is very good.
One last word on the buckets. I fit into them just fine and they look cool. I'm not so sure that I want to drive 5K miles a year in them. But they do increase the value of the car for sure.
I see the values of these cars crossing. The GTS and a well-optioned R are surprisingly close in price now. But finding a decent R is tough.
Just a side note. My wife and I drove our Cayman R from the dealer in Nashville to Chicago and Back to Seattle checking out all the national parks along the way and to my surprise the carbon buckets were very comfortable on long days behind the wheel. the carbon seats are a real "R" must if you ask me.
OP, I've had a Cayman R, '11 Spyder, and 981 Cayman S (plus currently have a 981 Boxster Spyder). The "12 R and '11/'12 Spyder only came equipped with the X73 suspension option which is far better than PASM especially if you track occasionally. X73 was a more expensive option than PASM as well, and lowered the car 10 more mm. So if you look for a 981 try to find with X73 which won't be easy. But I'd take the R over a normal 981 S. It would be a tougher call versus the GTS especially if it's well equipped as most R's are not. My 6-speed R was loaded with ceramic brakes, buckets, nav, Bose, LSD, short shifter, and sat radio. Very rare R.
I just purchased a 981CS and had them install X73 as part of the deal. Great way to get this option done through the dealer and included in the CPO.
Just a side note. My wife and I drove our Cayman R from the dealer in Nashville to Chicago and Back to Seattle checking out all the national parks along the way and to my surprise the carbon buckets were very comfortable on long days behind the wheel. the carbon seats are a real "R" must if you ask me.
Rshea, I agree they make the car more special, and they are supportive. I'm 5'9 and medium size and fit just fine, but I am waffling whether the high pinch on the shoulders works for me in longer drives. I found the 4 way sports seats in my CGTS to be just about the perfect seat for daily and good enough for the type of track weekends I like to do, no more than 9/10th. We did a pair of 800 mile drives in the CGTS, I'm not so sure it would work out with the buckets. In any event, it's not a big deal to swap out seats in these cars.
I owned both the Cayman R and the Cayman GT4. I sold the GT4 and decided to keep the Cayman R. The Cayman R is just more fun on the street, love the X73 and the hydraulic steering. This car puts a smile on my face whenever I drive it. It is really special. The Cayman R has been bullet proof and parts for routine maintenance are reasonable The GT4 had more of an isolated feel and was so capable that I had to speed to enjoy it.
Is the Cayman R worth the premium over the 987.2 Cayman S it's based on? I like the idea of starting with a 987.2 S and adding suspension, exhaust, and mild power tweaks as I go but wonder if one would just be better off buying an R and leaving it alone.
Is the Cayman R worth the premium over the 987.2 Cayman S it's based on? I like the idea of starting with a 987.2 S and adding suspension, exhaust, and mild power tweaks as I go but wonder if one would just be better off buying an R and leaving it alone.
If you can find a nice CR go for it. It's very special.
04-09-2018, 11:06 AM
Any Cayman R's in the Northeast? Also looking for general Cayman R input...
It's a fantastic cruiser and a perfectly good track car. The interior feels a bit larger mostly because the rear hatch has more glass that lets more light into the car. Build quality seems the same to me, that is very good.
